Giclee: Allpconline Company Blog

Giclee on Arches and Rives Paper

2009-07-06T07:25:00.002-04:00

We are proud to announce the addition of two papers from the prestigious Arches and Rives line. We now carry Arches Aquarelle, a textured watercolor pure cotton paper for giclee. It is a mould made paper with great detal rendition and heavy weight. We also carry BFK Rives, a mould paper smooth in texture, white base without the use of optical brighteners. This paper is also pure cotton (all our papers are), and acid free. Canson, the French manufacturer, has created papers for giclee printing with the same lineage of the non coated stock that have been used for over 400 years by artists all over th world.

We make giclee prints with the highest quality materials available. The addition of Arche and Rives complements the line of other substrates for Hahnemuhle and Epson.

Uploading images for giclee

2009-05-17T17:36:00.002-04:00

About half of the files we receive for giclee are not fit to print. Here are a few reasons:

-Wrong format (We only accept Scitex, Tiff, PSD and Jpeg)

-Resolution is too low. We need at least 150 PPI for canvas giclee and 200 for paper. Any lower resolution may be printable but results will vary. The formula on resolution is 150 or 200 PPI at the size you need printed. Do not assume (like some other print shops tell you) that a low resolution image can be blown up by their "special" software and look good. There is no special software and they have are the same we have. It is possible to interpolate images up to a certain extent but we need to see the files and assess feasibilty.

-Highlights and shadow clipping or low contrast. Please check levels in Photoshop to make sure you have a good histogram. If unsure, e-mail us aor call us.

- Wrong proportions: if you upload a 16X20 and want a 30X40 the proportions are not the same. This is a very common problem we see.

Please read throughout the site for many hints and instruction regarding soft proofing and preparing files for giclee printing.

Giclee, T-Shirts, Pillows etc

2009-04-22T07:51:00.002-04:00

We occasionally receive calls such as these: "Can you make giclee t-shirts?" or "Do you offer giclee printing on pillows?". Well, the answer is simple: No, we cannot! First, we do not have the capability to print on fabric. Second, there is not such thing as giclee printing on pillow or t-shirts fabrics. Giclee printing has certain requirements: one of them is the use of stable, archival substrates and aqueous based pigmented inks. Although decor giclee printing is now being done with solvent pigmented inks, the fact remains that the use of archival papers and canvas is an essential part of the process. Although there is no defined standard for giclee printing, we adhere to our own:

Aqueous pigmented inks

Giclee printers (Not signage printers incapable of high definition printing)

Archival papers and canvas

Skilled color management

Specialization: giclee printing is all we do - no brochure, pillow or t-shirt printing here! After all, would you trust anyone but a specialist when you are spending hundreds or thousands of dollars?

Is it a Giclee?

2009-03-26T12:49:00.003-04:00

As many already know, the term giclee has been used and abused; it started as a way of defining a high quality print on archival paper, made with archival pigment inks and by a skilled printmaker. Now I go to shows and "Mom and Pop" operations spit out prints with their Walmart bought $99 printers and call them "Giclee". Sometimes I want to ask: "Do you really understand what a giclee is? Do you realize you are deceiving customers and selling generic inkjet prints?". Then I stop and think: There is no known standard for giclee; after all there is no standard of definition of a sports car; no one can tell a car manufacturer they cannot define a car a sports car; if it has 4 wheels and looks sporty, it's a sports car. An informed buyer will know that a true sportscar such as a Carrera 911 is at a completely different level than a Hyundai Tiburon. The point I am trying to make is that any business can describe its products with fancy terms if there is no regulation on the use such terms. We adhere to strict standards we explain on the allpconline.com site. These standards are self imposed and derived by my experience as a printmaker in Los Angeles where it all started in the early 90s. Please read the info on our site and also the previous posts and archive on this blog; call other companies and ask questions regarding their giclee methodology. You will become more informed and possibly avoid costly mistakes.

