Mounting Giclee Prints

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ArtLady

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
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Now that Giclee (Iris etc) prints have been out for a while. May I ask what your preferred method of mounting and adhesive might be for those prints that are bled to the edge?

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Timberwoman
AL
I cut the mat, I pet the =^..^= cat.

[This message has been edited by ArtLady (edited June 23, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by ArtLady (edited June 23, 2001).]
 
A laPepe LaPew....je-clay (long e)
 
Giclees are art on paper, and may be mounted like any other art on paper.

Good giclees may be preservation mounted. Cheap giclee posters may be wetmounted or drymounted, etc.

Cautions:

1. Cheap ones will fade from light more quickly than a photograph, so always recommend UV-filtering glazing. Some are no better than prints we can make on our own ink-jet printers.

2. Most giclees are extremely water-soluble. One drop on the image means total, immediate destruction. Some are sealed with a spray coating to improve their water-resistance. I can't tell which ones, so I treat them all as though they are uncoated.
 
I just had to deal with some Giclee's on canvas and guess what? They're extremely water soluble too! The printer had me use a special spray to seal them and after 8 thorough coats they were still water soluble. Just took a little longer to soak in. Next time I'll have them laminated...if there is a next time.
 
I posed this question to a paper conservator that we know. She is working on a reversible solution to this problem. I will let all know who ask for this information if you email me privately. She and I had a long discussion about this issue.

I am a little crazy right now I am installing a how show display about 30 pieces so I need to run but I will be back with more information.

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Timberwoman
AL
I cut the mat, I pet the =^..^= cat.
 
Giclees can be tricky but most traditional mounting methods can work. The orignial Iris prints (one of many Giclee) printing processes was used in the sign business for years before being used to reproduce art. Most sign shops used a Seal 600 laminator to mount Iris because both the pressure and the temp could be controlled. Good 'ole Super 77 was a solution for signs as well. The trouble with the technology being used to reproduce art is that it is difficult to keep the options archival. The good news is that both substrate (paper, canvas, others) and ink manufacturers are also working on these problems and are promising solutions.

There are now inks for example that have been tested that have 200 year life expectancy.

Hang in there and the technology side of this process will catch up with the "collectable" usage in the art biz.

(Sorry - used to work in the sign biz so this gear head stuff stays with me!)

John Richarrds

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John Richards
 
In rereading my post it concerned me that someone might misunderstand and do what I did to a collectable giclee (if there is such a thing). The canvas giclees that I was dealing with were not collectable, are 4'x8', and are hanging in a restaurant. I would not recommend spraying or laminating a collectable giclee. In such a case I would of course recommend treating it as any other collectable and doing the conservation thing to it. I would recommend glazing a canvas piece, with spacers, in order to protect it from any moisture that would be sure to ruin it. This does detract slightly from the artwork but I believe it to be necessary at this point in time. When they come up with a good sealer that the printer can apply (and they will) then glazing will be optional.
 
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