Media & Substrates

Tuesday, 08 December 2020 20:06

How to Giclee? The right way to sell

In the past there was only one opportunity to sell your art. If you had a wonderfully made piece, there was only one buyer and that was it, it was gone. Nowadays, giclee has been reproduced in mass and all types of artists can sell their work multiple times and many more people are able to appreciate it. Selling giclee has its advantages both for the seller and the buyer. First, the seller (or artist) is able to see a bigger reward from a single piece that has been put a lot of effort to and his or her art can be exhibit at many more places. And for the buyers who may have loved the original piece but couldn’t necessarily afford it. Seeing it this way, it’s worth planning a great business strategy for your art pieces. Here are some tips and what you need to know to create, reproduce your prints, and sell them.


how to giclee

Giclee printing sample. Photo courtesy of Kialara.


Know and choose the right type of print

Prints can be made with methods like lithography, monotypes, screen printing, etc. There traditional techniques are commonly use to print fine arts. However, giclee can be produced with large format inkjet printers and the colors may be more accurate and it tends to deliver a high-quality print. Not all inkjet printers produce giclee prints, so it is crucial to always keep in mind these four elements: resolution, ink, paper, and printer type.

What makes a giclee?

As we have mentioned in the past, the resolution of a giclee print must have a minimum of 300 DPI because the more dots of color you can print in a small area, the more detailed print you will get.

Regarding inks and paper, they must be hight quality and considered “archival” which are used to ensure longer lifespan of the print without a relevant fading. Printers used for giclee generally use up to 12 ink cartridges which produce a wider range of colors, for high quality prints.


how to giclee

Giclee printing sample. Photo courtesy of Dstudiouk.


Open vs limited edition

The great thing about giclee is that you can decide and have the option to choose between open editions, which are unlimited number of prints created and sold, or in the other hand having a limited edition which obviously can’t be sold in mass but the value of a limited edition is pricier than the open one, so often these are bought by collectors and have a great revenue as well.

Using the best printer to create your editions

One of the things with large format printing is that the market is constantly evolving and its products are improving every time, so the printing quality has become better over time. One great way to choose your printing studio, is asking. Asking other artists in your community, recommendations, printing samples, a good research will make you get the best fit for you.

The right amount

A great way to choose a right quantity of prints, either way for limited as for open editions, is to create your target customer. Who are you trying to reach? What price point fits them and how many prints will I be selling? Always keep in mind that the fewer editions there are, the higher price point you will be able to ask to your buyers.

Where to sell

Art fairs, exhibitions, emerging collectors, and fans, are great places and people to sell your art. A good advice for you and basically for all artist in the world, is that you make sure to inform your buyers that they are getting a printed piece from the original. This way they can be conscious that the original piece price point is way higher but they can have a well-made print without spending too much.

Track your editions

Marking and numbering your prints will make sure the integrity of the limited editions, usually with a fraction like “9 of 50”. Save the buyer’s information, not only for future purchases, but to track where are your prints, as for personal buyers or for gallery exhibitions.


how to giclee

Giclee printing sample. Photo courtesy of Reed Art & Imaging.


So if you are into giclee but don’t know where to start selling, these recommendations might help your business get on track.

Published in Fine Arts & Giclee

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