TERMINOLOGY
“Giclée&rdquo is a French word, derived from the verb “gicler” meaning to
spray on (droplets of a liquid, for instance). The word “Giclée” was introduced
in the art world in 1992 by Jack Duganne, the owner of Hunter Editions. In everyday parlance, a “Giclée” print
means that the print was made by an inkjet printer using digital technology.
HISTORY
During the early 1990's there were several manufacturers of inkjet printers, such as Tektronix,
Xerox, IBM, Epson, Panasonic, Iris Graphics, etc. Most of them were designed for desktop printing
(small format printers). The Iris printer, based on Prof. Hertz' patent (Sweden), was the only
printer on the market that could produce prints suitable for the fine art market. In fact, the
Iris printer was initially used as a proofing device in the conventional printing industry. Only
recently did the Iris printer achieve the market recognition as a fine art printer.
Giclée PRINTING TODAY
Today, the Iris printer is no longer the king in the fine art printing field. Other brand names,
most prominently Colorspan, Roland, Epson and Hewlett-Packard are competing successfully in the
Giclée printing market. The Colorspan printers are based on HP's technology, while the
Roland printers use technology licensed from Epson. Today's inkjet printers use 6 to 8 primary
colors, the ink droplets are an unbelievable 4 picoliters in size, the resolution is in the 1200
- 1440 ppi range and the quality of the prints is simply superb. The drop-on-demand inkjet technology
has finally caught up with the continuous ink flow process (Iris technology).
INKS AND MEDIA FOR Giclée PRINTS
Two types of inks are being used for Giclée printing: dye based inks and pigment (also known
as UV ) inks. Certain types of media and dye inks can deliver fade resistant prints (30 to 60 years
longevity), while the pigment inks can produce archival prints (100+ years longevity) when combined
with the right type of media. The most common media used for Giclée prints are canvas (100%
cotton) and watercolor papers.
For more detailed information on the subject please feel free to contact Dr. Lubo Michaylov at 831-659-1367.
