SO WHAT IS GICLÉE PRINTING?
What is giclée printing? In essence, these days the term is taken loosely to refer to a very high-quality, ‘fine art’ inkjet print.
Giclée is derived from the French verb ‘gicler’. which means ‘to squirt’. Giclée is a neologism coined in 1991 by a printer, Jack Duganne. It refers to his method of printing using modern inkjet printers.
HOW I DEFINE IT
As a ‘standard’, I’d define it as follows:
A fine art giclée print is produced on archival-grade inkjet papers or canvas, using the very best pigment inks.
WHY WOULD I CHOOSE A GICLÉE PRINT?
Giclée prints are designed to allow for the very best reproductions of your artwork. They use archival papers and inks to allow your prints to last a lifetime. There are numerous paper types available, which will give greater flexibility to artists, photographers and digital image creators. We were often limited by paper choice, but giclée printing opens up many new creative avenues to support your print sales.
HOW DO 'ART PRINTS' DIFFER?
Beware the term ‘Art Prints’. Some printers use this term to attract artists, but these prints are usually not ‘archival quality’. They are a cheaper alternative. They will usually not be lightfast and are very unlikely to stand the test of time.
When you are looking to place work into limited editions and want the very best quality for your clients, then giclée printing is the perfect process.
HOW TO PRONOUNCE GICLÉE?
How do you pronounce it? Ideally, with a soupçon of ‘Gallic Flair’!
CLICK TO HEAR how it is pronounced.
The closest correct pronunciation is ‘zhee-klay’. You can just about get away with ‘gee-clay’.