| FINE ART REPRODUCTION | | | | the art reproduction technology of choice. |
| If you love fine art like nearly all people do, | | | | Let’s take a look at the advantages of Giclee |
| chances are you’d want to hang a specimen | | | | printing to see the reasons behind the |
| on your wall. Who wouldn’t want a da Vinci, a | | | | phenomenon. |
| Rembrandt, a Monet, a Renoir, a Goya, a | | | | Offset vs. Gicleea. Better color mixing: in Giclee |
| Constable, a Van Gogh, a Cezanne, a Matisse, a | | | | printing, the ink is sprayed onto the substrate to |
| Picasso, or a Dali to adorn their walls? | | | | actually mix the colors. This produces better color |
| High art has been there since the dawn of | | | | fidelity than offset litho where tiny dots of color |
| civilization, but since the Renaissance i.e. the | | | | merely deceive the eye into seeing a shade of |
| fourteenth century onwards, there is a deluge of | | | | color.b. More colors: Giclee printers may use even |
| sculptures, murals, gouache, watercolor, and oil | | | | twelve color ink sets, including more than one |
| paintings to choose from. In the closing decades | | | | shade of the same color. This helps in creating |
| of the last century, digital art too has made its | | | | perfect middle tones. As a result the color range |
| way into the ranks of fine art. | | | | or gamut achieved by Giclee printing cannot be |
| Masterpieces don’t come cheap | | | | matched by offset litho printing.c. Pigment |
| The problem lies with the finances. Possessing an | | | | advantage: the latest inks used in Giclee printing |
| original painted by the likes of those mentioned | | | | are based on pigments rather than dyes. Pigment |
| above could set you back by millions of dollars. | | | | particles are less soluble, bigger in size, and much |
| Only a handful of art galleries, museums or | | | | less likely to get degraded by the environment |
| billionaire private collectors can afford to have a | | | | than dyes. As a result, Giclee prints provide better |
| painting by such luminaries in their collection. Does | | | | light fastness and therefore much greater shelf |
| that mean the not so rich art lovers cannot have | | | | life than offset litho prints.d. Digital advantage: the |
| a painting at home to marvel at, or to lift their | | | | first stage of Giclee printing involves scanning or |
| minds above the mundane? Of course they can! | | | | digital photography of the original artwork and |
| In such a situation, fine art reproduction can come | | | | archiving it. This has a whole lot of advantages.i. It |
| to your rescue. | | | | obviates the need for quality-reducing negatives |
| Copies | | | | and plates used in offset litho (and the associated |
| An obvious way to get a great painting for your | | | | storage problems).ii. Archived digital files are less |
| home is to go for a copy. There are artists | | | | likely to deteriorate over time compared to film.iii. |
| specializing in copying the work of masters. Such | | | | All the advantages of digital image editing tools |
| copies are hand-painted by on real canvas, using | | | | come into play. Imparting any special effect, color |
| real oil paints. The artists also try their best to | | | | tone etc. becomes easy, as does the possibility of |
| make the copies as near identical to the original as | | | | printing on any one from a host of media for |
| possible. While you can hardly expect the class of | | | | each single print.iv. The prints can be taken one at |
| the original, you can have the satisfaction that it is | | | | a time on demand. There is no need to print in a |
| a genuine oil painting, done on canvas with real oil | | | | lot.e. Cheaper to print: while offset litho prints can |
| paint instead of being a paper poster. | | | | be cheaper than a Giclee print, such low cost can |
| The flipside is that:a. A copy is painted by a | | | | be achieved only with a print run of 1000! In fact, |
| trained and skilled artist, using expensive | | | | there is little difference in cost of printing a |
| equipment and oil paint, and taking a lot of time. | | | | thousand or a single piece with offset litho. So for |
| As a result it might still be too expensive for your | | | | a single print or just a few prints, Giclee printing |
| budget.b. The touch of masterful genius is bound | | | | actually turns out to be the much cheaper |
| to be absent. The great artists were, well, great | | | | alternative. |
| artists after all. | | | | “Original Prints” |
| Paper prints | | | | Giclee printing has another great advantage. |
| Fine art has been reproduced in the print form | | | | If you are thinking about buying an “original |
| since the 1900s, with the advancement of printing | | | | print”, the artist who created the original has |
| technology. Various techniques have been used, | | | | to create the copy too, or at least have total |
| the best among them being offset lithography | | | | creative control over the printing process. The |
| until Giclee printing came along. | | | | artist also certifies such prints by signing on the |
| Both these techniques can make “museum | | | | bottom right hand margin. |
| quality”, high fidelity prints of the original | | | | Giclee prints are best suited for making original, |
| artwork. And both have been a boon for art | | | | authorized prints. The artist can recreate the |
| lovers on a budget who would still want to | | | | original artwork himself, choose the color tones, |
| possess a fine art specimen or two for their | | | | decide on the size and type of media, and even |
| homes or workplaces. | | | | operate the printer himself. |
| Offset litho | | | | Giclee printing on canvas |
| Color offset lithography is a photo-mechanical | | | | The latest craze in the fine art reproduction |
| process of commercial printing where tiny dots in | | | | market is the Giclee print on canvas. The reasons |
| four colors are printed in different sizes. The | | | | are easy to see. If all the advantages of Giclee |
| overall effect is to produce an illusion of rich colors | | | | printing are combined with the natural and artistic |
| and minute detail. Before that, the original artwork | | | | texture of canvas, you have a product which is |
| is scanned using large format drum scanners and | | | | as close to the real thing as is humanly possible to |
| a series of negatives and plates made. | | | | create. |
| Giclee printing on the other hand is an advanced | | | | The rich color tones and high color fidelity on the |
| ink-jet printing technique using large format | | | | medium most suited to fine art can recreate the |
| specialized printers on to a host of substrates or | | | | magic of the original like no other. And you should |
| media. It emerged in the early nineties and has | | | | rightly be proud of possessing such a beautiful |
| for all practical purposes replaced offset litho as | | | | work of art. |