What is a Giclée print? The term giclée (pronounced zheeCLAY) means to squirt or spray and refers to the action of the inkjets applying ink to paper. Inkjet printers have been around for quite a while and one in particular, generally known as the Iris, although it is no longer produced, was the first capable of doing fine art quality printing of digital files, including scans of film. Originally, this printer was used for proofing in the offset printing world because it was so good at mimicing press conditons. As a proof printer, quality was important but longevity wasn't. When the fine art world became interested in using such a high quality printer, a drive was made to develop more archival inks. When that happened, the term giclée was coined to represent the fine art level of printing as opposed to the equally beautiful but less permanent proof printing the machine was originally designed for.
Now the term is used by a number of manufacturers of machines as good as or better than the Iris and is usually indicative of printers using more archival inks and papers and capable of printing images that appear continuous tone to the unaided eye. Information on the keeping properties of some inks and papers can be found on the Wilhelm Imaging Research, Inc. web site. Archival testing is a constantly changing field. Any figures supplied by a tester are approximations only. Keep in mind that is not just inkjet printing that is subject to fading issues. All photographic papers as well as traditional artists papers and materials can also fade over time from exposure to bright light, airborn contaminants, heat, etc.
At The LightRoom, we print on an Epson 9800 using UltraChrome K3 inks with the Matte black option for printing on matte papers. Our original printer for giclée works was the ColorSpan Giclée Printmaker. Like the original Iris printer, which got the whole fine art inkjet business going, the ColorSpan was a drum based machine printing on sheets of uncoated paper and canvas, using dye based inks. After the introduction of the Epson, demand for prints from the ColorSpan dropped because of the increased image quality and print life Epson's UltraChrome inks offered. I kept the ColorSpan going as long as I could, but it recently succumbed to a rash of problems related to low useage, such as inks drying out and jets clogging. While not a mechanical problem, replacement of the eight inks would cost $2200 and that wasn't justified by the sporadic use this printer has seen in the last year.
We were the first lab in the San Francisco area and one of the first in the country to adopt the ColorSpan printer. It was a great printer in its day.
The Epson 9800 has received deserved praise for its brilliant pigmented UltraChrome inks K3. With its wide color gamut, high saturation, increased sharpness and the fade resistant inkset, this printer is rapidly becoming the standard in giclée printing everywhere. The UltraChrome inks are also highly water resistant.
We can work with you to print your prepared files or scan and create Master Image Files of your film for printing on the either printer, or by other digital means such as the LightJet photographic printer,described elsewhere on this site.
In our Introduction to digital imaging we discuss some of the benefits of digital imaging that are obvious in any form of printing. What sets giclée printing off from the more photographic looking forms such as produced by the LightJet is the paper used. We can print on a wide variety of papers-coated, uncoated, handmade, fabric-even a brown paper bag, if you want! If you have need of a special paper, we can work with you on that. We currently stock six papers and two canvases.
While coated papers are best for the Epson's pigmented inks, we can print on anything that we can run through the printer. I've recently experimented with Arches uncoated cold press paper. The colors are more muted than a coated paper would provide, but I liked the effects for this particular project. Giclée printing is about experimentation
For the Epson 9800, we have a wider paper selection. One of the most popular is Hahnemühle Photo Rag (HPR), a smooth white paper with deep blacks and rich colors. Its use of Optical Brightening Agents (OBAs) give it a bright white. The Hahnemühle German Etching (HGE) uses a natural white paper with a subtle texture. It is a very pleasing alternative for someone looking to experiment beyond smooth and bright white. We have also started stocking Hahnemühle William Turner, a nice fine art paper with a more pronouced texture of a woven nature, appealing to artists and photographers alike.
Our newest paper is Hahnemühle Photo Rag Satin. This unique paper has a flat white finish like regular Photo Rag, but wherever ink is laid down it dries to a slight luster, reminiscent of traditional black and white darkroom papers. It is especially pleasing for black and white prints and dries with a slightly warm coloration. Images with rich, saturated colors can also work on this paper. This is one of the most interesting papers I've come across lately.
