Frequently Asked Questions About Our Giclee Prints

Close Up Detail Photograph - shows Fine Art Watercolor Paper Texture

1. What is a GICLEE PRINT?

Jen creates her Giclee Prints in her Studio, using only Professional Fine Art Giclee Equipment and materials. A Museum Quality Giclee is quite different and much higher quality than a print made on consumer printers & papers. Our prints are COLLECTIBLE, ARCHIVAL, MUSEUM QUALITY prints...

Contemporary Print makers are beginning to use the Giclee digital print making process
using archival Museum quality materials and inks to produce Fine Art limited edition prints.
The word Giclee is from the French word "to spray". It is a high quality, plateless printing process that was developed in 1989, in which a fine spray of ink moves across the paper. It rivals lithography in its resolution and color range,and is fast becoming a favorite with artists. Robert Rauschenberg and David Hockney are among those using the technique.

Prestigious museums such as the Guggenheim, the New York Metropolitan Museum, the Corcoran in Washington DC to mention a few, are enthusiasticaly embracing the use of Giclee printing from original art. Deep saturated colors, and fine tone resolution using archival water soluble inks and beautiful heavy archival papers produce rich prints which have outstading fade resistance.

2. What is a LIMITED EDITION Print?

A Limited Edition Print is one which is signed and numbered. That print, in that format, can only be produced in those quantites stated in the edition, both as written on the print, and also as documented by the artist. An edition of 250, means that with an allowance of up to 10% of the edition as Artist's Proofs, only 250 prints of that printing will be produced... This makes Limited Edition Prints highly Collectible, and more expensive than an Open Edition, which is not limited.

This does not mean that the same image cannot be reproduced in any other form, such as Greeting Cards, or magazine reproductions. However, it is up to the artist's integrity to limit the edition of Fine Art Giclee's to that amount, even if the paper or actual size of the print changes.. We do not create new editions with minor changes... Our editions are complete.. Therefore, the price rises, as the edition sells, and they increase in value as they become more scarce... This is partly why we have different prices for our prints... The higher the price, the lower the edition, or the less there is left of the edition.

Our editions are extremly collectible, not only for Jen's reputation as a well known Celtic artist, but also because of the Museum Archival Quality of her prints (not all Giclees are lightfast, archival, 100% rag cotton, acid free etc...), and also because the editions are low.... Usually set between 125 and 350, our limited editions are truly limited... Editions in the 1000's, are not as collectible since they are more mass produced. We do not consider large numbers of poster prints truly a "limited edition" .. and we do not choose to make posters, or cheaply printed versions of our Fine Art Prints.

3. What is an OPEN EDITION Print?

An Open Edition Print means there are no limits to the amount of prints made, and prints whilst still signed, and Archival, and the same quality, are not numbered... Actually, our Open Editions are extremly limited, since Jen hand-makes each one, and does not mass produce them.... But they are not numbered, and therefore legally not a "limited edition"... An Open Edition print is less expensive and whilst just as beautiful, not quite as valuable to a collector over time... Most of our small prints are Open Edition, since they began before Jen started documenting them.. However, they have never been made in large quantities, and are still quite rare and collectible.

 

4. What is the PAPER like?

Jen has carefully chosen Textured Fine Art Water Color Papers to compliment the Celtic Art. The first papers were Arches Cold Press, mould made in France, with a natural deckled edge.. She still prints on this paper sometimes, which is uncoated, and archival, and matched with the dye based Lyson E inks...

For some of more complex photographic prints, Jen uses a coated Fine Art Paper, with either the Arches Infinity, which is heavy, and matches the original Cold Press, or a lovley textured Fine Art Paper by Crane, 100% Rag cotton, Acid Free, both coated papers matched with the new K3 Ultrachrome Pigment Inks that are developed for archival longevity into the hundreds of years....

 

5. What is ARCHIVAL?

Archival means that the papers, inks, matt board, do not contain harmfull additives or chemicals that cause the print to yellow, fade, crack, or bleed their colors... Our papers and materials are acid free, museum quality. Many Giclees look beautiful for a while, but then fade quickly, because they are made on inexpensive papers, with consumer quality inks...

An Archival Museum Print follows strict standards - such as the papers are 100% cotton, ph neutral, acid free etc... And the inks, which are more expensive than consumer inks, are matched to these papers and formulated to be brightly pigmented, yet also will not fade quickly.

There is an organisation that tests specific papers with specfic inks for their longevity..www.wilhelm-research.com

We have chosen carefully which papers, and which inks are best for archival longevity, as well as for the beauty of the paper and print...

6. Should I expect a PERFECT PRINT?

We carefully check each print to ensure that it is free from flaws.... Any print that is not up to Jen's exacting standards, is either destroyed, or sold at in person shows at a discounted price, with a clear description of what is slightly flawed in the print. We do not sell any print that is not 100% up to our high standards on the web... This is partly from pride in our work, and partly because we have a satisfaction guarantee, and do not want to waste your and our time shipping the print back to us for a replacement - which never happens, because our prints are of the highest standard. In saying all this, each print is hand made, hand deckled, hand matted, hand signed etc... Each one in that respect is slightly different, and slight variations will occur... However, each is to our own highest standards...

 

7. What is a FLOAT MATT?

We Float matt our prints onto Black Museum board - matt board that is treated to be PH Acid Free... This board costs more than ordinary Matt Board... We also use Archival Acid Free Linen Hinging Tape, which is easily removed... We do not use water based tapes, because the watercolor paper is affected by the moisture... Float Matting means that the print is lightly attached to the Backing matt with the archival linen tape, and you can see the attractive Deckle Edge around the print... There is no "Window Matt" covering the edge of the print... We reccomend this, because it is a beautiful organic presentation. Also, it means that you can inexpensively frame your print by just placing it inside a ready made frame if you choose. If you do decide to change the matt, then please be sure to ask your framer for a similar archival or museum mat.

 

8. What is a DECKLE?

A deckle is a hand torn edge, or a natural paper mould edge, rather than a machine cut, or straight cut edge.. Jen deckles her prints herself, and each print is different and unique because of that... Different papers have different deckles.. Some papers include one natural deckle edge, and others are hand deckled on all sides... Whatever Jen feels is appropriate for each print & paper.

 

9. Can I request a print that is not on your site?

Yes, you can request a print that we do not have showing.. or a special size. However, it may take some time, and we may not accept your request, since this is a time consuming process, and it depends on many factors.. However, we appreciate your enjoyment of Jen's artwork, and Jen enjoys the challenge of creating new prints from her paintings and illustrations... So we don't mind you asking. info@kelticdesigns.com