Giclee on canvas vs paper

2009-01-22T08:39:00.003-05:00

Although we carry a very wide gamut canvas (Epson Premium Satin), keep in mind that canvas giclee printing does not reproduce as wide of a color gamut as our art papers. This is due to the way canvas and paper are coated for pigment inkjet printing. Once the manufacturer starts with artist canvas, a few hurdles have to be overcome in order to make the canvas absorb the inks and create a binding layer with archival properties. The fabric is gessoed and then coated with a receptive layer. Manufacturers go through great length and research in order to widen the color gamut and create canvas that will produce a true giclee. The manufacturing process not only requires quite a bit of research and science. The top producers are all based in Europe, the US and Japan. Chinese canvas is much cheaper than the former but it shows in quality, consistency and archival properties. Many low price printers acquire Chinese canvas and sell prints as giclee work, which is, again, a questionable practice. Do not confuse Chinese made canvas with canvas made in China under the umbrella of big name manufacturers; After all Epson produces its ink cartridges in China but the quality is outstanding. How can you tell if a print job you order is made with a European or American canvas? Well, asking doesn't hurt, but keep in mind that in many instances you will not be able to tell right away. Chinese canvas may look OK at first and degrade in a matter of months; you may order a giclee today, then reorder another one of the same image in a month and get different color; inconsistency between batches is a telltale sign. Canvas rolls made in China cost 1/3 of premium canvas; you can see why it can be very attractive for a printer to go with it. Like all things in life, you get what you pay for. We insist on having the best printers, inks and papers available.

Giclee printing on paper renders wider gamuts but carries the same pitfalls regarding qulaity differences depending on whee it originates from; high end American and European papers are optical brightener free, which in simple terms means they are not bleached to make them whiter. You may ask why paper would be treated with OBAs. One reason is that people like bright papers. If top materials are used such as prim cotton pulp, it is not necessary to bleack. If subprime materials are used, bleaching is necessary, otherwise the paper base will be off white. Bleaching is not kind to papers; it will shift colors and make the papers yellow and brittle over time. In conclusion, if you are marketing giclee prints to a fine art buyer, do not settle for the lowest priced printing available as it eventually cause problems over time both in terms of archival properties as well as color consistency.

New color profiles for giclee printing

2008-12-26T08:40:00.002-05:00

We are now using new enhanced color profile for our RIPs. The new profiles have even a higher color accuracy then before, with better shadow details. Because these are proprietary profiles, they cannot be used to soft proof. We will continue to provide regular ICC profiles for our clients as they are more than adequate to preview files for giclee printing.

New giclee wholesale service

2008-12-12T18:46:00.003-05:00

We now offer pigment solvent giclee printing with the latest Pro Epson superwide format printer, the GS6000. We offer canvas and paper printing with pigment solvent inks at almost half the price of aqueous pigment printing. Our minimum giclee orders is 50 prints. Please contact us with any questions or if you desire a custom quote.

Our company of course continues to offer aqueous fine art printing; we realize that not everyone needs high end giclee printing if the ultimate use is for decor purposes, such as hotels or corporate offices. On the other end you will be surprised at the quality of the new solvent pigments on canvas; great color and gradations!

Will my Giclee look exactly as the image on my screen?

2008-11-02T17:26:00.003-05:00

This is probably the most asked question regarding giclee printing: we have a page dedicated to soft proofing your giclee. If you follow the directions and have a good monitor which is hardware calibrated, you will be able to get a good handle on how the prints will come out. This said, there are a few factors that can throw a curve against an accurate preview:

First, a monitor uses transmissive light. In other words, the image you see on the screen is illuminated from behind, just like a slide. This can cause the image on the screen to look like it is brighter than it actually is. What can you do? Always check the histogram to see if there is any clipping in the shadows and also where the bulk of the histogram information resides. If you have a normal density image and you see most of the information in the left half, then this is a good indication that the brightness is not correct. On the other hand a low key image is expected to show what I just described and it is just fine. A high key image should instead have most of the information on the right half. If this is a little confusing and you do not know how to read an histogram in Photoshop, please read the help file. Histograms are not monitor dependent and can provide very valuable information to set up an image for giclee printing.

