Reproduction Print (Giclee)

“Print” can refer to any sort of reproduction of a piece of artwork. 

An “original print” is an artwork that has been manually created by a printmaker – drawn, carved, inked – and printed on a printing press by an artist. Etching, lithograph, silkscreen, collagraph, monotypes etc are all forms of original print. These traditional printmaking techniques are generally regarded as fine art prints and artists who work within these mediums are skilled in the craft of printmaking. 

An original print is not a reproduction of an original. Each piece is handcrafted in its own right and will be authenticated by the artist as an artist proof (a working print) or a limited edition. The quantity of prints that can be made is limited by the durability of the material used, which can be metal, silk, wood or even cardboard! Hence the expression “Limited Edition” 

A giclee print is a reproduction/copy of an original artwork. It is not the original unless stated by the artist, when an artwork has been created digitally and therefore only exists in this form. Giclee is a French term meaning “to spray”, referring to how an inkjet printer works.