Giclee: An affordable art
Giclee (pronouned zhee-clay) is the process of making fine art prints from a digital source using inkjet printing. Originally, the phrase was coined by a printermaker named Jack Duganne in 1991, and referred to the types of prints produced with an Iris printer. While the word Giclee is an invented name, it is derived from a French word that means to spray or squirt (gicler).
Today, the term Giclee commonly refers to any high quality inkjet print process that is often used in galleries and print shops to make affordable fine art prints. In fact, Giclee is considered a fine art term associated with prints using both inks and printers that produce fade-resistant, or archival quality prints. The Giclee process can be used on matte photo paper, watercolor paper, cotton canvas, or even artist textured vinyl. The visible texture and subtle variations of color that are achieved using giclee techniques, are far superior to standard art reproduction printing.
These prints have become widely popular among art lovers who admire an artist’s work but may not be able to find the asking price of an original oil painting (or other medium) in their budget. Artists can use this innovative technology to create reproductions “on-demand” as opposed to printing large batches of four-color standard reproductions. While this type of printing is more expensive, it allows an artist (or representative) the control of color, substrate printed on, and number of prints that are created.
Giclee prints on canvas are common in art galleries, and employees are often asked “is that real?” as gallery patrons and browsers stop to gaze at a particular piece. Many galleries have been successful in selling a Giclee print with the guarantee of having the artist re-sign his or her signature in fresh paint before the buyer takes it home.
While some critics have been skeptical of Giclee, time and again the tests that these fine art reproductions have undergone prove that this is a lasting medium. The archival inks and acid-free canvas are meant to last a minimum of 75 years, and with proper care could last much longer. Giclee reproduction is a win-win scenario for both art buyers and the artists themselves.