Home > Printing > What is a Giclée? Fine Art Giclée Prints

What is Giclée? Giclée is a French word meaning "spraying of paint." The word is used to describe prints produced by a high-definition inkjet printer.

The quality and longevity of giclées is so remarkable that that major museums accept giclées. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, and the British Museum of Art are among the many who esteem giclées in their collections.

Giclée prints, the epitome of accuracy as well as beauty in art reproduction, could only have been dreamed of a few short years ago.

Giclées use digital technology to enhance and preserve the character of the artist's original. The printing is done on museum quality papers and canvas. We use imported papers that are acid-free, pH neutral, and 100% rag. These quality papers impart richness and depth that is unparalleled in art reproduction. Vibrant pigment-based archival inks are applied, and the result is an image that rivals the beauty of the original.

The lead printer at Genesis Giclée, Steve Strickland, has over 34 years of printmaking experience from working in a photolab to designing and printing serigraphs to printing lithographs. Steve is a noted artist having shown at the New York and LA Art Expos and later published over 35 poster editions. His extensive experience in prepress oversight and color preparation in publishing posters and lithographs has been brought into the arena of giclée printing.

Giclées are one of the finest reproduction methods available today. The depth of color and longevity of giclées surpasses that of lithographs.

 

For info Call 360-668-0147

 
We use the state of the art Gretagmacbeth color calibration systems to ensure the finest reproduction available.



Printing Process

The inkjet printers of today print up to 2880 dots per inch. The high dot count lends to the sharpness and detail the giclées can exhibit. The ink we use at Genesis Giclée is a pigment base ink that is superior in color and longevity ti the Epson Ultrachrome inks that are available in the majority of inkjet printers. The ink used at Genesis is also used by a major matboard company because of its unsurpassed fade resistance.

Reasons Giclées are better than lithographs:

  • Accepted by museums
  • Long lasting pigment based archival inks
  • Acid-free 100% cotton paper available
  • Heavier paper than a lithograph
  • Wider and deeper color range
  • More accurate to the original art
  • Allows for enhancements by the artist
  • Available on canvas with a UV inhibitor varnish
  • Can be printed in variable sizes
  • Better long-term value
  • Print on demand. The artist only prints as the art sells. With a giclée, the risk to producing an edition is minimal. Lithographs require substantial investment capital and storage cost.