About Giclee Prints

Giclee (zhe-clay) printing produces the highest quality color reproduction and resolution possible today. It is used almost exclusively for fine art reproduction. Unlike a poster, or lithograph that is sheet-fed on a printing press (where hundreds of prints are produced instantly), giclees are produced individually.

After extensive pre-press work and “proofing” by the artist, it takes more than an hour to print just one giclee. The giclee printer and artist’s goal is to reproduce what was painted (in oil, acrylic, watercolor, or mixed media) in ink, so the eye can barely distinguish the difference. Giclees have no visible dot pattern and so closely match an artist’s rendering that they are often mistaken for originals.

Prominent art museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim, MOMA, Los Angeles Museum of Art, Smithsonian, and many other art institutions have hosted exhibitions featuring giclee prints. Their high value in the art world is a function of reproductive quality, and the demand for an artist’s work.

It is mandatory that our artists play an active role in the process of printing to insure the color and fidelity to the original painting. At Goldwoman Fine Art, we are integrally involved in the elaborate production of every print.

Canvas, or Archival Paper, and Framing
(Scroll down under each image in our Art Gallery for all choices.)

Giclees are richly printed on either canvas, or archival paper:

• Canvas: You may choose to print an image on high quality canvas, so it looks like an original oil, or acrylic painting.
• Archival Paper: “Archival” is another term used for high quality watercolor paper that is heavy, somewhat textured, and designed to absorb ink in a way that preserves an image for several hundred years. We typically print on Lyson, Somerset, or Arches paper. Our printers determine the best quality paper for a particular image, with your input, if desired.

If you print your giclee on Archival Paper, you would need to have it matted and framed on your own. If you print on canvas you have two choices for framing:

• Framer’s Wrap: This is a 1” wooden frame that we wrap the canvas around. Typically, the wrapped canvas on all four sides is black and secured around “stretcher bars.” You could hang it directly on your walls, or have it professionally framed on your own.
• Gallery Wrap: This is a 2” wooden frame that we wrap the canvas around in the same manner as above. We recommend this for large images printed on canvas.

Also, custom sizes are available upon request.  Please contact Goldwoman for more information.

Limited, Signed Edition Giclee Prints

Giclees are individually signed and numbered by the respective artist. Upon purchase, your giclee will be accompanied with a Certificate of Authenticity. When you invest in a giclee, you will receive a museum quality, signed, limited edition print that will last for generations, and increase in value.

All our prints are published in limited editions of 100 per size (Large, Medium, Small, and Mini). For instance, if you invested in Selma’s large-size Blue Nude, you may receive   #22/100 with a Certificate of Authenticity.

When a limited edition is complete, it is “sold out.” This means that Goldwoman Fine Art will not publish any more prints of that particular image. So, a limited edition makes your print valuable to collectors, since there are a limited number in the world.