Giclee

Many people wonder about technical specifications when they prepare files to be printed. Two common questions are resolution and color space. Generally speaking a minimum resolution of 200 dpi is needed at the size the image is going to be printed. This is true for media such as canvas or watercolor. When using high definition photo papers I recommend at least 300 dpi.

For example, if ordering a 30X40" print, generally it is required to have a file that measures 30X40" at 200 dpi. The color space mostly worked with is RGB. There are different flavors: I recommend Adobe RGB for the simple reason it offers a wider color gamut and therefore better color range. There is no loss going from CMYK to RGB as RGB has a wider gamut than CMYK.

Additional information on how color output can be kept constant please see our color correcting for giclee article.
Giclee printing tasks are normally executed with a RIP software designed to apply very smooth curves and achieve the best possible image rendition. There are proprietary profiles designed for the papers used. RIP stands for Raster Image Processing: software interprets the digital data to apply colors and tones to an extent not possible with printer supplied drivers.

There is a belief held by an old school mentality that Iris printers are the best and nothing else is as good. We very much disagree: Iris technology is more than 15 years old and the new generation of printing machines such as Epson, Roland and others are far better and more sophisticated than Iris. I worked with Iris 3047 and although it was a marvel of technology in its time, other guys have come along and lead the way. Another advantage of these new printers is that (opposite to the 4 color Iris) they use 6, 7 or even more colors. Metamerism is almost non existent because of the profiling and pigment based inks.
Please see previewing your images on screen for potential fine art reproduction issues for more information on giclee printing methodology.
If you would like to discuss the merits of what we wrote in our giclee printing methodology or have questions, please feel free to contact me.

Pricing a giclée print

Now you have printed your giclees. They look beautiful and they are ready to be showed and sold. But how do you price them?

A starting point to look at the question is to see how much your original is selling for. Second, is the giclée on a quality material such as canvas or watercolor paper? Finally, are you making a limited edition and is it signed?

All these factors affect the pricing of the art reproductions you are selling. And of course, most important, how much demand for your work is there?

It is unrealistic to charge hundreds or thousands of dollars for a giclée edition if your originals are not selling for multiples. Creating excitement and a buzz for a LE is as important as securing gallery shows and attracting qualified buyers. Always hand sign a giclée print. An edition certificate is great but your signature is on the giclée and is part of the art.

I am sorry I cannot give you a formula but all of the points above can greatly affect pricing. As a rule of thumb I have never seen a giclée selling for more than 50% of the price of the original. The exception to the rule is when an artist works with paint over a giclée (embellishing) and sometimes does not even sell the original, therefore creating unique art with every print.

Finally, let's look at the potential profits of producing a limited edition canvas giclée print: we will assume that the number is 50, 20X24". The setup cost for scanning is $35. The unit cost is $45 X 50 = $2,250. Total cost of producing the edition is $2,285. Now you sell the canvas giclees, stretched, for $150. Times 50 is $7,500, which means at least $3,000 in profits once you consider the stretching costs and time involved. And I am assuming you will only charge $150 per print and will not embellish the giclée, which of course will bring more money. Your buyers will be thrilled to have one of only 50 or 100 prints available. Best of all, you do not have to order the whole edition printing all at once!

One could ask why a buyer would pay 100, 200 or even 4000 dollars for a giclée; people do! It is all about demand and offer. How many buyers are there for your work and how many pieces are available? Nowadays a flood of knockoff, mass produced paintings from Europe and China are flooding the market. These are hand painted pieces that can be bought for $100 or $200. Will they ever amount to anything in value? The answer is no, because they come out by the thousands. I strongly encourage people interested in giclée to read this dissertation on giclée.

You are already on the Internet: do a search for giclée prints and see the prices compared to the originals. Many artist websites will list both.