Second, make sure your ambient lighting in the room where you have your calibrated monitor must be constant. If you color correct and adjust brightness in a sunny room, do not expect to see the same results when it is dark or artificial lights are on. If you cannot control ambient lighting, try to calibrated and edit images for example in the evening with the same type of illumination.

Finally, even with all these variables under control, it is still not a precise science; we offer a low cost giclee proofing service where you can receive proofs of your images on the same materials as the final output.

Epson Premium canvas update and new semi-gloss paper for giclee printing

2008-10-03T07:21:00.003-04:00

Epson Premium canvas satin (formerly known as Epson PremierArt) is now available in 60" wide rolls. We can now print on this substrate up to 60"X200". Also, we now carry the Museo Silver rag semiglossy paper. Opposite to most glossy and semiglossy papers on the market, Museo is made of pure cotton and it is as thick as a fiber base papers. The advantages of a pure cotton paper are longevity and very low curl memory. Giclee prints made on Museo have very deep black and a fantastic color gamut.

Giclee canvas prints with Epson Premium Satin

2008-07-15T07:35:00.003-04:00

We will be carrying the newly released Epson Premium Satin canvas from Epson in 60" wide rolls. Our giclee printing shop is equipped with 44" and 64" wide ikjet printers. We have had the Epson 11880 for 8 months in the shop but our best seller, the Epson Premium Satin canvas, has only been available in 44" rolls. This canvas (formerly known as Epson PremierArt) offers water resistant coating, a wide color gamut and high resolution.

Hahnemuhle has increased prices substantially due to higher production costs and the lower value of the dollar against the Euro. We have no choice but to increase the price of giclee prints made on Hahnemuhle William Turner and Photo Rag.

Even with the price increases we still are extremely competitive with other printers who offer the same level of service and skilled giclee printing. We are not (and never will) be competing with low cost online printers who do not even look at image resolution and histograms before printing or use bulk inks and Chinese made substrates. What you get from us is the highest quality of workmanship and materials. Compromise is not a word we use here when it comes to providing the best products for the best prices. Remember, you get what you pay for!

Proofing before proceeding with the final giclee prints

2008-05-08T16:55:00.003-04:00

When sending digital files to us for printing, it is best (at least when first starting with us) to ask for proofs. Although many of our clients have small printers they pull proofs with, it is impossible for us to know if the correct color work flow is followed. In theory (and practically as well), a decent small inkjet printer can come pretty close in color to our output if the right profiles and set up are implemented. This is why we suggest to compare your output to ours to make sure we are on the same page.
We make it inexpensive for our customers to order 8X10" proofs on the same paper or canvas as their final order will be. Shipping is $5; the first proof is $10 and any additional proofs in the same package are $5. Once the proofs are approved, we guarantee color on the final sizes. If proofs are not requested, we cannot and will not accept returns if the color is off. Proofing is an essential part of the digital work flow in any professional printing shop. It is an insurance that no surprises will come when hundreds of dollars have been spent on large format giclee prints. Many of our repeat customers started proofing in the beginning and quickly realized their printing was in sync with us; others realized they were doing something wrong and after talking to us corrected the problems. No matter what the situation is, please proof first!

Clarifications about the giclee process

2008-02-13T07:25:00.003-05:00

We keep seeing an author (who posts on many social media sites) whose mission is to disparage giclee as a valid method of fine art reproduction. His attacks on the process come from different angles and stem from a misguided sense he is an expert both in the giclee technology as well as the marketing of art in general.

