Real Color's HP Z3100 44" printer is dedicated to producing vivid accurate giclee reproductions of original artwork on canvas and art paper. This print is a computer generated image on canvas. Though this printer is much slower than other commercial units, it allows control over the number of passes and level of detail to ensure a high quality print.

Inside Scoop

Digital printing is prevalent in all areas of sign making, and many shops have invested in digital printers. However, with the economy struggling to recover, diversification may be not only wise but necessary for a small- to medium-sized sign shop to survive. You may already have the equipment to serve a group of potential customers out there who do not yet know that you can produce what they need. With a little bit of information and some market research, you may be able to add giclee printing to your repertoire.

So what exactly is giclee? It is a method of reproducing exhibit-quality prints of fine art originals on canvas or artist’s paper with high resolution and accurate color. Eight- and 12-color printers, such as those made by HP and Epson, offer a wider color gamut and 1,200 to 2,400 dpi resolution that is needed to capture the subtleties of color and detail necessary to make a salable reproduction. To learn more, I asked Richard Wells, of Real Color, Santa Cruz, Calif., to explain the ins and outs of giclee production.

The most likely customers are the artists who can bring any form of two-dimensional original work to be scanned with high-resolution digital capture, then manipulated in Photoshop and color calibrated to match the original. Proofs printed on the actual material are necessary to confirm accurate reproduction.

Unlike offset printing, giclee uses RGB-color mode, which has a much greater color gamut than CMYK. The original image file must be at least 200 dpi at 100-percent size, which makes for some very large files. A separate color profile must be established for each print media. Some printers offer stored profiles for their compatible materials, and the HP Z3100 printer at Real Color has a built-in spectrophotometer, which can create a custom profile for any media and store it.

Recent improvements in ink technology, such as aqueous-based pigmented inks, also have increased color accuracy and durability, resulting in prints that retain their original color and intensity for 125 years in typical interior display conditions. Digital reproduction recently has been accepted by the fine art world, once artists and galleries realized that the quality is equal to or better than other forms of reproduction.

Most prints do not require laminating, unless it is used to change the surface texture. The HP Z3100 can apply a liquid laminate enhancer as the ink is printed to give paper prints a satin or photo gloss finish. Sometimes canvas prints will be coated with varnish to protect the image or change the finish.

Giclee can be printed on several different grades of canvas with varying textural qualities, plus a wide range of fine art papers, which come in rolls and are treated to be compatible with the inks used. Most are not available backed with adhesive for mounting, so the finishing is another challenge that must be dealt with.

Canvas prints usually are stretched on wooden bars and framed, and paper prints are hung on archival board with acid-free tape at the top edge, then matted and framed with glass. This mounting method probably is best handled by referral to a framing shop because the necessary materials, equipment and skills are very specialized. Framing also is quite expensive, so if you offer a cost-effective alternative, you can add value to your product and make the prints more profitable for the artist, as well.

Most of the media can be mounted on foam board with the same commercial adhesive used to mount digital graphics, then framed with either wooden or metal frames or PVC edge channel. This method would be perfectly acceptable for commercial giclee reproduction, such as for corporate office buildings or hotel décor.

You will need to do a bit of market research to determine the rate in your area, but Real Color charges $50 for the digital scan, $90 for color calibration and initial proof, and $90 per hour for further editing. Printing costs are set at $18 per square foot for canvas and $15 for paper. Mounting on Gator foam adds an additional $10 per square foot, and framing is referred to a local frame shop.

If you have the right equipment and patience to work with artists on the time-consuming process of scanning, color profiling and proofing, giclee can be a profitable product line for a sign or print shop. Building good relationships with art galleries, frame shops and interior designers will help to establish a strong customer base and ensure a steady stream of fine art prints flowing out of your printer.