GICLEE' PRINTING
Giclée (zhee-klay)
Simply put, Giclee is the finest method of art reproduction available today. It enables the art lover who could not afford the price of an original to own a fine piece of art. Giclee printing also allows a particular image to be made in a variety of sizes depending on the art collector’s needs.
The term "giclee print" is printmaking technology. Images are generated from high resolution digital scans and printed with archival quality inks onto various substrates including canvas, fine art, and photo-base paper. The giclee printing process provides better color accuracy than other means of reproduction. These prints are produced by using professional ink-jet printers. Among the manufacturers of these printers are vanguards such as Epson, MacDermid Colorspan, & Hewlett-Packard. These modern technology printers are capable of producing incredibly detailed prints for both the fine art and photographic markets.
Giclee printing began in the 1980s, and it has been evolving over the last 20 years. Technically, "Giclee" (Pronounced zhee-clay) is a French word which means "to squirt". The term was coined by the maker of the Iris Inkjet printer, and it remains in use today. Iris printers are no longer manufactured and the Epson printer seems to have become the industry standard for today.
The original Iris printers used dye based inks. Life expectancy for the dye based inks was much shorter than the life expectancy of today’s pigment based inks. These inks are sprayed onto canvas or paper at thousands of drops of ink per square inch onto canvas or paper, depending on the original art’s surface. These drops are one-tenth the width of a human hair!
HOW IS A GICLEE MADE?
Giclee printing is a digital process and it requires a few steps to get from the original art to the print. The first step is to capture the original by the use of a digital scanner. Next, the digitized image is loaded into a special computer program and color corrected to ensure that the colors match the originals as closely as current technology allows. This color matching requires a high level of skill. The next step is the actual printing on the canvas or paper. The quality of the inks and the quality of the papers used are important factors in the life of the Giclee. As a final step, the printed Giclee is sprayed with a protective UV resistant coating.
Fine art Giclees are printed on acid-free fine art canvas or 100% rag acid-free fine art paper using archival pigmented based inks. The ultra-fine density of the ink droplets allow for superior saturation, dynamic color, and thorough penetration into the canvas or paper surface. This assures a quality product with a long life. The inks are carefully matched to be compatible with the canvas or paper on which they are printed.
IS GICLEE ACCEPTED AS A QUALITY PROCESS BY THE ART WORLD?
Many contemporary artists such as Jim Dine, Andrew and Jamie Wyeth, Robert Rauschenberg, David Hockney, and Jim Buckles use Giclees. Many museums have exhibited Giclees and include them in their permanent collections. The Giclee process is really a marriage between art and science. Because of the care taken and the quality of the materials used in the production of a Giclee, many people cannot tell the difference between the original and the Giclee.
Simply put, Giclee is the finest method of art reproduction available today. It enables the art lover who could not afford the price of an original to own a fine piece of art. Giclee printing also allows a particular image to be made in a variety of sizes depending on the art collector’s needs.
The term "giclee print" is printmaking technology. Images are generated from high resolution digital scans and printed with archival quality inks onto various substrates including canvas, fine art, and photo-base paper. The giclee printing process provides better color accuracy than other means of reproduction. These prints are produced by using professional ink-jet printers. Among the manufacturers of these printers are vanguards such as Epson, MacDermid Colorspan, & Hewlett-Packard. These modern technology printers are capable of producing incredibly detailed prints for both the fine art and photographic markets.
Giclee printing began in the 1980s, and it has been evolving over the last 20 years. Technically, "Giclee" (Pronounced zhee-clay) is a French word which means "to squirt". The term was coined by the maker of the Iris Inkjet printer, and it remains in use today. Iris printers are no longer manufactured and the Epson printer seems to have become the industry standard for today.
The original Iris printers used dye based inks. Life expectancy for the dye based inks was much shorter than the life expectancy of today’s pigment based inks. These inks are sprayed onto canvas or paper at thousands of drops of ink per square inch onto canvas or paper, depending on the original art’s surface. These drops are one-tenth the width of a human hair!
HOW IS A GICLEE MADE?
