We have developed a laboratory grazing‐emission x‐ray fluorescence (GEXRF) spectrometer. The instrument utilizesinvacuowavelength‐dispersive detection. Due to the high resolution of a crystal monochromator at long wavelengths, the range of applicability of grazing x‐ray techniques is substantially extended to the longer wavelengths as compared to techniques used presently. It is demonstrated that interference fringes in the take‐off angle dependence of the fluorescent x‐ray intensity of a layered sample can be resolved using a conventional x‐ray tube. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.