Recently there has been much misunderstanding about the meaning of fine art prints, limited edition prints and reproductions. This confusion has been caused by artists who have had cheap reproductions made of their paintings and advertised them as limited edition prints when in fact they were little more than signed posters. Many well known contemporary artists have done this. Often these editions are high in number, sometimes many thousands. Commercial printers are usually retained to produce these editions and the artist rarely if ever touches them until they sign and number each sheet. Sometimes even that step can be automated. Fine art prints and reproductions (Giclee)Fine art prints, whether originals or reproductions of paintings, limited or open, are created using archival quality, pigment-based inks on high quality, acid-free art paper. Prints (Giclee) Limited edition fine art prints (Giclee)Traditionally, limited edition fine art prints are created by the artist in one continuous process, from creation of the image, plate or screen, to publishing of the edition. Each print is inspected by the artist and then numbered and signed in pencil. Open edition fine art prints (Giclee)Traditionally, open edition fine art prints are created by the artist in one continuous process. The term "prints" indicates that there is no original. Each image, plate or screen has been created by the artist. Each print is inspected by the artist and then numbered and signed in pencil. Reproductions (Giclee) Limited edition fine art reproductions (Giclee)A copy of a work of art done in any other medium is a reproduction, no matter how limited the number made or how they were created. But some are better than others and are of more interest to collectors. While commercial reproductions, even though they may be limited, are nothing more than posters and have no lasting value, limited edition fine art reproductions, on the other hand, are printed, often by the artist, using archival quality, pigment-based inks on acid-free, high quality art paper. Whereas commercial lithographs may fade after only a few years, sometimes months, limited edition fine art reproductions can last more than a lifetime under normal viewing conditions. Open edition fine art reproductions (Giclee)Open edition fine art reproductions are the same as limited edition fine art reproductions except that they are open and the edition size is not limited. Certificate of Authenticity (required in both cases)A limited edition print must be accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity, signed by the artist, that describes the complete process including production methods, ink, type of paper, number of proofs, light fastness, etc. A few words about GicleeGiclee (pronounced Gee'clay) is a French term meaning to spray or squirt. Our fine art prints and reproductions, or Giclees, use inkjet technology, but far more sophisticated than your desktop printer. The process we use employs eight colors -- Light Light Black, Light Black, Black, Cyan, Light Cyan, Magenta, Light Magenta and Yellow, -- of lightfast inks and finer, more numerous, and replaceable printheads. This combination results in a wider color gamut, and the ability to use various media to print on. As the ink is sprayed onto the page it is actually mixed to create true colors. Limited edition reproductions (commercial)Traditional commercial lithography uses tiny dots of four colors--cyan, magenta, yellow and black--to fool the eye into seeing various hues and shades. Colors are "created" by printing different size dots of these four colors. Commercial lithography is usually not printed on acid-free paper and will most certainly fade over time. Commercial lithography is similar to a poster or brochure and has no lasting value for the collector.
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