If you happen to work in graphic design, there is very little doubt that you cam across this term at least one time before. However, do you know what it means? This is an article that is going to help you to outline the criteria as well as the types that have to be met for a print to be known as a giclee.
One of the first things that you should know is that giclee is pronounced ‘zhee-clay’. This work is taken from a French word that means what is ‘sprayed or squirted’. A giclee printing is a form of inkjet printing. However, you should know that not all inkjet prints are going to be giclee prints.
What Exactly Is The Difference?
Giclee printing is supposed to offer a higher quality product that will have a much longer lifespan than any standard inkjet printer for desktop use. Initially, this is a word that was used to describe a digital reproduction of certain conventional artworks, such as paintings and drawings, or photographs. It is generally accepted today that high quality giclee printing is created using digital workflow using a modern computer application such as the Creative Cloud editions of Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop.
Some people may argue that using the term ‘giclee printing’ to certain work is just nothing more than a way to charge a much higher price for an inkjet print. However, there are three criteria that has to be met so that a print is able to be considered a true giclee.
Resolution
Whenever there is an image to be printed off as a giclee, it needs to be created using a resolution that is no less than 300 DPI, or dots per inch. Whenever there is a photograph or conventional artwork reproduction, it means that the camera or the scanner that is used to capture the scan or image, the artwork should be able to do so at 300 DPI.
When you are setting up a file that you use to create art for final output as a giclee print, you need to make sure that it is at least 300 DPI. This works to ensure that a final print is always going to have sharp detail and will lack fragmentation that can take place with images that happen to be less than 300 DPI.
Paper
It is important that you only go with high quality paper and make sure that it is of archival quality for any giclee printing. Professional series paper will state clearly if the product is of archival quality. It will usually say it right on the box. These will be the best papers to enhance the look and longevity of the final product and you can usually find them at a number of sellers.
Ink
The final step for creating a true giclee is the kind of ink as well as the printer that you are using. The major difference between a standard printer and a giclee quality printer will be the types of inks that are used. A pigment based ink is always going to have a much longer lifespan and can last anywhere between 100 to 200 years without major fading issues. The kind of printer should always be large format that uses pigment based inks and will generally hold around 12 different cartridges of various color inks. The more ink that is used, the more sophisticated the color range will be.
This should give you greater insight into giclee printing and allow you a better understanding of the process.
