People have adored and appreciated all kinds of artworks for centuries. And as the years passed, new art forms have emerged. While some artworks remain traditional in style, some artists have explored the contemporary, even becoming bold and scandalous enough to irk conservative groups. But art is art and will continue to find its way to transform with society.

The rise of technology also paved the way for advancements in art development, production, and presentation. Buying original art is an expensive hobby, but thanks to technology, art is made more accessible and affordable. Anyone with a budget can afford a 3D printer or a tufting gun to produce art at home.

One of these new art forms is giclée. Giclée is the printing of original artwork or a photograph. It’s printed in a way to be as physically accurate as possible to the original material. You might enjoy having wall art to beautify your home or impress your guests. If you have a favorite classical painting or a photo with some sentimental value you’d like to have as framed wall art, giclée fine art printing makes this all possible, less the hefty cost.

If this artform piques your interest, read on to learn more about giclée fine art printing.

1. What Is Giclée?
As mentioned above, giclée is a printing method making near-accurate duplicates of original works like paintings and photos using an inkjet printer. Giclée (pronounced zhee-KLAY) is a French term coined by printmaker Jack Duganne in 1991. When translated, it means ‘to squirt’ or ‘to spray.’ These descriptions refer to how the printer works when printing artworks.

2. What Makes A Print A Giclée?
Giclée printing involves a tedious process that not all printers can do. To make a high-quality giclée art print, you’ll need to follow specific steps. Making a print also requires certain equipment and a degree of skill. Some print shops might claim to offer legitimate giclée printing services. If you want high-quality prints, you’ll need to know that make a giclée a giclée.

First off, giclées are not like your ordinary, art prints. Art prints are often mass-produced, while giclée prints are printed on-demand.

Giclée prints usually follow these four elements:

• Ink: Giclées use pigment-based inks that can last 200 years if kept in darker environments. When hung on a wall, you can expect the print to stay up to 85 years without any yellowing or fading.

• Printer type: Most inkjet printers use dye-based inks, which aren't suitable for giclée prints. Printing giclées is often done using inkjet printers that can hold and handle up to 12 colors to achieve near-precise, good-quality copies.



With some research, canvassing, and coordinating with other artists, you may find a printer or a shop with one that’s best for giclée printing.

• Resolution: A proper giclée print captures colors in all its spectrums. Unlike regular art prints, giclée prints have higher resolution and sharper details.

• Paper: Any acid-free surface, like archival paper, is best for giclée prints if you want them to last much longer. Basic art prints will use matte papers with a smooth or textured surface.

Some giclée prints might also be textured based on the material they’re printed on. A textured print may even have clear gel on the surface that’s painted by hand to simulate brush strokes.

If you’re a beginner, it’s better to print from a printing service than to print it yourself at home. Let the experts handle it first, then observe and learn from them.

3. Why Make Giclée Prints?
If you’re an artist or a photographer who’d like to earn more, producing and selling one piece at a time might not make much and may take a while. Sometimes, your works catch the attention of many who’d want to have a copy of your often more expensive works.

Giclées allow you to sell more artworks for a lower price within a short period. Especially if someone has already bought the original, you can’t take it back and sell it again to someone else.

Artworks that you believe need appreciation from more people can be reproduced as giclée prints by demand. To make each copy personalized and unique, you may add a few minor changes.

4. Why Are Giclée Prints Pricey?
Giclée fine art prints are valuable because they are as good as the original that fine art experts fully support the process. You might even find giclée reproductions in famous art museums around the world. The printing method creates accurate replicas that sometimes, it’s difficult to see the difference between an original artwork and a giclée.

Giclée printing may be expensive for some but in reality, prices may vary due to several factors. Depending on where you buy prints, some shops may charge higher. Typically, giclée prints are much cheaper than the artwork they’re based on, which is why people prefer getting copies instead.

Factors that affect prices of giclee fine art prints include:

• Materials used and size of the artwork
• The artist who made the original
• The popularity of the piece
• The story behind the artwork

A Creative Investment
Not everyone can afford an original painted piece on canvas. Thanks to new art technology, anyone who wants a close copy of the artwork can have one printed out. Giclée fine art printing has added more to the collections of museums and helped emerging artists earn more than just selling one original copy of their work.

When you finally have the perfect print, you can display it at home or office any way you like. Check out these 12 tips to arrange wall art so you can make the most out of your precious and beautiful giclée prints.