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The Special Language of Art
Art on Paper has a language all its own. Some of these terms may be familiar to you if you have purchased other artwork in the past
Artist's Proof:
This may be penciled in at the bottom of
a print, or it may be indicated as A/P. One of the first
impressions printed as the artist experimented with the
lithograph.
Documentation:
Information available on the edition of
a print telling the artist's name, the printer's name, the
location of the workshop, the number of prints in the edition,
date, and any other pertinent information. Although the
documentation is somewhat important in print collecting, the
artistic value of the condition of the print is more
important.
Embellish:
To add to a painting by adding texture with acrylics, gels or medium with or without color, gold or silver leaf, beads, sand, etc.
Gallery Wrap:
Gallery wrap is a method of stretching an artist’s canvas so that the canvas wraps around the sides (stretcher bar or strainer bars) and is secured to the back of the wooden frame. The result is that the hardware (staples or tacks) is not visible on the sides. The sides of the canvas are prepared and primed in the same manner as the face, which may then be painted a solid color or painted to continue the image appearing on the face of the painting.
Image Wrap:
Continuing parts of an image onto the stretcher or strainer bars.
Side Staple:
Mounting the canvas onto the stretcher or strainer bars by stapling to the edge of the bar.
Substrate:
A term used in printing to describe the base material onto which images will be printed.
Edition:
The total number of prints made of a specific image.
Limited Edition:
Predetermined number of impressions to
be made from a plate (after which no more impressions are to be
taken). The number of impressions should be information that is
available to the consumer.
Signed and Numbered:
At the bottom of each print in an
edition, the artist pencils in his signature and numbers the
print. The numbering appears as one number over another, for
example, 11/500. This indicates that this was the 11th print to be
signed and there was 500 prints in all.
Giclée - French word meaning "the spraying of ink":
Since the creation of the first gicle reproduction no association or group of artists have distinguished the quality of their reproduction methods. All Giclée's Are Not Created Equal. Finally the Giclée Printers Association has set the standards for a Tru Giclée. These standards are set by the quality of paper or canvas that the inks are applied to, also the manufacturer of the graphic printer. Test results for these rigid standards are conducted and tested by Wilhelm Research Imaging Company, Ames, Iowa. Listed below is the Giclée Printers Association Affidavit that distinguishes the Tru Giclée.
Giclée Printers Association Affidavit Tru Giclée:
In the interest of providing a source for a high quality standardized product for the fine art reproduction industry, I have committed and will continue to commit my company to the following nine criterions:
- The ability to exactly reproduce original artwork.
- The reproduction process bears no evidence of the technology used.
- The printer adheres to archival standards consistent with that of a collectable fine art print.
- The reproduction represents the highest quality product available to this culture, at this time.
- The printer fully discloses the products used in his art reproduction.
- The printer enjoys a generally recognized reputation for honesty and integrity amongst his customers and peers.
- The artisan producing (or supervising the production of the work) has been certified as a Master Printer by Giclée Printers Association.
- The printing company participates in an on-going research and development effort to improve his craft and the Giclée Printers Association.
- As a Giclée Printers Association member, I will actively educate my customers and the industry as to the meaning and value of a Tru Giclée trademark. I will display the Tru Giclée trademark logo at my business location, in advertising and at shows. I will encourage my customers to do the same.
Iris Giclée Reproduction:
With the advent of the giclée, the art of fine art printing has become even more precise. Because no screens are used, the prints have a higher apparent resolution than lithographs. The dynamic color range is like serigraphy. In the giclée process, a fine stream of ink-more than four million droplets per second-is sprayed onto archival art paper or canvas. The effect is similar to an air brush technique but much finer. Each piece is carefully hand mounted onto a drum, which rotates during printing. Exact calculations of hue, value and density direct the ink of four nozzles. This produces a combination of 512 chromatic changes (with over 3 million colors possible) of highly saturated, nontoxic water-based ink. The artist's color approval and input are essential for creating the final custom setting for the edition.
The latest advancements in the giclée process are the work of a sophisticated fine art production facility that utilizes the highest resolution digital printers. This edition of fine art prints is collaboration between the artist and specially trained printing craftsmen. They have extended the boundaries of current technology by customizing their equipment, designing new programs, and offering protective coatings to ensure quality standards for the collector.