Giclee prints are digital reproductions of, works of fine art that are typically printed on a canvas and even on watercolor paper. Giclee printing is considered an innovative way of printing whereby these works of fine arts are developed, to achieve astonishingly high quality and much longer lifespan, than those produced by a basic inkjet printer.
The prints are rendered from an extremely detailed digital file, which is sent to a specialized printer that is a lot more advanced compared to a standard inkjet printer; and can handle several different types of printing materials.
Giclee Vs Standard Inkjet Print
The document from which the giclee is to be printed needs to have a resolution of more than 300 DPI (dots per inch). Any camera or scanner that captures the image must in the same way have a resolution greater than 300 DPI. The substrate the work is printed on is supposed to be of archival quality since the archival paper is much longer lasting and reproduces colors more vividly than standard paper. Giclee printing near me uses professional printers and pigment-based inks. These inks have a longer lifecycle compared to dye-based inks and are deemed to last beyond 100 years without fading.
The printers used to create giclées can produce works in a much larger format and can normally hold up to a dozen ink cartridges, allowing for highly detailed works to be rendered.
Origins Of The Term ‘Giclee’
The term ‘giclee’ is originally the French word that means a spray or squirt of liquid. It was coined in the year 1991 by the printmaker Jack Duganne to give a name to the process of creating prints of fine art using IRIS printers. This process was invented in the late 80s. Today the term ‘giclee print’ can represent additional types of inkjet printing and works of art that are produced digitally on a computer program, some examples being Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop, before being processed onto a substrate.
The Lifespan of a Giclee Print
It is just doubtful how long a giclee will last because the technology employed to create them is very new. Some websites state a giclee will last more than 100 years, while others offer a little modest estimation of more than 35 years.
Some websites even mention aging simulations performed in labs, in a bid to determine how long giclee printing near me will last. But these claims cannot be verified. Of course, giclee prints will last if they are cared for well. It is easily assumed that they will last much longer than inkjet prints thanks to the quality of the printers, archival paper, and inks used to develop them.
Summing Up
One of the best things about giclee is that they can be produced on-demand since the process is digital. Artists can create their prints whenever they want without much effort. This is a great option for artists who don’t want to mass-produce their works. Once a file is digitally archived, its quality will stay intact and not gradually fade like physical works do. Giclee prints are most preferred thanks to their high quality. Giclees are most commonly seen in galleries and exhibitions all through the world.