What
is a Giclée?
In simple terms a Giclée
is a print done on canvas (the look of an original for a fraction
of the price). A Giclée (pronounced "zheeclay") is a French word
meaning "fine spray". It is a computer generated print that is
produced by the spraying of an image on to fine art paper or canvas.
It is extremely difficult to tell the difference between an
original and a giclée, a giclée being the closest duplication
of original artwork humanly, mechanically, or technically possible.
The cornerstone of
this process is an IRIS ink jet printer, which is specifically
designed for the rigorous, and precise criteria of fine art collectors
and connoisseurs of museum quality, limited edtion prints.
From a hundred inkjets
more than a million droplets of ink per second are sprayed on
canvas or watercolor paper spinning on a large drum. Once completed,
an image is comprised of almost 20 billion droplets of ink. The
inks used are specially formulated so that the fine print heads
can spurt jets of ink in minute droplets at a resolution of 1440
dpi. The canvas or paper used is specially prepared to accept
this type of printing. As with other fine art printing processes,
the artist approves "proofs" of the art print to insure that the
right tone, depth and color is produced.
The resulting print
has no perceptible dot pattern. It is composed of an endless array
of miniscule dots of richly saturated color, and retains every
nuance of the original image. The most archival, water based light-fast
inks available in the world are used. The latest inks offer a
70-year light-fastness and UV-resistance under museum archival
conditions.
When giclée prints
are produced on good quality paper or canvas, the print should
possess archival standards of permanence comparable or better
than other collectible artwork. The visual quality of the print
is extremely high and the color saturation and definition stunning.
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