Copper Photogravure Workshop
A Less-Toxic Process Using DAS Sensitiser
This workshop introduces a less-toxic approach to copper photogravure using DAS sensitiser as a chromium-free alternative to traditional dichromate sensitisers.Workshops teaching this particular process are still rare in the UK.


Two-Day Workshop

31 Oct – 1 Nov 2026
£480
This two-day workshop introduces the basic copper photogravure process. With guidance, you will make and print one copper plate.
It is suitable for those who would like an initial understanding of the process, as well as those who are only available at the weekend.


Four-Day In-Depth Workshop

31 Oct – 3 Nov 2026
£900


In addition to learning the complete process, you will have two further days to consolidate your knowledge and produce a second copper plate with better independence.
You will also learn additional printing techniques, including chine-collé and two-plate colour printing.

The workshop is now fully booked! If you’d like to join the waiting list in case a place opens up, please email me.
If you’re interested in a future workshop, you can also email me to receive updates when new dates are announced.
Contact Email: muer1989@hotmail.com


Workshop Information


Maximum class size: 4 participants

Location: 
Willway Yard,Willway Street, Bedminster, Bristol

Materials included:
Copper plates, positive films, ink, Hahnemühle etching paper and other essential materials.

What you need to prepare:
A high-resolution image file suitable for output as a continuous-tone positive film. Further image requirements will be provided before the workshop.

Experience required:
Participants should have some previous experience in either printmaking or photography, as copper photogravure combines both disciplines.


What Is Copper Photogravure?


Copper photogravure is an intaglio process that turns a photographic image into an etched copper plate. It grew out of William Henry Fox Talbot’s nineteenth-century experiments and was refined by Karel Klíč in 1879. Unlike halftone photo-etching, which creates tones through a pattern of dots, photogravure etches the copper to different depths. These areas hold different amounts of ink, producing rich, subtle tones when the plate is printed by hand.
The process became less widely used partly because of its complexity and its traditional reliance on toxic dichromate sensitisers.


What You Will Learn

  1. How to make your own gelatine tissue, including the equipment and environmental conditions required. Commercial photogravure tissue can be expensive, so making your own can significantly reduce the cost of the process.
  2. How to use DAS sensitiser effectively to produce light-sensitive gelatine tissue.
  3. How to prepare an image in Photoshop for output as a continuous-tone positive film.
  4. How to expose the image onto gelatine tissue.
  5. How to transfer and develop the tissue on a copper plate.
  6. How to apply aquatint on copper plate.
  7. How to etch the plate in ferric chloride. You will also learn how to measure and adjust the solutions.
  8. How to ink, wipe and print a copper photogravure plate.


What Is Included?

  • Copper plates, positive films, ink and paper
  • All essential materials required during the workshop
  • Full guidance throughout the process
  • Additional support from an experienced printmaker

If you have a particular paper you would like to experiment with, you are welcome to bring it. Hahnemühle etching paper will be provided as standard.


What Makes This Workshop Different?


This workshop uses DAS sensitiser instead of the dichromate traditionally used to sensitise the gelatine tissue.
DAS does not contain hexavalent chromium and provides a less-toxic alternative, making the copper photogravure process safer and more suitable for contemporary print studios.

How Is It Different from Modern Photo-Etching?


Many modern photographic etching methods use dry film, photoresist or light-sensitive coatings. These processes usually reproduce tonal variation through halftone dots, similar to the principle used in screenprinting.

Traditional copper photogravure uses a continuous-tone positive and a gelatine resist of varying thickness. Together with the aquatint grain and different depths of etching, this allows the plate to produce subtle, continuous tonal transitions rather than building the image from a regular pattern of halftone dots.


Please Note


Copper photogravure is a complex process that takes time and repeated practice to master.
The two-day workshop provides a complete introduction and an initial hands-on experience. The four-day workshop offers more time to repeat and consolidate the process, understand the technical details and explore additional printing methods.