John Helms Gallery Digital Giclee Prints
Digital Giclee Print Process
Digital Giclée Prints
Creating a small format giclee reproduction from your fine art original is a multi-step process and involves these steps:
1. Conversion of your art to a digital “master” file
Before your prints can be made, your original fine art has to be put into a form that can be sent digitally to an inkjet (giclée) printer.
There are several ways to digitize your art work:
a. Scan the original artwork (I can scan original artwork up to 11” x 14”)
b. Scan a 4x5 transparency of your artwork
c. Scan a slide of your artwork
d. Scan a glossy 4x6 or larger photo of your artwork
e. Photograph your larger art with a high-resolution digital SLR camera
The quality of your final giclée prints will be only as good as the quality of the scan/digital photograph.
If you are not able to photograph your artwork well, have it photographed professionally, then have the resulting image(s)
(1) put on a CD at a high enough resolution to make the size print you want (i.e. 12x18 inches) at 200 dpi or better (the
file size in this example will be approximately 26 MB). This is the preferred option.
(2) if your originals are 11x14 inches or less, provide the original art for me to scan. This option is preferred over options
(3) and (4).
(3) made into 4x5 transparency(ies) that I can scan
(4) made into 8x10 glossy print(s) that I can scan
Out of focus, off-color slides or transparencies, or low-resolution photos from your digital camera will not make
good quality prints. Accurate color in your scans, slides, transparencies or glossy prints will save you time and dollars
during Step 2 (below).
2. Doing Color/Contrast Correction and Clean-up
Some color correction/value contrast adjustment of your digital image is often needed. Sometimes this is because the
color or value in the slide or print did not reflect accurately the colors of the original art, and sometimes color
correction/value adjustment is done because as the artist, you want to improve or slightly change the overall look of the
image. Color correction and value/contrast adjustment of the digitized master image is labor intensive and requires the
artist to be involved in the process to the extent of approving the proof image(s).
In addition to color/contrast adjustments, each scanned image is examined closely, and any scratches, dust marks or other
imperfections are digitally removed. If the artist wishes, their signature can be digitally removed from the image so that
each giclée can be re-marqued (re-signed) by the artist after printing.
Basic color correction and cleanup is included in the first print price. Additional color correction/cleanup will be
billed at $30/hour in quarter-hour increments.
3. Proofing the digital image
Computer monitors display in RGB color (light) while the final output on canvas or paper is CMYK color (Cyan,
Magenta, Yellow and blacK inks used to create “full color” images). While computers and printers can be adjusted so that
what you see is on the monitor is close to what you get in print, the final test is how the image looks on the particular
paper or canvas the artist has chosen for their prints.
Up to two 8x10 proofs on the chosen substrate (paper or canvas) are included in the base price. Additional proofs
cost $5 each.
4. Printing your Giclée(s)
The printing term giclée is derived from the French verb gicler, which means to spray. That is precisely what the inkjet
printing process does.
Your image will be printed on an Epson Stylus Pro 1400 inkjet printer, using dye-based archival inks applied to the
paper or canvas (the substrate) in extremely small droplets. The maximum resolution of this printer is 2880x1440 dpi.
These archival pigmented inks printed on archival paper have been tested for lightfastness and are expected to last 76-118
years**, depending on the substrate, when framed and displayed in normal interior conditions under glass or sheet plastic
(like Plexiglas). Other kinds of papers and prints on canvas have longer or shorter life expectancies, but none have shorter
life expectancies than 25 years*.
The artist must sign off (approve) the final proof before printing begins. Giclées may be printed on a wide variety of
substrates; most artists print on standard fine art paper (smooth or textured) or artist canvas. The base price includes
printing on any of these standard papers:
Standard papers:
Epson Watercolor - Radiant White a slightly textured finish – equivalent to “not press” WC paper,
which is somewhere between hot press and cold press – neutral off white
Epson Ultra Premium Presentation [formerly Enhanced Matte] a smooth finish, neutral white paper
equivalent to hot press WC paper
Epson Premium Luster Photo Paper a low-gloss smooth paper for those who want a non-matte print
Other papers:
Epson Ultra Smooth Fine Art a smooth, hot-press equivalent paper, heavier than Epson’s Ultra
Premium Presentation paper
Somerset Velvet for Epson a velvety surface, warm off white – equivalent to cold press WC paper
I have other papers that can be special ordered. Ask to see samples and prices.
Fredrix Print Canvas a thinner coated canvas made especially for giclee canvas printing on the Epson 1400 Printer
and is strong enough to wrap around canvas stretchers and will not stretch. This is what I use for all my giclee canvas prints.
The print quality is so good that only the artist who did the original painting can tell it's a giclee rather than an original painting on canvas.
Some artists ( Thomas Kinkade is an example ) embellish their canvas prints with clear thick acrylic gel medium to make it look even more like an original. I tested one of my first prints I did on this canvas and put it under a running water faucet and found out that the colors were waterproof and did not run ! After the canvas dried, it didn't alter the print quality one bit - this test sure made a believer out of me.
5. Varnishing or Sealing the Print(s)
A giclée on fine art paper should be handled carefully to avoid getting oily fingerprints or dirt on it, and it should be
framed like a pastel, watercolor or any other fine art work on paper—under glass or a sheet acrylic like Plexiglass®.
Giclées framed under glass or sheet acylic do not need any additional coating or sealing, but you can add to their
longevity by sealing them with a clear acrylic sprayed or brushed on acrylic gloss medium varnish prior to framing under glass or acrylic glazing.
*With advertised longevity figures of about 76 years for Epson's Ultra Premium Presentation (formerly Enhanced Matte) paper and 118
years for their Watercolor Radiant White paper, the Epson Stylus Pro 1400 makes very long-lasting prints. The 1400’s Claria Ultra Hi-Definition inks are Epson’s newest dye-based archival inks. Dye-based inks are not as media-dependent in order to get decent longevity
figures. Most experts agree, that with the exception of newsprint, even the worst non-archival papers or
canvas will probably give at 25 - 50 years of longevity with dye-based archival inks. Dye-based inks also have a wide a color gamut
and they reproduce most works of art very well and ,Epson Claria Ultra Hi-Definition Inks which includes light cyan, light magenta
in addition to the basic cyan, basic yellow , basic magenta and black provides a much wider color gamut.
** results from light fastness testing done by Wilhelm Imaging Research, Inc., www.wilhelm-research.com
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