Giclée printing is a term adopted by the print industry for fine art digital prints produced on inkjet printers. For most professional printers this term “Giclée” is understood to represent the highest quality art prints available, however if taken as its literal translation, prints made using inferior methods and materials can be sold as Giclée prints simply by being carried out on an inkjet printer.
That is where Certified Giclée NZ looks to define the standard for Digital Art Reproduction. A Certified Giclée Print represents the highest standard of Art Print by using the best methods and materials available. Professional printers displaying the Certified Giclée NZ hallmark take pride in producing the highest quality fine art prints and adhering to the guidelines set out by Certified Giclée New Zealand. An art print displaying the Certified Giclée NZ hallmark means the best possible result.
Preparation of digital master files must be carried out using professional methods and equipment. Currently the highest standard is achieved by using professional grade, art specific scanners (see more of scanning below). Once digitised the master file will need to be colour corrected through a series of test prints. The original artist is involved in this stage as some colour matching to differing media surfaces may need subjective interpretation. The objective is to create a print that looks every bit as good as the original but give artists the freedom to explore other materials
| Scan | The original artwork is professionally digitalised by using a professional grade scanner. |
| Master File | The digital file is subjected to colour correction and print samples to get the output a close as possible to the original. Variations, if any are consulted with and approved by the original artists. |
| Printer | The Giclée prints must be printed on a printer designed for this purpose using professional grade archival pigment inks. |
| Media | Only archival art specific papers and materials that have been tested to assure their longevity can be used. |
| Resolution | A Certified Giclée NZ is created using high optical resolution and no digital artifacts are visible. |
| Process | The artist is always closely involved in the production process. |
| Certificate | Each Certified Giclée NZ comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist and the master printer |
| Hallmark | Each Certified Giclée NZ carries the Certified Giclée NZ logo |
| Membership | All print companies that are members of CGPNZ meet the stringent requirements that apply to the creation of Certified Giclée Prints NZ |
Scanning is currently the best way to create a digital master file of an artwork. Photographing with a professional studio rig can yield a similar result however uniformity of light and the fixed point perspective are both issues overcome by scanning.
With photographing artwork the camera is stationary so the perspective shifts from the centre of the artwork outwards. Scanning eliminates this as the scanners optics move parallel to the artwork so there are no tell-tale signs that it is a photo of an artwork.
Without the highest grade of camera equipment your master files will be subject to further shortfalls such as chromatic aberration, image softening towards edges and lens distortion.
There is no substitute for high quality optics and this is true for scanning also. A high dpi figure can be a misleading and is not the only contributing factor. Professional, purpose built art scanners use much higher grades of lenses, glass and sensors than those found in consumer and enthusiast targeted scanners.
Professional printers looking to become of Certified Giclée NZ print makers should contact us via our contact page and we’ll get back to you with a request for samples, specifications and details of your methodology. Membership is fairly inexpensive but will take some time as we'll need to assess the quality of your art reproduction.
Both artists and buyers of Certified Giclée NZ prints can be assured that their art prints are of an extremely high standard and will stay looking great for decades. The testing of archival media and inks extends beyond 70 years in reasonable conditions. UV exposure will vary this but responsible art owners can expect to enjoy their prints across generations.
