ALISTER DERRICK

The Giclée Process

Giclée printing is a fine art printing process using pigment-based inks. The French word “Giclée” actually means to spray or squirt, which is how an ink-jet printer works.

The original painting is scanned at extremely high resolution using ‘Uberscan’, considered the most sophisticated fine art scanning technology in the world.  The machine used is a Cruse Synchron ST FA285. 

After scanning, the image colours are reviewed and adjusted as necessary in an effort to achieve an end result as close to the original as possible. The painting is then printed at small scale as many times as necessary, tweaking colours along the way, again to achieve a result as close to the original as possible.  When the Giclée printers think they have a match, the artist is contacted for an on-site review of the proof.  Further proofs are created as necessary until finally a proof is approved by the artist for reproduction. Finally, the piece is reproduced on canvas.  This can be a lengthy process!   

Our giclees are created by Colourgenics Fine Art Imaging, a high-end print lab in Toronto producing museum-quality reproductions (using premium archival canvas). If treated properly, these fine art reproductions should last a lifetime. 

Limited

The Giclée reproductions of paintings on canvas, at their original size are limited to 100 per painting. These also come with numbered certificates of authenticity.

Smaller size reproductions on canvas or other mediums are not offered as limited editions.

Mounting Your Giclée 

Our canvas prints include 3 inch wrap borders, to facilitate stretching by professionals onto gallery stretcher frames with 1.5 inch thickness profiles.