A reusable gravure printing plate or cylinder blank which can be readily processed into a printing plate or cylinder carrying an image to be printed. The blank comprises a non-etchable, wear-resistant layer, as of chromium, overlying at least the surface of a base, and a multiplicity of minute dot-like etchable portions, as of copper, which are of equal size and uniform placement, and which are formed at least in and isolated from each other by the non-etchable layer. The etchable portions are formed flush with the non-etchable layer. For preparation of a gravure printing plate or cylinder from this blank an etching operation is performed on the blank through a prepared etching resist, as with the use of a ferric chloride solution. The etchant forms ink-retaining cells in the etchable portions of the blank.