Giclée (zhee-clay) printing on canvas

 

Giclée (zhee-clay) printing on canvas has taken the art of reproduction of original artwork to an exciting new level of resolution and flexibility.  Interior designers can now create original-quality prints in custom sizes using archival quality inks on an array of surfaces such as photo-base paper, fine art paper, and canvas.  The process is relatively inexpensive and allows for customization to fit the display requirements in commercial buildings, institutions such as hospitals and retirement homes, museums, and in private residences.

The word “giclée” comes from the French derivation of “to spray” or “to squirt” and describes a process where graphic images are generated from high-resolution digital photography and scanning.  Invention of this technique in the early 1990’s and the term itself is generally credited to Jack Duganne, a printer working to develop a new type of print process involving a large high-resolution industrial ink-jet printer called Iris.  In fact, giclée prints are sometimes referred to as Iris prints.

Today, giclée prints are generated from high-res 8-to-12 color ink-jet printers manufactured by MacDermid Colorspan, Epson, Hewlett-Packard, and others capable of producing fine art and photographic images.  The process involves the application of fade-resistant, archival inks (solvent- and pigment-based) using the CMYK color process, or multiple cartridges for color variations based on the CcMmYK color model, on an array of substrate materials such as canvas, watercolor paper, photo paper, and even textured vinyl.  Refinements in the technology have promoted the use of pigment-based printing, considered superior over other methods because of its durability and color retention.  At the same time, giclée prints now rival more traditional gelatin and silver-halide processes.

Giclée printing gives artists the appealing option of reproducing their work as needed, without the prohibitive costs of mass production, and generating prints more quickly to meet immediate demand.  Another advantage: digitally archived files do not degrade over time and can be reproduced to almost any size.

Numerous giclée prints now adorn the walls of prominent museums including the Metropolitan Museum, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, MOMA in Los Angeles, and the Chelsea Galleries.

At Photoworks Creative Group, our multi-layered approach to giclée reproduction utilizes state of the art digital equipment and techniques.  We apply the best available full spectrum, daylight balanced lighting system, enabling us to capture the true pigment values whether in oil, acrylic, or watercolor, then photograph the original art on our horizontal process camera, making use of the apochromatic process lens and precise laser alignment.  After capturing the image in a high-resolution format, we apply color profiling and proof with full gamut Epson Ultra Chrome K3 pigmented inks to give you accurate rich color that meets the highest archival standards!

Get more information about state-of-the-art graphic and reproduction services on our Photoworks Creative Group website. www.photoworksgroup.com