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Limited Edition Giclée PrintsPrintmaking
Certificate of Authenticity Traditionally, the making of limited edition prints is a time-consuming and demanding commitment between the artist, a printer and a publisher. The choice of image/images for the edition, choice of paper/canvas, accurate colour correction, the size of the edition, the consistent quality of each print, are all critical to the success of the edition whether you measure that success aesthetically or commercially. At MiMa we, the printers/publishers, work closely with the artists to ensure that there is no compromise on quality… our reputations depend upon it.
Giclée Printing Giclée printing made its debut in 1985 and incorporates the technology of digital printing, whereby microscopic ink droplets are precisely positioned onto a surface. Giclée prints offer incredible saturation, depth of color, and a beautifully finished print that captures the essence of the artist’s intent. Many contemporary and influential artists have adopted this new, high-quality printing technique. Giclée (pronounced "ghee-clay") is a French word meaning, "to spray”. With the advent of giclée, reproducing fine art has become even more precise. The technology utilizes microscopically fine droplets of ink (approximately the size of a red blood cell) to form the image, varying in size and density. This produces a near continuous tone image, smoother gradation between tones and a more finely differentiated color palette. Giclées have the highest apparent resolution available today, greater than that of lithographs and a color range that exceeds that of serigraphy (also known as silkscreen printing). Displaying a full color spectrum, giclée reproductions can capture every nuance of an original and have gained wide acceptance from artists and galleries throughout the world. Working with digital photographs on the computer using Adobe PhotoShop, Mark Prior is able to employ 28 years of experience as a fine art photographer, manipulating the image to the most exacting degree (far beyond that which is possible in the darkroom using enlargers and chemicals) to arrive at the most expressive print. Once achieved, the greatest satisfaction is in knowing that this is precisely reproducible as many times as required, on demand. Longevity At MiMa we use an Epson Stylus Pro 9800 & a 9600 with UltraChrome Ink on a variety of fine art watercolour rag papers or canvas. Preliminary data from Wilhelm Imaging Research, Inc. indicates that for this combination of materials the lightfastness will be rated up to 100 years under glass, and for black and white up to 200 years. These time periods can effectively be doubled by the use of UV glass. This is, therefore, the only printing process to rival and exceed archivally processed silver-gelatin photographic prints for archival stability. The Media The choice of paper/canvas best suited to an image is crucial to the final effect. But it’s not just a question of looks. It is crucial to the longevity of the print that the media be archival, i.e. that the ph is neutral, commonly referred to as “acid free”. Paper processed with wood chips and wood fiber should not be used in fine art prints because lignin in the grain of the wood is acidic, causing brown stains on paper over time, known as “foxing”. Wooden picture frames must therefore be sealed from the artwork. Acid free paper can be made either by hand or a mechanized process, usually using the basic raw materials of cotton and/or linen rags. In brief, these are beaten into fibers, mixed with water and poured into a vat in solution, transferred to a mould and the newly formed paper is dried. But different papermaking methods evolved in the East and West and today’s technology takes advantage of the best of both, accounting for the wide variety of papers available today. For our own editions we test the results on different media, and for paper have so far settled on “Ultra Smooth Fine Art” Paper made for Epson by Crane and "Somerset Velvet" made for Epson by St. Cuthbert's Mill, England. The surface coating of these archival watercolor papers is optimized for Epson Ultrachrome Ink, both increasing the beauty, definition and clarity over other papers, whilst maximizing the potential longevity of the print. Pigment-Based Inks Pigment-based inks are much more resistant to UV light than dye-based inks. They were originally developed for outdoor use and will keep their original colors considerably longer. They are also less likely to run if they come into contact with water. Images printed with pigment-based inks on to archival paper have the potential of lasting well over 100 years if stored under the proper conditions. An 'open' edition theoretically has no limit to the number that may be printed. The term "Original Limited Edition" indicates that the prints are not a reproductions/copies of an image created in another medium. This is the only form in which the image is created and available. Value and Collectability
The higher price of limited editions over other prints is a combination of the limited
supply of each piece and the exceptionally high quality of these
prints. Each print is often made as well as always signed by the
artist. Typically, the more manually intensive the process is, the
fewer there will be and the more each print will cost. Being limited in number, demand for certain limited edition prints can
be greater than the number printed, causing an increase in value. At
MiMa we keep the number of the editions small. Once an edition is sold
out from MiMa, the publisher, it may still be available from an
authorized dealer, then the prints are considered to be on the
Secondary Market. This means that the print can be bought and sold by
any dealer or individual at whatever price the market will bear, but
often above issue price, depending on supply and demand. Much
satisfaction as a collector is to be gained through exercising a little
‘talent spotting’ by buying the work of a young artist who later
becomes well-known, commanding much higher prices for the same work.
AP= Artist's Proof There is a highly respected tradition in the art world that the artist may, in addition to the edition, release another 10% (more is frowned upon) of the total number of prints in the edition, known as “artist’s proofs”. So, for an edition of 200, up to 20 artist’s proofs may be expected to eventually be in circulation, i.e. 220 prints in total. Initially they consist of the prints made by the artist to determine how the print should eventually look. These are what we would call the ‘true’ Artist’s Proofs. It is accepted that then the artist may use up the rest of the allowable number with prints made after the edition is finished. Although to the artist, artist’s proofs, being made in preparation for the edition, are inherently imperfect and inferior, curiously they are worth more on the art market and therefore of more interest to many serious collectors. There is, of course, a certain logic to this: Firstly, by their very nature, they are more likely to be unique and secondly, seen in context, they demonstrate the creative process, showing the artist’s mind at work. Whilst the best approach is for the buyer to see our Artist’s Proofs in person before buying this is clearly impossible for most people reading this and there are too many currently available to publish a list. Please contact MiMa to discuss any APs you are interested in. Our prices reflect the stage at which the print was made in a logical way, i.e. the earliest being the least expensive. Allowances are also made for the condition of the print. Please contact us for more information on purchasing an artist’s proof.
Benefits For The Collector: Private collectors can acquire an ‘original limited edition giclee print’ which signifies that these are not reproductions of a piece of art in another medium, this being the medium of choice, at a fraction of the cost of one-off originals. Further, a print that has been signed and numbered by the artist is always a unique addition to anyone's private collection. Certificate of Authenticity A Certificate of Authenticity accompanies all limited edition Giclée prints that leave the MiMa studio with very few exceptions - details are given on the product page for each item. In most cases the publisher's, sometimes the artist's, signature on this document attests to the authenticity of the print and that we have personally inspected and numbered it. This also certifies that only the finest archival paper and inks were used. The certificate should be kept with the receipt for insurance purposes. Additionally, prints on paper are embossed with the studio stamp. We (Mitra Ghaffari and Mark Prior) sign our own prints, but because most artists that we represent are located some distance from us it is not practical to have them sign their prints. Hence the importance of the accompanying certificate. Printing Services At MiMa we provide archival quality fine art reproduction/printing services to fine artists, interior designers, architects, art agents, corporate art companies, galleries & museums requiring high quality giclée prints. For a growing number of digital artists and photographers, giclée is the medium of choice for printing their originals. |
