The Definition
: Giclee (zhee-klay) - The French word "giclée" is a feminine noun that
means a spray or a spurt of liquid. The word may have been derived from
the French verb "gicler" meaning "to squirt".
The Term : The term "giclee print" connotes an elevation in
printmaking technology. Images are generated from high resolution
digital scans and printed with archival quality inks onto various
substrates including canvas, fine art, and photo-base paper. The giclee
printing process provides better color accuracy than other means of
reproduction.
The Process : Giclee prints are created typically using
professional 8-Color to 12-Color ink-jet printers. Among the
manufacturers of these printers are vanguards such as Epson, MacDermid
Colorspan, & Hewlett-Packard. These modern technology printers are
capable of producing incredibly detailed prints for both the fine art
and photographic markets. Giclee prints are sometimes mistakenly
referred to as Iris prints, which are 4-Color ink-jet prints from a
printer pioneered in the late 1970s by Iris Graphics.
The Advantages : Giclee prints are advantageous to artists who do
not find it feasible to mass produce their work, but want to reproduce
their art as needed, or on-demand. Once an image is digitally archived,
additional reproductions can be made with minimal effort and reasonable
cost. The prohibitive up-front cost of mass production for an edition is
eliminated. Archived files will not deteriorate in quality as negatives
and film inherently do. Another tremendous advantage of giclee printing
is that digital images can be reproduced to almost any size and onto
various media, giving the artist the ability to customize prints for a
specific client.
The Quality : The quality of the giclee print rivals traditional
silver-halide and gelatin printing processes and is commonly found in
museums, art galleries, and photographic galleries. |
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