First, he states that many giclee printing companies falsely claim longevities of 75+ years for the product. His point is that giclee printing has not been around for that long, which means it is misleading to state such archival properties. My response is simple: first, there are independent labs that have tested giclee prints under intense UV radiation as well high humidity and heat. This is the same accelerated process used by scientists for decades. It is good enough for the governments of most civilized countries, including the US, but apparently not for him. I can personally testify, as I have been doing this for 20 years, that we have prints made then that are as brilliant as they were the first day they were made. In contrast, we have photo and offset prints that have completely faded.

Second, he proceeds to say that giclee is just a fancy term for an inkjet print, nothing more; just a marketing hype. My comment? A car is called a car, right? Just as a KIA or a Porsche. They are both called cars...mmm, I guess you see my point....

Third, he says that if buyers think that purchasing a giclee is an investment, they better forget about it. The "inkjet" print will never have any value or appreciation. This is the most ludicrous statement: it is not the object quality that commands value, but its desirabilty: demand and offer. Does anyone remember the artist who canned his own escrement in a limited edition and the cans sold for a lot of money? He wanted to make a statement and it sure worked. If Leonardo had made limited edition giclee prints and signed them, don't you think they would be highly sought after?

You will read a lot of different things about giclee, both on the positive as well as the negative side. One thing I agree on is that there are some companies out there claiming they produce archival prints but in fact use Chinese made papers and canvas and cheap bulk inks. These are not giclees but cheap inkjet prints. So, how do you know whom to trust? Hard to say, as even if there was a standard for giclee prints, it would be difficult for anyone to make sure that what they receive is truly the finest quality made product. We state what we use, both with inks and papers; stay away from companies who do not. An example? They will just say "matte canvas" or "textured watercolor paper", without telling who makes it.

There is a lot more about the subject but needless to say, making giclee prints has brought revenue to both artists and photographers. Well made prints sell: we have about 200 active clients who can testify to this. Ultimately it is your choice to take the plunge and try to market more than your original art, which, once is sold, will not make you any more money.

Giclee calibration

2008-01-20T11:03:00.000-05:00

The most often asked question regarding color for giclee printing is how customers can find out the way their prints will come out. They look at their screen and expect to see a print with the same values as what they see at home or work. This is called soft proofing and it can be fairly effective if you know how to. We have a useful set of instructions on how to soft proof. Before you go to our page to prepare to soft proof, you need to calibrate the monitor or this will not work. Please go to http://www.allpconline.com/giclee_soft_proof.htm

Giclee up to 64" in width and 200" in length

2008-01-20T10:55:00.000-05:00

We have now had the new Epson 11880 operational for over a month. The gamut and dot are fantastic; blues have improved with the addition of the vivid magenta inks and all the other color show the same great color purity expected form Epson pro line printer. This is definitely the best giclee printer we have seen. Orders are pouring in as demand for super wide giclee prints, especially on canvas, is strong. not many companies do have this printer. The Canon 60" inch printer (which is by the way almost half the cost) does not hold up to the dot quality, red and green rendition of the 11880. And, as always, Epson has arguably the best pigment inks (K3) on the market.

Epson 11880

2007-11-03T17:06:00.001-04:00

We have now the 11880 up and running.

Printing on canvas

2007-09-27T18:12:00.000-04:00

Giclee printing started with watercolor paper, which in the beginning was uncoated and done on the Iris printer with organic dye inks. As the process and technology evolved (with the introduction of pigmented inks), paper and canvas manufacturers started creating substrates that would expand the archival and color rendition quality of giclee prints. Canvas in particular has seen a continuing and ongoing evolution towards better materials. Current canvas is the same as traditional canvas except that a receptor layer is added to bind with the inks, creating stabilty, great D-max and wide color gamut. Please see our canvas printing page to familiarize yourself with the technology.

