Fine art Giclée printing is a meticulous process requiring the latest-generation "ink jet" technologies and the skill of an artist to create museum quality work. The process calls for highly specialized equipment, software, materials and techniques to obtain the best accuracy, sharpness, continuous color tone and artistic interpretation available to fine art prints. What's the difference between ink jet, Iris and Giclée? This is one of the most common questions we're asked. And it's not surprising. For one thing, Giclée printing is still fairly new to the art world. The technology that makes it possible has evolved very quickly over the past several years. But there's also a lot of confusion among art professionals about the word “giclée” itself – and what technology it actually describes. “Giclée” (roughly translated as “little squirt” in French) is the term now used for printing with large format "Giclée" ink jet-style printers specifically developed to spray water-soluable pigments onto specially coated canvas and a wide variety of papers. These printers are technically very different from the smaller, ink jet printers common to offices and commercial use. Part of confusion about the term “giclée” is that it was first casually applied to the fine art reproductions printed with “Iris” inkjet printers developed during ‘90s. But while many people still use the terms “iris” and “giclée” interchangeably, the two types of ink jet printing have distinct differences. The older Iris printing technology is 4-color and still uses dye-based inks like those used for photography. The downside of Iris: these inks are unstable and fall short when it comes to longevity. Giclée 8-color printers (technically 6 colors plus light magenta and cyan) have the most advanced print heads with special nozzles designed to spray the latest, quick-drying pigment products. They're capable of producing astonishing high resolution prints that are truly achievable. Giclée technology is continuing to improve, while the Iris approach is standing still. The new possibilities for artists and photographers... Thanks to artist pioneers of the inkjet printing process of the early ‘90s, this new, digitally-driven “spray-style” printing process offers fine artists revolutionary benefits and possibilities for producing and marketing their work. A well done Giclee fine art print has no perceptible dot pattern, an endless array of richly saturated color and every nuance of the original work of art. Giclée prints on canvas and a wide assortment of art papers are displayed in growing numbers of galleries and museums world-wide. Many museums in the United States and abroad have either mounted exhibitions of Giclee prints or purchased prints for their permanent collections. These include: the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), The Museum of Fine Art (Boston), The Philadelphia Museum, the Smithsonian Institute, Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, National Museum of Art, The British Museum, The Washington Post Collection, The Corcoran Gallery, and the San Francisco Museum of Art. Additionally, many distinguished photographers and artists, among them: Andrew Wyeth, Jamie Wyeth, Joyce Tennison, Peter Ralston, John Paul Caponigro, Hans Neleman, Raymond Meeks, Dennis Schultz, Peter Nelson and Richard Avedon produce works that are Giclee printed. A short list of benefits: Low Cost - Setup is much cheaper for Giclée than producing offset for litho printing (no plates need to be generated). And while traditional printing methods demand upfront investment for large runs printed all at one time, digital prints can be run “on demand.” Greater Revenue Opportunity - For the first time, artists can easily earn additional revenue by printing limited or open editions of original paintings that look as good – or sometimes even better – than the original. Color Quality - Giclée printing offers a much wider color gamut than traditional presses, allowing for higher quality reproduction of the unusual pigments and glazes artists often like to use. While the latest giclee printers use 6 or more colors, traditional printing is limited to 4 colors. No screen or other mechanical devises are used and therefore there is no visible dot screen pattern The image has all the tonalities and hues of the original painting.. Longevity - Giclée uses water-soluable pigments rather than the dye-based inks used in traditional photographic printing and other forms of ink-jet. Giclée pigments match original pigment-based media and remain true for over 75 years. A protective UV coating is also applied. This is a significant advantage over printing with dye-based inks which are highly susceptible to ozone and fading. Flexibility - This new inkjet technology prints better with a wider range of substrates than traditional press methods. Also different sizes can be printed on demand to accommodate the market. Quality Giclées have 4 to 5 layers. Each of the first 4 layers is equally important and all must adhere and work cohesively together to maintain the longevity of the print. 1) The base stock: This could be any cotton or archival-based product, typically canvas or "Rag" watercolor paper. 2) The "Inkjet" receptor: This coating is applied to the base stock before printing to control the ink droplet absorption and provide wider color gamut. 3) The pigment layer: Anywhere from 6 to 8 different colors of water-soluable pigments. 4) Protection coat: For basic handling of paper to waterproofing of canvas. 5) Impasto: (Optional) Some artists like to apply this textured coating to either canvas or paper prints to add dimensional quality or define brush strokes. Why the protection coat? Because pigments used in Giclée printing are now water based, they’re extremely sensitive to moisture. It is crucial to allow thorough drying. Your printer should then apply a high quality UV coating. Even if you plan to frame prints on paper behind glass, because of the handling it goes through between you, your artist, their publisher, the end consumer, and the frame shop, coating is advised. Materials matter... If you’re looking for the high-quality, truly-archival fine art giclée prints, it’s a priority to select the right materials. This is both a creative and technical process based on the nature of your original work, the type of printer and profiles used and the project goals. An example: If you're a water-colorist or photographer--a very fine weave, matt canvas or an adhesive-back fabric may offer a whole new dimension in output without sacrificing the original feel and quality of the image. This is an important part of our service (some of our current favorites for use with the Epson at pricing/giclee printing, but we also encourage you to check out the latest advise from experts in the field. Even a barely visible difference in the color bias of a near white or bright white paper, for example, can dramatically change the appearance of the printed piece. Printers by different manufacturers also produce very different quality images depending on the types and color range of inks they use and the color management profiles chosen. None of these variables can be freely interchanged under the assumption that they'll work equally well, look equally good, or last equally as long in one combination as in another. This is why it’s necessary to work closely with your master printer on each project and see sample proofs produced with the materials you've selected before signing off for completed work on any project. Marketing your work... Prior to Giclée, the only other option artists had beyond selling just originals was to adjust the creative process itself to match the demands of printing techniques like etching or lithography. Printing by press also posed other limitations such as high up front investment to produce the entire run, limited color quality and choice of materials. Giglée solves these problems with easy, high resolution digital capture, on demand printing and high color fidelity on a wide choice of media. You can control the market for your work with artist proofs and limited editions with greater cost-efficiency. Open editions are another choice for work with extremely heavy demand. But is it art? Consider the following when marketing your Giclée prints: Many great artists have suffered from the “is it art” question – even about their originals. And prospect buyers always need to be informed even about the most traditional kinds of fine art printing and variables needed to ascertain, authenticate and protect value. Bottom line: as an artist, you are the only one to say whether a Giclée print is an original work of art, and artist proof, part of a limited edition set, or simply an open edition reproduction. While it’s true that with press printmaking, buyers of limited editions are generally protected because the plates are destroyed after the project's done, ultimately it’s about the artist’s integrity. Artists producing Giclée limited editions should work with their master printer to secure storage of any digital files and to provide certification for printed works. See marketing/certification. Pricing As with originals, pricing of Giclée prints will depend entirely on the demand for your work. While general guidelines range from 1/3 to 1/5 the price your currently receive for an original, you should also carefully consider the going rate for Giclées by other artists in your marketplace, the number in the edition and the number of prints you have already sold in that edition. |
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