Printing on Canvas (giclee) or watercolor?

dmfw · 10-23-2011, 06:59 PM

Looking for personal recommendations for a mail order photo house that prints art, from photos, on Canvas (11x14 or 16x20) using the giclee process. (Also, watercolor.)

I tried my local Costco, and they are OK but I need a more professional result

Thanks

PS

Also, is there any print on canvas process that uses oil, eg. like a real painting?

vonBaloney · 10-23-2011, 07:21 PM

You know "giclee" is just a made-up french-sounding word that means "printed on inkjet printer". We have used WhiteHouse for non-canvas stuff and they are very professional (they also do canvas, but we haven't tried that yet). There is another place that is highly recommended for big canvas prints but the name escapes me. I will look it up for you shortly and post back here. Again, haven't actually used them but we did this research a while back to find the most recommended labs.

vonBaloney · 10-25-2011, 09:39 AM

artisticphotocanvas.com was the site I was thinking of. I haven't used them yet, but they come highly recommended, and they don't gouge you on the shipping like some others...

JenniferLeigh · 11-08-2011, 12:59 PM

Originally posted by vonBaloney

You know "giclee" is just a made-up french-sounding word that means "printed on inkjet printer".

Yes and no. Giclee was taken from a french word which means "to spray/squirt", however that doesn't mean that anything you print off your consumer printer is a "giclee". A giclee print is a term used to describe high quality, archival, fine art print. Yes, they are printed with an inkjet printer using archival inks and media.

Originally posted by dmfw

Looking for personal recommendations for a mail order photo house that prints art, from photos, on Canvas (11x14 or 16x20) using the giclee process. (Also, watercolor.)

I tried my local Costco, and they are OK but I need a more professional result

Thanks

PS

Also, is there any print on canvas process that uses oil, eg. like a real painting?

No, there is no process that uses oil for printing. I'd suggest looking in your area for a specialized giclee printer, instead of all in one print shops like Cosco.

vonBaloney · 11-08-2011, 01:24 PM

Originally posted by JenniferLeigh

Yes and no. Giclee was taken from a french word which means "to spray/squirt", however that doesn't mean that anything you print off your consumer printer is a "giclee". A giclee print is a term used to describe high quality, archival, fine art print. Yes, they are printed with an inkjet printer using archival inks and media.

Yes, but when labs use the term, they are just printing on their inkjet printers. (The same printers you can buy for home use in many cases -- these usually aren't $10,000 monster industrial machines as some might imagine, but just an Epson 3880 or the like.) Archival ink, yes. But there is no "giclee process" per se, nor does it have to meet any archival standard for anyone to use the term as it has no official meaning. I make high quality, archival, fine art prints in my own home with my pro level printer, but I am just not cynical enough to call them "giclee" on my listings. Anyway, it is really just a marketing term with the basic intention to mislead you that you are getting something fancier than you might think...

JenniferLeigh · 11-08-2011, 05:44 PM

Originally posted by vonBaloney

Yes, but when labs use the term, they are just printing on their inkjet printers. (The same printers you can buy for home use in many cases -- these usually aren't $10,000 monster industrial machines as some might imagine, but just an Epson 3880 or the like.) Archival ink, yes. But there is no "giclee process" per se, nor does it have to meet any archival standard for anyone to use the term as it has no official meaning. I make high quality, archival, fine art prints in my own home with my pro level printer, but I am just not cynical enough to call them "giclee" on my listings. Anyway, it is really just a marketing term with the basic intention to mislead you that you are getting something fancier than you might think...

Sure giclee is a marketing term, but it's intention isn't to mislead. It's intention was to distinguish fine art prints and commercial inkjet prints. It is used fairly regularly with artists, photographers, galleries and collectors.

Quality inkjet printers capable of creating fine art prints are not expensive.. I think because of this, it's an easy add on service for labs and digital printers. This is why I suggest choosing a company that specializes specifically in fine art printer.

Anyways, I don't want to derail this thread too much.

To the OP: I know you said you were looking for a mail order service, however check out what is available locally. Living in Dallas I'm sure you have many options, plus you can go to the shop and check out samples.

vonBaloney · 11-08-2011, 07:22 PM

Originally posted by JenniferLeigh

Sure giclee is a marketing term, but it's intention isn't to mislead. It's intention was to distinguish fine art prints and commercial inkjet prints. It is used fairly regularly with artists, photographers, galleries and collectors.

I'll have to disagree with you there -- heck, that's the point of all marketing terms. Remember we are talking about a made-up word based on French but not actually French -- it's a new word. The guy that coined it wanted specifically to make it sound like something not made with a computer printer or be associated with being "computer-generated" in any way. It was originally applied to prints from a particular printer he was working with, and was later co-opted by other printers and artists for the same reason -- to get computers out of your head and to sound "artsy". Which is fine, but still the basic intention is not to "clarify" but cause an emotional reaction (French, artsy) that will get you to buy stuff...

philbaum · 11-09-2011, 12:05 AM

Giclee prints imply more than using an ink jet printer. The ink that is used contains fine particles of colored solids as opposed to most consumer inks which are in liquid format only. The giclee solids mean that the resulting print is far more resistant to fading than the normal consumer ink jet.

If you order a canvas print, make sure they apply a "sealing coat" which helps to protect the art from UV and allows one to wipe off the surface when it gets dirty. If you don't get the sealer, the print on canvas will register fingerprints just like a print on paper.

**Schraubstock** · 11-09-2011, 09:40 PM

Hi

The world leading and only authority on preservation of traditional and digital printing is "Wilhelm Imaging Research".

