What makes a giclee print is the combination of high resolution, paper choice, pigment-based inks and inkjet printer. How are giclee prints made? Giclee prints are made with a number of materials and technologies. There are those who would argue that applying the term “giclee printing” to a work is done with the sole intention of charging a higher price however, for a work to be truly giclee, there are three basic requirements that must be met. Today, however, it is generally accepted that a giclee print can be entirely created in a digital workflow on a modern computer application, like Illustrator or Creative Cloud editions of Adobe Photoshop. Originally, the word, “giclee” was used to describe digital reproductions of conventional artworks (painting or drawing) or photographs. The intention of giclee printing is to produce a product at a higher quality and with a longer lifespan than a standard desktop inkjet printer. Giclee printing is a type of inkjet printing, but not all inkjet prints are giclee prints.

In 1991, printmaker Jack Duganne coined the term for fine digital prints that are made on inkjet printers. Originating from the French term, “la giclée,” it means, “that which is sprayed or squirted.” Giclee printing began in the 1980s, when high-resolution digital scans were used in conjunction with archival quality inks. Giclee printing (pronounced zhee-clay ) is a method of printing to create high quality prints.

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