| What is a giclee? comparing Lithograph to Giclee | | | | sophisticated than your desktop printer. The |
| This more recent then lithography method of | | | | process employs six colors--light cyan, cyan, light |
| making higher quality prints is gaining very high | | | | magenta, magenta, yellow and black--of lightfast, |
| standard popularity. | | | | pigmented inks and finer, more numerous, and |
| Why is a Giclee more modern and higher quality | | | | replaceable printheads resulting in a wider color |
| then a lithograph? | | | | gamut, and the ability to use various media to |
| A giclee (zhee-CLAY) is an individually produced, | | | | print on. The ink is sprayed onto the page, |
| high-resolution, high-fidelity reproduction done on a | | | | actually mixing the color on the page to create |
| special large format printer. Giclees are produced | | | | true shades and hues. |
| from digital scans of existing artwork. Also, since | | | | They are priced midway between original art and |
| many artists now produce only digital art, there is | | | | regular limited edition lithographs. Limited edition |
| no "original" that can be hung on a wall. Giclees | | | | litho prints are usually produced in editions of |
| solve that problem, while creating a whole new | | | | 500-1000 or more, all at once; but giclees rarely |
| vibrant medium for art. | | | | exceed 50-100 reproductions, one at a time. |
| Giclees can be printed on any number of media, | | | | Giclees were originally developed as a proofing |
| from canvas to watercolor paper to transparent | | | | system for lithograph printing presses, but it |
| acetates. Giclees are superior to traditional | | | | became apparent that the presses were having a |
| lithography in several ways. The colors are | | | | hard time delivering the quality and color of the |
| brighter, last longer, and are so high-resolution that | | | | giclee proofs. They evolved into the new darlings |
| they are virtually continuous tone, rather than tiny | | | | of the art world. They are coveted by collectors |
| dots. The range, or "gamut" of color for giclees is | | | | for their fidelity and quality, and desired by |
| far beyond that of lithography, and details are | | | | galleries because they don't have to be produced |
| crisper. | | | | in huge quantities with their large layout of capital |
| Lithography uses tiny dots of four colors--cyan, | | | | and storage. |
| magenta, yellow and black--to fool the eye into | | | | In addition, Giclees are produced directly from a |
| seeing various hues and shades. Colors are | | | | digital file, saving generations of detail-robbing |
| "created" by printing different size dots of these | | | | negatives and printing plates, as with traditional |
| four colors. | | | | printing. |
| Giclees use inkjet technology, but far more | | | | |