Giclees: Digital Capture and the Final Print

 

Giclee art reproduction service can vary from one service provider to the next.  Even more important than the archival properties of the  materials, is the high end quality of the calibrated equipment used.   Quality control with active profiling systems in place at all stations is key including recording and output devices.  Most important of all, is the technical competence and keen manipulation skills of the staff.

 Materials  In keeping control of the end product, your service provider should be using the same archival materials from their same vendor in keeping with a color management system.  The materials should be of museum quality, which is 100% cotton rag materials, available in smooth and textured watercolor papers, and canvas.  They might additionally offer photographic paper and perhaps even metallic paper as an option.  The inks should be full gamut pigmented inks for archival permanence.  These museum quality materials are wonderful, but should never be hung in direct sunlight.  Ambient light is the expected lighting conditions which could then last up to a 200 years!  Dark storage might be better, but humidity and temperature settings must be controlled.

Calibration and Color Profiling of the Equipment   Your print provider is of professional performing level, he will have all of these systems regularly calibrated and operating within a color managment system called profiling.  This means all the devices are operating with a perfectly matched calibration system from step to step of this image’s journey.   Maintaining control of this delicate process is key and will make the system operate more efficiently.

Equipment   Top of the line, high resolution and high performance equipment should be found at your service provider’s lab.  Your service provider should be available to share this information with you concerning the lenses, the lights, the scanning back, the computers, and the final output device.

Its best to start with a full spectrum, daylight balanced lighting system. This  would enable your provider to get a digital capture of the true values of your pigments, whether oil, acrylic, or watercolor.  Dayllght has a color temperature of 5500 degrees Kelvin.

The camera itself ideally should be a horizontal process camera making use of the apochromatic process lens, and accurate laser alignment. On this traditional process camera, you should see a high end digital camera scanning back such as the BetterLight. With this system your provider should be able to pin point the exposure and vary the contrast to precisely match the requirements of your original.

 The Journey of the Digital Capture File  The photographer should discriminately compare his digital capture on screen to your original artwork.  Here he has the option to re-angle the lights for more or less texture and can adjust his exposure to bring out specific details.

After the high resolution capture is complete, it will be imported into the profiled computer for manipulation. It is here where all the refinement takes place!  Unruly specular highlights will be reduced, and like an excellent chef, the skillful technician meticulously combs over each area to adjust exposure, color and detail.  When this masterful technician feels he has attained a perfect match, a proof will be produced on material identical to the end product. Additional proofs may be run on areas of concern, at 100%  magnification of final image size for checking. When refined, the  artist will be called in to review the proof.  These proofs should be reviewed in a space that is full spectrum daylight balanced alongside your original piece of art.  May this experience be a treat for your eyes!