What is a "Giclee Print"?

A giclee (pronounced "zheeclay") is a French word meaning, "fine spray". It is a computer generated print that is produced by the spraying of an image on to fine art paper. We produce our own giclees by taking a high quality scan of the original artwork, then print them using a high quality Epson printer. The inks used are specially formulated so that the fine print heads can spurt jets of ink in minute droplets at a resolution of 1440 dpi. The paper (or acetate, in the case of layered prints) used is specially prepared to accept this type of printing. As with other fine art printing processes, the artist approves "proofs" of the art print to insure that the right tone, depth and color is produced.

Until recently inkjet prints were disappointingly fugitive with noticeable fading occurring quite quickly. However, dramatic improvements have been made to the inks used and the paper or canvas accepted by printers. Recent tests show that giclee-quality inkjet prints can have a light- fast life expectancy of 100 to 200 years. When prints are produced on good quality paper, the print should possess archival standards of permanence comparable or better than other collectible artwork. The visual quality of the print is extremely high and the color saturation and definition stunning.

 

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