Giclee

Giclee prints are usually made using water-based or aqueous pigment inks. In the past inkjet printers may have used dye-based inks, however, these were known for poor stability and could be easily bleached by UV rays in direct sunlight. Pigment inks are far more stable and companies such as HP, Canon and Epson will quote longevity numbers from 80 up to 150 years.

There are a wide range of papers available for giclee printing. Some of these are designed to mimic traditional photographic papers and others are a flat matte finish. The key with a giclee paper is that it is free of wood pulps that may become acidic over time. Hahnemuhle Photo Rag for example is made of cotton!

Longevity depends on how it is displayed or stored. However, a giclee print kept in a frame should last a generation.

We print on rolls of art paper that are 44 inches wide, which is roughly 106 centimeters. This means that printing A sizes up to A0 and beyond is achievable. The dimensions of your files can also be bespoke. 

There are many file formats that can produce excellent output when used for printing. While your print service provider may have specific requirements, we allow artists to send files in whichever format they are most comfortable working with. Consistency is key for the artist to maintain color accuracy throughout their workflow. Technically, the best file format for digital images is TIFF, as it does not use any lossy compression, preserving the image quality. On the other hand, JPEG is an efficient file format because its algorithm compresses the data, disregarding what is not needed, resulting in a smaller file size. However, to the trained eye, some artifacts or impurities can be observed in areas of shadow in JPEG files, which is why TIFFs are often favored.

Your Giclée print should arrive sandwiched between sheets of acid-free tissue paper. It’s recommended to continue storing the prints in this manner, ensuring they are kept in a dry environment. If possible, storing your prints flat is ideal. However, for practical shipping reasons, prints sized A2 and larger are often loosely rolled. This method of storage is also acceptable, provided the environment remains dry and the prints are handled with care.

At Exhibit Printing, we generally quote a 5-day turnaround time. Our printing schedule involves rotating different papers on specific weekdays. Therefore, if you place your order on a day when we are printing the specific paper you require, your order may be dispatched as early as within three days.

At Exhibit Printing, the primary factor affecting the cost of Giclée prints is the size of the print. Additionally, quantity plays a role in pricing. For instance, when you order three or more identical prints, we offer a 20% discount. This discount is provided because printing multiple copies of the same file is more time-efficient for our staff compared to processing, reviewing, laying out, and printing different files for each order. This efficiency translates into savings for our customers.

We offer a test print service where you can have a small section of your artwork printed on the paper type of your choice, scaled to the size of your final piece. For instance, if you plan to print an A1 size piece, although the test print itself won’t be A1, we will scale your artwork to A1 size and print a section of it. This process allows you to review the quality of the paper stock, color accuracy, file resolution, and image sharpness before proceeding with the full-sized final print.

A crucial aspect to consider is the copyright of the image you wish to print. If you are the creator of the artwork or the photographer of the image, you automatically own the copyright.

Giclée printing stands out for its superior longevity and quality. It produces prints that last longer without fading, using specialized equipment for finer details and a broader color range. This makes it ideal for fine art and photographic reproductions that require faithful detail preservation.

To ensure satisfaction, we recommend running a test print first. This step allows you to preview the color reproduction before the final print. A key strength of digital printing, and particularly Giclée, is the ability to reproduce images with consistent color accuracy over time. This means that you can confidently reprint images at a later date and expect the colors to match your previous prints.

Mounting a Giclée print onto a board is a permanent process and can’t be reversed. While this might not be the best practice for original artworks, the advantage with Giclée prints is the option of reprinting. Therefore, if you choose to mount your Giclée print, you have the flexibility to recreate the print if needed. This provides a balance between durability and the option to preserve the original in digital form.

There is no minimum quantity requirement for Giclée prints; however, £17.50 is the minimum order value. It’s worth noting that discounts are offered starting from orders of three prints.

Absolutely! A big strength of printing onto rolls is being able to print any size or aspect ratio.

When printing 3 or more of the same image we offer a 20% discount.

Most paper rolls have a maximum width of 110cm. The length is much greater.

Small prints, usually up to A3, can be shipped flat in a box. Larger prints are traditionally rolled into a card tube. 

Giclee prints should not be in humid environments. This includes bathrooms and also the outdoors. There are other techniques for printing high-quality exterior exhibition prints.

Computers, tablets, and smartphones all have screens of varying quality and colour calibration. Even adjusting the brightness of your device affects the colour you perceive. The only way to proof your precious artwork is to review a test print.

The ideal resolution is 300 dpi. We would be happy to review your files and recommend a maximum print size.

RGB! The colour space of CMYK is smaller than our printer. If you compromise too early by making your artwork CMYK you may miss out on the lovely vibrant colour our printer are capable of. This does not however mean that every colour you see on screen can be re-produced. That’s what test prints are for.