| If you walk into an art gallery or go through their | | | | * Giclée printing these days employs six |
| catalogue, chances are you would find a section | | | | or more colors, including variants of the same |
| reserved for reproduced artwork. It would come | | | | color (for example, regular cyan 'C' and light cyan |
| under the strange sounding name, giclée | | | | 'c'). A six color CcMmYK model greatly improves |
| (pronounced zhee-clay). What exactly is | | | | print quality by increasing middle-tones. This |
| giclée, you might wonder. | | | | increases the perceived resolution and richness of |
| Giclée is a type of digital fine-art inkjet | | | | the print and the ability to capture subtle color |
| print, usually reproductions of artwork originally | | | | distinctions. |
| created in traditional media (paintings, drawing, and | | | | * Archival quality pigment based inks (instead of |
| so on). Before the era of high quality digital | | | | dye-based inks) ensure better light fastness. Unlike |
| printing, fine art prints were usually produced by | | | | a dye, a pigment particle is not completely soluble |
| conventional four-color offset lithography. Since | | | | in its base. It also tends to be larger and less |
| the 1990s, that role has been taken over by | | | | susceptible to environmental damage, and the |
| giclée printing. | | | | image stability of pigment prints is therefore far |
| History. | | | | superior to that of dye based prints. |
| In the late 1980's, the digital printing pioneers were | | | | * A large number of fine replaceable print-heads |
| looking for a new identity for the beautiful prints | | | | ensure a wider color range (gamut) and allows |
| they had worked so hard to achieve. They | | | | printing on different substrates. |
| wanted a distinction between their artistic work | | | | * A combination of precise color correction and |
| and the commercial pre-press proofs churned out | | | | expert scanning helps giclée printing |
| by IRIS printers. | | | | provide better color accuracy than other |
| Initially, IRIS prints were not quite topnotch. Their | | | | techniques of reproduction. |
| color fastness was doubtful, and the prints tended | | | | Advantages of giclée. |
| to fade within a few years. It was also not | | | | Before giclée was developed, there were |
| possible to achieve a completely smooth transition | | | | a number of other techniques available to make |
| of color gradients, so important for reproducing | | | | prints of original artwork. The most popular was |
| artwork. After all, they were used mainly to | | | | the conventional four-color offset lithography. It is |
| match colors before the mass scale print run. | | | | a photomechanical process of image printing |
| The development of new technology changed all | | | | carried out by commercial printing presses. |
| that. | | | | Both giclée and offset litho prints have |
| * Archival inks with fade-resistant properties | | | | extended the reach of high art into homes by |
| increased the life of the prints. | | | | making them affordable to many buyers, who |
| * The versatility of inkjet printing enabled printing | | | | cannot pay for an original. In terms of quality of |
| on a great range of substrates, the media on | | | | printing, both these methods of reproduction are |
| which prints are taken. (Giclee prints are today | | | | accepted by galleries. They can be used to churn |
| taken on canvas, water color paper, photo-base | | | | out quality prints that can survive the ravages of |
| papers, even vinyl and transparent acetates). | | | | time. |
| * Finally, extensive research by the pioneers | | | | However, giclée prints have a few |
| fine-tuned the process. | | | | advantages over offset litho prints. The |
| Digital prints of paintings and other artwork had | | | | advantages pertain to quality, convenience and |
| finally come of age. | | | | economy. |
| Branding. | | | | The Quality Advantage. |
| However, in the art world, words like "computer" | | | | In offset litho, tiny dots in four colors are printed |
| and "digital" still had negative associations. Jack | | | | in varying sizes to deceive the eye into seeing |
| Duganne of Nash Editions, California supplied the | | | | different colors. |
| perfect name for the new art form in 1991. He | | | | On the other hand, in giclée prints as in all |
| searched for a French word for the nozzle, which | | | | inkjet printing, spraying the ink onto the substrate |
| was generic enough for most printers, and it was | | | | actually mixes the colors to create exact shades |
| le gicleur. The related French word for the verb | | | | and virtually continuous tones. The color range |
| "to spray" was gicler, and its noun version | | | | (gamut) of giclée is beyond the scope of |
| (feminine) was la giclee or "that which is sprayed". | | | | lithography. As a result, giclée prints are |
| Giclee soon became another name for high quality | | | | prized by collectors for their quality and fidelity. |
| art prints with IRIS inkjet printers. | | | | Convenience. |
| Giclee however was to become more than a | | | | Once an artwork is digitally scanned and archived, |
| brand name. It started being used as a broad | | | | the artist can get it custom printed on demand |
| generic term for any digitally produced high quality | | | | with minimal effort, as and when required. |
| fine-art print. | | | | This also gives the artist control and flexibility |
| There have been attempts to standardize the | | | | over all aspects of printing - the size, the media, |
| quality of giclée prints by various printers' | | | | and the color tone. The artist can even own and |
| associations. Some of the common requirements | | | | operate the printer. |
| are: | | | | Printing directly from a digital file does away with |
| * Light fastness - 6 or higher on the Blue Wool | | | | intermediate negatives and plates, associated with |
| Scale | | | | litho printing, which reduce image detail. |
| * pH of the substrate ranging between 7 - 9 | | | | Archived files are also less likely to deteriorate |
| * Weight of substrate at least 250 gsm | | | | than slides or negatives. |
| * Mention of various details like title, artist's name, | | | | Economy |
| publisher's name and year of print | | | | Giclée printing is an economical alternative |
| * Information on substrate, ink type and machine | | | | to offset litho prints. Though the cost to print a |
| production details. | | | | giclée print can be as much as $50 |
| Technology and printing methods. | | | | compared to about $5 for an offset litho print, |
| Giclée prints are high resolution, high quality | | | | the latter has print runs of at least 1000. |
| reproductions printed individually from a digital file | | | | Capital outlay, marketing and storage costs for |
| using special large format printers. This file can not | | | | litho prints work out much higher. The artist can |
| only be a digitally scanned image of a traditional | | | | print and sell giclée prints one at a time, |
| artwork, but also digital art which has no tangible | | | | according to demand, at a much lower cost. |
| "original" artwork that can hang on a wall. | | | | Considering all this, you can truly say that |
| Inkjet technology used in giclée printing is | | | | giclée prints have been a godsend to |
| way ahead of what the common desktop printer | | | | artists, galleries and collectors alike. |
| uses. | | | | |