GALLERIES

THEME GALLERIES

THE ESSENTIALS

Giclee Prints

	Giclée (from the French verb gicler meaning "to squirt, to spray") is the use of the ink-jet process for making Fine-Art giclee prints (first done in the early 1990s). Originally the term applied to "Iris" prints created on the Scitex Corp. "Iris Model Four" colour drum piezo-head inkjet proofer. Proofers are specialized commercial printing machines designed to proof or show what the final multi-color process printing will look like before mass production begins. The term "giclée" (or the anglicized "giclee print") is frequently used to describe any high-resolution, large-format ink-jet printer output with fade-resistant dye or pigment based inks. It is common for these giclee printers to use between seven and twelve colour inks. Though originally intended for proofing, many artists and photographers use giclee prints as an alternative to lithography for limited editions or reproductions. The cost of producing limited edition runs of giclee prints is much reduced compared to the alternative. ITNH/Ixia, Mutoh ColorSpan, Roland, Epson, Canon, Kodak, HP, and Mimaki are well-known wide-format giclee printer manufacturers. Printmaking is a process for producing multiple original pieces of artwork; painting, on the other hand, is a process for producing a single original piece of artwork. Prints are created from a single original surface, most commonly linoleum, metal or wood. Each print is considered an original work of art, not a copy. Works printed from a single plate create an edition, usually each signed and numbered. A single print could be the product of one or multiple presses. Printmakers work in a variety of mediums, including water based ink, water color paint, oil based ink, oil pastels, and any water soluble solid pigment such as Caron Dache crayons. The work is created on a flat surface called a plate. Depending on the process used to lift the print, artists either carve or draw into their surfaces. Printmaking techniques that utilize digital methods (as giclee prints) are becoming increaingly popular and in many markets are the chosen method. Surfaces used in printmaking include planks of wood,canvas, metal plates, a pane of plexiglass, shellacked book board, or flat stones. A separate technique called screenprinting makes use of a porous fabric mesh stretched in a frame, called a screen. Small prints can even be made using the surface of a potato. Giclée is pronounced 'Jee-clay'. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
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