What is giclee printing?
Giclee?!?
At Shipist, every print we make is a giclee print. But, what is that exactly? There’s a lot of confusion about this, but basically it’s quite simple. Here, I’ll give you the short of it, as well as some extra info the particularly curious reader will love.
Okay, what’s Giclee printing?
Let’s cut to the chase and give you the info you want right away.
First, it’s a french word that’s pronounced Zhee-Clay (If you call and ask for a Gick-Lee, we’ll still know what you mean).
Second, it technically means “To Spray” in french. Ink jet printers spray ink onto paper. See, it’s not as complicated as you thought!
Third, giclee printing means a really high quality print. Sometimes people call it archival, museum grade, or fine art printing. Without splitting hairs, these all pretty much mean the same thing. Really, we’re distinguishing between a top quality print (color matched to original, using archival quality ink and paper that will last a really long time) and a cheap photocopy that you’d get at Office Depot (no shade here, we love affordable copies when that’s what you need).
That’s it! Giclee means a really nice fine art print. All you really need to know for your fine art or photography is that giclee prints are the best digital prints available, and giclee printing is all that Shipist does (shameless plug). But, if you want to learn more, read on.
What makes a print archival?
A print is archival if it’s high quality and made to last a long time. The two main pieces here are the ink and the paper.
Archival ink is pigment based instead of dye based. It allows for more vivid prints that come much closer to your original artwork. It also lasts much longer than dye based ink without fading. Epson says the ink in our printers will last 100+ years… you’ll need to leave these prints in your will!
Archival paper is the same deal. It’s really nice paper that won’t fade or degrade quickly. Shipist prints on a variety of papers, all of which are archival. The way the ink looks on each paper will vary a bit (reach out for samples to see for yourself), but whichever paper you pick, that ink is there to stay.
Some other factors play into this too. A print needs to be stored with other archival materials. For example, if you frame a print, the mat used needs to be acid free. If the print is pressed up against something that isn’t archival, it can have a short life. Similarly, direct sunlight and moisture can damage or fade a print, just like an original artwork.
According to a giclee article on Artsy Shark you can expect 50-100 years from modern giclee prints. UV glass is a great protection against fading. Creative Bloq says to expect 100-200 years out of a giclee print.
Your print is only as good as your file
It’s also worth noting that your print is only as good as your file. If you whip out your vintage point and shoot (looking at you Gen Z) and take a photo of your art, your prints probably won’t be amazing. A few things to look out for:
The higher the resolution, the better. Ideally, we want to print at 300 PPI or higher, though we’ve seen many prints still look great down to 150 PPI.
Avoid common photo problems on your file. You want to make sure there isn’t glare and that the lighting is even. Also, make sure everything is sharply in focus.
If you aren’t sure about your file, send it our way. We’ll let you know if there are issues and the biggest we recommend printing it.
Need help getting a high quality image of your art? We scan/photograph art, just reach out! Want to learn how to do it yourself? We recommend Laurie Anne’s Art To Print Course (Heads up, that’s an affiliate link).
Drop ship Giclee printing
Personalized drop shipping with your branding. Totally automatic with no up front costs!
A final thing I’d be remiss not to mention. One barrier to offering giclee prints is the cost. Ordering a big stack of these prints can add up. Especially scary if you’re just starting out and not sure exactly how many and which will sell.
Shipist offers on demand drop shipping! On demand means we don’t print it until you sell it so there’s no upfront cost. Drop shipping means we send it directly to your customer and it looks like it came from you. We can integrate with most websites so that this process becomes automatic and hands off for you. Easy!