About our Economical Photo Art Pigment Prints

About our Fine Art Prints

EXACTLY WHAT IS A GICLEE PRINT?

Many buyers have an aversion to "inkjet" prints, yet seek those labeled as "giclee." Don't be fooled by terminology. The word giclee (jhee-clay) is a French noun that means a spray or spurt of liquid. Giclee prints are, in fact, inkjet prints. But it would be grossly unfair to equate the results from a typical desktop inkjet printer to what can be achieved with the newer, highly sophisticated professional inkjet printers available today.

Giclee is unfortunately a loose term with no standardized definition in the art world; but its use generally refers to prints created with professional 7- to 12-color inkjet printers using pigment-based inks and high-end, acid-free papers. Most consumer inkjet photo printers use color inks made with dyes rather than pigments. Given the need for speed, economy, and versatility, dye-based inks work best for the average user. Unfortunately, dye-based prints are highly susceptible to fading. Today's pigment-based inks are much more stable and offer color depth that rivals dye-based inks. So for the sake of clarity, many fine-art photographers are now abandoning the term giclee in favor of "pigment prints," thereby distinguishing them from dye-based inkjet prints and traditional, chemically processed "darkroom" prints.

The ink-paper combination determines the look, feel, and longevity of pigment prints. We use superb fade-resistant inks and archival printing surfaces that range from fine art canvas to luxurious watercolor and German etching papers. Many of the new ink-paper combinations hold archival ratings in excess of 100 years with no noticeable fading or color shifts under normal display conditions. Such astonishing stability figures are derived from accelerated aging tests by a highly respected independent lab, Wilhelm Research. In short, today's pigment prints made with the best inks and papers can outlive gold-standard prints made in the darkroom.