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I’m often asked what the difference is between traditional giclée and digital art prints. I thought it might be useful to create a blog here to help explain the differences.
While all of my artwork can be purchased as a giclée print, I have only recently begun to offer some of my work as printed digitally. Every artist who uses a computer has a different definition for “digital.”
For me, if an image is created entirely by hand by me, at home, and then transferred directly to the printing company, that is a digital print. The process may involve creating layers of images and manipulating digital filters to achieve the look I want, but it is a one-step process from my drawing board to the printer.
If the image originates in my computer but then travels through many hands before reaching the printer – at home or in their studio – it is not digital. For example, if I scan in an image that I drew with pencil and ink on paper, it then goes back to my computer where I manipulate it digitally before sending it on to the printer, it is no longer digital.
Now with all this said, let
All giclée and art prints are not created equally, as this article will explain. The terms giclée and digital art print can be confusing, especially when both are included in a company’s name. This article will help clarify the differences between traditional giclée and digital prints and how they affect your artwork.
TIP: Digital vs Traditional Prints
This blog discusses the differences between traditional giclée and digital prints, but what about the other printing processes such as lithographs, serigraphs, or offset? There is not much difference between them. Rather than repeat the same information for each print type, the online resource “A Guide to Art Prints” explains each print type along with an explanation of how to determine which is best for you.
Giclée vs Offset vs Digital Prints – Which is Best?
Now that you understand the different types of art prints, you need to consider which process is best for you. Traditional giclée is more expensive than digital but also produces richer colors, with a wider color gamut (color range) and higher resolution (more detail). Giclées are also archival quality, meaning they are made with fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-
You may have heard the terms giclée print and digital art prints. What is the difference between these two printing methods?
The word giclée has its origins in French and means “to spray”. It is a process of ink-jet printing that was first developed by a company called “Giclée”. They have since become the leading company in this industry.
Today there are many different companies that produce their own version of this printing technique, such as Fine Art America and Saal Digital. This type of printing is also referred to as fine art inkjet printing.
When it comes to giclée print quality, there is no comparison to traditional prints. Giclée prints are made using Epson UltraChrome HDR Ink, which makes them archival and resistant to fading or discoloring over time and also allows for a wide gamut of colors. Traditional prints use water based inks that can easily fade or discolor over time.
There are many artists who use digital tools to create art. Digital art is quite different from traditional art and often difficult for people to understand. So if you are interested in digital art or have questions about digital art, this article will help you learn more about it.
Here is a definition of digital art:
Digital Art: An image that is created on a computer, but may include some hand drawing, painting, or artistic elements.
It can also be used more broadly to refer to any work of art that exists only as a digital file, such as an image that was uploaded online.
Digital Art Prints: Professional quality canvas prints and stretched canvases with fast turnaround times and excellent customer service.
Price: There is no difference in price between giclée and digital prints; both are equally priced by the artist. The price differences you see on the websites are due to the cost of setting up an account with each company (and sometimes the cost of any extras).**
I think of the giclée process as being a little more akin to dyeing or painting than it is to photography. I find that it gives the image a richer, more painterly feel. With the digital process, in contrast, I feel that the image has a more graphic quality.
The difference would be analogous to the difference between photographs on canvas versus photographs on paper. The latter are more tactile and have a different quality altogether due to their surface. Likewise, with giclée prints on canvas there is an added dimension due to the textural nature of the surface. I’m not saying one is better than another; they’re just different and have their own unique qualities.
**I know this all might sound a bit like marketing hype to you; after all, isn’t any art print basically just a photo? But I assure you that there really are distinct differences between these two processes and the resulting art prints. And I can vouch for it firsthand because both my company and my wife’s company use each process.”
It’s very important to know the differences between traditional and digital printing processes. It’s important because it can make a huge difference in the quality of your art prints. Ask any artist and they will tell you that they would love to have their art on a high quality print. But there is a difference between a high quality print and just an average print, especially if you are purchasing your print online. There are also many different types of prints available for purchase online that can be easily confused for one another. Like Giclée prints, for example, which we will be discussing in this blog post.
T-shirt Printing vs. Digital Printing
It’s very important to understand the differences between the two printing processes before making a purchase from an online company. T-shirt printing is just that, t-shirt printing and you can expect the quality of the final product to reflect that. A shirt is made out of 100% cotton and therefore has a much softer feel than other substrates that art is printed on such as wood or metal or glass. The surface texture is also quite different than other mediums like canvas or paper. This texture can become more apparent when you apply ink to it, causing some ink colors to look blotchy or streaky when they are printed
Giclee and digital prints are both modern versions of traditional printmaking. Both types of prints are made on a printing press, ink is transferred from a plate to a piece of paper. However, the process of making each differs.
Giclée printers have been around for many years however the difference between giclée and digital prints are only recently being discussed. Giclée printers use pigment inks that may fade over time. Digital printers use water-based inks that tend to last longer than giclée inks but don’t possess the same quality as giclée prints.
Tone:Informative