Giclee Prints

What is a Giclee Print?

The Giclée (pronounced "jeeclay") method of printmaking, sometimes referred to as the "Iris" (after the original machine that produced the print), is the most recent technological advancement in the Fine Art Printing world. Giclee reproductions were originally developed in 1989 as a digital method of fine art printing. The word Giclee is French for "to spray on" or "to spray ink". Images are scanned and digitally stored in a computer and sent directly to a super high resolution, inkjet printer.

Just as other methods of printmaking (lithographs, serigraphs, off-set prints) the Giclee starts with a highly sophisticated photograph of the original painting. The photograph is then scanned, digitized and entered into a data retrieval system. The image is then sent electronically to the printer after the artist and technician feel they have the most faithful representation of the original painting, Tiny ink jets, smaller than the human hair, spray inks onto canvas or paper, one line at a time, until the image is created. This process can take up to a half hour.

The Giclée produces a print that is completely true to the artist's original intent, yet in and of itself has the look and feel of an original painting on paper. After the image is "fixed" with a UV protective coating, not unlike that which is used on water color paintings, the print becomes as archival and as long- lasting as any other work of art on paper. From the standpoint of the art collecting public, the Giclée Fine Art Print offers the collector the same physical properties of an original painting and the advantages of a Fine Art Print: a fine work of art at a fraction of the price of an original.

The most important fact to remember is that all color fades. As far as Giclee prints are concerned, some original watercolors will fade faster than a well-made Giclee. Unlike lithographs and serigraphs, Giclees have undergone extensive, third-party fade-testing. While the predicted display life depends on many variables, under typical home or office lighting , and depending on the substrates used, giclees made with pigment-based inks are estimated to last over 100 years without noticeable fade.

It is recommended that you treat your Giclee prints the same as any original watercolor. It should be protected from water and should not be place in direct sunlight. Giclees printed on paper should be frame mounted behind glass. Giclees printed on canvas can be treated with an acrylic varnish to aid in their protection, however careful treatment is still desirable. Giclee prints are produced on watercolor papers and canvas, much like the original painting. This gives each piece a similar look and feel to an original work of art. This allows the artist to command a higher per unit selling price for the prints.