Giclee Print Process

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giclee Prints

The technological, photographic and artistic worlds finally come together in a

graphic reproductive technique called inkjet printing. The process generates

beautiful collectable fine art prints. Giclee prints digitally capture every nuance of an

original painting. Lush and velvety, they have the feel of a water-colour and the look

of a serigraph or original lithograph. In the Giclee process, a fine spray of ink, more

than 4 million droplets per second, is projected on a sheet of fine art paper whirling

on a drum at 250 inches per second. Precise computer calculations control four ink

jets combining to produce 512 shades dense, water based ink per jet. This latest

advancement is the work of a very few sophisticated art print production facilities,

utilising high resolution digital printers. These artist/technicians have gone beyond

the boundaries of current technology, customizing their equipment, creating new

computer programs, and developing special inks and protective coatings. This

marriage of art and science celebrates the Giclee fine art print - a precise

reproduction with the look and feel of an original.

The reason this is such a unique process is that the image is transferred into digital data-not film. In this way

there is no loss of resolution or colour density and the image can be enlarged up to a 46" by 34" print. The

quality of the print matches the world's highest standards of colour and black and white image reproduction.

Besides the excellent resolution, the image can be printed on a variety of substrates. This allows a choice

of archival rag paper, clear mylar, gloss paper and even canvas. In addition, both the paper and image size

can be chosen. Currently, the printer controls four million individual 15-micron ink droplets every second.

A droplet is four times smaller than a human hair. Each of the four colours of ink - black, cyan, magenta

and yellow travels in a continuous jet stream while a crystal frequency causes a wave pattern. This wave

action breaks the stream up into tiny drops of equal size and regular spacing. The droplets required for

a particular image are controlled for direct placement onto the paper which is rotating on a drum with a

maximum speed of 250 inches per second. The system is so precise that a print can be run through twice

and each droplet of ink will land exactly on the previous image's droplet of ink. The colour quality in this ink

jet technology is excellent. The preciseness of this printing method creates up to 32 gray levels for each

colour. It also achieves a smoothness of colour steps in the gray scale which matches photographic

processes. There are up to 512 shades of gray possible. This method gives a print a depth of colour

along with the appearance of continuous tone for an amazing effect.

 

                       These prints must be seen in person to fully appreciate the uniqueness of this technology.