Photogravure is a type of intaglio printmaking wherein a photographic image is transferred to a plate for printing. The process was separately created by two of the inventors of photography, Nicéphore Niépce and Henry Fox Talbot, as a way of fixing prints, and has since been refined. Traditionally, photogravure is carried out using metal plates, but newer technology allows the use of photosensitive polymers. Photogravure requires a several-step chemical process—the plate is prepared like an aquatint, by coating it with rosin or asphaltum to serve as an acid resist. The original photographic image is transferred to the plate using a chemical process involving light-sensitive gelatin. The image is etched into the plate in an acid bath, and the plate can then be inked and run through a printing press.

Even faced with the large variety of photographic printing techniques available today, artists find this method appealing for several reasons. With photogravure, one can achieve a richness of tone that is difficult to match through other printing methods. Additionally, once it is transferred to the plate, the photographic image can be manipulated in interesting ways. Artists can heighten or create new highlights using a burnisher, a tool that smoothes out rough areas of the image. It is also possible to alter the image by etching new lines or shapes into the image. Lyle Ashton Harris, who has experimented with a variety of photographic media, is one artist working today who has used photogravure to create haunting and beautiful prints.