Trusted by artists, collectors, archivists and museums alike, Giclée prints set the standard for quality and longevity. But what is a Giclée print? Is it worth the cost? Do I really need to make one?
Giclée is a term for an archival digital pigment print made with a printer equipped with an exceptional set of inks, printed onto an archival material. First coined by Master Printer Jack Duganne in 1991, Giclée refers to an exceptional-quality, long-lasting print, ideal for reproductions and photography. The word is a combination of the French terms gicleur (meaning nozzle or jet), and gicler (to squirt out).
The term stuck for a period but is now less commonly used. Many of us now use the more specific descriptive term archival digital pigment print. If you’re interested in reading the history of the process, it’s super interesting — click here to jump down to it.
So if I just print something out on an inkjet, it’s a Giclée?
No. There is much more to it than that. A true Giclée (or archival digital pigment print) must be produced with meticulous attention to detail. There are many factors that must be considered.
- Who is printing it and what care is taken
- The quality of the source material
- A carefully managed color workflow
- What machine, inks and papers are used
Who is printing it
The term Master Printer sounds like one is ordained by a monarch, but really it describes someone deeply educated and experienced in the techniques and technology surrounding digital fine art printing. This is anything but an automated process — only someone fully dedicated to the craft, ensuring that every aspect meets the highest standards, can truly claim this title. At Brooklyn Archival, we aim to earn this reputation through every print we produce.
The quality of the source material
Everything starts with the digital file, which is central to the process. An excellent digital file is paramount to producing a high-quality fine art print. Although there are always ways to enhance files that lack quality, every final print will suffer from a poor source file.
We always thoroughly check and provide feedback on submitted files. This is also why we have invested in state-of-the-art German scanners to capture every subtle nuance, shadow and tone, producing perfectly color-correct files and creating the strongest possible starting point for printing.
Carefully controlled color workflow
We take great care to ensure each file is printed exactly as the client expects. We use third-party software and hardware to maintain a perfectly calibrated system between our scanners, monitors and printers. This consistency allows our clients to expect precision every time.
If the first print in an edition is made today, you can be confident it will match the last print made years from now. Consistency is one of the greatest advantages of archival digital pigment printing.
What machine is being used
We rely on industry-leading Epson printers for all of our work, known for their exceptional performance in archival digital pigment printing. They maintain the highest standards overall, with a print resolution of 2400dpi and an extremely wide color gamut.
We also employ third-party RIP software to control each printer, along with custom ICC profiles for every paper, ensuring prints are produced at the absolute limits of the machine’s capability.
What inks are used
The size of the color gamut is determined by the pigment inks used in each printer. Gamut refers to the range of color — how deep the blacks are, how vibrant the reds can be, and the overall spectrum of color reproducible on paper.
Our printers utilize advanced pigment ink systems, often using up to 12 individual inks to achieve up to 99% coverage of the Pantone Plus Formula Guide (solid-coated standard).
What papers are used
The appearance of your Giclée print is heavily influenced by your choice of paper. There are hundreds of variations, but most fall into general categories such as gloss, lustre and matte, along with specialty materials like canvas, linen and metallic finishes.
Most of our prints use matte paper, as it offers a wide range of texture and tonal qualities. We keep a curated selection of popular options available for viewing in person.
All this sounds amazing, but it also sounds expensive. Is it worth it?
It is expensive — and it is worth it. Here’s why.
Although the cost of archival digital pigment prints can be significant, the benefits are equally substantial:
- They can be reproduced perfectly at any time, eliminating the need for large print runs
- They are digitally controlled, allowing precise adjustments without starting from scratch
- They offer longevity of 160–400+ years, making them ideal for both artists and collectors
(Record scratch) Wait! Wait! How do I KNOW they’ll last for 200 years?
This was the same question I had when I first encountered this process. Here is the answer:
Museums and collectors require verified data on print longevity. The gold standard for independent testing is Wilhelm Imaging Research.
https://www.wilhelm-research.com/
They run accelerated tests involving light exposure, humidity and pollutants, while also extrapolating real-world display conditions. They publish longevity ratings for papers, printers and inks.
The Museum of Modern Art in New York consults directly with Wilhelm, who was also a founding member of the American Institute for Conservation and an advisor to the Corbis Bettmann Archive.
Sometimes, you just have to trust the experts.
You mentioned “display conditions.” Does proper storage prolong their life?
Yes. Nothing is truly permanent, and although these prints are designed to last for many years, storing them properly will significantly extend their lifespan.
Best practices include:
- Using acid-free, lignin-free boxes or portfolios
- Maintaining a room temperature of 65–70°F (18–21°C)
- Keeping humidity between 40–50%
- Avoiding basements, attics and storage units
- Storing prints in darkness whenever possible
- Keeping prints flat rather than rolled
- Handling with cotton or nitrile gloves
- Avoiding exposure to pollutants such as cleaning chemicals
If displaying the work, always ensure it is kept out of direct sunlight, framed using 100% archival materials, and protected with Optimum Museum Acrylic.
If you’re looking to create museum-quality Giclée prints, you can learn more about our fine art printing services here.
A not-so-short history of Giclée printing starring the Iris Printer, Joni Mitchell and Walt Disney
In 1985, the Iris printer was created for full-color proofing in commercial print shops before offset jobs were sent to production. For the first time, a single print could match the color gamut and tonal range of large offset printing systems.
It worked by placing paper on a spinning drum while an electromagnetic field sprayed tiny droplets onto the surface as it rotated.
During this same period, Graham Nash (of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) was experimenting with his tour manager R. Mac Holbert, converting dot matrix printers into scanners. They were frustrated by the inability to output high-quality images back onto paper — until they were introduced to the Iris printer.
Enter Walt Disney
David Coons worked as a color engineer for Disney, developing software for the Iris printer to assist in the transition from analog to digital animation.
Coons was later introduced to Nash, who needed to produce large prints for a New York exhibition. Having lost his negatives — including a favorite photograph of his then-girlfriend Joni Mitchell — he only had contact sheets to work from.
Coons scanned the sheets, digitally retouched the images, and used the Iris printer to produce large-scale prints for the show.
The first digital fine art studio and the invention of Giclée
Nash Editions was founded when Graham Nash purchased an Iris 3047 and hired Coons, Holbert and Master Printer Jack Duganne.
One of the first challenges was printing on thicker fine art papers. Holbert famously solved this on day one by modifying the $125,000 printer with a hacksaw to accommodate heavier media.
The Iris initially used dye-based inks, which were not designed for longevity. This led to the next major breakthrough: the adoption of pigment-based inks.
Jack Duganne coined the term Giclée to differentiate this process from standard inkjet printing, which was associated with low-cost office output.
While the Iris printer set the early standard, it was eventually surpassed by Epson, who refined the process, expanded the color gamut and sharpness, and made high-quality printing accessible to a much wider audience.