Below is a list of the most commonly asked questions for everything you need to know about the giclée process.

If you have a question that is not listed below, please contact us for an answer to your specific questions.

Q. Why choose Fidelis?

A. Fidleis is commtited to prepare it's clients to sell their own work. By supplying you with some essential marketing tools, we hope to empower you to become self-sufficient through an ongoing relationship.

A. A giclée is a digitally produced fine-art print. Giclée prints can be original artworks generated with a computer, or they can be multiple originals based on artwork (created with or without a computer) made with the giclée process in mind, or high-quality reproductions of original artwork. Giclée also refers to the digital printmaking process itself.

A. Prominent artists like Robert Rauschenberg, Jim Dine, David Hockney, and Andrew and Jamie Wyeth have discovered that giclées are excellent for creating original works, multiple originals, or beautiful reproductions. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art, and the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, DC have all showcased giclée prints in recent years. But it isn't just high-profile artists and galleries who are making and showing giclées. Artists at all levels and in a wide variety of media are creating prints using giclée technology, and more are discovering digital printmaking every day. Buyers, attracted by the high quality and dynamic reproduction of giclées, have triggered a giclée explosion—the market for fine-art giclée prints is significant.

A. The giclée process is faster and more cost effective than traditional printmaking techniques. Initial costs are affordable, and the fact that prints are stored electronically and can be produced in limited edition—at any size—on demand means you can reorder whenever you need them and be assured of a consistent product. Giclées have also opened up new opportunities in how the business of art is practiced. Giclées make it easy for artists and galleries to self-publish the work of an artist or group of artists, to test the market with the work of emerging artists, and to experiment with smaller editions of works with a narrow market appeal. See Benefits for more details.

A. Fidelis offers a full range of Promotional Packages to meet every artist's needs. Giclée printing is considered a reasonable way to get into fine art reproductions, as the artist does not need to commit to a large press run that starts at $1000+. Giclée printing can be expensive at the front end (usually $250+ to get set-up, depending on the original and the artists’ expectations) however, the flexibility to produce prints as needed (hence the phrase "print on-demand") makes it affordable. See our Pricing calculators for specific details.

A. The Fidelis site has three price calculators; one for scanning and two for printing. Depending on whether you are supplying your own digital file(s), you will need to enter your original and final print sizes along with the recommended resolution for output. For printing, you have the option of selecting from a variety of archival and decor media to print on. You will then need to enter the quantity, as well as your final print size required. You will have several finishing option to select from, though for some media, they may not be applicable (N/A) or optional.

Q. What resoluition do I need?

A. Your file size is determined by 3 factors; your final print dimensions (H and W), the resolution (dpi), and whether you are going to print in colour or black & white (RGB or grayscale). By using our Scan Calculator, you can easily determine your file size required. If you would like to calculate it manually, the formula is as follows:

Note: If you are calculating the file size for a black & white image, divide by 3.

A. Depending on whether you are going to print in colour or black & white, your colour modes would be RGB (Red, Green, and Blue) or grayscale (black & white). We highly recommend that you scan or create all of your colour files in RGB. Since all of our media and inks are specifically profiled, all RGB to CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and blacK) conversions are done during the printing process. For grayscale files, there is no need to convert to RGB before printing, because they will be output using our Hextone BW process.

A. All digitally supplied files must be flattened and have any additional alpha channels deleted. We suggest saving in a TIFF or JPEG file format, though please do not apply any form TIFF compression and make sure that your JPEG compression is set for maximum image quality. If you are saving from a postscript of vector-based program such as Adobe Illustrator or InDesign, be sure to convert all fonts to outlines or curves. From these programs, we can output from both PDF (preferred) or EPS file formats. Please consult our production team for more details, if required.

A. There are a variety of storage media that we accept, though the two most common are on CD or DVD. Be sure to enclose a hardcopy print for colour reference. If you would prefere to send your files electronically, please review our File Transfer Guidelines for detailed instructions. All digitally supplied files are printed as received, so you may have to budget 2 to 3 additional proofs, if a hardcopy print is not sent for colour reference.

Q. What type of printers do we use?

A. We currently have two inks we can use with most of our archival and decor media. For archival purposes, we only use pigment-based ink for both our colour and black & white processes.

Our colour process uses a 6-colour ink configuration Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Light Cyan, and Light Magenta. This setup provides the best reproduction quality with smooth gradations and excellent highlight details.

