Giclee or Iris prints are created by scanning an original piece of artwork or a transparency of an original piece of artwork onto a computer where the image can be manipulated by the artist, if needed. The image is then sprayed on to high quality paper or canvas using vegetable dyes instead of inks or paint as in most other reproduction processes such as serigraphy, lithography, etching, engraving, etc. The process allows for over 3 million color possibilities, and because the information is stored on disk, the full edition can be done on an as needed basis.
The giclee process was originally designed to produce high quality commercial graphics for advertising. The dyes used were developed for high quality, short term use. When the process was eventually used by publishers and artists to produce limited editions, the longevity of the vegetable dyes was tested. The commercially used dyes used were not permanent - fading after a few years under normal lighting.
Computer Generated Prints: Real or Fake?
#2. The internet and many "Comercial"Galleries are flooded with these types of reproductions. Many flog them off as real Fine Art Prints. They are not. Even some artists have used this form of reproduction and have signed and numbered the prints as if they were a true edition done using traditional techniques. Look for a Master printers "chop"on any prints you are interested in. This is a small often embossed and colored design designateing the shop where the prints were made and the Master Printer who made them. With out this mark, buyer beware!
#3. In the art market like any financially driven comodity market you will find that sometimes greed over rides ethics. So, it is possible that you find an authentic print with a "chop", signed and dated by the artists and even numbered. But look at the second number of the edition. That will tell you the number of prints that were made. This number seldom exceeds 100, but can sometimes run as high as 200. ie: 25/200 . The greater the edition, the less value your print will have. If you are holding a print with the number of 4/20, then you have the forth print pulled of an edition of 20. This makes your print much more rarer than if you have a a print numbered 4/2500.
#4. The type of paper that a print has been made on is an indicator of, the quality of the work, the care the artists took in choosing the paper, and the integrity of the master printer who made the prints. Look for high quality paper that has a high rag content, or expensive hand made Japanese papers.
#5. Canvas transfers are essentially offset lithographs where the image has literally been lifted off the paper and placed on canvas. The image looks as though it was painted on the canvas because of the texture of the canvas. Again, the edition sizes are usually quite large. Again, these can be bulk produced and there are many companies online that allow users to set up their own shops , and turn any and every image they want to into simulated paintings. These are not real paintings and will never be an investment as real art can be.
Art Facts