What Is Fine Art Giclee Printing?
Fine art giclee printing is the practice of printing on museum-quality, archival mediums with archival pigment inks on high-resolution digital inkjet printers. This combination of high-quality materials, inks, and printers provide an unmatched range of color, depth, and detail. Fine art prints or fine art giclee (pronounced “jee-clay”) are industry-standard in the art world for art reproduction and photography due to their superior quality. Fine art giclee printing, however, is not just reserved for artists and photographers. Fine art giclee printing has become increasingly available to the everyday consumer to commemorate personal work, photos, and more. Highly-curated personal spaces are on the rise and they demand the quality and longevity that fine art prints have to offer.
Tribeca Printworks has expertly curated a selection of fine art and photographic papers to bring your images to life and make them last. We offer a range of Hahnemuhle and Epson papers from smooth to subtly textured and matte-finish to high-gloss. Our fine art prints can be produced in any custom size ranging from 4×6″ to 64×120″. You may be wondering what the difference is between fine art paper and regular photo papers and the answer lies in the composition of the papers as well as the final product. These papers are made to endure with either a cotton or cellulose base and a neutral pH. This composition allows fine art papers to lock in inks and exhibit unsurpassed pigmentation and clarity.
Choosing the right fine art paper for your work is an art in and of itself and is very personal. The factors to consider when choosing a paper are equal parts creative and technical. As with many artistic decisions, paper choice can be completely subjective based on preference, but we are always happy to steer you in the right direction. The Tribeca Printworks team is here to provide recommendations and determine the right choice based on your vision. You can view our paper selections and read about each particular paper below.
What Makes Fine Art Giclee Printing the Best?
Fine art giclee printing is an extremely versatile printing method used by photographers, painters and illustrators. Papers must meet certain criteria to be considered giclee fine art paper. Plus, fine art giclee prints will prevent your images from turning yellow or cracking and fading — even after a hundred years.
When to Print on Fine Art Paper
Archival fine art photo printing paper works best for images or artifacts you are trying to preserve over time, and when you want a distinctive look and feel for your artwork and photography. Whether used for prints for posterity, home decor, exhibitions or museum collections, fine art paper will ensure these images are preserved for future generations.
Fine Art Giclee Paper Options
Different Paper Options for Fine ArtGiclee Printing
There are various paper options for fine art giclee artwork and photography printing, including a fine art glossy or matte printed finish. A matte finish will deliver a shine-free look with distinctive textures to help bring out rich colors and black hues, while a glossy finish will make your images shine.
At Tribeca Printworks, our matte and glossy finishes include:
Hahnemühle German Etching
Hahnemühle German Etching is a fiber-based matte paper that features a mottled, organic texture and delivers a strong tone, high contrast and intense color. Its natural white point and texture make it ideal for various fine art reproductions ranging from illustrations to oil paintings. It is a traditional, completely matte printing paper with a unique, organic surface texture that adds a very special dimensional effect and depth to images. German Etching is one of the most popular papers for fine art reproductions thanks to its characteristic tactile feel and surface texture. Perfect for artwork and photography with rich colors, detail, and texture.
310 gsm 100% cellulose.
Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright
Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright is a 100% cotton paper with a fairly smooth texture and almost cotton-like feel. It delivers even-color gradients and reproduction, helping details pop in everything from wedding photography to fine art portraits. It has a slight relief texture that adds depth to any work. This paper boasts vivid colors, deep black and extraordinary reproduction of detail. The Photo Rag Bright White yields particularly brilliant results for high contrast and dense imagery.
310 gsm 100% cotton.
Hahnemühle Fine Art Pearl
Hahnemühle Fine Art Pearl has a smooth, slight relief texture with a soft gloss finish. It can help give depth and dimension to your image while providing a neutral white base. This makes it ideal for creating an oil painting effect or a realistic feel to documentary or fashion photography. It is a cellulose-based inkjet paper with a semi-gloss pearl finish tailored for photographic use. This bright white paper has a delicately textured surface and a smooth, silky feel. Fine Art Pearl impresses with outstanding reproduction of color and detail, deep blacks and striking contrast. Ideal for high-quality black and white as well as color photography.
