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WHAT IS A GICLEE?

A giclee (zhee-CLAY), is an individually produced, high-resolution, high-fidelity, high tech reproduction done on a special large format printer. Giclees are produced from digital scans of existing artwork.

Giclees developed from the combination of modern state-of-the-art technology and traditional fine art. They are superior to traditional lithography in nearly every way. The colors are brighter, last longer, and are so high-resolution that they are virtually continuous tone', rather than tiny dots. The range, or "gamut" of color for giclees is far beyond that of lithography, and details are crisper.

Lithography uses tiny dots of four colors to fool the eye into seeing various hues and shades. Colors are "created" by printing different size dots of these four colors. Our giclees are made with multiple colors on a professional quality printer using inkjet technology, but this device is far more sophisticated than your average desktop printer. The process employs multiple colors of light fast (fade resistant) pigmented inks which are applied with finer, and more numerous, print heads resulting in a wider color range. The ink is sprayed onto the page, actually mixing the color on the page to create truer shades and hues.

Giclees were originally developed as a proofing system for traditional lithographic printing presses, but it soon became apparent that the presses were having a hard time delivering the quality and brilliant color of the giclee proofs. Soon the advantages of Giclees made them the favorite means of reproduction in the art world. They are coveted by collectors for their fidelity and quality, and desired by galleries and artists alike because they don't have to be produced in huge quantities as with traditional printing means, along with the large investment of capital and storage that was traditionally required. In addition, Giclees are produced directly from a digital file, eliminating the need for detail-robbing negatives and printing plates used with traditional litho printing.

Our giclees are produced individually by Bob Bickers to exacting standards on high-quality, high-resolution, glossy photographic paper. They are then mounted on acid-free board to prevent warping or curling. Bob's photographic prints are produced the same way. Each giclee and print is carefully inspected for quality and packaged with support by flat foam board and sealed in plastic. It is recommended that Giclees or prints ordered for shipping by mail or UPS be shipped by heavy-duty mail tube for protection and safe delivery. Also, prints can be mounted on sturdy board for a small additional fee.

For maximum print life, giclees and prints should always be protected from extended exposure to the sun or strong light sources, especially those that produce harmful ultraviolet radiation.

Sizes given for prints and giclees represent the actual size of the image, in inches. Total size of the giclee print is usually one inch greater, edge to edge.

Prints and Giclees are individually signed by the artist.