WHAT IS A GICLEE'?

Unlike standard printing the Giclee' process squirts or sprays it ink on to the print surface. Our printer is an HP 5500, UV, 42". The UV means that it uses pigmented ink. Without UV it signifies that the printer uses dye ink, a considerable less permanent product.

HOW IS THE HP5500 DIFFERENT FROM 4 COLOR PROCESS?

Giclee' is the most accurate method of reproducing fine art. Four color process is a half tone procedure combining photo emulsion and lithographic process. This process was developed around 1900 and rapidly became the commercial standard of printing. It breaks a tone gradation into solid dots for the litho process can print only a solid area. The size of the dot changes with the lightness or darkness of an area. To obtain color effects these dots are arranged in a pattern. If you magnify a color print you can easily see this “rosette”.

The HP5500 sprays/squirts random dots is exacting amounts to obtain a uniform gradation, barely visible under high magnification. The effect is of greater detail and clarity of image.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU USE?

Your Giclee' is created with the highest quality archival materials currently available: especially primed cotton canvas, UV inks, and artist varnish. It is curated by the artist and retouched if necessary.

WHERE'S THE TEXTURE?

One may as well ask that on the National Geographic magazine; there is no texture in the process. Look at the original painting. Does it have texture? If not why add it to the reproduction. "Texturing" a reproduction started back in the 50's when decoupage was popular and we consider it both unnecessary and distracting. But if you want it we will add it as an extra.

DOES A GICLEE’ LOOK LIKE THE ORIGINAL WORK OF ART?

Yes and no. A reproduction of a watercolor may be virtually indistinguishable from the original. Physical texture of the paint (impasto) is not yet practical to produce, therefore any textural effects are visual and in the digital file/original painting. Sometimes the digital process captures too much textural effect and shows up as a distraction in the print. (Canvas texture or the original may not be in scale with the canvas on which it is printed.)

HOW DO I HANDLE MY GICLEE'?

If it is a work on paper, you may treat it as a watercolor, matted and framed under glass. If on canvas, treat as an oil painting. Keep them from direct sunlight. DO NOT use cleaners with "grease" dissolving power, or containing ammonia, odorless thinners, turps or alcohol. Use a soft dry rag or a slightly moist rag to gently remove the “dirt”? Dust infrequently and gently.

HOW LONG WILL IT LAST?

No Giclee has been around for even thirty years, though tests have shown that with care it pigment inks may last between 100 to 300 years. Of dye inks and mixed dye & pigment, the dye will fade before the pigment. Dyes may begin to fade as quickly as a year, in strong light even indoors.

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