FAQ
What is Giclee or Fine Art print?
Giclee (or giclée) printing is a popular method among artists and galleries to produce something that looks just like an expensive piece of fine art, but doesn’t cost anything near as much. With reproduction prints becoming more and more popular, giclee enables artists to reach a wider audience who may not be able to afford the real thing.
To get the best result with giclee, it is recommended to use either archival or museum grade category inkjet paper; generally coming under the categories matte, cotton-rag or canvas. Archival is a term used to describe something that is resistant to deterioration with excellent longevity. This often means acid-free / lignin-free papers, which can preserve the product for a long time. Most professional series paper will give this information on the box eg. acid-free and 100% cotton base.
Some examples are Epson with its Signature Worthy series and Ilford with its Galerie and other professional paper lines. Professional series paper can be significantly more expensive than standard plain white copy paper.
A giclee print needs to be on an acid free archival paper or canvas to be a giclee print. This combined with original manufacturers inks (not third party) make for a real giclee print, light and colour fast for 100 + years.
Which paper should I use?
To earn the fine art moniker the paper needs to be “acid-free” and composed of 100% rag or cotton fiber (basically not resin coated); it should have a durable “weight”above 280 gsm; and the image itself must be printed using stable inks (specifically pigmented, not dye-based inks).
Because we use Epson printers, we stock and recommend Epson paper. Our other favourite to use are Ilfords signature range. If we dont have your preferred paper, we can probably source it for you.
What are your payment methods?
We accept payments from all major credit cards or debit cards, and bank deposits within New Zealand to the following account:
Toi Print Studio
38-9022-0574321-00 Reference: Your Surname or Invoice Number if applicable
I'm ready to start printing, what do I do now?
Exciting! First things first...
DOWNLOAD THE ARTISTS AGREEMENT FORM
Before we can start your new project, we need to make sure you understand the costs. Everytime you start a new project, you'll need to complete the artists agreement form.
It outlines our pricing & payment structure and what to expect when you hand your artwork over. If your unsure of something, we can confirm details via email/messenger before your art arrives. Once you've completed and signed the form, email it or attach it to your artwork and send it to:
Toi Print Studio
382a Grey Street,
Hamilton East, 3216
Waikato, NZ