I chose the commercial Giclee method over the traditional commercial lithography process, which I have used in the past. Lithographs are less expensive, per print, to produce than Giclees. However, I believe that Giclees are far superior in overall quality. I’m particularly impressed with the way this approach reproduces the look and apparent texture of the original. A print of a pastel for instance looks as if the pastel would rub off, as it would on an original that hasn’t been sprayed with a fixative.

The print term Giclee (pronounced zhee-klay) originally comes from the French word "giclée" which means to spray. Here it refers to a precise inkjet printing process where pigmented ink is finely sprayed onto archival paper or canvas by a special large-format, high resolution printer.

Creating a Giclee print is a direct process consisting of capturing the original artwork’s image and then printing the reproduction, so the artwork’s information is kept intact. In the lithography process, for comparison, there are four intermediate steps that proceed from photographic film, to scanner, to reproduction film, to press plate, and then it goes to print. Each part of the procedure results in a little loss of information.

In Giclees the details are sharp with excellent contrast, while the colors are bright, and incredibly accurate. In fact it’s almost impossible to distinguish the dot pattern in the colors (except with a microscope), as the resolution is so high. The coloring is more like a continuous tone effect. Giclees use inkjet technology, but on a level far more sophisticated than a desktop printer.  These large-format printers can have up to 12, but usually 6 or 8 color, pigmented inks, spraying out of 96 nozzles. The pigmented inks have been tested to last as long as 100 years before there is any noticeable shift in color integrity. When these are printed on archival paper it creates the highest quality, fine art reproduction. Don’t mean for this to sound like an advertisement for the Giclee process, but am trying to emphasize that an art reproduction print can vary greatly in quality, based on the materials and the process used to create it.

The approach used for my prints:
I work with a commercial printing company. The original artwork was scanned using the Better Light camera system. This can take from 20-30 minutes and creates a detailed, color accurate, digital image. At this point the image is proofed to the original and submitted for my approval. Then it is printed with Ultrachrome pigmented ink* using a 6 or 8 color Epson wide-format, ink-jet printer on archival paper *.

*Archival paper is Acid free (neutral pH) and lignin free paper and is therefore manufactured to resist deterioration. It lasts longer than other papers and also holds color well.
* Ultrachrome pigmented ink has superior light-fastness (it resists fading), and retains color stability for a long period (some tests say up to 100+ years).

A knowledgeable artist will always try to use the best paper, ink, canvas, and paint possible to insure a work’s longevity. However, keep in mind that all art materials, particularly watercolor, and pastel are light sensitive and unstable to varying degrees.
Please hang artwork out of direct sunlight