Epson 11880 64" Wide format giclee printer

2007-07-26T09:02:00.000-04:00

Continuing our commitment to provide the fine art and photography community with the highest quality giclee prints, Allpconline is on the priority list to receive the new Epson 11880. This new printer promises an elevation in print technology unheard of with the current offerings from other manufacturers.
Epson is the preferred choice for professional fine art printers, due not only to the superior nozzle technology but also the quality of pigmented inks. The Epson 11880 also fills the need to print on paper and canvas wider than 44". We are expecting the machine in October. As soon as we have the printer up and running, we will post an announcement as well a new price list.

Giclee papers: Do you know what you are buying?

2007-05-20T10:14:00.000-04:00

I will repeat this ad nauseam until everybody in this business conforms to one rule: the papers and canvas used to print on should be described not just as "matte canvas" or "watercolor paper". There is canvas and there is premium canvas. We could buy inkjet canvas from China for $100 a roll instead of more than double for i.e. PremierArt. We do not! We only use the best giclee printing materials and always will. We owe it to our customers to accurately describe what we use and deliver the best possible product.

Our products are described on the website. There is no bait and switch, no product substitution. What you see is what you get. Maybe that's why our order volume has risen 120% compared to the same period last year.

On another note, we keep getting new customers who left their current printers because just one little droplet of water on the canvas ruined the canvas giclee. This is unacceptable: our canvas is water resistant. Just ask our customers, many of whom do open air art shows. Please do not misunderstand: there are some extremely experienced, honest and capable giclee printing companies out there. There are also very inexperienced ones who either do not have the knowledge, will or skills to do what it takes.

Giclee printing is not just a matter of buying the machinery. We constantly sample new materials; we have worked in Photoshop since version 2.0' we hold college degrees in photography and digital imaging....and we are artists ourselves.

How to assess the value and price of a giclee

2007-02-23T07:19:00.000-05:00

One of the most frequently asked questions we receive from customers venturing in marketing giclee prints for the first time is: "How do I price my giclees?".
There is no formula for this. I could give a few guidelines when the giclee is a reproduction of an original, such as an oil painting. Say you have an original oil on canvas, 30X40". Your work sells at an average of $5,000. It is a good rule of thumb to price a giclee of the same size at anywhere between 15% and 25% of the original's cost. In this case, a stretched canvas would fetch between $500 and $750. It could do better or worse. It all depends on factors such as the number of prints made, the quality of the giclee itself. Don't be penny wise and pound foolish by ordering prints made with low quality materials. You may save a few dollars but it will show.

The above general guidelines are void when an artist retains the originals and only sells a very limited numbered edition. If the artist is well known, a giclee can be sold for much more. Here is a scenario: a well known artist has been selling original art work for tens of thousands of dollars a piece. There is a loyal following and collectors closely look at new art coming out. The artist decides to keep the originals in his private collection with the stipulation it is never to be sold even after his death. A giclee, signed by hand and possibly accompanied with a CoA will be seeked after. Some collectors may be turned off by the fact the originals are never to be available but others will keep buying. It will be considered another phase in how the artist creates and markets its work. Will the giclee sell for as much as the original? Not likely, as there will be a number of prints opposite to one original. If the edition is very limited, such as 10 or 20 giclees, they will still fetch a considerable amount of money. It is all about offer and demand. If there are hundreds of serious collectors after the artist's work, ten of them instead of just one will be able to buy the latest and greatest. The others will still be empty handed. Price will be up as there is more demand than offer.

Fine art photography presents a scenario which is easier to assess. As we all know, traditional film is pretty much obsolete. Digital photography will be the only option available. The photographers who are now selling work for thousands a piece are considering and using giclee printing as a natural evolution of photographic art. Commercial portrait photographers are doing the same. If you are students of photographic art history and are as old as I am (gasp!), you may remember that not too long ago no serious collector would ever consider color photography an art. Black and white was the only serious and accepted way of creating art. Museums would only buy and display B&W prints. Ansel Adams, Robert Mapplethorpe and others notable artists generated exquisite work. Color only became accepted when groundbreaking art from photographers such as Harry Callahan came to life. He began shooting transparencies and later started printing color dye transfers. He is widely accepted as one of the great masters of the 20th century.

