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Joseph Leonard Barnes

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A new printing technique called, Giclée, ("zhee-klay") offers museum-quality reproductions that rival the original artwork in brilliance, color clarity and indistinguishable likeness. The French word "Giclée" is a feminine noun that means a spray or a spurt of liquid. The word may have been derived from the French verb "gicler" meaning "to squirt". Giclées are produced by first making a digital image of the art work and then using an inkjet printing process to reproduce prints.

The scan process creates a high-resolution digital image directly from the original. The scanned image is then printed using finely processed archival inks on 100 percent rag watercolor paper that imitate the actual look and feel of the technique used by the artist. Giclée prints are created typically using professional 8-Color to 12-Color ink-jet printers. There are several popular manufacturers of these printers such as Epson, MacDermid Colorspan, and Hewlett-Packard. These modern technology printers are capable of producing incredibly detailed prints for both fine art and photographic markets.

The Giclée printing process provides better color accuracy than other means of reproduction. The inks used in the Giclée process are made to exacting standards of color fastness, assuring a print of lasting color and vibrancy. The quality of the Giclée print rivals traditional silver-halide and gelatin printing processes and is commonly found in museums, art galleries, and photographic galleries.

Prior to running final prints, the artist may evaluate multiple proofs, comparing them to the original to match his or her standards. The artist not only approves the final proof but all subsequent prints before they are offered for sale. Every print that I sell is numbered and signed by me as proof of each print’s authenticity.