Last Updated on April 16, 2021
Giclee and lithographs are two forms of fine art printing. While the terms might sound similar, they are quite different in many ways. Their unique properties make them useful for different applications and purposes. We will explore how to tell the two apart as well as their differences in cost, application, and quality.
Giclee Overview
Giclee, pronounced “zhee-clay,” is a French word meaning “to spray.” It is a type of inkjet printing. This means that the artist’s work is reproduced using high-quality images made with a computer. The resulting prints are highly accurate depictions of the original piece, capturing fine details like brush strokes and textures. They can also be created from pieces that are very small, such as photographs taken with a digital camera.
Lithograph Overview
Lithograph and other relief printing techniques are a type of printing in which the raised areas of a photograph, drawing, or painting are transferred onto a sheet of paper. This differs from other techniques in its use with a pen or brush. Lithographs were invented by Albrecht Durer in Germany during the 15th century. Since then, they have been used into the 20th century to create prints ranging from small icons to large posters and maps. There are three major types of lithographs: hand-drawn, etched, and engraved engravings.
What Is The Difference Between Giclee and Lithograph?
The difference between giclee and lithograph is that lithograph is a type of art printing process, while giclee is an inkjet printing process.
Lithographs are created by taking pictures of original art-work under a pressurized jet of water and then transferring the image on to a stone surface such as limestone or zinc. Giclees are created by using large format ink-jet printers to create images which are then applied onto various surfaces, including paper.
Giclee Use In Photography
Giclee printing is also commonly used in photography. It is particularly helpful for certain types of photography as it creates a high-quality, lifelike reproduction of the original work. For example, it can be used with photographs taken on film and snapshots taken with a digital camera.
Lithograph Use In Photography
Litho is also known as serigraphy because of its use of a relief printing technique. The most famous example of this is in the creation of screen-prints where a negative image is reversed and used in the etching process.
Conclusion
Giclee and lithograph are two types of fine art printing. While the terms might sound similar, they are quite different in many ways. Their unique properties make them useful for different applications and purposes.