Gravure
![https://www.empa.ch/documents/55926/76815/Gravure1.png/2b3aef84-306c-49a5-9aec-8b15fee7e04c?t=1588237687000](https://www.empa.ch/documents/55926/76815/Gravure1.png/2b3aef84-306c-49a5-9aec-8b15fee7e04c?t=1588237687000)
Gravure Printing
Gravure printing is a widely-used high quality, fast speed printing technique e.g. for magazine printing. It utilizes engraved cells on a printing plate or cylinder to transfer the ink to the substrate.
Schematic of the Gravure printing process and Photograph (left) and microscopic image (right) of engraved cells
![https://www.empa.ch/documents/55926/76815/gravureExamples.png/3505121e-009b-4c68-ad44-01baaea7a52f?t=1588237697000](https://www.empa.ch/documents/55926/76815/gravureExamples.png/3505121e-009b-4c68-ad44-01baaea7a52f?t=1588237697000)
Key features
- Engraved elements on gravure cylinder.
- Mass-printing technique
- High variety of low viscosity inks can be used (UV, solvent, waterbased etc.)
- Web speed ≤ 100 m/min
- Resolution ≤ 355 dpi, ≥ 10μm
- Film thickness: 0.02 – 8 μm
Empa's gravure cylinder is specially designed for printing very fine details and structures required for printed electronics (down to 9 Micrometer). It is also has the capability to print very thin layers of functional inks.
1 Printed Ag grids for use as transparent electrodes (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-019-03835-7).
2 Printed dot structure of polymeric material on PET foil.
3 Printed Ag current collector on CIGS solar cells.
4 Flexible and transparent electrode: A gravure printed conductive Silver grid and busbar on PET foil.
![https://www.empa.ch/documents/55926/76815/AgLED.png/d68ca1a2-5bd2-4251-ba8f-e428f06a2ce0?t=1588237608000](https://www.empa.ch/documents/55926/76815/AgLED.png/d68ca1a2-5bd2-4251-ba8f-e428f06a2ce0?t=1588237608000)
Circuit with a glue-bonded SMD-LED to prove conductivity
of the gravure printed nano-silver ink
![https://www.empa.ch/documents/55926/76815/Labratester.png/b06df089-5497-426b-9ce8-65d031b9466a?t=1588237757000](https://www.empa.ch/documents/55926/76815/Labratester.png/b06df089-5497-426b-9ce8-65d031b9466a?t=1588237757000)
Labratester
The CCC is also home to a small lab gravure printer for ink testing on flexible A5-sized substrates. Here, gravure plates are used, which allow a very fast workflow. A gravure plate with various cell parameters (e.g. depth, size) as well as a gravure plate with very fine structures are available.