The
word, "giclée" means "spray of ink" in French. The reference is to the way
the ink jet printer applies the ink to the paper. Rather than the commercial
lithographic process which applies four different inked metal rollers to the
surface of the paper, the ink jet printer simply sprays the inks without touching
the surface. Thus, a much larger variety of substrates, or surfaces can be
used. With this process, a rough water color paper can be used to imitate
the original painting on rough water color paper. Another advantage is that
the artist can order one or two prints at a time. With the commercial lithographic
process, one would have to order a thousand or more. The artist no longer
has to make a huge investment for a print edition.
The print is produced with computerized digital imaging and fine art printmaking
techniques. Since the Iris printer has been the pioneer in the field, giclées
are often referred to as "Iris prints." The apparent resolution of a digital
print is 1,800 dots per inch, much higher that a commercial lithograph. Known
for its deep, saturated colors, the giclee is a faithful reproduction of the
artist's original palette. Ultraviolet and light protective coatings can be
applied to increase the longevity of the giclée. It should be treated like
a watercolor; kept out of direct sunlight.
Prints may be hand embellished by the artist using a variety of media, including
gold foil. These processes further personalize the giclée.
