What is Giclée – everything you need to know about giclée art prints.

So you’ve heard the phrase “giclée” or “giclée print” thrown around, but have no idea what it means? It’s easy to get caught up in all the jargon of the art word and feel a little embarrassed about asking for help.

Don’t worry, we’ve all been there and I’m here to help! I’ve been and art teacher and artist for over 25 years and in this post I’m going to explain everything you need to know about giclee printing.

What is Giclée? Giclée prints explained:

Simply put, giclee just refers to reproducing original art using inkjet printers.

The term Giclée was coined by Jack Duganne in 1991 who worked at one of the pioneering digital art printing companies Nash Editions. The term originally applied to fine art prints which were done using their modified IRIS printers, which led to the inkjet printing technology of today. ‘Giclée’ has now evolved to mean any art print done on an inkjet printer.

Typically, originals are scanned or photographed with a high resolution camera and the file is cleaned up using editing software like Photoshop before being sent to the print house for production. It’s then printed onto a high quality paper stock or cotton canvas.

Although printers, galleries and artists often use the term giclée to imply “fine art printing”, there is no guarantee of quality that goes with the word. The truth is anyone who does inkjet printing technically does giclée printing.

It’s important to understand that giclee prints are never from the artists own hand and cannot by definition be original.  The technology has however become an economical way for artists to mass produce their works and reach a wider audience, but it does not attempt to replace the market for original artwork.

How to pronounce Giclée

In English, the pronunciation of giclee sounds most like “zhee-clay”. However, you’ll need to peronouce the “G” more like a soft “zshhhh”. Personally, I’d try saying “She-Clay” as that puts the emphasis on the “zsh” and gets you near enough without needing a course in French linquistics.

From Wikipedia the pronunciation is like this: Giclée (/ʒiːˈkleɪ/ zhee-KLAY)

It’s easiest to understand how to pronounce giclee by hearing it said, so have a listen to the YouTube video below.

How did the term Giclée come to be?

Giclée is derived from the French word giclée which means “to squirt or spray”. It also has some semblance to the word word gicleur which is the French technical term for a jet or a nozzle – alluding to the ink nozzle of the printer.

Photographers were the original adopters of giclée when they used the the technique to translate their works onto large scale canvases for sale and exhibition. Of course, this was a necessity for photography as the ‘original art[link]’ was the image in the camera – with no native means of display.

However, traditional artists were quick to realise this method had a great relevance to their medium. Paintings could be photographed or scanned, and reproduced in mass at a very low cost. A reprieve from the traditional print making method involving copper and zinc plates called lithographs.

Though prints made onto cotton canvas are generally regarded as the highest quality, giclee prints don’t just have to be on canvas. Reproductions can be made onto paper, wood or any other printable medium.

What’s the difference between giclée and a print?

The old method of art printing using metal plates called lithographs and a printing press. This technique is still used to this day, but is costly and time consuming because of the process to create these lithographs.

Lithographic prints would often be referred to as ‘original prints’ because they would be produced in a batch of 100 or 1000 before the plates were retired. This adds an element of scarcity to the product when a collector knows there are only so many others out there.

Professional giclée prints are however are much more expensive on a per-unit basis than the four-color offset lithography process. A large-format giclée print can cost more than $50 – compared to $5 for a four-color offset lithographic print of the same image (as part of a run of 1,000 prints).

The greatest disadvantage of the lithographic print model is that the full job needs to be set up and produced all at once. With inkjet printing the artist does not have to pay for the expensive printing plate setup or the marketing and storage needed for large four-color offset print runs. This allows the artist to follow a print on demand (POD) business where each print can be made individually only after the order is placed and paid by the customer.

Are all giclée prints created equal?

The short answer: No!

Now we know that giclee simply refers to reproducing an image of art using and inkjet printer, it’s makes sense that the quality of the final print can vary greatly.

The variables we need to consider are the following

• The printer – High end giclée printers use a combination of 12 different inks to reproduce millions of colours, some of which are impossible to achieve by traditional 4 colour CMYK printers. Another key differentiator is the print size, a factor that may limit you if you are wanting to print extra-large canvasses. Canon and Epson and leading brands in the fine art printing space.
• The ink used – Giclee printing requires the use of pigment-based inks, which are composed of small coloured particles held in a suspension, rather than dye based, which is a soluble colourant dissolved in a liquid. Dye inks are cheaper to manufacture and are therefore found in most common inkjet printers.
• The medium we print to – To get the best result with giclee, it is recommended to use either archival or museum grade category inkjet paper; generally coming under the categories matte, cotton-rag or canvas. Archival is a term used to describe something that is resistant to deterioration with excellent longevity. This often means acid-free / lignin-free papers, which can preserve the product for a long time.
• The quality of the digital file – A high resolution scan or photograph needs to be taken in order to meet the pixel count (or DPI) required by the printer. The edited file should be supplied in lossless compression format such as TIFF.

A Giclée canvas print ideally should be a print that is done on high quality canvas (usually pure cotton not polycotton). The resolution should be high. The inks should be good quality and fade resistant. Put simply, to achieve a high quality print, look for a well-respected print house that uses the best quality printer, canvas and ink that is available.

Are Giclée prints respected in the art industry?

That’s kind of like saying “is flat pack furniture any good?”.. sure, there is some poor quality furniture out there at bargain basement prices. But there are also high end designer brand items that warrant a premium price point.

Giclee prints form the bulk of the reproduction art market. They make art more accessible to the consumers and provide a means for art fans to own a piece of their favourite creatives work – without having to pay top dollar for an original.

Creating Giclee prints from photos or artwork is a common way for artists and photographers to reproduce their artwork. Because the prints can be made in house, or ordered on a case-by-case basis, it allows anyone from professionals to hobbyists the opportunity to print their work.

Key takeaways:

Giclee prints have revolutionised the art reproduction industry allowing for originals to be reproduced cheaply and quickly. This provides another revenue stream for artists and helps consumers own a piece of their favourite artist who may not be able to justify the cost of an original.

Though galleries will have you believe ‘giclee’ is synonymous with ‘fine art printing’ this isn’t technically the case. Be cautious when purchasing giclee that the quality is up to snuff by checking the quality of canvas uses, the printer, and the print house’s reputation.

Thanks for reading. I’d love for you to share your experiences with Giclee prints in the comments below.

Linda