Giclee printing allows artists, photographers and designers to make reproductions of their original artwork without damaging the original. The end product is a high-quality, fade-resistant work of art which apart from textural differences may be very difficult to tell apart from the original. From the French for “to squirt or spray”, giclee provides photographic inkjet printing on high-quality papers. However, many potential users still have questions concerning giclee, and hopefully we can answer some of those questions here.
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What are the advantages of giclee over C-type prints?
A significant advantage in giclee prints is their durability. Anyone who has ever printed an image on a home or office printer and then posted it on the wall will know how soon the image fades. However, giclee offers a level of quality which experts describe as having “archival permanence”. According to several studies, giclee, which delivers the print via ink pigment, offers an enhanced colour fastness, meaning the colour that is printed will be the colour displayed for many years to come.
Giclee also has a much more dynamic range of colours to give the viewer a greater sense of similarity between the original and the print. Traditional C-type and digital C-type prints offer a much narrower selection of colours, and this is apparent in the end product.
Just how long will a giclee print last?
By using the latest equipment and acid-free papers, a print stored under glass and out of direct sunlight can expect to look as good as the day it was printed for up to 80 years. Prints archived in paper or behind UV-protective glass could remain perfect indefinitely. Your giclee printing service, like the one offered by http://www.river-studio.com/fine-art-printing/fine-art-giclee-printing.php, would be able to advise you on the best way to store and display your prints for maximum enjoyment and longevity.
What special care do giclee prints require?
A giclee print should be treated with the same care as you would an original piece of artwork. You should avoid touching the printed surface with your bare skin, as this can leave prints and smudges. They should also be kept dry and dust-free and away from any extreme temperatures or temperature fluctuations.
In short, giclee is a printing technique that is famed for delivering exceptionally high-quality and lasting reproduction prints.
