What Is a Giclée Art Print?

Everything You Need to Know About Giclée

You've probably come across the word giclée while looking for art prints online. It sounds technical, possibly confusing, and not entirely necessary to understand. But it's actually worth knowing, because it explains why some prints look so much better on the wall than others.

What Actually Is Giclée Printing?

Giclée (pronounced zhee-CLAY) is a high-quality inkjet printing process that uses archival pigment inks on proper fine art paper, rather than the standard inks and coated stock used in everyday digital printing.

It's been the printing method of choice for galleries, museums, and fine art publishers for decades, and at East End Prints, it's the method we use for all the prints we sell online.

A Giclée art print featuring rich colour and fine art paper
Giclée prints are a world away from standard digital printing.

What Makes a Giclée Print Look So Good?

Two things set it apart: the inks and the paper.

A standard digital print uses four colours of dye-based ink. A giclée printer uses up to 12 colours of archival pigment ink, which produces a much wider tonal range. The end result is smoother gradients, richer darks, and more vibrant colour overall. If you've ever ordered a print that looked good on screen but slightly drab or dulled on the wall, the ink is usually why.

The paper makes an equal difference. Giclée prints are produced on more heavyweight fine art paper with a texture and warmth that standard coated stock simply doesn't have. Held next to each other, the difference is obvious. One looks like a print. The other looks like art.

How Long Will a Giclée Print Last?

Giclée will always last considerably longer than a standard print. Independent testing has shown that giclée prints on quality archival paper can last well over 70 years before any meaningful fading occurs, and over 100 years in proper storage conditions. A standard print, by comparison, can start to look tired within a decade, particularly anywhere near natural light.

A few sensible precautions will help to prolong your giclée print's visual life:

  • Frame it under glass or UV-protective acrylic (our frames include a modern acrylic that is optically the same as glass but lighter and safer)
  • Keep it away from direct sunlight
  • Avoid rooms with a lot of steam or humidity

Are Giclée Prints Worth the Money?

For most people, yes, especially once you've seen the difference close up, and particularly if you care about what goes on your walls and want it to last.

Original one-off artworks are out of reach for most of us. But that doesn't mean settling for something that looks cheap or starts to fade after a few years. A good giclée print offers genuinely high-quality art, made with care, at a price that's great value for money.

The colour is faithful to the original artwork. The detail holds up at larger sizes. It feels and looks like something worth hanging. And because every print at East End Prints is made to order, it's produced fresh, not sitting in a warehouse waiting to be ordered.

Framed giclée art prints displayed on a wall in a modern living room
A giclée print diptych at home. Made to order, made to last.

Choosing a Giclée Print for Your Home

A few things worth considering before you buy:

Size. Giclée looks great whatever the size, but there are definitely a lot of artworks which really come to life in a larger size such as A1. The colour depth and detail become much more apparent, and a bigger print can really give a forgotten wall space a new burst of energy.

Subject and room. A bold graphic works well in a living room or study. Something softer, botanical, floral, landscape, abstract perhaps, can work well in bedrooms. Hallways can take more personality than people give them credit for. With over 3,000 designs in our collection from independent artists, there's a good chance you'll find something that feels just right rather than just adequate.

As a gift. A giclée print is one of those presents that actually gets kept. Thoughtful, lasting, and a good deal more considered than most things at a similar price.

Browse Giclée Art Prints at East End Prints

We work with independent artists and designers across a wide range of styles, including scandi, bauhaus, figurative, minimalist, vintage, and more. Every print is made to order in the UK.

If you'd like advice on size, style, or what might work in a particular room, we're happy to help — just get in touch.