Frequently Asked Questions
The word Giclée (zhee-klay) comes from the French word gicler meaning “to squirt, spurt, or spray”. The term is now generally accepted to describe high quality art and photographic inkjet printing, on fine art and photo papers, using archival pigment inks. Giclée printing is perfect for fine art reproduction, photography, digital art and illustration.
The first advantage is the archival permanence of Giclée prints. According to Wilhelm Imaging Research, pigment prints offer significantly better colour fastness depending on inkset and paper type. Our EPSON Ultrachrome HDX and HDR inksets are amongst the most archival on the market today.
The second advantage is the huge selection of different papers and canvases available (see our Giclée range for all available surfaces).
The third advantage is dynamic range and colour gamut (range of colours). If your work features vibrant, saturated colours, our prints will allow you to reproduce colours that are usually out of gamut in traditional C-type and digital C-type prints.
Please visit Wilhelm Imaging Research and Aardenburg Imaging & Archives for more information and detailed analysis. Also, please read carefully “Do Giclée prints require special care and handling?” further down on this page.
If you’re unsure or need help, please call us on 0208 858 3076 or email us with your query.
Turnaround time depends on the quantity, size and paper type and our workload but usually takes approximately 3-4 working days in the studio, from receipt of your order. Turnaround time for large orders may take longer and will be negotiated with client on an individual basis. We will always try to be flexible to meet your deadlines, however all guide times are subject to current workload.
Your first 30-60min would be free (depending on project), with additional hours charged at £60+VAT per hour. We will only charge you for the time spent using the system, in increments of 30min.
You can supply us with original prints, paintings, negatives or transparencies. All material supplied must be copyright free, for example we cannot reproduce images from books without the written consent of the publisher. Original prints and paintings have to be photographed or scanned first and negatives and transparencies scanned.
If you’re unsure or need help, please call us on 0208 858 3076 or email us with your query.
We recommend that you treat your Giclée prints the same as any original piece of art so here are a few tips to ensure your prints last for many years to come:
- Never allow liquids of any kind to come in contact with a print
- Avoid touching the print surface
- Only acid-free, archival materials should come in contact with the front/back of the print
- Never allow prints to rub against one another in transit or storage. Always use archival plastic sleeves or acid-free tissue paper between prints
- Framing under glass or acrylic provides the greatest protection against fading from UV light and ozone
- Avoid direct or extremely bright indirect sunlight. Don’t display or store prints outdoors. Don’t display or store prints where they are exposed to chemicals, paints, varnishes or oils containing solvents. Keep your unprotected prints (before framing) away from sources of ozone, such as monitors and TVs, air purifiers or other sources of high voltage electricity
- Avoid excessive temperature and humidity extremes
- Avoid pinning/hanging/attaching unprotected (not framed) prints on the wall. Chemicals in wall paint, especially solvents, might damage the print (yellowing)
Monday to Friday 10am – 6pm, and Saturday 2pm – 6pm. Closed on Sundays and public holidays. Access to the studio is by appointment only. Please call us on 0208 858 3076 or email us for an appointment.
Yes, we do. Here are the packaging and delivery costs within mainland UK:
Courier (next day/up to 5kg), £11.50+VAT per tube or flat package – Up to A3 flat and larger than A2 rolled in a tube.
Royal Mail (next day special delivery/up to 1kg), £11.50+VAT per tube or flat package – Up to A3 flat and A2 or A1 rolled in a tube.
Royal Mail (first class signed for post/small parcels/up to 1kg), £6.50+VAT per tube or flat package – A4 flat or A3/A2 rolled in a tube (only 1-2 A3 prints per tube or only 1 A2 print per tube).
Royal Mail (first class signed for post/medium parcels/up to 1kg), £8.50+VAT per flat package – Up to 8-9 A3 prints.
For all UK (next day courier) and International deliveries, we use UPS, TNT and Parcelforce. Also, Royal Mail “next day special delivery” and Royal Mail “first class signed for” post (1-2 days). Please note: we no longer use Royal Mail standard class post.
Please contact us for delivery prices to other countries.
Customs Charges: Products delivered to some destinations, especially outside the EU, may be subject to taxes, fees, levies or other charges, due to local legislation. Any additional charges incurred, including import duty, formal customs entry, taxes, levies and other charges will have to be paid by the recipient of the goods. If you are ordering products to be delivered somewhere else, please make sure that the recipient is aware and that they will be responsible for paying any extra. We are sorry but we have no control over these charges, so we’re unable to offer any assistance on these processes. Please check the import charges applicable in any country before ordering products to be delivered there.
We offer a UK mainland courier next day delivery or 1-2 working days delivery by Royal Mail to all UK destinations. For international deliveries, expected shipping time is 5-10 days. Please contact us for delivery prices to other countries.
We can either ship flat or in tubes, depending on your request. However, when it comes to A2 and larger prints, we ship in tubes.
Very Important! Save all of your packaging and the damaged prints. Couriers and Royal Mail will ask to see all of this to determine reimbursement. We will ask you to take and send us photos of the exact damage.
