Pronounced as "Zhee-Clay", simply explained, a giclee print is a high quality inkjet print with a much longer lifespan (more than 100years) than your typical standard inkjet printer.
4 key factors must be present for an artwork print to be claimed a giclee print:
- High Resolution original image
- Ink technology (Pigment archival ink)
- Archival paper (100% cotton based)
- Inkjet Printing technology (high end, large format, usually 8 or more inks)
High resolution image ensures highest quality prints possible when sent to the printer for production, especially when the print is in a large format.
Pigment archival inks have greater stability and longevity which are crucial for prints to achieve long life for display and storage. Ink and printer technologies, when used with the correct paper, the resulting longevity of the printed artwork can start from 100 years to even beyond 400 years (for black & white), when stored or displayed correctly.
At Artinspr, we use Epson's UltraChrome HD pigment ink technology to preserve the legacy of our artist's original printed artworks. Wilheim Imaging Research Inc, an independent laboratory that conducts research on the stability and preservation of traditional and digital color prints rates highly of Epson's UltraChrome HD pigment inks. Following are two published articles from the research lab, available in the public domain, clarifying on the longevity Epson's UltraChrome HD inks.
Epson UltraChrome HDX Ink Permanence New Release Epson SureColor Printer Print Permanence Ratings
Archival paper maker, Hahnemühle professional fineart paper is our paper of choice. Hahnemühle is the inventor of Fine Art InkJet Paper with a special ink-receiving layer surface treatment suitable for today's inkjet printers. This is state-of-the-art German engineering on paper production, particularly suitable for high-quality art productions and reproductions. This makes Hahnemühle a favourite paper of choice for artists, photographers, designers, world reknowned museums and commercial artwork printers.
Hahnemühle FineArt paper with pigment inks longevity test results
Epson printing technology is chosen for all our prints. Epson's printing technologies in fine art productions are world leading, this means our clients are assured of the highest quality available in producing the final artworks.