Technology is always introducing new, innovative ways to create, produce, and enjoy beautiful pieces of artwork. The giclee printing method is a relatively recent innovation in the long history of art that has rapidly gained popularity and is becoming the industry standard for artists and businesses. Many prefer this fine-art printing technique as it allows one to print artwork onto another material to make multiple prints precisely for high-quality results. There are various benefits of this printing process but first, a little background.
What is Giclee Printing?
The credit for developing giclee printing mostly goes to Nash Editions, a printing company in California, where the printmakers began experimenting with different printing equipment, materials, and techniques in the late 1980s. Officially invented in 1991, this printing method is similar to regular digital printing but has some essential differences that make it a better option.
The name “giclee” comes from the French word “gicler” or “gicleur,” which means to spray or spurt, which is an appropriate name since that’s how inkjet printers work. The giclee process requires a large format printer, a high-resolution scan of the original art, pigmented ink, and archival paper. Giclee prints are exceptional for the high-quality results due to the equipment and materials that allows printers to easily create almost exact replicas of the original work.
Benefits of Giclee Printing
The rise of giclee printing into an industry-standard printing technique is accredited to the advantages it provides for everyone. Whether you’re an artist looking for a better way to disseminate your art or you’re looking for the best way to express yourself, this printing method will interest you and allow you to enjoy art in a whole new way.
Highest Quality Printing Process
Giclee art printing is renowned for producing the highest quality prints of any printing process, allowing for almost exact prints of original work. A giclee printer is a large format inkjet printer that uses a fine mist of 12 premium ink pigments to create a much more detailed print than other processes. The vast range of vibrant colors and precise results make this printing method a favorite for artists, businesses, and collectors.
Long Lasting Results
In addition to the high-quality printing process, giclee fine art prints last much longer than traditional digital prints. The museum-quality materials and printing process ensure the longevity of the prints for not just a few years but a minimum of 100 years. Unlike other methods, this process uses acid-free archival-grade substrates, resulting in precise images and no color degradation even after a few decades. This durability gives artists, printing companies, and collectors the assurance that their prints are of the highest quality and a good investment.
Lowers Cost of Production
Unlike original artwork, giclee prints cost much less to produce and purchase. Granted, if you’re an artist or printer, the printing equipment costs a pretty penny initially, but the overall production costs are much lower. With lower production costs, prints are made more accessible to those with an appreciation for art but without the budgets of high-end collectors. Since more people are able to enjoy the art and it costs you less to produce them, you’re making more profitable sales.
Additional Income Stream
An advantage for artists is the ability to print and sell more of their work. No matter what medium an artist works with, making original art is no easy feat. It takes lots of time and tedious work to make just one piece. Although originals sell at much higher prices, if you’re the artist, you get one payment until the next piece, which isn’t ideal financially.
Giclee printing simplifies the process and enables you to make as many prints as you want of a piece to sell for an affordable price. This gives you an additional source of income instead of spending hours, days, weeks, or even longer on a single project to live off of the revenue it generates for however long it takes to complete your next project.
Expands Your Audience
Creating a single work of art takes a lot of skill and patience that makes the original sell at a high price. Not all collectors have the disposable funds to purchase expensive artwork, but giclee prints are much more affordable, expanding the audience an artist reaches. The speed, accuracy, and lower production costs of this printing process allow artists to easily print multiple versions of their original pieces that are nearly identical reproductions, just cheaper, helping them appeal to a wider audience.
Exceptional Capabilities
The exceptional capabilities of giclee printers don’t end at their high-quality, affordable, long-lasting results. As long as the surface is archival-grade, there are various surfaces that can be printed onto, from paper and canvas to aluminum and wood. Prints are available in different finishes as well, including matte, gloss, and semi-gloss. Although giclee printing methods produce incredibly detailed and accurate reproductions, if desired, photo editing and other digital enhancements can be made to achieve different styles or ensure the prints match the original as closely as possible.
Experience the Benefits With Prints Giclee Shop
Trust Prints Giclee Shop with your giclee printing needs for long-lasting, gallery-quality prints in vibrant colors. Our art scanning process and proofing artists guarantee accurate coloring of your prints. We make custom prints with a focus on the highest-quality results on a wide range of materials, from acrylic or metal prints to archival canvas or wood surfaces. We also offer custom framing so your art can be displayed beautifully as it deserves.
Your original, handmade work is vitally important to you as an artist. Giclee printing allows you to share your talents with more of the world without losing the authenticity of handcrafted art.