Giclee printing is a digital process and it requires a few steps to get from the original art to the print. The first step is to capture the original by the use of a digital scanner. Next, the digitized image is loaded into a special computer program and color corrected to ensure that the colors match the originals as closely as current technology allows. This color matching requires a high level of skill. The next step is the actual printing on the canvas or paper. The quality of the inks and the quality of the papers used are important factors in the life of the Giclee. As a final step, the printed Giclee is sprayed with a protective UV resistant coating.
Fine art Giclees are printed on acid-free fine art canvas or 100% rag acid-free fine art paper using archival pigmented based inks. The ultra-fine density of the ink droplets allow for superior saturation, dynamic color, and thorough penetration into the canvas or paper surface. This assures a quality product with a long life. The inks are carefully matched to be compatible with the canvas or paper on which they are printed.
IS GICLEE ACCEPTED AS A QUALITY PROCESS BY THE ART WORLD?
Many contemporary artists such as Jim Dine, Andrew and Jamie Wyeth, Robert Rauschenberg, David Hockney, and Jim Buckles use Giclees. Many museums have exhibited Giclees and include them in their permanent collections. The Giclee process is really a marriage between art and science. Because of the care taken and the quality of the materials used in the production of a Giclee, many people cannot tell the difference between the original and the Giclee.
CARE OF YOUR ART PRINTS
Prior to framing, prints should NOT be handled very much. If you need to hold the print, do so by edges only (with clean dry hands). They should be stored flat (if possible) or in a sturdy tube and kept away from water, damp environments, bright light or acidic materials. Be very careful not to crease the prints when unrolling. Always unroll on a flat, clean surface. If in doubt keep the print in its shipping container and let the framer open it!
Frame your prints ONLY with acid-free materials whenever possible. For the best conservation, do not let your framer "dry-mount" (they will know what that means) any artwork on paper (including limited editions or signed paper prints) but instead use archival mounting strips or hangers that just clasp the very edge of the artwork alone. With the latter methods you may see some slight buckling of the framed paper edge due to temperature fluctuations and grip of the mounting strips. However, this method of securing your artwork is preferred to gluing the back of a paper print down (which gives a perfectly flat finish but may not be the best way of conserving your paper artwork in the long run). When hanging finished frames always use two picture hooks (instead of just one hook) placed about 6-12 inches apart, for a more balanced and adjustable hanging. When the frame is hung on the wall, place a spirit level on the top frame edge to make sure the frame is level (be careful not to drop the level or scratch the frame)!
Never place any art in direct sunlight (watch out for early morning, winter sunlight in particular) or fluorescent light sources that may fade the colors rapidly.
Prior to framing, prints should NOT be handled very much. If you need to hold the print, do so by edges only (with clean dry hands). They should be stored flat (if possible) or in a sturdy tube and kept away from water, damp environments, bright light or acidic materials. Be very careful not to crease the prints when unrolling. Always unroll on a flat, clean surface. If in doubt keep the print in its shipping container and let the framer open it!
Frame your prints ONLY with acid-free materials whenever possible. For the best conservation, do not let your framer "dry-mount" (they will know what that means) any artwork on paper (including limited editions or signed paper prints) but instead use archival mounting strips or hangers that just clasp the very edge of the artwork alone. With the latter methods you may see some slight buckling of the framed paper edge due to temperature fluctuations and grip of the mounting strips. However, this method of securing your artwork is preferred to gluing the back of a paper print down (which gives a perfectly flat finish but may not be the best way of conserving your paper artwork in the long run). When hanging finished frames always use two picture hooks (instead of just one hook) placed about 6-12 inches apart, for a more balanced and adjustable hanging. When the frame is hung on the wall, place a spirit level on the top frame edge to make sure the frame is level (be careful not to drop the level or scratch the frame)!
Never place any art in direct sunlight (watch out for early morning, winter sunlight in particular) or fluorescent light sources that may fade the colors rapidly.
Fine Art Work by Michael Wells, Produced by Puddle Pushing Productions
Handling by Wells Done Packaging, Shipping by Wells Worth It Art Services, All Rights Reserved
Handling by Wells Done Packaging, Shipping by Wells Worth It Art Services, All Rights Reserved
