Giclee printing uses pigment-based inks sprayed onto archival coated papers. Giclee prints last decades or even centuries without fading if cared for properly. The process uses 12 ink colours to reproduce artwork in as true colour as is possible.

vs Litho or CMYK printing:

Mass-market art prints are often made with this process because when ordered in bulk the price per print can be cheap as chips. But they’re expensive if you’re only ordering one or two.

CMYK printing uses four colours rather than the 12 that giclee has, meaning giclee prints reproduce colour much more accurately.

Giclee printing is high-resolution, which gives the sharpest detail, and the deepest blacks.

CMYK prints aren’t archival, and will fade or yellow over time.

CMYK can be a good option for greetings cards, since cards aren’t intended to last decades, and they don’t need to be as colour-accurate as art prints.

vs C-type:

C-type prints are chemical-based, exposing paper to light in the same process as you’d use in a traditional darkroom (commercial print labs have big fancy machines that can do it very efficiently these days.) The tonal value of c-type is excellent, whereas giclee prints have a punchier saturation for brighter and denser colours.

C-type has a more limited selection of papers than giclee printing, but given its excellent tonal-range, it can be a good option for photographers to go for, since that’s what the process lends itself to.

Giclee is more archival than c-type prints, which are more sensitive to light, so will eventually fade or lose their colour accuracy.

I don’t currently offer C-type printing.

If you’re after CMYK printing, I have a good relationship with a printer who share my ethos. I’m happy to organise this for you.

If you just need a boarding pass or other document printed, you're better off going to a copy shop: Postscript in Frome are an excellent choice.

Height and width : set to the size you want the print to be.

Resolution: 300dpi or more.

File type: Ideally a tiff but I can accept jpgs.

Colour mode: RGB.

If you want a border please make sure it’s already included.

If using Photoshop to resize your file, make sure "resample" is not ticked. (if it's ticked this will not do anything to improve the quality of the image. If the file is smaller than 300dpi at the size it needs to be printed then you need to rescan/ photograph the original at a higher resolution.)

If you need assistance with preparing your file to these specifications, check out this file prep pricelist here, and I’ll do it for you.

See my price lists here:

pricelist autumn 2023

Prints: I can usually turn prints up to A1 size around within a day or two of receiving files, but best to allow 3 working days.*

Prints larger than 24” on the short edge sometimes require longer, please email me for current turnaround.

Scanning & printing: The digitisation process can take time, depending on what level of colour balancing you’ve requested. Best to allow 5-7 working days.*

Need it sooner? Just ask, I might be able to squeeze you in.

*Turnaround changes

If there’s a holiday, illness, or closure notice on my website (it’ll appear as a green bar/ banner at the top of each page) that means that the normal turnaround might be affected. Click on the banner to find out more.

Please contact me if this is something you’re interested in – I might be able to help.

I wrap prints in recyclable tissue paper to protect the ink from marking. I use standard tissue paper, which isn’t waterproof. Take care when collecting your prints, as large prints in particular can become like sails in the wind, Please bear this in mind when collecting. I recommend bringing a water and wind proof method of taking your prints home with you.

Note that the tissue paper I use is intended to protect the print on a short-term basis between my studio and yours. It’s not fully archival so it shouldn’t be used to protect the print for more than a few weeks.

Cello-wraps & window mounts

Contact me about cello wrapping and mounts, as I may be able to help.

Giclee papers have a special invisible coating that stops the ink from bleeding out into the paper fibre. Using paper that’s not got this special coating will rinse through ink and the print heads, and ends up being a very costly business. For this reason I’ll only print with giclee papers. If there’s a giclee paper you have in mind that I don’t stock, I can probably get hold of it (subject to minimum orders and longer turnarounds).

See my current paper selection.

My scanner is A3, but I can use ai stitching technology to reproduce artworks that are larger than this. The technology tends to start glitching with works larger than A1, so anything larger than A1 will need to be professionally photographed. (My studio is too tiny to accommodate the kit for this, but contact me if you’d like a recommendation for where to get this done).

Fine art scanning uses top of the range graphic scanning hardware combined with colour-management software to make high-resolution colour-accurate copies of artwork and original documents. You can read more about the specifications of my scanning system here: https://www.peradam.co.uk/extra-info/scanning

If you just need to copy a passport, driving licence or other document for purposes other than art reproduction, or you're not bothered about colour accuracy and tonal range then I recommend using a copy shop instead - Postscript in Frome have the right hardware to do this sort of scanning and do an excellent job.

