If you’ve ever wondered how to reproduce your artwork in a way that is high quality, lasting, and accurate to the original work – giclée printing is the solution.

Giclée printing makes professional-quality art reproduction accessible to everyone—from established artists to amateur photographers and hobbyists.

Using advanced inkjet technology, this method creates high-quality prints with exceptional color accuracy, allowing creators of all levels to transform digital images into gallery-worthy pieces that can be produced individually or in bulk.

Here’s what you’ll find in this post:

Canvas loose giclee printing blog rewrite for ArtisanHD

What is Giclee Printing?

Giclée (pronounced “gee-clay”) is a French word that means “to spray” and refers to the professional printing process where digital prints are reproduced using ink-jet printing.

Giclée art reproductions can be printed on either canvas or HD photo papers.

The biggest distinction between giclée printing and using any old ink jet printer is that giclée prints are created using professional 8-Color (standard giclée) to 12-Color ink-jet printers (ultra giclée).

The technology of a professional printer sprays incredibly small pixels of rich, vibrant archival light-fast inks onto the canvas at a very high rate of speed.

This produces amazingly smooth and brilliant images with such precision that no dots, blurs, or lines are discernible to the eye. And the hues are true to the colors of the original artwork.

Compared to everyday ink-jet printers, giclée ink-jet printers are advanced in three key ways:

  • Higher resolution – 1440×2880 dpi or more, compared to standard inkjet printers which usually offer 1200×1440 dpi
  • Range of color – 8-12 ink cartridges including light magenta, light cyan, and multiple blacks.
  • Archival inks – Pigment-based inks on acid-free substrates such as canvas result in fade resistance for decades and is used for giclée trade printing.
  • Reusable substrate – Painting over giclée prints is possible, so you can reuse the same canvas for different prints if desired.
SemiGloss Canvas BULL ArtisanHD giclee printing blog

Printing and Proofing Giclée Art Reproductions

There is a multi-step process that goes into ArtisanHD giclee art printing or art reproduction on canvas. Most of these steps are in pre-production to ensure the highest quality final result.

  1. Artwork is digitized, either by a scan or a high-resolution photo capture.
  2. Image is analyzed for color balance, contrast, and brightness, and any scratches or dust specks are removed using imaging software, like Adobe Photoshop.
  3. Image is proofed before finalizing the file for printing.
  4. Test strips are run through the printer to set color accuracy through further calibrations.
  5. Image is printed and cured.
  6. Print is coated with liquid UV protective laminate and finished by hand-stretching the canvas around a wooden frame giving the print the appearance as if it was painted by hand.
XL Canvas of Scottsdale magazine cover with Mike Goldner standing next to it for AHD giclee printing blog

Is Giclée Right For Your Print?

Giclée art reproductions are a cost-effective option for artists and photographers who would like to mass produce their work as needed or on-demand.

If you need giclee printing services for artists, ArtisanHD is an ideal print partner. Quality is our obsession, and we recognize the value and importance of each print reproduction. Once our Artisans digitally archive an image, an infinite number of additional giclée printing reproductions can be made with minimal effort and will appear the same as the beautiful original masterpiece.

Get started on your own giclée on canvas work of art today! Just upload your digital print to the ArtisanHD configurator and choose your finishing options, such as the wrap style and frame size. Canvas prints can be made in almost any size, so the customization options are endless!

Have questions? Contact us at 877-948-0009 or email us!

Updated December 2024