It’s not always possible to purchase your favorite artwork, whether it’s the Mona Lisa or a watercolor you saw on Instagram. When cost and availability (or having to execute an art heist) deter you from purchasing an original, look to giclee prints.
Giclee (pronounced “zhee-clay”) prints allow art lovers to own ultra-realistic versions of their favorite artworks. For artists and small business owners, giclee prints provide an opportunity to sell art to a wide audience while retaining the integrity of original works.
What is a giclee print?
A giclee print (or “giclée print”) is a high-quality art print from an inkjet printer. The giclee printing process uses digital technology to create close reproductions of photographs, paintings, drawings, digital illustrations, and other types of fine art.
Giclee prints tend to be truer to original works than etchings, screenprints, lithographs, woodcuts, and other fine art prints. That’s because giclee printing relies on photographs or scans, rather than the less directly representational plates and stencils used in other forms of fine art printing.
Giclee vs. inkjet prints
While giclee prints come from inkjet printers, they’re a lot different from what emerges from your home printer. Here’s what sets them apart:
Archival paper
A giclee print doesn’t fade or break down over time because it uses acid-free archival paper. These high-quality papers are also dense, which lets them hold high quantities of ink and showcase highly vivid colors.
Special inks
You’ll need at least 10 ink colors to make a giclee print. Most regular inkjet printers have only four. You’ll also need to splurge on archival-quality pigment inks—as opposed to the more common dye ink—for color that doesn’t fade with time.
Specialized printer
You’ll need a special printer to accommodate your thick archival paper and wide range of pigment inks. These printers, which can be expensive, also feature specialized calibration mechanisms to ensure precision.
Why do artists sell giclee prints?
Artists sell high-quality art prints like giclee prints to expand their customer base. For example, an artist can sell an original painting to only one buyer, but they can sell giclee print reproductions of that painting to an unlimited number of buyers. Further, giclee prints are less expensive than original artworks, so artists can sell them to customers who might not be able to afford their original work.
How to make giclee prints
- Scan or photograph your artwork
- Upload your image
- Digitally retouch your image
- Determine dimensions
- Pick your paper type
- Send it to the printer
- Sign and mark your prints
Perfecting the giclee printmaking process takes trial and error, and you’ll likely end up with a few less-than-perfect prints along the way. Here are the basic steps:
1. Scan or photograph your artwork
You can photograph your original or scan it with a flatbed scanner, which can capture images of bulky works like oil paintings. Both can work well, but photographing artwork for reproduction is highly technical and might require hiring a professional.
2. Upload your image
To secure a high-quality fine art print, you’ll need a file that tells the printer exactly what to do. Whether you scan or photograph your original, make your image at least 300 pixels per inch (PPI)—the standard for any photoprint.
3. Digitally retouch your image
Cameras and scanners don’t always get everything right. For example, maybe you notice a patch of light that’s blurring a section of your oil painting. You can use digital photo editing software, like Photoshop, to perfect your image.
4. Determine dimensions
Do you want your print to hang in a living room or sit on a desk? Ultimately, your chosen dimensions will determine how customers display your giclee print and how much you charge, since larger giclee prints require more ink and paper.
5. Pick your paper type
Do you want a glossy or matte finish? Do you want a smooth surface or a textured one from a specialty paper like mulberry? As you’re deciding between paper types, consider visiting a local art store to see different options in real life.
6. Send it to the printer
If you have a home printing setup, now’s the time to test your print. You’ll want to make a few trial prints—called artist proofs—to fine-tune your printing process or send your work to a professional printer.
7. Sign and mark your prints
Now that your giclee prints are complete, it’s time to sign them. If you have too many to sign by hand, consider purchasing a signature stamp. If you created a finite number of prints, you should mark them with fractions to keep track of them and let your buyers know they’re purchasing from a limited set.
Open vs. limited-edition giclee prints
Like gemstones or antiques, prints are more or less affordable depending on their rarity. You can decide how rare your print will be by printing more or fewer copies in a set, also called a print run. Here’s a breakdown of the different types of prints, depending on quantity, and when you might want to create each:
Limited-edition prints
Limited-edition prints are part of a print run with a predetermined quantity. Artists and printers normally mark these prints with the edition number and print run size. For example, if you make 50 limited-edition prints, you would mark the first print with 1/50 and the second with 2/50.
