|
Giclee (zhee-CLAY)
is a French word that means a spray
or a spurt of liquid. It is, in essence, a fancy name
for images made on expensive ink jet printers.
To put it in more technical terms, a giclee is an
individually produced, high-resolution, high-fidelity
reproduction done on a special large format printer.
Giclees are produced from digital scans of existing
artwork or directly from digital art.
Giclees can be printed on any number of media, from canvas to watercolor paper to transparent acetates. Giclees are superior to traditional lithography in several ways. The colors are brighter, last longer, and are so high-resolution that they are virtually continuous tone, rather than tiny dots. The range, or "gamut" of color for giclees is far beyond that of lithography, and details are crisper. In addition, Giclees are produced directly from a digital file, saving generations of detail-robbing negatives and printing plates, as with traditional printing. Giclees are priced midway between original art and regular limited edition lithographs. They are coveted by collectors for their fidelity and quality. Limited Edition Print: A reproduction of an original painting, that is strictly limited to a certain number of images. They are usually printed on high quality, acid free cover-weight paper and each is hand signed and numbered by the artist (showing the individual print number and the total number in the edition). When sold out, limited editions are never reproduced in the same format, and therefore appreciate in value. Artist Proofs: When printing a limited edition, the artist is present to "press check" the quality of the image at the beginning of the press run. Once approved, the artist "signs off" on the run and the first few prints off the press (usually 10% or less of the total run) may be set aside, numbered separately and marked as Artist Proofs ("A/P"). Although basically identical to the rest of the edition, artist proofs are sought by collectors and considered more valuable because of their limited number. Lithograph: The formal term for any image reproduced on paper, from an ink coated plate. Remarques: A remarque is a limited edition print with a small hand-drawn or painted detail done by the artist on the margin of the print. Because of this personalized addition, remarques are highly valued by collectors. Poster: An open edition reproduction, usually printed on lighter weight paper. Although posters may be collected and are suitable for framing, they have little "investment" value. Framing & Hanging Hints
|