The Giclee Process

Giclee printing continues to gain wide acceptance these days. This article aims to tackle the details of the process. Please read on if you want to know more about how giclee is done.

To better understand the procedure involved, it is best to be aware first of the exact meaning of the term “giclee”. This word was derived from the French term “gicler”, which means to squirt or spray. This word is used because inkjet printers are utilised for the process, and they work by squirting ink onto the medium (paper, canvas, etc.).

When it comes to the printers used for giclee, do not think about those standard desktop inkjet printers that come with most personal computers. These printers are way larger and are more capable of printing high quality images. In fact, latest technology in giclee printing today allows for the reproductions to look exactly like the original that at first look, no difference can be spotted!

Aside from the inkjet printer, there are other electronics involved in giclee printing. These devices are the high quality scanners and digital cameras. Scanners are generally used for those works of art that are relatively small. Scanning makes it really easy for the reproduction to appear just like the original. As for those artworks that are too large, they are generally photographed. For excellent results, giclee photographers typically use the Stitch mode of their cameras. This involves photographing the artwork piece by piece to capture every detail, then merging the pieces on the computer later before printing.

There you have it – the details of the giclee process.