Giclee: Allpconline Company Blog
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Uploading images for giclee
About half of the files we receive for giclee are not fit to print. Here are a few reasons:
-Wrong format (We only accept Scitex, Tiff, PSD and Jpeg)
-Resolution is too low. We need at least 150 PPI for canvas giclee and 200 for paper. Any lower resolution may be printable but results will vary. The formula on resolution is 150 or 200 PPI at the size you need printed. Do not assume (like some other print shops tell you) that a low resolution image can be blown up by their "special" software and look good. There is no special software and they have are the same we have. It is possible to interpolate images up to a certain extent but we need to see the files and assess feasibilty.
-Highlights and shadow clipping or low contrast. Please check levels in Photoshop to make sure you have a good histogram. If unsure, e-mail us aor call us.
- Wrong proportions: if you upload a 16X20 and want a 30X40 the proportions are not the same. This is a very common problem we see.
Please read throughout the site for many hints and instruction regarding soft proofing and preparing files for giclee printing.
-Wrong format (We only accept Scitex, Tiff, PSD and Jpeg)
-Resolution is too low. We need at least 150 PPI for canvas giclee and 200 for paper. Any lower resolution may be printable but results will vary. The formula on resolution is 150 or 200 PPI at the size you need printed. Do not assume (like some other print shops tell you) that a low resolution image can be blown up by their "special" software and look good. There is no special software and they have are the same we have. It is possible to interpolate images up to a certain extent but we need to see the files and assess feasibilty.
-Highlights and shadow clipping or low contrast. Please check levels in Photoshop to make sure you have a good histogram. If unsure, e-mail us aor call us.
- Wrong proportions: if you upload a 16X20 and want a 30X40 the proportions are not the same. This is a very common problem we see.
Please read throughout the site for many hints and instruction regarding soft proofing and preparing files for giclee printing.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Giclee, T-Shirts, Pillows etc
We occasionally receive calls such as these: "Can you make giclee t-shirts?" or "Do you offer giclee printing on pillows?". Well, the answer is simple: No, we cannot! First, we do not have the capability to print on fabric. Second, there is not such thing as giclee printing on pillow or t-shirts fabrics. Giclee printing has certain requirements: one of them is the use of stable, archival substrates and aqueous based pigmented inks. Although decor giclee printing is now being done with solvent pigmented inks, the fact remains that the use of archival papers and canvas is an essential part of the process. Although there is no defined standard for giclee printing, we adhere to our own:
Aqueous pigmented inks
Giclee printers (Not signage printers incapable of high definition printing)
Archival papers and canvas
Skilled color management
Specialization: giclee printing is all we do - no brochure, pillow or t-shirt printing here! After all, would you trust anyone but a specialist when you are spending hundreds or thousands of dollars?
Aqueous pigmented inks
Giclee printers (Not signage printers incapable of high definition printing)
Archival papers and canvas
Skilled color management
Specialization: giclee printing is all we do - no brochure, pillow or t-shirt printing here! After all, would you trust anyone but a specialist when you are spending hundreds or thousands of dollars?
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Is it a Giclee?
As many already know, the term giclee has been used and abused; it started as a way of defining a high quality print on archival paper, made with archival pigment inks and by a skilled printmaker. Now I go to shows and "Mom and Pop" operations spit out prints with their Walmart bought $99 printers and call them "Giclee". Sometimes I want to ask: "Do you really understand what a giclee is? Do you realize you are deceiving customers and selling generic inkjet prints?". Then I stop and think: There is no known standard for giclee; after all there is no standard of definition of a sports car; no one can tell a car manufacturer they cannot define a car a sports car; if it has 4 wheels and looks sporty, it's a sports car. An informed buyer will know that a true sportscar such as a Carrera 911 is at a completely different level than a Hyundai Tiburon. The point I am trying to make is that any business can describe its products with fancy terms if there is no regulation on the use such terms. We adhere to strict standards we explain on the allpconline.com site. These standards are self imposed and derived by my experience as a printmaker in Los Angeles where it all started in the early 90s. Please read the info on our site and also the previous posts and archive on this blog; call other companies and ask questions regarding their giclee methodology. You will become more informed and possibly avoid costly mistakes.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Giclee on canvas vs paper
Although we carry a very wide gamut canvas (Epson Premium Satin), keep in mind that canvas giclee printing does not reproduce as wide of a color gamut as our art papers. This is due to the way canvas and paper are coated for pigment inkjet printing. Once the manufacturer starts with artist canvas, a few hurdles have to be overcome in order to make the canvas absorb the inks and create a binding layer with archival properties. The fabric is gessoed and then coated with a receptive layer. Manufacturers go through great length and research in order to widen the color gamut and create canvas that will produce a true giclee. The manufacturing process not only requires quite a bit of research and science. The top producers are all based in Europe, the US and Japan. Chinese canvas is much cheaper than the former but it shows in quality, consistency and archival properties. Many low price printers acquire Chinese canvas and sell prints as giclee work, which is, again, a questionable practice. Do not confuse Chinese made canvas with canvas made in China under the umbrella of big name manufacturers; After all Epson produces its ink cartridges in China but the quality is outstanding. How can you tell if a print job you order is made with a European or American canvas? Well, asking doesn't hurt, but keep in mind that in many instances you will not be able to tell right away. Chinese canvas may look OK at first and degrade in a matter of months; you may order a giclee today, then reorder another one of the same image in a month and get different color; inconsistency between batches is a telltale sign. Canvas rolls made in China cost 1/3 of premium canvas; you can see why it can be very attractive for a printer to go with it. Like all things in life, you get what you pay for. We insist on having the best printers, inks and papers available.
