Giclee Art Prints: The Supreme Art Print
Giclee art prints are like jewelry for the home and are great for many reasons. They are perfect for decorating your home affordably from styling multiple prints on a shelf or gallery wall to hanging affordable statement art over the couch. They also make great gifts, giving you the ability to give someone something unique and handmade while still supporting a local artist.
You might be wondering why an art print would cost anything over 15$ or why people can't just print their own art prints on card stock from their home printer. This is where I'd like to introduce you to Giclee prints! (du-du-dAAAA!)
In short, Giclee art prints are "archival" meaning they are museum quality! (so you can stick your pinky out while you sip your coffee knowing the print you have is fit for MOMA!) The archival quality is achieved through high-resolution inkjet printers, archival pigment inks, and archival paper. I'll break this down for ya:
Local Printer:
I use a local printer who has all the fancy equipment for all of my art prints. It is a high resolution printer made just for printing artwork which helps ensure the quality of the work. I also love supporting my local art community and try to use local vendors almost exclusively and purchase as much supplies as I can through locally-owned and run businesses.
Archival pigment inks:
Giclee prints are printed with archival inks which are pigments (instead of dyes like other printers use). This gives the truest color and detail to help it look just like the original!
Highest Quality Archival Paper:
I print on 100% cotton cold pressed watercolor paper. It's some thick and delicious paper with some gorgeoussss texture, giving a look closer to the original painting. It's the highest quality of paper to print on and is acid free (which helps it resist yellowing and preserve its vibrancy and longevity.) Making quality purchases like this over cheaper art prints helps lower the waste of fast and cheaply made art prints.
So if you're not ready to invest in original paintings or are looking to supplement your art collection with some prints, just make sure what you're buying says Giclee or Archival in the description and you'll be good to go!
To care for your new archival print:
Protect your giclee print by keeping it away from direct sunlight and extreme humidity and temperature changes (like a bathroom without a fan). If you want to be super elite, consider framing it with UV-protective glass to prevent any fading.
Frame it behind glass! I prefer a mat with glass but you do you! If you prefer to not use mat or glass, look up "vintage art modge podge tutorial" to turn a paper print into one that looks like a vintage canvas piece.
Handle the print like you looove it. Washing your hands before handling the print so oils or schmuck gets on it! Larger prints come rolled in a paper tube for safe shipping so be careful when unrolling it. The print will keep its roll until you frame it but the frame will flatten it out. You can also lay it on a clean, flat surface and stack books on each corner.