Two offerings from Breathing Color, Inc., are proving very popular. 'Elegance' is a paper similar in look to Somerset Velvet, but with slightly better shadow detail and a heavier feel. We also use their Chromata White canvas, a cotton/poly blend with a smooth surface and moderate weave texture.
Both these offerings are acid free in both substrate and coating, providing exceptional archival possibilities. Since canvas prints are usually displayed without protective glass, consider a coating, to be applied before or after stretching. Call us for details on current coating offerings.
Innova Cold Press has become quite popular due to its watercolor paper look and hefty weight. We use it in place of the overpriced and problematic Arches Infinity. I find it superior in every way.
Epson UltraSmooth Fine Art is a natural white paper with a very smooth surface and some of the best archival values of any paper tested by Wilhelm. Shadow detail is excellent and while not an "exciting" paper, it's neutral renditions and smooth surface make it a good choice for exacting reproductions.
The Epson 9800, along with our ColorByte Image Print software, produces the finest black and white prints we have seen by any process. We encourage you to try it if you want to see what truly neutral black and white prints and long tonal ranges look like with the wonderful giclée papers we use.
How do I have a giclée print made?
Unless you use a digital camera or create files from scratch in programs like Adobe Photoshop, you will need to have your film scanned and prepared for printing. This results in what is known as the Master Image File. Our fee for this is $75 and it is a one-time charge. After the work is done, we archive the file for future printing and can provide you with a copy at the time the work is done, if you wish, for no extra cost. Copies of the archived file can be had at any later time for a small fee. Submit ten or more images for Master Image Files and the cost drops to $55 each.
For the Master Image we will produce a 16 bit scan at the maximum resolution of our scanner (the actual dpi varies with film format-see Scanning for more details.) This will be spotted of all dust and scratches and overall contrast and color/exposure adjustments will be made. Then, like in a traditional darkroom print, we will evaluate what we see on the screen for the additional work that will bring it out of the realm of "machine print". It is here that the nuances of a program like Adobe Photoshop really shine. By working on small areas of the image and adjusting the exposure, contrast and color balance of each indvidually we can bring out the best in your image. Once the work has been done, the file can be used for any variety of digital printing we offer for no additional charge except the actual printing cost.
There is a lot more control over an image printed digitally than can be exercised in traditional darkroom work. We'll help you take advantage of this! Of course, we can also scan your film for you to work with before returning it to us for printing, saving the cost of us doing the file work. See the Scanning section of this site for more information.
Many photographers making the transition to digital cameras are aware that shooting in the RAW format produces files with far more information in them than either JPEG or TIFF pictures. To utilize all of this picture information, you must be willing to roll up your sleeves and work with Photoshop and RAW programs such as Adobe's Camera Raw (Bridge in the latest version of Photoshop.) It is from these RAW files that you can develop pictures that make fullest use of digital technology. If you do so, we can print the resulting files for you. If you are not up to speed in working with RAW files but still want the best print you can get, our Master Image service is still available at the reduced rate of $40 per image, since we don't need to scan any film.
Can I send my own files for printing?
Yes. There are slightly different standard page sizes for our two printers, so refer to the tables below for exact dimensions. Size your images at the printing resolution and place on a page of the appropriate size.
When printing on the Epson 9800 you can use any resolution up to 360 dpi and the file can be RGB or grayscale, TIFF, PSD, JPEG or EPS. Please flatten any layers and delete any additional alpha channels before submitting. CMYK files should be converted to RGB. Leave it tagged with your Photoshop working space profile. Add any borders needed by increasing canvas size. To price your prints, see the table below for sheet and fractional sheet sizes. Since most papers are now available on 44 inch wide rolls, we can be flexible in printing sizes if needed but there might be slight additional paper charges if an image needs to be printed just slightly larger than one of the standard sizes listed in the table. In other words, if you need a print of 17x23 inches instead of the more paper efficient 17x22 size, your price won't jump up to the next "standard" size of 35x22. Call for an exact price on prints that do not conform to the standard sizes listed below.