Giclee printing on paper renders wider gamuts but carries the same pitfalls regarding qulaity differences depending on whee it originates from; high end American and European papers are optical brightener free, which in simple terms means they are not bleached to make them whiter. You may ask why paper would be treated with OBAs. One reason is that people like bright papers. If top materials are used such as prim cotton pulp, it is not necessary to bleack. If subprime materials are used, bleaching is necessary, otherwise the paper base will be off white. Bleaching is not kind to papers; it will shift colors and make the papers yellow and brittle over time. In conclusion, if you are marketing giclee prints to a fine art buyer, do not settle for the lowest priced printing available as it eventually cause problems over time both in terms of archival properties as well as color consistency.
Giclee printing on paper renders wider gamuts but carries the same pitfalls regarding qulaity differences depending on whee it originates from; high end American and European papers are optical brightener free, which in simple terms means they are not bleached to make them whiter. You may ask why paper would be treated with OBAs. One reason is that people like bright papers. If top materials are used such as prim cotton pulp, it is not necessary to bleack. If subprime materials are used, bleaching is necessary, otherwise the paper base will be off white. Bleaching is not kind to papers; it will shift colors and make the papers yellow and brittle over time. In conclusion, if you are marketing giclee prints to a fine art buyer, do not settle for the lowest priced printing available as it eventually cause problems over time both in terms of archival properties as well as color consistency.
Friday, December 26, 2008
New color profiles for giclee printing
We are now using new enhanced color profile for our RIPs. The new profiles have even a higher color accuracy then before, with better shadow details. Because these are proprietary profiles, they cannot be used to soft proof. We will continue to provide regular ICC profiles for our clients as they are more than adequate to preview files for giclee printing.
Friday, December 12, 2008
New giclee wholesale service
We now offer pigment solvent giclee printing with the latest Pro Epson superwide format printer, the GS6000. We offer canvas and paper printing with pigment solvent inks at almost half the price of aqueous pigment printing. Our minimum giclee orders is 50 prints. Please contact us with any questions or if you desire a custom quote.
Our company of course continues to offer aqueous fine art printing; we realize that not everyone needs high end giclee printing if the ultimate use is for decor purposes, such as hotels or corporate offices. On the other end you will be surprised at the quality of the new solvent pigments on canvas; great color and gradations!
Our company of course continues to offer aqueous fine art printing; we realize that not everyone needs high end giclee printing if the ultimate use is for decor purposes, such as hotels or corporate offices. On the other end you will be surprised at the quality of the new solvent pigments on canvas; great color and gradations!
Labels: giclee
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Will my Giclee look exactly as the image on my screen?
This is probably the most asked question regarding giclee printing: we have a page dedicated to soft proofing your giclee. If you follow the directions and have a good monitor which is hardware calibrated, you will be able to get a good handle on how the prints will come out. This said, there are a few factors that can throw a curve against an accurate preview:
First, a monitor uses transmissive light. In other words, the image you see on the screen is illuminated from behind, just like a slide. This can cause the image on the screen to look like it is brighter than it actually is. What can you do? Always check the histogram to see if there is any clipping in the shadows and also where the bulk of the histogram information resides. If you have a normal density image and you see most of the information in the left half, then this is a good indication that the brightness is not correct. On the other hand a low key image is expected to show what I just described and it is just fine. A high key image should instead have most of the information on the right half. If this is a little confusing and you do not know how to read an histogram in Photoshop, please read the help file. Histograms are not monitor dependent and can provide very valuable information to set up an image for giclee printing.
Second, make sure your ambient lighting in the room where you have your calibrated monitor must be constant. If you color correct and adjust brightness in a sunny room, do not expect to see the same results when it is dark or artificial lights are on. If you cannot control ambient lighting, try to calibrated and edit images for example in the evening with the same type of illumination.
Finally, even with all these variables under control, it is still not a precise science; we offer a low cost giclee proofing service where you can receive proofs of your images on the same materials as the final output.
First, a monitor uses transmissive light. In other words, the image you see on the screen is illuminated from behind, just like a slide. This can cause the image on the screen to look like it is brighter than it actually is. What can you do? Always check the histogram to see if there is any clipping in the shadows and also where the bulk of the histogram information resides. If you have a normal density image and you see most of the information in the left half, then this is a good indication that the brightness is not correct. On the other hand a low key image is expected to show what I just described and it is just fine. A high key image should instead have most of the information on the right half. If this is a little confusing and you do not know how to read an histogram in Photoshop, please read the help file. Histograms are not monitor dependent and can provide very valuable information to set up an image for giclee printing.
Second, make sure your ambient lighting in the room where you have your calibrated monitor must be constant. If you color correct and adjust brightness in a sunny room, do not expect to see the same results when it is dark or artificial lights are on. If you cannot control ambient lighting, try to calibrated and edit images for example in the evening with the same type of illumination.
Finally, even with all these variables under control, it is still not a precise science; we offer a low cost giclee proofing service where you can receive proofs of your images on the same materials as the final output.
Labels: giclee
