Giclée printing creates the best fine art prints available in the market. But what is Giclee printing? And what is the difference between a print and a Giclee? In this article, you’ll learn everything about printing Giclee on canvas vs. on photographic paper, what exactly makes a print a Giclée, and where to get Giclee prints!
Back in the day, artists used to paint a painting and sell the original. Once the art piece was sold, that was it. The buyer had the one and only version, and there were no copies or duplicates for other people available.
With the rise of technology, things have changed. When you nowadays create digital art, there is no original as in traditional art.
Related: How Is Digital Art Different From Traditional Art? | 10 Differences
That is why digital artists sell prints of their original creations. But also traditional artists shifted to selling prints. Because, as opposed to originals, art prints are much more affordable. That means you, as the artist, can sell a greater number of prints. In return, a greater number of people will be able to enjoy your creations!
You can sell prints in person at art shows and exhibitions. But prints are also perfect for selling on online platforms, such as Etsy and Shopify, or your own artist website.
Online marketplaces have the advantage that you can showcase and sell your art to a wider audience and create more exposure for your work!
There are a whole lot of different printing methods: Giclee printing, offset printing, inkjet printing, digital printing, sublimation printing – you name it.
If you are an artist or an art collector, you may already know that Giclee printing is the gold standard among fine art prints. Giclee produces superior print quality that can last for several hundred years.
But what exactly is Giclee printing? This is what we are going to look into in this article!
What is Giclee printing?
Let’s start with the origin of the name ‘Giclee’. It is also written ‘Giclée’, with an accent on the é. So you probably already guessed that the name must be French!
In fact, giclée is based on the French word gicler, which means to spray or squirt.
Giclee (pronounced gee-klay) was coined in 1991 by printmaker Jack Duganne. It describes a fine art printing process achieved with inkjet printers.
Giclee printing only uses the highest quality of inks and archival papers. That’s why Giclee prints are so popular among artists and gallery owners.
What makes a print a Giclee?
It is important to note that not all inkjet prints are Giclee prints. There are certain criteria that need to be met for a print to be considered a Giclee.
Let’s go over those criteria one-by-one:
- 1. Resolution
To create a high-quality Giclée print, you need to have an image with a resolution of at least 300 dots per inch (DPI, or PPI for pixels per inch). The DPI accounts for the detail in the print.
Just think of a low-resolution photograph. The more you zoom in, the more pixelated the image becomes.
In order to make your Giclée print look good, you need to increase the number of dots that make up your image.
To learn more about saving your work for print, check out the Best File Format For Printing Digital Art.
- 2. Inkjet Printer Technology
The second factor that is important in Giclee printing is the type of printer used. Many traditional print technologies use the CMYK profile. A combination of 4 colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black (K).
The inkjet printers that are used for Giclee printing work with up to 12 individual colors.
This results in a wider color gamut and smoother gradient transitions. That’s why – when made correctly – Giclee prints look so vibrant and rich.
Some prints, such as watercolor prints, are almost indistinguishable from the original!
- 3. Pigment-Based Inks
Not every inkjet printer uses the same inks. Lower-grade inkjet printers use dye-based inks. For Giclee printing, however, it’s necessary to use pigment-based inks.
Pigment-based inks are extremely fine and long-lasting. They are archival-quality inks.
The 12-ink system, with its minute size inks, makes it possible to achieve images with seamless tonal gradations and very rich colors. The durability of archival inks helps preserve print quality over time and prevent discoloration.
- 4. Archival Paper or Canvas
Last but not least, the paper you print on matters. Giclees are printed on photographic paper or canvas.
The paper or canvas must be archival quality. That means it must be acid-free, with a pH value of 7.0 or higher.
This is very important because any acid in the paper will mix with the inks, making them fade and grow dull. The very best art printing papers consist of cotton rag or wood cellulose, or a combination of the two.
To learn more about the different papers, check out the Best Paper For Printing Digital Art.
Giclee on Canvas vs on Photographic Paper
There are a couple of differences between Giclee printing on canvas vs. printing on photographic paper.
First of all, there’s the cost factor. The process of Giclee printing on paper is cheaper than printing on canvas. Also, the thick, fabric-like canvas material itself is more expensive than photographic paper.
As a rule of thumb, prints on photographic paper are typically about half the price of canvas prints.
Secondly, there’s the question of protecting and framing the print. A canvas print doesn’t need a frame or a protective glass pane. You can hang it on your wall as it is.