Create a new, blank page and drag your image to it for placement, if you want offset borders, or increase canvas size to the proper sheet size. For example, if your image size is 13x20 on a quarter sheet (17x22 inches) you can center it on the page by choosing CANVAS SIZE option in the IMAGE menue of Photoshop and increasing this size to 17x22 inches. Make sure you choose white chosen if you don't want a colored border around your print. Then save in RGB TIFF or .psd format with no alpha channels or layers. Leave your working space profile imbedded in the file. We will convert it to the proper paper profile when printed.
Don't forget, if you are sending us ready to print files, you can put multiple images on a larger page to save money. For trimming purposes, after you have set the CANVAS SIZE in Photoshop to accomodate the neccessary borders for an image, select the entire canvas with the SELECT ALL command and from the EDIT menu, choose STROKE and apply a one pixel border to the image for us to cut along. If you send individual files, they will be priced individually. When you assemble them on to larger sheets, you save some money by doing that work instead of leaving it to us.
What handling concerns are there with giclée prints?
The Epson 9800 uses pigmented inks that are quite water resistant, but the coated papers a little more sensitive to flaking or scratching if handled roughly, so we provide them with interleaving sheets that should be used until the print is matted and framed. Epson UltraChrome inks have archival ratings generally in the 60-100 year range, when the prints are behind glass and protected from direct sunlight. As with any work of art on paper-giclée, photographic or otherwise, a little common sense in handling will go a long ways to assuring prints will not fade or otherwise detriorate from environmental degradation.
Premier Art Print Spray is one option that can be used to add UV protection to prints. Krylon Preserve It! is another product meant for print protection. These sprays provide UV protection but not any protection against scratching. Breathing Color, Inc. offers a non-toxic water based coating called Glamour Varnish. It is an excellent coating for canvas prints that aren't mounted behind glass and can be used on paper, as well, although it does dry to a slight soft gloss. You can scrub the surface with a wet rag if something spills on it!
We can coat your prints with Glamour Varnish. Our charges for this service are $15 for quarter sheet or smaller prints, $20 for half sheets and $30 for a full sheet.
Giclée prints can be easily mounted using standard techniques with archival materials. The use of UV protective glass or plexiglass is advised. Avoid direct sunlight or areas of high humidity.
Photographers used to mounting their prints to cover all the border areas should consider allowing a half inch or more of the paper border to show in a mat window since it will display the aesthetic qualities of these fine papers as well as giving you space to sign the prints.
Can I get a sample?
Yes! Send us an email and ask for the giclée brochure and samples of our current stock of papers. These are business card samples with some text printed on them for identification, plus one 8x11 printed with several small pictures. The large sample will be on any paper you specify or on a paper of our choice.
Paper sizes can be confusing. Manufacturers have slightly different sizes for their sheets, usually around 35x46 or 47 inches, but paper on rolls is 44 inches wide. The Epson 9800 uses either sheets or rolls and those sizes differ by annoyingly small amounts. To avoid confusion over these minor differences in sheet and fractional sheet sizes, we are standardizing on the sheet size of 35x44 inches and its fractional sizes, which can be accomodated by all of the sheet and roll options. But of course, the roll paper can produce longer prints and these will be priced by area. We will consider purchasing sheet paper, if needed, for larger orders.
Giclée print prices
|
Epson 9800 All papers and canvas are priced the same. Prints quarter sheet size or larger include 5x8 proof print, if desired. |
First print |
Prints 2-6 |
Prints 7 and up |
|
Full sheet 35x44 |
$150.00 | $105.00 | $75.00 |
|
Half sheet 22x35 |
$90.00 | $63.00 | $45.00 |
|
Quarter sheet 17x22 |
$60.00 | $42.00 | $30.00 |
|
Tabloid 11x17 |
$40.00 | $28.00 | $20.00 |
|
Letter 8.5x11 |
$25.00 | $18.00 | $13.00 |
Call for other sizes. The sizes listed here are simply standard sizes for efficient use of roll paper width.