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From the French verb "to spray", the word Giclee (zhee-clay) is used to describe a certain standard in printmaking technology.
Images or paintings are scanned to high resolution digital files. The artwork is then carefully reproduced using a high-end ink jet printer and stable pigment-based inks onto various substrates, the most common being watercolor paper.
History of Giclee printing. Giclee prints evolved from Iris prints (a 4 color ink jet printer line pioneered in the late 1970s by Iris Graphics). Iris technology was first developed as a proofing process for digital prepress applications. The high quality of the process was noticed in the mid 1980s by pioneers of giclée printing like Graham Nash (of Cosby, Stills and Nash) and ink jet pioneer Jon Cone.
Who is Giclee good for? Giclee is very suitable for artists, both digital and traditional, who want intimate control over small reproduction runs. Giclee is becoming more of a mainstream option for photographers who want a wider range of output options than traditional photographic reprints.
Giclee is for any artist who wants high quality prints that are affordable in small quantities and will last longer than most other methods of reproduction. Inks have a fade and color shift resistence of 75-100 years, given average indoor light conditions.
Giclee vs an Iris or offset print. Giclee prints are more sophisticated than Iris prints. Special inks have been developed for giclee printers that provide better color accuracy, expanded color gamut and longer life of the print. Giclee inks resist fading 10 times longer than those used in Iris prints. Giclee prints can be more affordable than lithographs With lithos, you have to print and buy all of the prints at once. With giclee prints, you can print a small run or you can print one at a time as you sell them. You can have little to no inventory, so your startup costs are much less. Since no screens are used in giclee printing, the prints have a higher effective resolution than lithographs.
Another tremendous advantage to Giclee printing is that artwork can be reproduced to almost any size and on various media, giving the artist the ability to customize prints for a specific client. | 