Our black & white process uses a 6-black or hextone ink configuration, utilizing 6 shades of black; 10%, 15%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%. We are currently the only place in Western Canada and trhe Pacific Northwest to use this ink configuration commercially. This setup provides the best continuous-tone black & white archival print available. It is also the only way to eliminate the side effects of "metamerism" seen in full colour black & white reproductions. Unfortunately, the hextone process is only available with our uncoated archival and decor media.

A. Metamerism is a phenomenon that occurs when the colour pigments in inkjet prints, produce sometimes dramatic colour shifts between different light sources. The effect is most noticeable in monochromatic and neutral images, and it is more dramatic in dye-based printers that print with a fixed dot size. Since our Roland uses pigment-based inks and it prints with a variable dot size, the effects of metamerism are significantly reduced.

A. A complete list of media can be found in either the archival or decor pricing sections of our site. All of our archival media is rated at over 100 years longevity, so if quality is your first priority, these premium materials are sure to meet your needs. Our decor media all vary in longevity depending on their usage. If you want the look and feel of an archival print, but at a lower price, then we have a few medias that are rated at 25 to 30 years. If your usage is for more of a commercial application, we also have several tradeshow materials that will make your company stand out above everyone elses.

A. Based purely on longevity or light fastness of the inks, pigment-based inks are by far the best. They were originally designed for use in the outdoor sign printing industry because of their resistance to ultraviolet (UV) light. This UV component is what ultimatelyprovides them over 100 years longevity.

Dye-based inks on the other hand, offer the least longevity, though they do have potential a slightly larger colour gamut than pigment-based inks. Since dye-based inks do not offer the same inherent UV protection, they can only provide at most 35 to 40 years longevity.

Epson's Ultrachrome inks are a cross between pigment and dye-based inks that bridge the gap by offering more longevity with only a slight decrease in colour gamut. Ultrachrome inks are rated on average at approx. 50 to 70 years longevity.

Properly calibrated, pigment-based inks can achieve a very wide gamut that will easily match those of most dye-based and Ultrachrome inks.

1. The Roland uses pigment-based inks and the Iris uses dye-based inks, so the Roland potentially over twice the longevity of an Iris.

2. The Roland is a 6-colour printer, where the Iris only uses 4 colours. The additional two inks provide smoother gradations and excellent highlight details.

3. The Roland can be roll fed, so it can print up to 54" wide by whatever length. The Iris can only be sheet fed, so it is limited to the size of it's drum which is approx. 34" x 46".

The only perceived disadvantage is that the Iris' dye-based inks have a potentially larger colour gamut. Properly calibrated, the Roland's pigment-based inks can achieve a very wide gamut that will easily match that of the Iris.

Q. How close can we match your original?

A. Due to the inherent colour biases of each media and ink combination, a custom profile must be created. Profiling is done by outputing a series of colour swatches to compare actual printed values and known values to create a custom set of tables that will convert every colour to it's intended value. Without the use of profiles, it is extremely difficult to maintain consistency from one print to the next and from one paper to another. It also eliminates the individual biases of each printer operator.

We understand that you want to have your 1st and 50th prints to match, so we make sure that all of our media is tested regularly for calibration. For limited edition prints, we strongly encourage your permission for us to maintain a "printer's proof" on site for added assurance.

A. Yes, we can alter your image in whatever way you would like. We can change the overall appearance or just isolate specific colours and change them on their own. Quite often, artists have a favorite colour that they used extensibly in past works, that they can't stand now. If that is your case, then we will use Adobe Photoshop to select and mask whatever elements you wish. Please consult our production team to determine if there is any additional system time required.

Q. How long will my print last?

A. You should treat your limited edition reproductions like you would any original piece of art and take them directly to your frame to avoid any unnecessary handling.

Since pigment-based inks are water soluble, they are quite vulnerable to any contact with liquids. By adding a adding protective clear coat to selected media, it can provide some additional water resistance, though they will still be sensitive to scratching and scuffing.

Some non-archival or decor media have varying degrees of water resistance, but almost all media are susceptable to improper handling. Unless your print is laminated, it will always need to be handled with care. Unfortunately, lamination is not recommended for archival prints.

Please review the limited warranty to ensure that you are taking the necessary precautions not to void your warranty.