Photogravure
A two-day intensive in direct-to-plate polymer gravure with Wendy Constantine
Available spots
Service Description
Photogravure has long been one of the most beautiful ways to translate a photograph into ink on paper, and historically, one of the most difficult and hazardous. This course teaches a contemporary version of the process that keeps the depth and tonal richness of traditional gravure without the toxicity. Working with photopolymer plates that develop in plain tap water, you'll print your digital positive directly onto the plate surface, expose it under UV, wash it out in a tray, and pull prints from it the same day. This is a small-enrollment course, capped to ensure one-on-one attention. You'll spend two days making plates and pulling prints, learning the process by doing it repeatedly rather than watching it demonstrated — and you'll come away understanding the system well enough to keep working with it on your own. In-Person Workshop, Broomfield, CO November 14 & 15, 2026 9 am - 5 pm Price: $575 + $100 materials fee What you'll learn: - The direct-to-plate method, which eliminates the film positive, the aquatint screen, and the solvent bath - Preparing a photograph for gravure: choosing images that suit the process, setting tonal range, and applying a calibration curve, so the plate reads the way you intend - Printing the positive directly onto the polymer plate - UV exposure of plates - Washout and post-exposure hardening - Preparing a wet pack of paper - Inking, wiping, and printing on an etching press Who it's for: Photographers curious about translating their work on paper to a more tactile form, printmakers who want to bring photographic imagery into their practice, and anyone who has been drawn to gravure but put off by the toxicity of the traditional process. No prior photogravure experience is necessary. You should be comfortable with basic image editing in Photoshop or Lightroom: opening files, adjusting levels and curves, and you'll bring your own digital files to work from. A prep sheet with file specifications will be emailed ahead of the course.
Upcoming Sessions
Cancellation Policy
TUITION: This covers the cost of instruction for a workshop and expenses such as facilities costs. MATERIALS FEE: This fee covers the cost of specific materials consumed in the workshop. Early Cancellation Light Poets invests significantly in organizing our workshops, and even if there is a waiting list, it can be difficult to fill spots left by cancellations. Therefore, we charge cancellation fees to help offset the costs of these unfilled enrollments. In order to receive a refund, a cancellation notice (please email info@lightpoets.com) must be given at least 30 days in advance of the start of the workshop. In this event, a $50 processing fee will be charged. After 30 days before the start of the workshop, a percentage refund (50% of tuition, 0% of materials fee) will be applied. No refunds will be given for cancellations within 14 days of the start of the workshop. If it is necessary for Light Poets to cancel a workshop for any reason, students will be notified and offered another class or a full refund. We cannot be responsible for reimbursement of non-refundable travel expenses in the event a workshop is cancelled. Additional Workshop Policies - Light Poets Guild is not responsible for cancellations due to medical or other family-related emergencies. - Refunds for tuition or materials fees cannot be granted for “no shows.” - All registrations received less than 14 days before the start of a program, including same-day registrations, are final and are not eligible for a refund.