FAQ

Q. What is a giclée?
A. About Giclee Printing

The Definition : Giclee (zhee-klay) - The French word "giclée" is a feminine noun that means a spray or a spurt of liquid. The word may have been derived from the French verb "gicler" meaning "to squirt".

The Term : The term  "giclee print" connotes an elevation in 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.

The Process : Giclee prints are created typically using professional 8-Color to 12-Color 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 prints are sometimes mistakenly referred to as Iris prints, which are 4-Color ink-jet prints from a printer pioneered in the late 1970s by Iris Graphics.

The Advantages : Giclee prints are advantageous to artists who do not find it feasible to mass produce their work, but want to reproduce their art as needed, or on-demand. Once an image is digitally archived, additional reproductions can be made with minimal effort and reasonable cost. The prohibitive up-front cost of mass production for an edition is eliminated. Archived files will not deteriorate in quality as negatives and film inherently do. Another tremendous advantage of giclee printing is that digital images can be reproduced to almost any size and onto various media, giving the artist the ability to customize prints for a specific client.

The Quality : The quality of the giclee print rivals traditional silver-halide and gelatin printing processes and is commonly found in museums, art galleries, and photographic galleries.

The Market :Upmarket residential and corporate interiors. Numerous examples of giclee prints can be found in New York City at the Metropolitan Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Chelsea Galleries. Recent auctions of giclee prints have fetched $10,800 for Annie Leibovitz, $9,600 for Chuck Close, and $22,800 for Wolfgang Tillmans (April 23/24 2004, Photographs, New York, Phillips de Pury & Company.)

©1997-2007 Giclée Print Net, Inc. 

Q. What guarantee do I have that I will get a limited edition?
A. A certificate of authenticity will be issued with every digital art print. Limited editions of Photo Art are individually hand signed. Once the limited edition is sold out, the original artwork is
destroyed."

Q. What is the advantage of a giclée print?
A. A printed limited edition will cost a fraction of the original artwork and an original giclée digital painting is like any original artwork. The artist will keep one copy for display on his/her gallery, which will not be sold or given away to guarantee the buyer the exclusivity of a true original.

Q. How do I display my prints?
A. As you would display any other artwork, away from direct sunlight.
Prints in matt photo paper should have a frame with non-reflective glass. Canvas prints do not require glass.

Q. How do I order artwork?
A. Please see “How to order”

Q. Can I commission an original artwork?
A. Yes. You can either provide a photo or describe what type of work you would like.

Q. What is an “identicoaster”?
A. An “identicoaster” is a word created by me to describe a personalized placecard-coaster. It is basically a wide coaster to hold your wine glass and identify the seating arrangement for your guests.
I can design the original artwork for the “identicoaster” based on your party theme incorporated with the name or photo of each guest.
Please allow +/- 2 weeks for artwork and production prior to postage. 

Q. Can I commission a larger order, e.g. for a hotel or offices?
A. Yes. Please advise preferred style and colour scheme.