Welcome to Fifth Avenue Studios

What is Giclée?

Derived from the French word meaning "to spray" or “to squirt”, the word Giclée (pronounced: zhee-clay) is used to describe a digital fine art printmaking process. Giclée prints are created using a high-resolution inkjet printer. Images or paintings are carefully scanned and reproduced using archival ultrachrome inks.

The process of fine art reproduction has been revolutionized with the development of Giclée printing. Giclée are digital reproductions of original artwork. Produced directly from a digital file, these prints save you from generations of detail-robbing negatives and printing plates.

Giclées use a version of inkjet technology that is far more sophisticated than your desktop printer. This technology contains lightfast inks and more abundant and accurate printheads. The chosen medium (fine art paper or canvas) is individually mounted onto a drum which rotates during the printing process. While this drum spins a fine stream of ink droplets spray onto the chosen medium. Since there are no screens used in Giclée printing, the prints are produced at a higher resolution than lithographs and the dynamic color range is greater than serigraphy. This process also has a far wider color gamut rendering Giclée superior to traditional printing options. The colors are brighter, the prints last longer, and they are so high-resolution that they have virtually continuous tone.
Giclée reproductions can be printed on a variety of substrates or mediums. We offer a wide variety of mediums including watercolour or Fine Art paper and canvas.

We understand that image permanence is a concern to both artists and art collectors and we are confident that the Giclée process adequately addresses those concerns. Rated at 125 years plus, Giclée prints are UV protected for fade and color shift resistance.

Why Create Giclée Reproductions?

There are many valuable reasons to create giclée prints. Giclée Reproductions allow you to raise the price of your originals to their full market value. This way, while you are making money on the Giclée prints, you to hold out for the best price on your originals.

Giclée reproductions also provide you with additional product marketing price points. For example, if prior to creating Giclée Prints (example: an 11”x13” and a 22”x30” of a particular original) your original sold for $1500, you could raise your original pricing to $2500 and sell a 22”x30” Giclée for $350 and an 11”x13” Giclée for $90. This strategy gives you 3 different price points and makes your work more accessible to consumers.

They are very cost effective, since you only have to create a few at a time versus printing hundreds or thousands. With traditional lithographs or other reproduction methods there is a sizeable investment and mass production of a single piece of artwork. With Giclée prints, you eliminate the overhead and can generate prints as needed or in limited editions to meet your demand. The profit margin is greater as you spend less creating only what you need, when you need it.

You see, giclées leverage the time you put into a given work of art. They allow you to generate very significant additional revenue from your initial labor; all at a very small additional cost. For example, if you create an edition of 100 pieces of a 22”x30” Giclée, over time this will produce the following additional retail revenue: 100 x $350 = $35,000.00 - $4000 (Approximate cost over time) = $31,000.

This is additional profit for the same labor of love you already put into your original.