Giclée Printing
Giclée Printing
Giclée (pronounced "Gee-clay") from the French verb gicler meaning 'to squirt' refers to the process by which the ink is laid down on the paper. It has many advantages over other print making methods.
It is an extremely high quality ink-jet printing process that produces beautiful digital reproductions that last much longer than those produced using traditional 'commercial' printing techniques. For this reason, it is the printing technique that we use for all our Official Limited Collector's Editions.
This sophisticated reproduction technology not only utilises more colours than regular printing, but also has an unparalleled vibrancy and detail. The resolution (DPI or dots per inch) is actually higher than traditional lithography which results in crisp contrast with rich, intense colour. This is why Giclée printing is widely regarded as the best fine art printing method currently available - and why it has been embraced by so many galleries, artists and museums as their preferred method of art reproduction since its 'invention' in the late 1980s.
Quite simply, Giclée printing is the best method of artwork reproduction currently available.
Find out more about the Giclée printing papers we use and the printers we work with below.
Giclée Printing Papers
The printing process is complimented by our choice of archival quality papers that are selected on a print-by-print basis depending on the look and feel of the original artwork. The mediums we use are acid free and are treated for use with the Giclée inkjet process and produce brilliant velvety colour. Lightfast estimates of pigment ink Giclées by third-party testing indicate over 75 years with no noticeable fade.
For the majority of our prints we use the highest grade 310gsm Hahnemühle German Etching Paper although we also use 255gsm Somerset Velvet Enhanced Paper from St Cuthbert’s Mill.
Since the quality is superior to all other printmaking methods you can trust that your print is the highest quality reproduction.
(The exact stock used will be clearly indicated beside each print description).
For detailed specifications for our papers please click on the links below..
Download the 310gsm Hahnemühle German Etching Paper Datasheet PDF
Download the 255gsm Somerset Velvet Enhanced Paper PDF
Printers
All our printers are members of The Fine Art Trade Guild and have been producing superb fine art printing in the South West of England for a number of years.
Printing under controlled conditions and using only acid free and lignum free papers from renowned suppliers such as Hahnemühle and St Cuthberts Mill has enabled them to develop their customer base, and they are locally known as printers of high repute.
The Collectable Art Company works closely with it’s printers to ensure that our products are of the finest quality but affordable.
Prints are digitally printed on either of two superb graphic art ink jet print machines.
The Epson Stylus Pro 9800
The Epson Stylus Pro 9800 (max. print width 44") satisfies the demands of the highest quality Photographic and Fine Art Reproduction requirement, providing a breakthrough in professional imaging quality.
Using only Epson's original UltraChrome K3 inks with Vivid Magenta, delivers stunning, photo-realistic image quality at up to 2,880 x 1,440 dpi. The 8-colour ink-set has the widest possible colour gamut for a fantastic range of expression, producing subtle shadows and highlights even when printing in black and white. Original art images are reproduced with amazing detail, smoothness and definition achieving a faithfulness and consistency that is unsurpassed.
The Canon imagePROGRAF iPF9000
The Canon imagePROGRAF iPF9000 (max. print width 60"), takes the production of Giclée digital ink jet printing to the next level. The iPF9000 incorporates a 12-color pigment ink system using Canon's original LUCIA™ printing inks, with print resolutions (Up to) 2,400 x 1,200 dpi (Max) possible.
Your Guarantee
Your Certificate of Authenticity is your lifetime guarantee that your print has been produced to The Fine Art Trade Guild Standards using 100% pigmented inks tested to last over 75 years without noticeable fade, on acid free archival fine art papers. It confirms the size of the edition and that the signatures are genuine.
If you are dissatisfied in any way with the quality of your print please contact our customer services department, following the procedure described in our "Frequently asked Questions".
