Giclee Fine Art Prints  Beyond the photographic image

The word “giclée” as derived from the French language word “le gicleur” meaning “nozzle”, or more specifically “gicler” meaning “to squirt, spurt, or spray.”  It is a fine art inkjet-based digital print using archival inks and a variety of papers.

There are so many surfaces to produce photographs on that I wanted to share three of my favorite styles with you that I offer at my studio. Although you must see and feel each of these products in person I did include photographs for interest’s sake.

Gallery Wraps are a popular, modern style of displaying an image that allows for a frameless presentation.  The image is stretched and wrapped around the wooden stretcher bars. The sides of the image remain visible and are a continuation of the main image.

A well done wrap has neat folds that does not show any staples or nails.

Canvas images are a framed for a more traditional presentation. The texture, richness, and traditional feel of canvas makes this a good choice.

In the past, to make a canvas photograph the emulsion (the part with all the colors) was stripped from the paper backing and the emulsion was applied to canvas with adhesive. Now with today’s technology of high end inkjet printing, we can print directly on the canvas material producing a much finer product with better texture and vibrancy of colors.

Fine Art Paper is a good choice for producing fine art images of any subject matter. These papers are a more delicate and framing with glass is recommended. Even though these images are sealed with a protective coating, scuffing and abrasions can happen more easily due to the nature of the paper.

 Behind the scenes the making of custom Fine Art Print

The finest inks, papers, and canvas materials have been designed to work together for a museum grade archival final product.

There is difference in the production quality of how ink jet images are produced. A cheap on-line company will tell you that there is not. But oh, there is a difference, so shop around.  What ever you decide is fine as long as you understand what quality you are really purchasing, selling to your client, and putting your name on.

My wall portrait images are printed under a watchful eye in a custom environment. Each file is checked for proper size and individually evaluated for color and contrast to produce the best image possible. Unlike at a high production lab, a test strip (a print of just part of the image) is printed to confirm that all is well before going to print. My custom lab uses an ink jet that uses a non high speed single direction mode at a much higher resolution than most of the on-line suppliers and even some professional color labs.

A higher resolution and non high speed single direction printing produces finer details and tonal gradations. This creates more shadow detail, smoother highlights, and better blacks.  My images can take up to an hour to print, where as a high speed, bidirectional,  lower resolution production print can be done in as little as ten minutes.  In a production environment, speed is the bottom line as time is money.  In most instances a human does not see the image until after it is printed or ready to ship to the customer.  My images are printed under a watchful eye in a custom environment and are monitored during the entire process.  Quality not quantity is the goal.

What does this mean to your customers?

You can be sure you and your customers are investing in a museum grade, archival image that when cared for properly will last for generations. A fine art image crafted with care from start to finish.

How to care of Giclee Fine Art Images

As with all fine art prints do not expose them to direct sunlight or harsh environmental conditions.  Although each print has a protective coating applied that will help protect against scratches and abrasion and adds a certain level of moisture resistance, they should be treated with care.  The coating also adds UV protection and increases the archival life of the print.

Gallery Wrap
If necessary it can be lightly dusted using no pressure with a soft cloth or duster free of chemicals. Do not press on the canvas, it will stretch.

Canvas
No glass is required or desired on canvas images.  If necessary it can be lightly dusted using no pressure with a soft cloth or duster free of chemicals.  Even though my images are sealed with a protective coating, I would line the rabbit of the frame with a protective barrier as wood products have acid and lignin that can degrade the print.

Fine Art Paper
Due to the fact the papers are more delicate, glass is highly recommended. Do not touch the surface as scuffing or scratching could occur. Acid free matting and mount boards should be used and encapsulated from the wooden frame. Glass should not ever be cleaned by squirting cleaner on a hanging image as the cleaner may reach the bottom and migrate into the wood. When I encapsulate my work, that becomes even less likely to happen.

Whatever the occasion, take the time to educate your clients and make their portraits special. By offering your clients Giclee fine art images you will be producing wonderful work and increasing your bottom line!

About Barb
Barb Gordon, of www.BarbGordonPhotoCoach.com, is a Master Photographer, Photographic Craftsman, and Certified Professional Photographer with the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) to which she has belonged since 1984.  She is a nationally published and award winning photographer, entrepreneur, speaker, and author including being published in the prestigious PPA Loan Collection 2006, PPA Showcase 2003, twice named Iowa’s Top Ten Photographer of the Year, and 2010 Iowa’s Master Photographer of the Year.