You can’t print a giclee fine art collectible without giclee canvas. So how is giclee canvas different from other types of canvas?
Giclee’s are all manufactured from digital printing machines. These machines all have a commonality in that they squirt ink droplets onto a stable surface that can then be mounted and displayed as art. Original oil paintings are universally produced on some fashion of woven cotton fiber, we know this as canvas. When an artist chooses to reproduce their work in giclee, the printer must choose a canvas which has been coated to receive the inks of the printing machine. Different inks will require different ink receptive coatings. If a canvas did not have a receptive coating, the ink droplets would simply be absorbed into the cotton fiber, turning the finest original into a dirty brown version of the original image. The receptive coatings allow the ink to retain its droplet shape, and adhere to a nonabsorbent surface which requires very specific chemistry.
There are basically two kinds of ink receptive coatings made of either acrylic or gelatin. Acrylics, being synthetic, can be manufactured to be very white and can be produced at relatively high speeds. The gelatins require a much slower drying time and therefore, cost more. The additional costs of gelatin receptor coatings are warranted when extreme durability or luminosity are called for. However, not all originals warrant or call for gelatin coated canvas. The best ways to evaluate your giclee canvas needs are to evaluate the demands of the original art and the demands of the art reproduction buyer. If the colors or the delicacies of the original are pronounced, you’ll want a gelatin coated canvas. If the art is not going to be sold at a high price, therefore lowering longevity expectations, or if the original is muted and coarse, an acrylic receptor coat would be perfectly acceptable.
It’s only the people who are making, selling or buying a giclee that care about the properties of giclee canvas. The term giclee describes expectations for authenticity and durability that are unique to the art collectibles marketplace. You should care about giclee canvas because you care about your investment in art. We encourage everyone to take a greater interest in the value that art brings. We know that the more attention that is paid to art, the greater the appreciation will be.
Author: John S. Doe
Date Published: March 8, 2005
Your Cart: 0 items