Wilhelm Imaging Research

10-23-2011, 06:59 PM	#1
dmfw Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Dallas, Tx Photos: Albums Posts: 159	Printing on Canvas (giclee) or watercolor? Looking for personal recommendations for a mail order photo house that prints art, from photos, on Canvas (11x14 or 16x20) using the giclee process. (Also, watercolor.) I tried my local Costco, and they are OK but I need a more professional result Thanks PS Also, is there any print on canvas process that uses oil, eg. like a real painting?

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10-23-2011, 07:21 PM	#2
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	You know "giclee" is just a made-up french-sounding word that means "printed on inkjet printer". We have used WhiteHouse for non-canvas stuff and they are very professional (they also do canvas, but we haven't tried that yet). There is another place that is highly recommended for big canvas prints but the name escapes me. I will look it up for you shortly and post back here. Again, haven't actually used them but we did this research a while back to find the most recommended labs.

10-25-2011, 09:39 AM	#3
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	artisticphotocanvas.com was the site I was thinking of. I haven't used them yet, but they come highly recommended, and they don't gouge you on the shipping like some others...

11-08-2011, 12:59 PM	#4
JenniferLeigh Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Southern Alberta Posts: 281	Originally posted by vonBaloney You know "giclee" is just a made-up french-sounding word that means "printed on inkjet printer". Yes and no. Giclee was taken from a french word which means "to spray/squirt", however that doesn't mean that anything you print off your consumer printer is a "giclee". A giclee print is a term used to describe high quality, archival, fine art print. Yes, they are printed with an inkjet printer using archival inks and media. Originally posted by dmfw Looking for personal recommendations for a mail order photo house that prints art, from photos, on Canvas (11x14 or 16x20) using the giclee process. (Also, watercolor.) I tried my local Costco, and they are OK but I need a more professional result Thanks PS Also, is there any print on canvas process that uses oil, eg. like a real painting? No, there is no process that uses oil for printing. I'd suggest looking in your area for a specialized giclee printer, instead of all in one print shops like Cosco.

11-08-2011, 01:24 PM	#5
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	Originally posted by JenniferLeigh Yes and no. Giclee was taken from a french word which means "to spray/squirt", however that doesn't mean that anything you print off your consumer printer is a "giclee". A giclee print is a term used to describe high quality, archival, fine art print. Yes, they are printed with an inkjet printer using archival inks and media. Yes, but when labs use the term, they are just printing on their inkjet printers. (The same printers you can buy for home use in many cases -- these usually aren't $10,000 monster industrial machines as some might imagine, but just an Epson 3880 or the like.) Archival ink, yes. But there is no "giclee process" per se, nor does it have to meet any archival standard for anyone to use the term as it has no official meaning. I make high quality, archival, fine art prints in my own home with my pro level printer, but I am just not cynical enough to call them "giclee" on my listings. Anyway, it is really just a marketing term with the basic intention to mislead you that you are getting something fancier than you might think...

11-08-2011, 05:44 PM	#6
JenniferLeigh Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Southern Alberta Posts: 281	Originally posted by vonBaloney Yes, but when labs use the term, they are just printing on their inkjet printers. (The same printers you can buy for home use in many cases -- these usually aren't $10,000 monster industrial machines as some might imagine, but just an Epson 3880 or the like.) Archival ink, yes. But there is no "giclee process" per se, nor does it have to meet any archival standard for anyone to use the term as it has no official meaning. I make high quality, archival, fine art prints in my own home with my pro level printer, but I am just not cynical enough to call them "giclee" on my listings. Anyway, it is really just a marketing term with the basic intention to mislead you that you are getting something fancier than you might think... Sure giclee is a marketing term, but it's intention isn't to mislead. It's intention was to distinguish fine art prints and commercial inkjet prints. It is used fairly regularly with artists, photographers, galleries and collectors. Quality inkjet printers capable of creating fine art prints are not expensive.. I think because of this, it's an easy add on service for labs and digital printers. This is why I suggest choosing a company that specializes specifically in fine art printer. Anyways, I don't want to derail this thread too much. To the OP: I know you said you were looking for a mail order service, however check out what is available locally. Living in Dallas I'm sure you have many options, plus you can go to the shop and check out samples.

11-08-2011, 07:22 PM	#7
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	Originally posted by JenniferLeigh Sure giclee is a marketing term, but it's intention isn't to mislead. It's intention was to distinguish fine art prints and commercial inkjet prints. It is used fairly regularly with artists, photographers, galleries and collectors. I'll have to disagree with you there -- heck, that's the point of all marketing terms. Remember we are talking about a made-up word based on French but not actually French -- it's a new word. The guy that coined it wanted specifically to make it sound like something not made with a computer printer or be associated with being "computer-generated" in any way. It was originally applied to prints from a particular printer he was working with, and was later co-opted by other printers and artists for the same reason -- to get computers out of your head and to sound "artsy". Which is fine, but still the basic intention is not to "clarify" but cause an emotional reaction (French, artsy) that will get you to buy stuff...

11-09-2011, 12:05 AM	#8
philbaum Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Port Townsend, Washington State, USA Posts: 3,659	Giclee prints imply more than using an ink jet printer. The ink that is used contains fine particles of colored solids as opposed to most consumer inks which are in liquid format only. The giclee solids mean that the resulting print is far more resistant to fading than the normal consumer ink jet. If you order a canvas print, make sure they apply a "sealing coat" which helps to protect the art from UV and allows one to wipe off the surface when it gets dirty. If you don't get the sealer, the print on canvas will register fingerprints just like a print on paper.

11-09-2011, 09:40 PM	#9
Schraubstock Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Melbourne Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,386	Hi The world leading and only authority on preservation of traditional and digital printing is "Wilhelm Imaging Research". Wilhelm Imaging Research