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Marketing Fine Print Giclée Prints – for Artists
5/3/2006
Everywhere you go in the art world, you either see or hear something about Giclée prints. “Giclée” is the buzz-word of the 21st century – and with good reason!
Look through any art-oriented magazine, and you will see dozens of advertisements for giclée prints. But what makes the giclée process different than other reproduction methods, and what makes Fine Print giclées stand out in the world of giclée printing? It’s the Fine Print difference.
Simply put, Fine Print giclées (pronounced "zhee-clay") have the look and feel of an original piece of art. Because no screens are used, the prints have a higher apparent resolution than lithographs. The extraordinarily fine spray of ink delivers more than four million droplets per second. Each droplet is about the size of a red blood cell, resulting in the appearance of a continuous-tone print.
Whether you paint bright pastels on Canson paper, delicate watercolors on Arches CP or colorful oils on canvas, Fine Print’s skilled digital technicians will delight you with their ability to capture the essence of your original. Although giclées can be printed on virtually any absorbent surface, at Fine Print Imaging we print exclusively on paper and canvas that have been tested for fade resistance by Wilhelm Imaging Research, Inc., an independent testing facility.
What sets Fine Print apart from other giclée printers? Not our state-of-the-art ink jet printers. Not the archival pigmented inks. Not the watercolor papers and canvas we have available (although they are chosen for their compatibility with our ink set). The Fine Print difference lies in the artistic talent and technical skill of our digital staff. All members of Fine Print’s digital team are gifted artists and photographers. You can be assured that when your painting is being reproduced, it is assessed with an eye for color, contrast and balance. Every nuance of your painting is considered and conserved. Where compromises must be made, due to the limitations of reproduction, the compromises are accomplished with an artistic eye, and always in collaboration with you, the artist.
Knowing that your giclée prints are the highest quality reproductions available should make your marketing efforts easier. You can assure your galleries and collectors that your giclée prints retain the integrity of your original artwork. Because giclée printing is a slow, painstaking process (it takes over an hour to print one 35x50 print), giclée prints lend themselves to small editions of 100 or less. Unlike offset lithographs where editions in the thousands are normal, your collectors will be relieved to know that only a select group of people will own one of your giclée prints. This is a very valid and successful marketing tool.
Galleries across the country are embracing Fine Print giclée prints. You can find them hanging alongside original paintings in galleries from Boulder to Santa Fe, from Los Angeles to New York. They hang in private and corporate collections. And they command top dollar.
What if you are still an emerging artist? What if you make your living doing small regional art fairs? What if your original paintings sell for $150? Do giclée prints make sense for you? They can, if you follow the advice of Russ Hamilton, a successful artist from Wyoming. Russ makes his living selling at small venues. Russ figured out that by running 12 - 6”x12” prints at a time, he can sell each print for an affordable price and still make a profit. (See the “Russ Hamilton Interview” for more information on how Russ markets his giclée prints.)
The secret to marketing Fine Print giclée prints is really not a secret at all. You must work hard, be knowledgeable about the process, be persistent and be flexible (remember, you can offer different sizes!). You need to find out what your customer needs (wants) and give it to them (research your market, ask questions). You have to be willing to learn from your fellow artists. Study successful artists who sell giclées. What methods of theirs can you adapt to your own marketing plan? You must be comfortable with the price you are asking. And, finally, you must believe in the intrinsic value of your art. People love it, people want to own it. Believe it!
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