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Velvet Digest

What is a giclee on canvas?

Author

Eleanor Gray

Updated on June 01, 2026

Well, giclee is French meaning “to spatter out” which pretty much refers to the process of how ink is applied to paper when a special large format printer is used. This makes the giclee print a museum quality reproduction. But more than their archival quality, the giclee canvas art offers a really accurate print.

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In this regard, what is the difference between a giclee and a print?

It is a process that uses a 12 color ink jet printer, acid free papers, and pigment based archival inks. This insures that your prints will never degrade or yellow over time and allows a better longevity. Giclee printing allows the artist to provide a quality product for their customers that will never fade.

Secondly, do giclee prints have texture? Giclee is a French term which means to spray ink and is pronounced "jee-clay". Giclee prints can be done on a variety of materials. While the giclee print is an excellent reproduction of the original painting, my giclee prints do not have the raised texture that is characteristic of most of my original paintings.

Similarly, are giclee prints worth anything?

Giclees are more expensive to reproduce than the bulk prints made using traditional lithography and they are priced accordingly, but, it goes without saying, that they aren't as valuable as original works. Since they can be indistinguishable from originals, however, they are sometimes passed off as original works.

Why are giclee prints so expensive?

Because of it's high quality and relative rarity, a limited edition giclee is valuable from it's initial printing. But these giclee prints also become more valuable over time as the artist gains more and more recognition and the edition of the print sells out.

Related Question Answers

How much does it cost to make a giclee print?

The professional image capture would cost about $150. Each print runs about $50, and if I pay the printer to stretch that canvas over bars, that's an additional $30/per print.

Is a giclee print better than an art print?

It was a major break through in the fine art community when giclee reproductions were introduced to the market in the late 1980s . The quality of a giclee print is far superior to all other forms of printing. It fact, when done correctly, it's the closest an artist can get to matching their original 2-D artwork.

What makes a giclee print?

Giclée printing is a process that uses fade-resistant, archival inks and archival substrates to print on large format printers. Giclée printing is often used by artists to make reproductions of their original two-dimensional artwork, photographs or computer-generated art for resale while preserving the original.

What does a giclee print look like?

Giclee is a French term meaning “to spray”, referring to how an inkjet printer works and how giclee prints are usually produced. These large format inkjet printers use small spraying devices that can both match color and apply ink precisely, giving artists a high-quality print of their original art explains ThoughtCo.

How do you sign a giclee print?

How to Sign a Giclee Print
  1. Sign the print at the bottom just below the image or on the back.
  2. Make sure you sign your print and not just the mat.
  3. Always sign your name with something permanent!
  4. If you choose to sign the back, an artist label can be made to fill out all the appropriate information.

Is Giclee better than lithograph?

Giclée Art Print vs Lithograph Side by side however, the giclee art print has a better quality than lithographs across the board. It comes from the ability to have one continuous image with every color perfectly matched. That matching even has the essence of shadow the color will have.

How do you pronounce giclee?

Re: Pronunciation of Giclée A Giclee is a fancy word for ink jet print- It is pronounced "Zee-Clay", It's french. As I understand it it means something like 'squirt'- which is what ink jet printers do- Squirt ink. And, it is NOT a print, in the sense that we use the term print here. It is a reproduction.

Are lower numbered prints worth more?

What Does it Mean That a Print is Numbered? This numbering system is usually indicated in the lower margin in the form of X/YY. When the second number, which is the size of the edition, is smaller, that print edition typically has far more value since fewer of those prints were produced.

How can you tell if a painting is valuable?

Method 2 Determining a Painting's Authenticity
  1. Look for the artist's original signature.
  2. Use a magnifying glass to check for printer dots.
  3. Inspect oil paintings to see if they have textured surfaces.
  4. Examine watercolor art pieces to see if they have rough surfaces.
  5. Look to see if canvas paintings have rough edges.

Do giclee prints need glass?

In the case of a giclee on paper, glass should be used, but there is no need to put canvas prints behind glass. UV protective non-glare glass such as Museum Glass is the best option for paper prints.

How do I price my art?

Pay yourself a reasonable hourly wage, add the cost of materials and make that your asking price. For example, if materials cost $50, you take 20 hours to make the art, and you pay yourself $20 an hour to make it, then you price the art at $450 ($20 X 20 hours + $50 cost of materials).

What is a limited edition giclee?

A limited edition giclee carries an edition size, which is typically determined by the artist. Once the edition sells out, no more will ever be printed. Limited editions will typically be numbered, such as 1/99, and may be signed or hand-embellished by the artist.

How long does a giclee print last?

How long do giclée prints last? We use Epson K3 Ultrachrome archival inks and only the finest acid free substrates, so you can count on your print lasting for well over 100 years. If your print is framed and hung in a location with no direct sunlight, it will last even longer.

What is an artist proof giclee?

An artist's proof is, at least in theory, an impression of a print taken in the printmaking process to see the current printing state of a plate while the plate (or stone, or woodblock) is being worked on by the artist. By convention, the artist is not supposed to sell these at once.

Do giclee prints fade?

First of all, giclee printing tends to hold its colors for far longer than standard prints. In fact, giclee prints are thought to last up to two hundred years before starting to fade. In other words, they are museum-quality prints that are built to last.

Do Canvas prints have texture?

Because of nature of canvas, every canvas print has a textured look. This textured look and the matte coating reflects less light and as a result, you will enjoy a glare-free view similar to that of an original painting. Not only that, canvas prints are the highest quality of art reproductions available.

How can you tell if a print is a lithograph?

What is the difference between a lithograph and a print?
  1. Look for a signature. Hand-pulled lithographs will typically have a signature on the back while offset lithography prints and reproductions will not.
  2. Use a magnifying glass to look for rows of dots.
  3. Check for discoloration.
  4. Carefully feel the thickness of the ink.

What is the back of a painting called?

Tate. The front or face of a single sheet of paper, or the right-hand page of an open book is called the recto. The back or underside of a single sheet of paper, or the left-hand page of an open book is known as the verso. The works illustrated here each have paintings on both the recto and verso.

What is Giclee paper?

Giclee (pronounced Gee'clay) is a French term meaning to spray or squirt, which is how an inkjet printer works. Giclee prints can be a little over a meter wide and are printed on high quality archival papers. Giclee is the best way to produce archival reproductions of your fineart and photography.