The association of giclee printing with its conceptual cousin – inkjet printing – has actually led some people to question the validity of this printing medium as a real fine art system. To address this, it is first crucial to take a look at the history of art printmaking and see if giclee printing fulfills the parameters set out therein.
Fine art printmaking has actually traditionally been based on the principle of producing a master plate – referred to as the matrix – from the initial and using this to reproduce an established variety of “editions” of the original artwork. Historically, the matrix was then intentionally damaged by the artist so as not to be used again, thus producing a set of genuinely limited edition prints.
The more standard printing methods such as lithography, linocut and etching have developed into types of art themselves but require a substantial degree of expertise to reproduce the initial to the artist’s exact needs.
Nowadays, the production of a printing matrix is not necessary as the high quality scanning methods used by printing businesses such as Canvas Giclee Printing result in an ideal facsimile of the initial painting or photograph. And due to the fact that no screen or other mechanical device is utilized, there is no visible dot pattern. The expertise that is employed includes the careful tracking of the color system through using color profiling methods and the understanding of the colorspace that the device runs within.
The print-on-demand nature of the printing procedure enables artists and photographers to keep complete control over the creative integrity of their work which, paired with the proven archival permanence of giclee prints (when coupled with particularly designed output media and inks), ensuDigital Photography for Giclee Printing resolution that the artist’s work will be enjoyed for years.
Naturally, the understanding between the artist and their consumers that the edition is genuinely limited must be maintained. The matrix is not ruined, but the original scanned file must be erased or removed from circulation upon reaching the defined number of released editions. However this has constantly been the case, and the advent of giclee printing has no impact on this good understanding. In addition, modern giclee printing offers an affordable alternative to past means of reproduction which were only profitable at scale. Modern artists and photographers can now make affordable single copies of an original on demand.
Giclee printing is certainly a fine art printing strategy that is really liberating for professional photographers and artists wishing to share their work with the widest possible audience while accomplishing a quality that was previously unobtainable without substantial expense. Reproducing fine art pieces and printing photos on canvas has never been easier or more affordable. Contact us a Canvas Giclee Printing or click the Get Started button to get your art or photography reproduced on canvas today!
