Giclée, the Industry Standard for Fine Art Reproduction
If you’re looking to reproduce your original artwork or photographic images for collectors to enjoy, consider fine art giclée printing. Known for its meticulous accuracy and museum-quality results, giclée printing has become the industry standard for professional artists, art publishers, museums, and fine art galleries.
At Colorchrome, our team of specialists values the art of printing art. We treat your work of art with the same amount of care you put into creating it and our giclée printing process produces a reproduction that is virtually indistinguishable from the original.
© Betty Edge
What Is Giclée?
Giclée (pronounced ‘zhee-clay’) is the French word for describing the way ink is sprayed onto paper or canvas using an inkjet printer. This continuous tone printing process produces the highest quality art reproductions on the market. First introduced in the late 1980s, giclée prints began to replace offset printing as the standard in the art publishing world and offered art enthusiasts an affordable option to collect fine art limited editions without sacrificing quality and detail.
Today our advanced digital inkjet printers achieve precise color accuracy and capture the tiniest of details to ensure an exact match with the original artwork. Unlike standard home/office printers, our archival-quality inkjet printers produce extremely high-resolution images using a twelve-color array of pigment-based inks to accurately capture the tone, depth, and aesthetic you want to achieve. In addition to impeccable reproductions, our giclée prints are archival museum quality – able to withstand fading, discoloration, and flaking.
Artist, Tommy Taylor, inspects his giclée as it prints
Is Giclée Printing Expensive?
Fine art giclée printing is surprisingly affordable! Along with unmatched accuracy, color, and quality, giclée prints have excellent longevity; providing the artist and collector with the peace of mind that their artwork will last for decades. Choosing our high-quality giclée printing technique allows the artist to confidently share their masterpiece without sacrificing any of the artistry of the original. Clients and art aficionados can rest assured that their investment will not easily damage or fade and can be handed down from generation to generation.
Besides working with an expert printer, there are four key components to consider when reproducing your photograph, painting, drawing, or etching as a fine art giclée print. They are:
Choosing the best wide-format inkjet printer
Our wide-format Canon IPF 9400 can print up to 59” wide at any length using 12-color Lucia Pigment Ink with a resolution up to 2400dpi x 1200dpi – perfect for capturing small details for fine art reproduction.
Getting the right resolution
For the best printing results, it is recommended to provide your photo file or have your original artwork professionally scanned or photographed at a resolution of 300 DPI or higher. Using our state-of-the-art Cruse scanner, we create high-resolution digital files of your artwork (up to 2400dpi x 1200dpi), expertly capturing every color, texture, and detail of the work, that you can easily store, access, and share for future reproductions.
Using the right ink
Dye-based inks are particularly prone to fade with time and are sensitive to direct sunlight. Colorchrome uses the finest quality pigment inks to extend the lifespan of your giclée prints so that you may confidently share your beautiful fine art reproductions with the world. Our archival-quality pigment inks are tested to last up to 100 years for color images and significantly longer for monochromatic images.
Selecting the right material
In order to protect and preserve your art, it is best to use an archival or museum-grade substrate or medium. We offer a wide variety of premium, archival-quality paper and canvas options for your giclée prints such as:
- Premium Archival Matte Paper
- Smooth and Textured Watercolor Paper
- Metallic and Pearlescent Paper
- Matte, Satin, and Glossy Canvas
- German Etching Paper
How Do We Create the Perfect Print?
Here’s a simple step-by-step look into how we deliver the finest quality giclée prints:
First, either the photographer will provide us with a high-resolution file or your original art will be scanned with our Cruse scanner, which then converts the physical work of art into an ultra-high-resolution digital file. (If you already have a high-resolution file, we can use that too).
Second, we print the image with our wide-format inkjet printer onto the high-quality paper or canvas of your choice.
Finally, we mount, stretch and/or frame your quality print to your exact specifications and deliver an archival art reproduction that showcases your work for generations to come!
Want to Add a Special Touch?
We offer additional hand-embellishing services to allow your prints to match your original even more closely. You may choose to add hand-painted highlights, shadows, or textures, using acrylic paint, gel, and even metallic paints to add an additional layer of authenticity to your piece. Our in-house artists will work with you to capture the exact look you need.
We also offer hand-deckled edges on various fine art papers for a truly bespoke look so be sure to ask our specialists for a recommendation.
Finishing Your Giclée the Right Way
Once your masterpiece has been reproduced as a giclée print, consider adding archival custom framing not only to protect your artwork but to further enhance its beauty. A few of our framing options include custom cut mats and frames, float frames, shadowboxes, wood panel boxes, and round frames. From start to finish, our highly skilled team of experts provides exceptional customer support to ensure your projects make a lasting impression.
Whether brightening the walls of a home, evoking professionalism and gravitas in an office or workspace, enhancing the guest experience in a hotel lobby, or adorning the walls of a gallery exhibit, countless artists and designers have trusted us with their unique aesthetic since 1983. We welcome the opportunity to meet your needs and exceed your expectations!
If you’re interested in seeing more of Colorchrome’s collaborative efforts on giclée printing click here. If you have an idea that you think Colorchrome can help you bring to life, let’s start a conversation.