Giclée printing is a process for making fine art reproduction prints. Artists commonly use this printing process to make high-end reproductions of their original artwork for resale. Giclée prints are generally more expensive than traditional prints, as the process is more time consuming, uses higher quality paper, and requires more pigment. Although the actual cost per print is more, this process can be an economical alternative to limited edition prints, as the artist can print and sell each print to match demand.

At Robi’s we are proud to offer this service to our local artist community. Our Giclée printing process is widely used to make high-quality, superior reproductions. Bring us your one-of-a-kind artwork and we do the rest. We will photograph it, save a digital file to disk for your continued use, and create a Giclée reproduction closely matching your original. If you choose to have your image printed to canvas, we can also stretch your canvas and apply a protective glaze. This glaze can be applied following your original brush strokes in order to mimic the feel of your artwork. It not only gives a “painted” feel to your reproduction, it also acts as a protectant against dust, scratches, moisture, and fading caused by sunlight.

How are Giclée art prints made?

In Giclée printing, no screen or other mechanical devices are used and therefore there is no visible dot screen pattern. The image has all the tonalities and hues of the original painting. Giclée (pronounced Gee’clay) is a French term meaning to spray or squirt, which is how an inkjet printer works. However, it is not the same as a standard desktop inkjet printer, and is much larger. Giclée prints can be over five feet wide and are often affectionately referred to as a “knitting machine” as they look very similar.

Do Giclée printers use ordinary printer inks?

No. They use special pigment-based inks, which, if kept out of the sun, will remain true for up to 200 years. Our Giclée prints are rendered by special rasterizing software to maximize print quality.

What kind of paper is used?

Giclée prints can be produced on many paper types. To make a Giclée print as close to the original as possible, choose a paper similar to the original artwork. A glaze can also be applied following the original brush strokes to give that “painted” feel. We offer several varieties such as canvas, fine art textured, smooth, linen, and lustre.

Bring in your artwork today and let us help you create professional Giclée reproductions.