About Giclee Printing

All Fine Art Prints and Giclee Prints 16x20 and larger in size are part of a special limited edition.  Click here for more information.  Fine Art Prints are signed, dated and numbered, and part of a limited edition of 250.  Giclee Prints are signed, dated and numbered, and part of a limited edition of 100.

The Definition : Giclee (zhee-klay) - The French word "giclée" means a spray or a spurt of liquid.

When ordering a Giclee print I will contact you to make sure the print is on your medium of choice.  The medium of 'Archival Pure Cotton Paper' can either be a Satin Finish 300 gsm Photographic Paper, or a Textured Finish 300+ gsm Watercolor Paper.  'Archival Canvas' is non-stretched Canvas with protective coatings. Stretching and mounting of a Canvas is available for an additional charge.  All mediums are 100% Archival Quality products that can be found in art galleries around the world and have an estimated life expectancy of over 200 years.

The Term : The term  "giclee print" connotes an elevation in printmaking technology. Images are generated from high resolution digital files and printed with archival quality inks onto various substrates including canvas or photo-base paper. The giclee printing process provides better color accuracy than other means of reproduction.

The Process : Giclee prints are created typically using professional 8-Color to 12-Color ink-jet printers. Among the manufacturers of these printers are vanguards such as Epson, MacDermid Colorspan, & Hewlett-Packard. These modern technology printers are capable of producing incredibly detailed prints for both the fine art and photographic markets.


The Quality : The quality of the giclee print rivals traditional silver-halide and gelatin printing processes and is commonly found in museums, art galleries, and photographic galleries.

The Market : Numerous examples of giclee prints can be found in New York City at the Metropolitan Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Chelsea Galleries. Recent auctions of giclee prints have fetched $10,800 for Annie Leibovitz, $9,600 for Chuck Close, and $22,800 for Wolfgang Tillmans (April 23/24 2004, Photographs, New York, Phillips de Pury & Company.)

Digital Pigment Print Definition

The term "pigment print" is used generally for any type of printed image that uses strictly pigments. Pigment printing processes have been utilized since the middle of the 19th century. The image stability of pigment printing is superior to that of any other method of printing, including traditional silver-halide or metal-based.

Digital inkjet printing has seen a surge in the use of the pigment ink as ink sets have been refined to be compatible with the latest in high-resolution inkjet technology.

Where archival dye-based ink sets exhibit excellent color gamut, pigment inks excel in permanence. A dye is molecularly soluble in its vehicle, but pigment is not. Pigment particles tend to be large enough to embed into the receiving substrate making them water-resistant. The particulate nature of pigment inks ensures their archival superiority. A particle of pigment is less susceptible to destructive environmental elements than a dye molecule.

Many digital papers have coatings which enhance color gamut. However, these delicate coatings are susceptible to scuffing and scratching, and diminish the archival properties of the print. Prints made with coated substrates are not considered true digital pigment prints and therefore are generally much cheaper in price.

Example of Giclee Print on Archival Canvas stretched and mounted on a wooden frame in a gallery wrap format covering the sides.