Giclee refers to fine art digital prints made on inkjet printers. Originating from the French term, “la giclée,” it means, “that which is sprayed or squirted.” It has since been used loosely to mean any fine-art printing, usually archival, printed by inkjet. It is often used by artists, galleries, and print shops to suggest high quality.
To uphold the quality of a true giclée, the resolution must be at least 300 dots per inch (DPI). To maintain the integrity of the work, the more dots there are in a small space, the more detailed the final product becomes.
One of the biggest difference between a standard inkjet print and a giclee print is that giclees are printed using pigment-based inks rather than dye-based inks that are found in lower-cost inkjets. Pigment-based inks have a longer lifespan: they can last a lifelong time without significant fading. And if your giclee print is hung in a place outside of direct sunlight, it can last even longer.
