If you've ever looked at fine art prints online, you've probably come across the word giclée.
It sounds technical, and it is often used to suggest that a print is automatically high quality. But what does giclée actually mean? Is every giclée print a fine art print? And what should you look for when you're buying a reproduction of an original artwork?
As an artist and professional graphic designer, I've spent years working with colour, digital images and professional print production. Reproducing artwork sits at an interesting intersection between the physical and digital worlds — and there is considerably more to producing a beautiful print than simply pressing “print”.
So, what is a giclée print?
The word giclée comes from the French verb gicler, meaning “to spray”. It refers to the way a fine inkjet printer deposits incredibly small droplets of ink onto a printing surface.
Unlike traditional commercial printing methods, which may use a limited number of inks or printing plates, high-end inkjet systems can use multiple ink colours and extremely small ink droplets to create a broad range of colours and subtle tonal transitions.
This makes the process particularly well suited to reproducing artwork.
Fine details, delicate washes, subtle changes in tone and complex colour relationships can all be reproduced with a high degree of precision.
But “giclée” doesn't automatically mean “fine art”
This is an important distinction.
The word giclée describes a printing process. It doesn't, by itself, guarantee that a print is archival, that the colours are perfectly reproduced or that the paper is appropriate for fine art.
The quality of the finished print depends on the entire process:
Artwork → digital capture → colour preparation → printer → inks → paper → proofing → final print
A beautiful original can still result in a disappointing reproduction if any part of that chain is poorly handled.
That's why I think it's more useful to ask how a print was produced, rather than simply whether it has the word “giclée” attached to it.
The artwork file matters
The first step in reproducing an artwork is creating a high-quality digital representation of the original.
For a painting, this can involve carefully photographing or scanning the artwork at sufficient resolution and under controlled conditions.
This is more complicated than it sounds.
Paintings can have:
-
subtle colour variations
-
reflective surfaces
-
texture and brushwork
-
deep shadows
-
very light highlights
-
fine details
-
pigments that behave differently under different lighting
A camera also sees colour differently from the human eye.
The resulting file therefore needs to be carefully assessed and prepared before it is sent to print.
This is one area where my professional design background becomes particularly useful. Preparing images for reproduction has been part of my work for many years, so I approach my artwork files not only as an artist but also from a print-production perspective.
Why colour management matters
One of the most common surprises for artists is discovering that what they see on their screen isn't necessarily what comes out of the printer.
Your monitor creates colour using light.
A print reflects light.
Those are fundamentally different ways of producing an image.
The screen you're looking at right now can display colours that a physical printer and paper simply cannot reproduce. Conversely, the character of a physical print — its paper surface, texture and interaction with light — can't be fully represented by a glowing screen.
This is why professional artwork reproduction involves more than simply exporting a JPEG.
Colour profiles, display calibration, printer capabilities, paper characteristics and viewing conditions can all influence the result.
Paper is part of the reproduction
The paper isn't simply something the ink sits on.
It becomes part of how you experience the artwork.
A glossy photographic paper reflects light differently from a smooth matte art paper. A warm paper can subtly change the appearance of colours. A heavily textured paper can give an image a completely different physical character.
For my Jo Burt Art prints, I use Enhanced Matte paper because I like the understated surface it gives the artwork.
The matte finish reduces distracting reflections and allows the image itself to remain the focus. The substantial 200gsm paper also gives the print a much more considered feel than lightweight poster stock.
I don't believe that one paper is automatically right for every artwork. The paper should complement the work.
What makes a print “fine art”?
There isn't one magic ingredient.
A quality fine art reproduction is the result of considered choices throughout the process.
That includes:
The original artwork
The quality and character of the artwork being reproduced.
The digital capture
A high-quality representation that preserves the detail and colour of the original.
The image preparation
Careful adjustment and preparation for the intended printing process.
The printing technology
A system capable of producing fine detail and a broad range of tones and colours.
The inks
The ink technology influences colour, density and longevity.
The paper
The surface, weight and characteristics of the paper affect both appearance and feel.
The production process
Consistency, quality control and careful handling all matter.
This is why I don't think the word giclée should be the only thing you look for when buying art.
Giclée vs a standard poster print
The difference isn't simply that one is “better”.
A commercial poster is generally designed for economical reproduction at scale. It can be perfectly appropriate for posters, promotional graphics and decorative imagery.
Fine art reproduction has a different priority: preserving the qualities of the original artwork as faithfully as possible.
That means paying attention to subtle colour, detail, tonal transitions, paper and presentation.
A fine art print should feel considered rather than disposable.
Why are fine art prints more expensive than posters?
When you buy an art print, you're not simply paying for the sheet of paper and the ink.
There is work behind the image long before it reaches the printer.
The original artwork has to be created. The artwork needs to be captured and prepared. Colour and resolution need to be considered. The appropriate paper and production process need to be selected. And the final print needs to represent the original artwork as faithfully as possible.
You're also buying an opportunity to own and live with an artwork without the price of the original.
For me, that's one of the most valuable things about fine art reproduction.
An original painting may only exist once.
A carefully produced print allows the artwork to travel further.
Does every fine art print need to be called “giclée”?
No.
This is worth emphasising.
Giclée is a description of a particular inkjet printing process. It isn't a universal quality certification.
There are excellent fine art prints that aren't marketed as giclée, and there are prints labelled “giclée” where the quality of the overall reproduction may vary.
When buying a print, look beyond the terminology.
Ask:
What paper is it printed on?
What printing technology and inks are being used?
How was the original artwork prepared for reproduction?
Has colour been carefully managed?
Is the paper appropriate for the artwork?
How has the print been produced and handled?
Those questions tell you considerably more than a single word on a product description.
Bringing an original Jo Burt artwork into your home
My aim with Jo Burt Art prints is not to create a cheap substitute for an original painting.
It's to create a beautiful, accessible way to experience the artwork.
I approach reproduction with both sides of my practice in mind: as an artist who cares about the original work, and as a designer who understands how images behave when they move from one medium to another.
The result is a print intended to retain the character, colour and detail of the original artwork while giving you something physical that can be framed, displayed and lived with.
Because ultimately, that's what I think a good art print should do.