An experimental investigation of direct gravure coating, focusing on roll-to-web fluid transfer over a wide range of conditions is presented. The results highlight that the pickout of fluid from the gravure cells (i.e. the fraction of the cell volume transferred to the web) is affected significantly by the ratio of the web-to-roll speed, the fluid properties and the shape and size of the gravure cells. The stability of the operability window is also explored. At high web-to-roll speed ratios the pickout from the gravure cells approaches one and ail instability, caused by starvation, results in streaking on the web. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.