What is a Tidewater Giclée?
Giclée, pronounced “zhee-clay” is a form of the French word gicluer meaning “jet or nozzle.” The name is a whimsical reference to the ink jet printers used in the process.

A giclée is a high-resolution digital print made from archival ink and media combination. Giclée is also a recognized fine art print category like lithographs and serigraphs and is ideal for doing short-run limited editions. Giclée prints were originally developed in 1989 as a plate-less alternative to common offset lithography. Advances in technology, inks and media have allowed them to develop to the point that today they are recognized by the art community as the best method available for fine art reproductions.

Giclée prints look and feel like original art. They are made on real artist materials such as watercolor papers and canvas. Prints have continuous tone so it is often difficult to distinguish between giclée prints and original artwork. Canvas giclées can also be “hand retouched” to more closely resemble the texture of the original artwork, if so desired by the artist. They offer richness in detail, depth and brilliant color not available in traditional printing methods. Archival inks, papers, and canvases used throughout give giclées a lifespan that far exceeds that of other reproduction processes.

Giclée technology is now accepted in hundreds of fine art galleries around the world including the Metropolitan and the Guggenheim Museums in New York City, the Corcoran Museum in Washington, DC, and the High Museum in Atlanta.

Contact us:

Tidewater Editions
320 East Bay Street
Charleston, SC 29401

843-723-7228
843-723-7229 Fax
800-242-2611 Toll Free


email@charlestonart.com