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| Giclée (pronounced as in Gigi) is a French term, in this case,
meaning "spray of ink." A digital ink jet print made with an IRIS
printer on watercolor paper or canvas is known as an Iris Giclée,
or Iris Fine Art Print, or Digital Fine Art Print.
Giclées have intensively rich colors, high resolution, with extremely fine details. They are supported by a new continuous tone print process that creates a most accurate reproduction of an original using a variety of substrates. Giclées feature a wide range of fine art printing and watercolor papers up to 35" x 47", as well as archival grade canvas and other substrates. The prints may be hand embellished by the artist using paint, ink and gold foil stamping for a mixed media effect. The giclée process is based on a sophisticated inkjet printer. The substrate to be printed is affixed to a drum. As the drum rotates at high speed the individual inks (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black) are sprayed onto the surface at the rate of 4 million, 15-micron droplets per second. Each droplet is about the size of a red blood cell. The printers extremely high resolution appears to the eye as approximately 1800 dpi, resulting in very detailed and vibrant prints. Computer technology is a tool in the hands of the talented master printers and craftsmen whose experience is the key to the most beautiful prints available. Only substrates and special inks tested for archival permanence and light fastness are used. The production of a giclée print is not an automatic process.
The human touch is critical in the giclée process. First, giclée
prints begin as original art, photography, or computer art. Second, the
work is scanned and processed in the computer. Critical color correction
requires an experienced eye and touch in making the proper adjustments
in tone, contrast, sharpness, and other factors to produce a print that
faithfully reproduces the artist’s intention. Third, in matching the computer
image with the final print, a practiced eye must make adjustments for the
best results. And last, the printer itself needs steady attention to produce
consistent, quality results. In short the human hand is part of every step
of the giclée process. Indeed, the difference between a quality
print and one that is not, lies almost entirely in human involvement, artistry,
and craftsmanship.
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