285 gsm 100% cellulose.
Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta
Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta, is a 100% cotton baryta-style paper, with a soft gloss surface that helps show detail, black density, and contrast. This helps bring out the definition in everything from vintage photography to landscape images. The natural paper comes with a pleasant, warm shade of white and contains no optical brighteners. The combination of high-gloss coating and cotton provides a beautiful sheen without harsh glare.
315 gsm 100% cotton.
Epson Hot Press Bright
Epson Hot Press Bright paper is also made out of 100% cotton. It is one of the smoothest matte papers, making it great for crisp digital illustrations, art reproductions, and color photography. It is an acid-free, 100% cotton rag media with a bright finish. This paper has an extremely-high color gamut and black density. This cylinder mould-made product is optimized for Epson UltraChrome, and Archival Ink.
This fine art paper is not only acid, lignin, and chlorine-free, but it is also pH buffered with calcium carbonate for a true archival sheet.
330 gsm – 17mil thickness – 100% cotton fiber-based – acid-free.
Epson Cold Press Bright
While Epson Cold Press Bright paper has some texture, it makes vibrant colors really pop. This paper creates dimensional works of art, with all the colors filling in the paper’s grooves. It’s also ideal for digital illustrations. It is an acid-free, 100% cotton paper that enables rich, deep blacks and an incredibly wide color gamut. The cold press manufacture of this media provides an elegantly textured finish that is optimized for the Epson UltraChrome Ink family. Offered in a variety of sizes, this fine art paper is free of acid, lignin and chlorine.
340 gsm – 21mil thickness – 100% cotton fiber-based – acid-free.
Epson Luster Photo
Add a bit of shine and gloss to your everyday images with Epson Luster paper. When finished, your fine art photography prints will have a “snapshot” photograph look and feel. Our Luster Photo paper is a heavyweight photo paper, developed for maximum color gamut, dmax, and image resolution. Using a cockle-free RC base that gives the product a true photographic feel, Luster allows for maximum ink coverage and produces stunningly vivid images. Engineered to give the highest resolution and color saturation possible.
240 gsm – 10mil thickness – high gloss finish.
Epson Enhanced Matte
Epson Enhanced Matte paper will let you stay within budget while enjoying vibrant colors and smooth contrast. Because of how thin it is, the paper also allows you to create lightweight portfolio prints. For photographers seeking a flat matte surface, EPSON Enhanced Matte Paper is the ideal choice. This bright white paper is perfect for images that do not require gloss. It yields highly saturated images while maintaining excellent highlight and shadow detail.
192 gsm – 10.3mil thickness.
Epson Photo Glossy
This smooth surface works well at delivering eye-catching, high-definition photography. Premium Photo Paper Glossy has a high gloss finish that is perfect for printing your favorite cherished photos and enlargements. This paper is smudge and water-resistant with a smooth, bright white, resin-coated stock.
Basis Weight: 68 lb. (252 g/m²)
Thickness: 10.4 mil
ISO Brightness: 92
Opacity: 97%
Surface Finish: High Gloss
Epson Metallic Photo Gloss
With Epson Metallic Photo Gloss paper, you can add a bit of shine and luminescence to your images. Emphasize metallic tones and add a glossy finish to help your images come to life. It has a metallic surface that makes images appear iridescent and brings an added level of sophistication and elegance to any print. Has a rated brightness of 81% and a whiteness of 95%.
257 gsm – 10.5 mil thickness – high gloss finish.
Get Started on Your Fine Art Giclee Printing
At Tribeca Printworks, we have over 40 years of combined art industry experience and expertise. Our team can help you choose the best fine art paper for your photography needs. To get started, contact us today or order online.
