About Giclée Prints

Giclée is simply a loosely translated French word for “spray of ink.”  Giclée prints are made by spraying ink onto the surface of a material, most commonly watercolor paper, canvas and photo-like paper. In the print world, Giclée has become synonymous with fine art reproductions printed on watercolor paper or canvas using a high-end inkjet printer and pigmented inks. To be truly considered a Giclée, a print should:

  • Begin with a high quality digital file, either from professionally scanned film, digital capture or computer created art that has been color worked and profiled for the intended output.
  • Be printed using state-of-the-art inkjet printers which have been calibrated in a closed-loop color management system.
  • Be printed with archival pigmented inks, specifically formulated for the substrate.
  • Be printed on an archival watercolor paper or canvas
  • Be printed by a master printer, who has demonstrated thorough understanding of color theory and imaging software and who has the experience and artistic talent to interpret and replicate your artistic vision.