Giclee printing for photography is coming of age. World known photographers are producing and selling giclee prints for tens of thousands of dollars. It may take some time (as it did with color prints), before everyone accepts the new medium as a natural evolution. In the meantime, many photographers, including a good number of our clients, are having great success by offering fine art giclee photographs.

Skin Cancer Awareness

2007-02-14T07:06:00.000-05:00

For the very first time, I am posting something completely unrelated to giclee. About one week ago, I went to a dermatologist to get a tiny red spot on my arm checked. The little red patch would not go away. After a biopsy it turned to be squamous cell carcinoma, the second most dangerous skin cancer after melanoma.

The dermatologist had to "dig" out an area the size of a quarter and put 8 stiches in. Fortunately the cancer was so small that it was "in situ", which means it did not spread.

Why am I writing about this? Simply, because if I had waited a little longer I could be facing chemotherapy, radiation and not such a good prognosis. Skin cancer affect hundreds of thousands americans each year. It is very easy to detect and treat if caught early. See a dermatologist for a yearly check and do not assume that because you are in your 30s or 40s you are too young. I am 44 and I know of at least two people younger than me who have basal cell carcinoma. One of them had 4 surgeries and they had to take skin out of her ear to reconstruct the area of the nose where the cancer was growing.

Giclee printing is a business that caters to the soul. People buy prints to hang and beautify their homes and offices. Prints are a discretionary type of purchase and are replaceable, health is not!

Being healthy is not just a matter of having good genes and the right lifestyle. It takes a vigilant eye and awareness.

Our Giclee Printing Privacy Policy

2007-01-31T06:59:00.000-05:00

We recently were contacted by a potential client through the web form on our site. Contact information fields are all required, including a valid phone number. Although the e-mail address was correct, the phone number was typed as a series of 5s (obviously a fake). We replied that in order to answer any questions through our web form, we need a valid phone number. The prospective client replied he will never do business with us and that he does not give out his number because he is afraid we will sell it!

Now, please bear with me for being blunt: we always have more work we can handle. We are lucky enough to have a client roster filled with people we treat (and are treated by) as friends. In other words we can pick and choose customers and the least desirable ones are people who start with the assumption we will either sell their giclee prints without their knowledge, sell their personal information or God knows what else!

We are in a partnership with all our clients: they require and deserve honesty, privacy and security. They are the reason why we exist, can feed our families and can continue our success. They pay us a good amount to get the best service and giclee prints possible. It would be self destructive and plain stupid to jeopardize these relationships to make some extra money on the side. Please, do not ask if we sell your personal information or you artwork without your permission. We do not; never will. We have a strict privacy policy on our site. It is there for a purpose, not just a page filler. You can find it from a link at the bottom of our home page.

Giclee turn around time

2006-10-28T16:29:00.000-04:00

As we approach the holidays, the normal amount of orders we receive increases considerably. While we normally can print and ship giclees in about 5 working days if supplied with digital files, times can be longer in November and December. If we need to scan original art, the usual turnover is 10 working days. Again, we are also expecting longer periods. The best way to check is to contact us to find out the current waiting times.

Because of our stringent quality controls and color fidelity requirements, our shop does not simply put files through a printer and ship out. There are services that do so and can print and ship in a day or two. We pride ourselves of offering the best possible giclee that can be made. As with all things in life, fine quality work is not instant. This, said, we have holes in our normal printing schedule when it is possible we can send out in a matter of a couple of days.

Besides the preparation and actual printing, we do not package and ship any giclee before the pigments have stabilized by outgassing and curing. Canvas takes an extra day because of coating.

