In gravure printing, the image-level changes are determined by changes in ink film thickness. Unlike other printing modes, ink quantity of gravure printing can not be adjusted in printing process, which is determined by the volume of cell and ink transfer rate. Gravure printing test equipment was applied to make sample sheets. The ink film thickness of the sample sheets was measured and ink transfer rate was calculated. The influences of the nature of substrate, ink viscosity, printing pressure, and speed of gravure printing on ink transfer were analyzed quantitatively with ink transfer rate. The transfer of rules and characteristics of gravure printing ink were discussed.