What is it? It goes by the name Giclée. A Giclée fine art print to be exact.

iclées produced by pros are fine art prints that can literally cause people to wonder – sometimes even the artists themselves – whether they are looking at an original or the print. Yes, they can be that good, if done as well as they can be done. The word 'giclée' is a term loosely derived from the French. (We don't have a dictionary definition of giclée). Yet, the process is a result of the convergence of advanced digital and computer technologies in addition to state of the art equipment coupled with skilled eyes. These powers dedicated to reproducing faithfully the powerful as well as subtle qualities of the original work. Never before has it been possible to produce prints that so closely rival the impact and appeal of an original work.

Excellent Giclée prints, preserved with care, can last over a hundred and forty years. Giclées have been shown in museums and galleries throughout the world and have an impressive exhibition record, as shown by and found in the collections of the following institutions:

The Metropolitan Museum (New York)

The National Gallery (DC)

The Cocoran Gallery (DC)
The Los Angeles County Museum
Philadelphia Museum of Art
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Laguna Art Museum
Zimmerli Museum - Rutgers University
The New York Public Library Print Collection
The Washington Post Collection

Butler Institute of American Art (Youngstown)
The British Art Museum

The Guggenheim (New York)

The Museum of Fine Arts (Boston)

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston)

The Walker Art Center, the Smithsonian Institution Libraries

California Museum of Photography

The High Museum (Atlanta)

The Kennedy Center for Performing Arts (DC)

A quality Giclée should be clear and clean in its colors. It should yield an image with virtually the same amount of depth and definition as that seen in the original work. A quality Giclée is almost indistinguishable from the original. Giclées can be pulled on both artists canvas as well as on high quality papers of different textures and weights. The image of a Giclée seems to be almost painted on; the result of the fact that the image is in effect "sprayed on" to the canvas or paper. There is no "dot pattern" as is present in all regular offset lithographs of the type you normally see selling in frame shops and even galleries.

Yes, and this is in Photography; and it all depends on the image.

But, for a fine print of original painting, too? Yes, because it is much more affordable. Every image is an original print in its own right; individually inspected: from start to finally hand-signed and numbered by the artist. The more-compelling-and-better-quality an artist can produce, the more his or her works increase in demand. It is a valid investment for art appreciation.

Giclée is a good investment: if your goal is to own a Giclée print that has the power to make your heart feel satisfied like the original you fell in love with does. Your goal is art enjoyment, appreciation and pleasing yourself by surrounding yourself with quality works, which not only do you love what they do to your heart but also what they do to your soul.

In a nutshell: DO NOT invest in print giclée (whether it is in limited edition or artist proof) to get financially rich. If you like the image and it moves you, pay for it for personal pleasure and art appreciation.

Limited edition simply means an edition of a product be it a book, print or whatever limited to a specified number of copies. In a nutshell an artist has to charge what necessary since they would not reproduce for the specified media and dimension.

Artist proof refers to one of the initial test prints that are made prior to the artist deciding the process of producing the image (as good as it gets) has gone as far as he or she wishes. The idea being that there are variations from the final approved prints. Some people feel an artist’s proof is more valuable. The process has its own appreciation; sometimes it can cost more than actual limited edition does.

The important point to remember when buying a work of art, whether you are talking about an original or a print, is the quality of the work and the impact it has on you. Or whether you like it and want to have it for yourself and in your home. Therefore, buy what you want based on loving it – as the true, real collectors of fine art throughout history always have conducted themselves. Focus on whether the work speaks to you and makes your heart satisfied. Study the quality of the work and/or the reproduction and if it is excellent be prepared to pay the artist what they feel they need for it to make it worth their while to create it for you. Win-win solution is the way it should be.

Beautiful art is its own excuse for owning.

This writing was compiled by Machyar Gleunta and Erik Ciel, an artist representative, based in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.

Further Reading

•  State of the art of wide format printing