What is a Giclée print?

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. The giclée process uses incredibly accurate computer controlled jets to apply ink to watercolour paper, canvas or etching paper. These unique jets are able to vary the width of the ink stream, usual using professional 8-Colour to 12-Colour ink-jet printers, to as small as 1/100th the width of a human hair!

How does it work?

The giclée process begins with the input stage. A scan (drum or flatbed) of the original painting will create a digital file on either Apple Mac or PC. This scanning process is critical to the finished print and requires advanced technical equipment - quality in... quality out.

After the scan is complete, the resulting file needs to be checked for colour/color balance (colour/color correcting) and adjusted to match the original artwork using for example a program like Adobe Photoshop. A number of 'artists proofs' are then printed as adjustments are made to obtain a perfect match to the original. This prcess calls for a great deal of skill and patience at times.

Watercolour paper, canvas or etching paper is then fed into the printer from a roll while the printer head travels from left to right spraying coloured/colored ink onto it. The ink used is Archival pigmented ink rather than dye-based, which combined with specially developed papers, such as Hähnemühle range of papers, will produce a print with an estimated life span of up to 100 years (if kept in the correct conditions).

All my prints are reproduce on Hahnemühle 310 gsm, acid free German etching paper, with the smooth surface making it ideal for images which are detailed. From Hahnemühle "The heavy-weight German Etching has a matt, velvety surface and the attractive warm white shade of a traditional artist’s board. This genuine mould-made paper is ideal for sophisticated original prints and also for reproductions of lithographs and pastels. This archive grade paper is one of the most popular media worldwide for art reproductions."

The Quality: The resulting print has no perceptible dot pattern, only brilliant colour, and razor sharp detail. A giclée print is simply the closest duplication of an original artwork that is humanly, mechanically or technically possible and are now commonly found in museums, art galleries, and photographic galleries.