Photogravure Workshop
From photo to hand-printed original
This workshop shows you the fusion of digital techniques and traditional artisanal printmaking.
Everything important at a glance
In three days you will learn how to print photogravures from your own photographs. From the image file to the exposed plate to the finished print on handmade paper, we will go through all the steps together. There are a maximum of three of us at the press, so you will print a lot and often. At the end, you will take your plates and prints with you, and you will know how to incorporate photogravure into your own artistic work. You can order new plates of your images from me afterwards.
Dates 2027 (always Monday to Wednesday)
March 15–17 - 2 spots left
April 19–21 - 2 spots left
May 17–19 - 3 spots left
Further dates from August to follow
Location
photogravure.studio, Eisenindustriestraße 4, Schwerte an der Ruhr
Group
Maximum of 3 participants. The workshop takes place with a minimum of 2 registrations. If a date is cancelled, you will be informed at least 30 days in advance and will receive a full refund, or we will find an alternative date together.
For whom
For photographers who want to see their images as hand-printed originals, and for anyone with experience in printmaking who wants to learn about the photographic process. You do not need any prior printing knowledge. You should be able to open and basically edit your images in Photoshop.
Price
€1,150 incl. VAT
Included in the price: photopolymer plates, paper, printing inks, all tools and course materials as a PDF. All plates and prints belong to you.
Payment
€500 deposit upon booking, €650 up to 30 days before the start of the course.
If you cancel up to 35 days before the start of the course, I will retain the €500 deposit. In the event of a later cancellation, the full price is due. You can transfer your spot to another person at any time.
What to bring
Laptop with Photoshop and/or a USB stick with your images (preferably uncompressed, black and white)
Apron or clothing that can get ink on it
Your own paper if you want to try something specific
Lunch/food. Tea, coffee and snacks are provided; bakery, supermarket and several snack bars are within walking distance.
Booking
Write to me at info@photogravure.studio or use the button above. The Terms and Conditions of photogravure.studio apply.
Workshop Content & Agenda
The Process
We work with the direct-to-plate process: your image is printed directly onto the light-sensitive plate using an inkjet printer. The plate is then exposed to UV light, washed out with water, and printed on the etching press. You don't need a film as an intermediate step. This saves time and potential sources of error, leaving more time for what really matters: printing.
The daily routine is a rough guide of what we will do over the three days:
Day 1:
You will already be at the press on the first morning. After a short introduction, we start with prepared plates so you can get a feel for inking, wiping, and printing. You will learn how much the wiping process alone changes the image, and how paper and ink interact. After that, we will make more plates of your photos, which you can use to print and experiment.
Day 2:
You prepare your images in Photoshop for intaglio printing. A print behaves differently than a screen, and you will learn to plan for this in advance. We will make more plates of your photos and try out different printing techniques.
Day 3:
We discuss the prints from the previous days as a group, make any necessary changes, and produce a final series of plates. You learn the most in this step because you are responding to your own results. Depending on time and interest, we will try out variations:
Printing with multiple plates on top of each other
Chine-collé, where an ultra-thin paper is laminated during the printing process
à la poupée, where multiple colors are inked onto a single plate
Who Teaches
I am Steffen Dibke and I run photogravure.studio in Schwerte. I came to photogravure through photography and alternative printing processes and have been working with photopolymer plates since 2022. I have been running the studio since 2025 and otherwise print on commission for artists, galleries, and museums.