Depending on your personal preferences, you can also frame the canvas, using a traditional frame or a so-called floater frame. A floater frame leaves a small gap around the canvas, creating the impression that the canvas is within a frame.
In contrast, a Giclee print on paper needs some sort of protection. That’s why you would usually keep it behind glass.
When framing Giclee prints, you need to keep an eye on the finish. A matte finish tends to be better for framing than a glossy finish.
To learn more about the different finishes, check out the Best Photo Finish For Framing Art Prints – Matte vs Glossy.
Do Giclee prints have a texture?
Typically, Giclee prints do not have a texture, unless they are printed on textured paper. Some photographic papers do have a subtle texture or pattern.
But don’t expect that a Giclee print has a texture that feels like brush strokes. That’s not possible!
When printing on canvas, however, the Giclee print will have a texture that comes from the cotton or linen surface itself. This is also a reason why canvas prints tend to look more like an original painting than a Giclée print on archival paper.
Another possibility to add a texture to canvas prints is by hand-embellishing them. This is a way artists use to customize prints and make them more valuable. Each embellishment creates a unique version of the printed artwork, making it a new ‘original’.
The medium that an artists uses to embellish the print can be anything from acrylic and oil paint to clear gesso and gold pigment.
Embellished Giclee prints generally sell for a higher price than a simple print. The exact price largely depends on the popularity of the artist. Some Giclee prints have sold for several thousand dollars!
Is Giclee better than printing?
Giclee printing is a type of inkjet printing that is used by artists and galleries. The final print is a high-quality product that looks like an expensive piece of art, but is comparably affordable.
Giclee printing becomes more and more popular, thus enabling artists to reach a wider audience that may not be able to pay for an original piece.
While traditional prints used to be printed in mass-production, Giclees are typically printed on demand.
Moreover, Giclees are pretty customizable, allowing the artist to choose different papers and finishes, and embellish them.
Where to get Giclee prints?
All in all, Giclee printing will create a top-quality reproduction print that is highly versatile. That’s why Giclee prints are the way to go for many artists and art collectors.
So where can you get Giclee prints? Here are four of the best Giclee printing services that offer exquisite quality!
Best Giclee printing services for artists
The Stackhouse is a popular Giclee printing service that is used by artists and galleries alike. The company uses the highest quality of fine art printing available, including professional inkjet printers, pigment inks, and archival papers from Epson and Hahnemuehl.
The prints produced have museum-quality. In fact, many of the prints produced by The Stackhouse are shown at exhibitions, galleries, art shows, commercial installations, and museums.
You can choose from a wide range of print sizes and finishing options. Production time is really fast and usually doesn’t take longer than 3 business days!
Printful is a popular print-on-demand provider that lets you create custom products with your artwork. Their product range includes all types of prints, including large canvas and Giclee prints.
Once you’ve chosen your products, Printful handles everything for you – from production, to fulfillment, to shipping. Printful is optimized for international shipping and offers very attractive rates.
Printful’s basic plan is completely free, without any minimum order requirements and subscription fees. If you want to use Printful on a professional basis, you can get on the Pro Plan for $49 a month.
The free plan is totally enough for printing art occasionally. If you are selling large numbers of prints every month, you can start a free 14-day trial of Printful’s Pro Plan to see if it’s a fit for you!
Giclee Today is a professional printing service that focuses on high-quality fine art Giclee prints at affordable prices. The company offers a choice of premium archival papers and canvas prints with UV coating. All prints are made in-house, using high-quality materials.
Even though the printing factory is located in the United States, Giclee Today ships internationally. As an artist, you can have your prints drop-shipped to clients around the world, including hand-numbered editions.
If you want a paper or a print that is not listed on the website, it’s no problem to request a custom order. Giclee Today also prides itself to be the only company to give volume discounts for images at multiple sizes on the same paper. And, there are no minimum order requirements!
Prints Giclee Shop is an artist-owned fine art printing service with more than 15 years of experience. The company offers long-lasting Giclee prints on a range of quality fine art and photographic papers.
You can also get gallery-quality canvas prints on a variety of media. If needed, the Prints Giclee Shop offers art mounting and custom framing, including canvas floater frames. All prints are produced in their factory in Miami, Florida, and inspected by an in-house expert before shipping.
Ordering prints is super-easy. All you need to do is upload your art and choose your print. The Prints Giclee Shop offers attractive discounts for professionals, and everyone will get 20% off their first order!
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