Saturday, May 18, 2013

What is Giclee? What makes it a Fine Art Print?

Giclee Prints

What is GICLEE? What makes it a Fine Art Print?

Giclee – pronounced (zhee-klay) - The French word ’giclée’ means a ‘spray’ or a ‘spurt of liquid.’ Giclée is a process not a brand or a product. When a print is created using the Giclée process, it is most often referred to as a Giclée print.

What is a Giclée Print? The term "Giclée print" represents a modern advanced elevation in printmaking technology. Images are generated from the highest resolution digital scans possible and printed with archival quality inks onto various high quality substrates including canvas, fine art, and photo-base paper. The Giclee printing process provides a higher degree of color accuracy than any other means of art print creations.

The prints that results from the Giclée process are considered reproductions if there is a traditional fine art original (oil, acrylic, pencil, pastel painting or drawing) that was digitally captured, thus creating the original digital master file. The colors are rich, seamless and amazingly vivid. The archival inks, papers and practices allow them to last for generations. This will allow you to pass them down generation after generation to your contemporary art admirers. Giclee prints will exceed your expectations in quality, color and presentation.

Giclese are not mass edition reproductions such as a quality lithograph that easily runs into the tens of thousands and posters (usually cheaper paper and ink are used). The owners of open and limited edition Giclée original reproductions, know that they have the highest quality reproduction possible. They are almost indistinguishable from the original and with proper care will last for generations.

Giclee is an exciting new medium for both artists and art print buyers because it has unparalleled quality, longevity and the much sought after desirability of custom art printing.

The Giclee Process
Giclée is a process that results in a print that is called a Giclée art print. It is a new type of original that is reproduced on-demand from a master digital image file that is the digital scanned version of an original piece of art. The art is scanned, digitized, and color proofed with systems that are tightly calibrated to create true fine art print representation of the originals, all under the original artist’s supervision.

Professional grade large format printers are used with archival pigment inks. This printing method results in an extensive color gamut allowing the prints true colors to be representation. They look stunning and will last for years. Whether you choose giclee prints on paper substrates or canvas, the quality remains outstanding. Just like the ones found in art galleries & art museums.

A Giclee Print is simply the closest replication of original artwork that is currently possible. The result is brilliant, eye-catching prints that you’ll enjoy viewing every day in your home or office with your family, friends, employees and colleagues. Your art will be admired by everyone who sees it and you’ll feel good that you made a smart decision, buying quality art prints at an affordable price.

Giclee Advantages
Fine Art

These fine art reproductions are no ordinary pieces and make exceptional gifts. Giclee art reproductions are the closest prints possible of the original art and also the most affordable way to own and collect fine art. Fine art is a sharing of the human experience. Art is very personal, moving and memorable. These fine art prints will make you or the recipient feel like they are the most important person in the world. You'll be remembered for giving a personal gift unlike any other. Just think how great it will feel every time you or they proudly show off their unique gift to their friends and family.

YOUR CHOICE – GICLEE SIZE, PAPERS, CANVAS, FRAMING
Another tremendous advantage of Giclee printing is that they can be custom printed in many different sizes and onto various paper or canvas substrates, while maintaining the highest quality. This gives the artist and art print buyer the ability to customize prints for their own specific needs and desires. What all of us want is to have a wide selection available and choose our own configuration of an art print. We want quality art prints that are affordable. We can choose exactly what we want, without being limited to size and type of art in stock at stores and gallery.

Giclee Longevity
What distinguishes Giclees from other print methods is that much attention is paid to using archival materials and practices. Now Giclee prints can be created using pigmented inks and papers developed specifically for fine art prints. With this in mind, giclee that are properly cared for can last a lifetime or more.

Collectable - Giclee’s in Museums, Galleries, Famous Artists
Giclee prints are widely accepted at many museums and galleries. Many museums in the United States and abroad have mounted exhibitions of Giclée prints or purchased prints in their permanent collections. Those include the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), the Guggenheim (New York), The Museum of Fine Art (Boston), The Philadelphia Museum, and The Smithsonian Institute. Many distinguished photographers and artists, produce works that are Giclee art prints. There have been recent auctions of Giclee prints that have fetched tens of thousands of dollars.

Why are our Giclees better?

Because of our product


Mary Ellen Anderson Fine Art prints are produced using the latest technology, under the original artists supervision and simply astound our clients. Is it the original or only a print? These prints are made from superior Giclee technology, and creates reproductions heretofore not thought possible. Look, touch, see for yourself. Thanks to this new production technology, we can produce domestically a better product at a better price then our Asian competition. Seeing is believing.

Because we use only the best materials available

We use only top quality materials all made in America. No inexpensive, under performing materials from China.

-Archival poly-cotton canvas and paper
Created on high quality artist’s canvas our canvas prints can be mounted with a gallery or museum wrap that can be hung on the wall with no frame or you can have it produced with the intent to frame.
-Pigmented inks
Our prints are made using aqueous pigmented inks rated at 200 years.
We don't use solvent inks for they emit harmful VOC (volatile organic compounds) into the air that may be harmful to your health.
-Superior coating
We offer only one coating surface which is somewhere between gloss and semi-gloss. In our opinion it is the surface that offers the best saturation and contrast but without the drawbacks of high gloss. It is enhanced UV, water and abrasion resistant. A machine is used to coat the canvas.