All about Giclee fine art printing
What is Giclee fine art printing and how to pronounce it
Giclee fine art printing is one of the niche printing services we provide, setting us aside from many other printing companies in Oxfordshire and beyond. The word Giclee (pronounced “g-clay”), comes from the French verb gicler which literally means to ‘squirt or spray’.
Who needs Giclee fine art printing?
Artists who need to cost effectively reproduce their work come to us for Giclee fine art printing. We create a master print and archive the digital master file for future demand. We can then reproduce identical edition prints whenever they are needed – for exhibitions or galleries – or to meet customer requirements. Giclee printing is perfect for reproducing fine art, photography, digital art and illustration prints.
How does Giclee fine art printing work?
Giclee fine art printing is a digital process that combines pigment-based inks with high-quality paper to achieve an inkjet print of superior quality, light fastness and stability. We colour correct the image if required to achieve the closest possible match to the original. The process then involves squirting or spraying tiny dots of pigment-based ink onto the art paper or canvas.
We ensure that the paper quality is exactly right for the type of work we are reproducing, and we provide a test print to show the artist how the reproduction will look after it has been printed. The result is a piece of artwork that will be an accurate representation of the original and ideal for selling to customers or displaying at exhibitions.
Materials and permanence
Giclee fine art printing or Giclee prints can be printed on a wide range of different materials although the most popular are watercolour paper or canvas. One added benefit is that Giclee prints won’t fade – at least for up to 85 years in the right conditions – according to laboratory aging simulations. Prints framed under glass with UV protection and those away from direct sunlight will always look better for longer too.
We mainly use Hahnemühle paper from Germany. Hahnemühle has been producing award-winning mould-made artist papers for over 425 years and these are available in a range of surfaces, base weights and structures. We can produce any size of Giclee fine art print – all prints are custom printed to the exact size you need.
Pricing
We’ve got a handy Giclee fine art printing price list for you to get an idea of pricing. If you need to know more about costs just contact us and we’ll create a personalised quote for you.
If you’re an artist or a collector and you would like to know more about Giclee fine art printing, you’re more than welcome to come in to see us in Hook Norton, Oxfordshire. We will show you the process in action and you can get an idea of the high quality we provide.