You own the copyright to your original artwork, and to the scanned file. The file I create is yours - you’re welcome to just use my scanning service and then print the file elsewhere. I WeTransfer files to you, and it’s up to you to safely store them. I’ll keep your scans on my system for up to 3 months, after which time they’re subject to being deleted*. This means if you want to order prints of a file I’ve scanned for you, you’ll need to resend it to me.*

* unless you’re subscribed to my archival storage service (read more)

If I forget to WeTransfer you your files, please remind me. I won’t delete files that I haven’t transferred to you.

copyright of artwork you didn’t make yourself

It is up to you to get the necessary permission if you’re trying to reproduce artwork that you haven’t made yourself. Any copyright dispute that comes up as a result of a scan you’ve asked me to make legally falls on you, so I urge you to only make copies of work you own the copyright of, or that you have permission to copy.

Where I can make efficiency gains I do offer discounts, please contact me for details. As a general rule discounts start to apply on orders of 10+ of any one thing.

Deckling the edge of prints is a time-consuming business that wastes paper. If you particularly want a deckled edge, I’d need to order in sheets that are pre-deckled, which means you’re restricted to certain sizes and minimum orders. This takes more time and costs more than straight-edged prints. But if that doesn’t deter you, fire me an email about it via this link.

I might be able to help with simple mounting and cello-wrapping, please contact me.

I can recommend different local framers depending on your project.

Handle the print as little as possible, and avoid touching the inked surface. Giclee ink can mark, particularly dark prints so please handle with care. When storing prints for any length of time make sure you use acid-free materials to wrap your print in (the tissue paper I supply prints in isn’t archival, and not intended to be used long-term). UV light will damage prints, so don’t keep in direct sunlight.

When framing and mounting, use acid-free and/ or conservation-grade materials, and never frame a print direct against glass without a window mount or spacer (this can generate condensation that will fuse the print to the glass). Acrylic can be used instead of glass if you don’t want to use a window mount or spacers.

Tube-rolled or curly prints

If rolled into a tube, best to carefully take it out and store it flat or get it framed straightaway - the longer the print stays in the tube the curlier the print will be.

Paper has a memory, and it will remember being rolled and want to return to that state. If your print is a bit curly then you can place heavy books on top (with a layer of tissue paper to protect the print) and it should flatten out.

Some papers can take being reverse-rolled, whereby you roll the paper over a tube in the opposite way to how it’s naturally curling. But this can damage some papers, so proceed with caution.

Textured paper, particularly German Etching, holds its memory of being rolled the most, and it is harder to reverse-roll without damaging the print. Bare this in mind when ordering, as I usually print from a roll rather than cut-sheets. I find Somerset Enhanced Velvet is the best textured paper for reducing this problem.

I have just introduced canvas printing, but I don’t currently stretch canvas. Local framers Studio Prints offer a canvas stretching service, I can put you in touch with them.

Alternatives

St Cuthbert’s Mill Somerset Enhanced Velvet makes a good paper alternative to stretched canvas, as the texture of this paper evokes a similar tactility to canvas.

My first graduate job was at Scott Polar Research Institute at Cambridge University, where I learned how to handle fragile artworks, glass negatives, and historic documents. So your collection is in safe hands.

If you have only a few items to digitise I recommend arranging for this to be on the day you bring the works to me, so that they are out of their archive for the shortest time possible. Best to contact me in this case and I can sort the logistics out.

For those who have a large number of works that need digitising, I may be able to come to your archive with my scanner and gear and make a run of it, working on a day rate rather than by the image.

I don’t have set opening hours so it’s best to arrange your visit in advance to guarantee that I’m around when you come. Contact me or book an appointment.

As a general rule I’m often out of the studio on Fridays until late afternoon, and I try to reserve Mondays as a closed studio day. I'm rarely in the studio over the weekend.

Tues, Weds, Thursdays are the best days to see me.

But I can be flexible if arranged in advance.

Face to face appointments are available from my studio at the Silk Mill in Frome. We can discuss specialist requirements, answer questions and show you sample swatches.

Alternatively I can post you paper samples, and answer queries via email.

book an appointment

Find me at Studio 3 The Silk Mill, Saxonvale, Frome, BA11 1PT.

When you get to the Silk Mill go to the studios entrance, press “3” on the main mill intercom and it will call me.

Car parks: there’s a small car park at the Silk Mill (though the big green gates opposite the French antique cafe). If you luck upon a space you will need to borrow a visitor parking docket from me. If there are no spaces, there’s two public car parks within a 3 minute walking distance, one near the Bennett Centre, and the other opposite M&S.