The Giclee Printing is a way to create high-quality prints. These are costly and are a way to print digital prints on high-quality paper using inkjet printers. The Giclee Printing Process involves choosing the resolution of the images you are printing. It involves choosing the right paper for printing and using the right ink and the right printer.
You should know that Giclee prints are inkjet prints but not all inkjet prints are Giclee prints. These prints have a special tone and quality. These prints also have specific resolution and the paper. You can create digital Giclee prints using modern software such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator and then print these using a high-quality printer. For the Giclee process, the prints should meet these three requirements.
Step 1: Document Resolution
The first thing is the resolution of the print. The images which need to be Giclee should not be less than 300 DPI. The image must have 300 dots per inch. If you are creating the digital photo, then you should create the image using these settings. If you are scanning an image or taking a photo of a painting or an image, it should be at least 300 DPI or more. This resolution will ensure that the print is of the finest quality. It will be sharp and will have clear edges too. Once you set the resolution, you should then sharpen the image. Adjust the brightness levels, saturation,and color.
Step 2: The choice of paper
The next step in the Giclee process is to choose the right paper. The quality of the paper must be archival. There are many qualities of paper that you can use to print, but to make sure that it is of Giclee standard, it should be acid-free and must be 100% cotton or rag base. This paper is best for quality and also for longevity. You should choose your paper thoughtfully. You should know that the non-archival paper will only hold the color on the paper for ten years. After ten years the colors will start fading. The Giclee paper lasts longer than that.
You should also take care of the brightness levels while printing Giclee standard prints. If you are printing bright colors, you should choose the paper which is bright in color. Use the less bright papers when you are printing low light images. The colors will wash if you print low colors on a bright paper. If your image has a blend of bright and dark colors, then you should choose a medium brightness paper.
Step 3: Printing: Use right ink and printer
The last element of the process is to print. The Giclee quality means that you will use pigment-based inks and not-dye-based inks. The dye-based inks are low cost and are also low in quality.
The pigment-based inks have a long lifespan. Together with the paper quality, the Giclee print will last longer. When you choose a good ink, it will last for more than a 100 years. The last part is choosing the printer. Make sure that you choose a large,high-quality inkjet printer. The printers which print Giclee can hold 12 cartridges at one time. Choose top quality brands of inkjet prints such as Canon or Epson.
Step 4: finishing and framing
Once you print,you should inspect each print for quality. After it meets the Giclee quality standards, it is time to frame the photo. You can then sign the photo before framing. It is the entire Giclee process. These are the requirements for any photo to be a Giclee print.
