My Commitment to Quality

With more than 25 years in the art industry, I have encountered a range of production companies from the highest calibre to those that cut corners on quality and endanger health for the sake of profit. One such company knowingly used asbestos to build their canvas stretchers, despite the known risk. Ultimately, the quality of a giclée is determined by its resolution, color gamut, archival quality, and safety measures. Any company can say they print giclées; here’s how you make them prove it.

Questions you should ask a business before you buy a giclée from them:

1. How do you ensure the best clarity for each printed image? Image clarity is determined by a combination of both the dpi (dots per inch) and the number of pixels. I use 300 dpi and a minimum of 13,000 x 9,000 pixels for my 24 x 36” pieces and smaller sizes. The pixels increase with larger works.

2. How do you ensure color accuracy? My giclées are printed with pigment-based inks using a complete coverage of SWOP, ISO, GRACOL, 3DAP, EUROSCALE, TOYO, and FOGRA gamuts. This ensures that colors and details faithfully represent the original painting. All giclées use a water-resistant ink with UV semi-gloss varnish.

3. How do you ensure the archival quality of each giclée? A) My giclées are printed on acid-free 410 g/m2 canvas for durability B) The inks used are OBA (Optical Brightening Agents)-free and use Giclée Print Technique to create brilliant images with superior fade resistance for museum-quality printing C) Each giclée is made-to-order, including freshly cut sustainably-sourced pine wood. For every giclée ordered, a tree is planted in partnership with Trees for the Future. For more info see https://trees.org/

4. What safety measures do you take with your product? My giclées use no Hazardous Materials or Known Human Carcinogens. The canvas stretcher frames contain no Medium-Density Fiberboard, which, though significantly cheaper, is made with asbestos. Each giclée meets the requirements of California Section 01350, and is Energy Star Qualified and GHS and UL Greenguard Gold Certified. For more info see https://www.ul.com/services/ul-greenguard-certification

5. How do you guarantee the authenticity of the artwork? Each Limited Edition giclée includes a Certificate of Authenticity (COA). Please keep the COA and included invoice in your files for the provenance of the artwork to ensure its long-term value.