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Why Giclee? (Continued from page 1)
Originally, a Giclée print was a reproduction of an original work of art such as a painting or drawing using a highly specialized inkjet printer. The word is a French term meaning "to spray ink."
The current Giclée is a valuable part of the Limited Edition fine art world.
Giclées have a higher resolution than offset lithographs and the dynamic color range is greater than that of a serigraph. When a Giclée is produced from a painting or drawing, the image is scanned then digitally enhanced on a computer to match the original fine art.
That is the crucial step that can be omitted when starting from a digitally created work. The
image goes directly to the high-resolution inkjet printer, which sprays millions of microscopic droplets of pigmented ink onto various substrates to create an image with smooth tonal gradation. The unique jets can vary the width of the ink stream to as small as 1/100th
the width of a human hair. In the art world this is generally regarded as the highest quality reproduction available.
Experimentation with this medium began in the late 1970s. But, as with most experiments, perfecting the product took a long time. Fine art inkjet printing emerged as an art form in the early 1990s. The term Giclée was originally applied to a very specific form of printing: the output from the
Iris inkjet printer, (more specifically the Iris 3024, 3047, or 3047G). Today, the term is used quite loosely and can refer to any digital fine art canvas print output on a quality inkjet printer. Such well-known brands as Epson, MacDermid, Colorspan,
Roland, and Hewlett Packard have high end 6 – 16
jet color
printers that are used to make fine art Giclées. The finest prints today are often made with Epson, Roland, or Canon Printers. It is essential to use a high quality printer with professional grade nozzles. Giclées are printed on specially treated canvas using archival inks and then lacquered to increase their colorfastness and longevity.
Today, images reproduced using the Giclée Process are of such a high quality that they can be found on display at museums around the world, including The Louvre, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim.
What makes a Giclée valuable?
As far as artistic processes are concerned, the Giclée process is very new, and subsequently consumers may have questions about how valuable Giclées are. Here are some of the reasons why an art buyer should seriously consider purchasing a Giclée.
When the production quality and the materials used are of excellent standards, the Giclée can last a long time. If produced with the very best ink and canvas available, it is estimated that a Giclée can remain colorfast for 75 years or more.
The Giclée printing process now provides better color accuracy than almost any other means of reproduction. Made from high resolution photographs, Giclées offer impressive vibrancy and clarity.
Limited editions of below 400 have proven to have excellent resale value in the art market. Once the edition is sold out, most Giclées will continue to increase in value as the image will be unavailable anywhere else.
If an artist’s original work is marketable, there is no reason why high quality Giclées of his or her work will not be the same. Giclées are a wonderful cost effective alternative and are often indistinguishable from the original painting.
With the technology gaining a strong base in the art world, Giclées will become an increasingly popular option for artists. Fine art Giclée works are already in museums and this trend is set to continue as our digital culture becomes even more advanced.
When considering an investment in art, it is preferable to invest in and own a quality limited edition Giclée from a credentialed artist than an original work of lesser quality. Also, there are many situations in which a limited edition Giclée could be the first
choice. These include: vacation homes; gifts, or display in executive offices, or any other environment in which you wish to maintain a certain quality standard, but in which an original work would not be practical, secure or cost effective.
How does a Giclée printer differ from your inkjet desktop printer?
1) The number of colors. These printers can print from 6 to 16 colors
2) The number and quality of nozzles. Nozzles engineering varies from piezo heads (nozzles vibrate with a crystal, no different than a quartz watch) to other systems which are all proprietary.
3) The format. These printers can print up to 72" wide. No limit on the length.
4) The number of substrates that a Giclee can be printed on.
Thus, the Giclée printer is a work of art in itself. they are expensive machines and only those print shops specializing in fine art printing have them. Do not confuse them with other wide format printers (now, usually laser) which flatten the image and
destroy the nuances of a fine art print, either from a traditional painting or one that is created digitally.
Next:
Why Digital Art?
Other Articles of Interest
What is Digital Art?
Digital Art: The Quest for Presence
Basic Design Principles
Marketing Your Work
Finishing Touches
Certificates of Authenticity
Increase your Sales with Gift Certificates
Watercolor Painting Techniques
(These techniques are described for use by artists using watercolor paints and paper. The same tools are available for digital artists in the Adobe CS3 Design Suite, including Photoshop and Illustrator. These digital tools take a bit of
experimenting, but when mastered produce some incredible results. When printed with a fine art quality Giclée printer, the artwork will be as durable and beautiful as one painted with brush on paper.)
Drawing Caricatures
Choosing Art for your Home
Tattoos - Are They for You?
Choosing Colors for Web or Print Display
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