Giclee and the question of certificates of authenticity

2006-10-15T09:36:00.000-04:00

After a press release we published recently, we have received a few e-mails from engravers and appraisers who question the validity of releasing a CoA for limited edition giclees. The CoA serves multiple purposes for giclee editions: first, many of our clients are digital photographers and digital artists. Giclees are the only prints available since there is in fact no original.
When it comes to actual reproductions from paintings, there is a great deal of feedback from the artists. They are very much hands on as they make decisions on color, contrast and in many cases they create giclees that are purposely different from the actual originals. For example, a painter may decide that the prints should be more saturated that the original, which is a call he or she makes. Although there is no plate to be defaced, the digital file is deleted, and it is virtually impossible for someone else to create a file identical in all aspects. Any skilled appraiser or forensic imaging expert can distinguish two prints created with 2 different files.
Giclee prints from famous artists and photographers have been bought at big house auctions for tens of thousands of dollars.
Our CoA is serialized as a convenience. The CoA not only carries the printmaker's signature, the artist signature but also print dimensions, paper type, print title and printmaker's contact details. It is not our job to assess value of the prints we make. We very strongly suggest that the artist or photographer sign the giclee because CoAs can be lost and we will not replace them.
One can question the authenticy of a reproduction series made by scanning an original. What authenticity means is pretty straight forward. The artist declares the reproductions to be released by him or her, not someone else who violated copyrights and is selling illegal reproductions. The artist signs the prints as well as the certificates. We always give the example of Leonardo da Vinci. He was someone willing to break new grounds, inventing machines well ahead of their time. If he had perfected a giclee inkjet printer, had made a 100 LE of his famous Mona Lisa and signed CoAs as well as the giclees, would an appraiser argue that these giclees have little or no value? Let's go a step further. If the Mona Lisa original was lost of destroyed, what would happen to the value of the LE? As always technology is a step ahead but eventually the community catches up. As you all know by now, black and white film has been discontinued by a major manufacturer. Estimates are that we have reached the very end of product life for black and white traditional photography. Color is following closely. If Ansel Adams was alive today and decided to use a very high resolution digital camera to continue his photography, he would probably choose giclee as his preferred method. Blacks are fantastic, papers are fiber base and archival. Mr Adams used the zone system and burned/dodged prints quite a bit in the darkroom. These are tools that can be used in Photoshop. If Mr Adams created a single giclee print after capture and manipulation, then destroyed the file, would anyone argue the giclee is in fact not an original?

K3 Pigment Technology for Giclee

2006-09-29T08:03:00.000-04:00

Our company has finally completely converted all printing to K3 9800 Epson printers. Epson's new K3 8 ink technology represents a quantum leap in reproduction. A giclee produced with such system displays a three dimensional quality with an extended color range not previously possible. There are 3 different black inks and 5 additional process colors, with high density pigments capable of creating stunning work.

Here is a summary of advantages

-Improved pigment density for wide color gamut
-Professional print archivability
-High-gloss Microcrystal Encapsulation™ Technology to minimize bronzing
-Scuff resistance due to pigment chemistry
-No short term color shifting after printing
-High black density ideal for deep shadows and wide range neutral black and white.

We only use genuine Epson K3 inks and brand name paper and canvas. Always rest assured you will not receive giclees printed with cheaper, sub-standard materials. Although more expensive to us, our prints will not only look richer but will have a longevity not comparable to lower cost options. When shopping around, always insist on asking what brand and type of inks/paper is being used. There are extremely wide ranges in prices. Canvas can be purchased overseas for half the cost of american or european counterparts...at the expense of quality and print longevity.

Giclee: New Canvas

2006-09-04T08:04:00.000-04:00

We now carry the Epson PremierArt canvas. This canvas is one of the highest quality substrates available for giclee printing. It features a tight weave, a high resolution coating and is greatly pliable for easy stretching. Other notable characteristics are a wide gamut, water resistance, excellent longevity. For further information, please see our giclee pricing page.