Limited-edition prints tend to be more expensive than open-edition prints because they are rarer. You might make limited-edition prints if you want to charge higher prices and cultivate a sense of exclusivity around your work. You might also make limited-edition prints as a way to engage your target audience, since loyal customers will know they have a special, exclusive piece of your work.
Open-edition prints
Open-edition prints are not part of a limited print run; instead, artists and printmakers can create an infinite number of the print. This theoretically unlimited supply means that open-edition prints are less expensive than limited-edition prints.
You might decide to create open-edition prints if you want your work to be accessible to a wide audience or if you want to meet a high demand for your work. Open-edition prints can also help you generate word-of-mouth marketing, and thereby brand awareness, around your work. If more people own your work (and display it), then more people will see your work and potentially convert into customers.
Tips for printing and selling your giclee prints
- Partner with a professional printer
- Consider mounting and framing
- Hire art handlers and shippers
- Use art inventory software
- Set the right price
- Set up an ecommerce site
- Diversify your sales channels
Making and selling fine art giclee prints is a far cry from taking a few photos and firing up your dusty inkjet printer. Here are a few tips on how to make and sell high-quality giclee prints:
Partner with a professional printer
Giclee printing requires expensive equipment and specialized knowledge, and you likely won’t get the result you’re looking for on the first try. If you’re not interested in learning the nitty-gritty details of giclee printmaking, partnering with a professional printer can ensure expert results while freeing you up to focus on creating more original artwork.
Consider mounting and framing
Buyers often purchase prints unframed, but you might want to offer your work mounted and framed, saving your customers the time-consuming process of doing it themselves. Mounting and framing will also help you ensure your work is displayed the way you intend. You can use local frame shops or online framing companies.
Hire art handlers and shippers
Shipping a high-quality giclee print isn’t always as simple as rolling it up into a poster tube—especially if you’re shipping irreplaceable limited-edition giclee prints. Consider contracting art handlers and art shippers to ensure your work arrives safely at its destination. This is even more important if you’re selling framed work, which can be extremely fragile.
Use art inventory software
Keeping track of dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of identical prints can be complicated. Consider using inventory management software or trying out a dedicated art inventory tool like Artlogic or ArtCloud. These software programs can help you create invoices and track dates of purchase, bills of lading, and shipping information.
Art inventory tools also have user interfaces that make it easy to keep track of details like artwork dimensions, medium (including paper type), and edition number—the type of information your customers will likely want to know. Many include integrated customer relationship management (CRM) systems, allowing you to see what individual buyers have purchased so that you can provide tailored customer service and new product recommendations.
Set the right price
Supply and demand rule the art market. As you create your pricing strategy, you’ll need to consider your underlying material, labor costs, desired profit margin, and your supply. Are you making an infinite number of prints, or are you creating just a few dozen? You should also consider your demand: Are you a well-known artist with a dedicated audience, or are you just starting out? This market demand will also impact the prices you can charge.
Set up an ecommerce site
Even established art galleries make online sales. Set up an ecommerce site with a platform like Shopify to retain full control over your sales process and avoid paying consignment fees. Follow website design tips to make sure your site looks (almost) as good as your prints.
Diversify your sales channels
Consider selling at local events like craft fairs, listing your work on platforms like Etsy, and consigning your work to local boutiques and galleries. You might also consider selling on social media platforms like Instagram. Having multiple sales channels can increase your brand awareness and help you reach a wider range of customers.
Giclee print FAQ
What is the difference between giclee and standard prints?
Unlike standard prints, giclee prints are created with specialized inkjet printers, archival inks, and archival paper. These elements make giclee prints truer to original artworks and longer-lasting than standard prints.
Why are giclee prints so expensive?
Giclee prints are so expensive because they use special paper, archival-quality ink, and specialized printers. They also require a high level of expertise, so artists might outsource the giclee printmaking process to a dedicated printmaker.
What is special about giclee prints?
Giclee prints are special because they can share an extreme likeness to the original artwork. Giclee fine art prints are also printed with archival-quality inks on non-fading paper, which can make them last longer than other types of prints.
