Fine Art
Q. How is your fine art printed?
To see how our various edition formats compare with each other, please see our comparison chart.
Both our Gift and Collector’s Editions are fine art giclées, printed in-house and under strictest quality standards for the specific clients who ordered them. (Remember, the co-owner and co-founder of MP Artworks is an artist himself!) They are produced with archival, pigmented inks on acid-free photographic paper (Gift Edition) or on 100% cotton, acid-free paper (Collector’s Edition). Our printing media are continually upgraded as advancements are made, thus ensuring the most beautiful and enduring prints.
The word "giclée" (pronounced "zhee-clay") originates from a French term meaning "to spray," alluding to the technology used for giclée printing, during which special inks are "sprayed" onto art paper or canvas. Giclée printing is a relatively new process of producing limited-edition, fine art prints. The term was originally coined by a few printing companies in the early 1990s that used the IRIS printer to make fine art reproductions. They wanted a term to distinguish their fine art printing from other companies that used the IRIS for other types of commercial printing. Currently, the term giclée also includes fine art reproductions made on other high-quality digital printers that are similar in both function and in print quality.
Q. How do giclées compare to other forms of printing?
Giclée printing differs from lithography in the mechanical aspects of the printing process itself, but the end results are basically the same -- ink on paper. Both processes allow for artists to reproduce their works in print form, no matter what original medium was used.
The greatest difference between the two printing processes can be the economics of each. Due to the time-consuming and costly setup of a lithographic press, many prints must be made at the same time to offset the front-end costs. Although giclée prints cost more to print per piece, there is virtually no set up. Printing 100 prints or 1,000 prints is no more economical than printing one print.
Both printing processes run the same gamut, as far as archival quality is concerned. Most dye-based inks only last a few years before noticeable fading occurs -- even when printed on archival paper. (Pigmented inks, like the ones we use for our giclée prints, may last more than 100 years before noticeable fading occurs -- even when printed on cheap paper.) The types of paper and ink used, in either printing process, are the factors that have the greatest effect on the beauty and archival quality of the finished print.
Note: All references made to lithography above refer to the modern, mechanical method of fine art reproduction and not traditional lithographs. (Traditional lithographs are produced by an artist by creating part of a drawing on a stone with a wax stick, applying ink to the stone and then pressing the stone onto a piece of paper for each color desired.) This traditional method of printing is an art form, itself, and creates multiple, original works of art, whereas modern lithography is a method of reproducing works of art originally produced using other media, as is giclée printing.
Q. On what materials are your fine art works printed?
Our Gift Edition is printed with pigmented inks on acid-free photographic paper. It has a smooth satin finish. These prints are expected to last between 35 and 50 years, depending on display conditions, before noticeable fading occurs.
Our Collector’s Edition fine art works are printed with pigmented inks on archival-quality, 100% cotton, and acid-free paper. It has a wonderful texture and brilliantly displays the colors of each original design. These prints are expected to last approximately 100 years, depending on display conditions, before noticeable fading occurs.
Q. What is an “original giclée”?
The term “original giclée” refers to a giclée print of an art work that was digital in origin. (That is, the work was created on the computer in a digital format, and the giclée that is received by the client is an “original,” first-generation print.)
Q. What is a limited-edition print?
In the art world, an “edition” refers to the number of copies of a particular work in a particular size or medium. The number of copies is limited by how many pieces were run at one time, a predetermined number, or is open ended without a limit on how many copies will be produced. When an edition is limited in size, this situation increases the value of a particular piece because it is more rare – and thus, harder to find -- than a work of art that is continually mass-produced. Like books, limited edition prints can be reissued as second editions, third editions, etc. These editions will be of lesser value than the original, first edition.
At MP Artworks, we deal with two kinds of edition types:
Open edition: These works are not limited, nor are they numbered. At MP Artworks, this term is most often used in reference to ourGift Edition prints.
Limited edition: These works are signed and numbered by the artist, and they are limited in quantity. Both our Collector’s Edition fine art prints and our ketubot fall into this category.
Our fine art editions are generally limited to runs between 350 and 950 prints. As with most fine art, the fewer the prints in an edition, the greater the value of the art.
Q. Which kind of edition format do I want?
- Are you looking for a museum-quality work of fine art? Or are you less concerned about the piece’s “collectibility” and long-term financial value?
- Is it a gift? Or are you purchasing it for yourself?
- Where are you planning to display this work? Where will the recipient most likely display your gift?
- Are you planning to frame your work of art?
Check out the fine art comparison chart below:
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| * For details about a specific piece, please consult its respective page in the online catalog. |
Q. Can I purchase my fine art ready-to-hang?
Yes, you can purchase our fine art already matted, framed and ready-to-hang. (And avoid a trip to the framer yourself!) Please see the options on our comparison chart and/or view each design’s individual product page.
