Giclee Information

The term giclee refers to the use of professional grade inkjet printers, pigmented inks and fine art papers and canvas.

Giclee, pronounced "zhee-clay" is a French term derived from the verb "gicler", which loosely means to "squirt. Why? Because inkjets do spray inks from nozzles in order to lay pigments on paper.

What makes a giclee?

There has been and still is much debate on what constitutes a true giclee opposite to a lowly inkjet print. If you had a chance to go to art shows or galleries you probably met people who claim to produce giclee prints on tabletop machines that can be bought for less than $200. These machines may output good looking prints but they are far from true giclees.

While all giclee prints are inkjet prints, not all inkjet prints can be called giclee.

The factors involved in determining what a true giclee is are both objective and subjective. Three main factors need to be in place to define what a giclee print can be called as such.

The hardware

The scanners, digital cameras, printers have to be of professional quality. You get what you pay for. A $150 printer does not produce true giclees. Scanners and digital cameras have defined resolution and range requirements. An in depth discussion on giclee equipment will further elaborate on the subject.

The materials

Cheap canvas, non archival papers such as resin coated compounds, do not create true giclee prints. Coating compounds and pigmented inks all play a role in the printmaking process. See what giclee materials stand the test.

The giclee printmaker

Last but not least, the skill, talent and experience of the giclee printmaker are an extremely important factor in the process. While machines can be bought by anyone, the human factor is what can make or break this fine art print process.

The fine art and decor markets

You will often hear that giclee prints can adhere to two different standards: the fine art and decor market. A dissertation on different quality requirements for decor and fine art printing will shed some light on the subject.

MAGICAL LANDSCAPES - FINE ART GICLEE