Although the giclée printmaking process can be quite involved and complex, it can simply be thought of as consisting of four stages:

1. Project Planning
2. Image Capture
3. Proofing
4. Printing

Project Planning
Project planning is an important stage of the giclée process.  This is where we ask you questions to help us gain a better understanding of what you have in mind for your work.  What do you want to get out of this process?  What "feel" do you want the prints to have?  What is your budget?  What is your market or distribution?  Based on the answers to these questions we can make recommendations on image selection, type of media to use, print size and border space.  Together, we explore the options and then determine the best course of action in order to achieve your aesthetic and financial goals.


Image Capture
Before any printing can begin, your work must first be captured and converted into digital form.  If the original is available, we prefer to take a direct digital scan or photograph of it.  We use a very high resolution PhaseOne scanning back camera connected to a 40"x60" TTI copy table.  Our system is able to capture more information than is contained on an 8x10 transparency.  The base of the table has a built-in vacuum to keep works on paper extremely flat.  The sensitivity, resolution and dynamic range of the camera allow it to capture even the slightest details, such as brush strokes and canvas texture.  Oil paintings, watercolors, pastels, charcoals and collage will all benefit from the quality of a direct digital scan.  And since this process bypasses the use of traditional photographic films, the result is a more color-accurate image without the presence of any film grain.  In our studio, the digital camera is a great tool to use in exploring new artistic avenues.  Once you understand what the technology can do, the possibilities are endless.  Besides the more traditional artwork, we have successfully captured rare foliage, sand designs, wood sculptures, wet paint, musical instruments and layered artwork, and turned them all into beautiful fine art prints.

For traditional photographers and artists with slides or transparencies of their work, high resolution drum scans will be taken.  This is the next best thing to using the direct digital camera.  Our drum scans are sharp and clean with smooth tonal gradations and excellent shadow detail.  However, optimum print size may be determined by the size and condition of the transparency.


Proofing
After the artwork has been digitally captured, the digital file is closely inspected.  Here the image may be cropped, dust and scratches removed and sharpening added.  We then print a series of small proofs of your image on the same paper or canvas that has been chosen for the edition.  Based on these proofs, colors and levels are adjusted and the image is fine-tuned.  A final proof, the BAT (Bon-A-Tirer), is selected by you and it is this proof (and its corresponding file) that we will reference for the edition.

Most often our goal during the proofing stage is to match the colors and feel of the original as closely as possible.  Sometimes, however, an exact reproduction may not be what you are after.  For this reason, this is also the time when changes to the image can be made.  The adjustment can be subtle, like slightly increasing the contrast level of a photograph.  Or it can be more extreme, like removing a boat in the foreground of an oil painting.  In any case, we take our cue from you so that we achieve a final print with the exact look and feel that you want.


Printing
The final stage of the digital printmaking process is probably the most exciting.  It is also the most straightforward.  This is where all the hard work from the previous stages pays off.  With the approved proof in hand, we proceed with the production of the edition.  Using our specialized software, we arrange your image in the most economical configuration on the 35"x45" paper sheet. Naturally, the previously chosen image size and border space will affect the layout.  After printing, the full sheets are trimmed and fully inspected for blemishes and other noticeable defects.

All of our printers use vibrant archival inks and are capable of reproducing the fine details and tones contained in our digital files.  However, it is important to keep the printers clean and calibrated in order to produce prints with consistent color and saturation.  So we are very vigilant in the maintenance and optimization of our printers.

The end result are beautiful archival giclée prints worthy of display in a gallery or museum.