Art Glossary


Triptych - An art work that has three side-by-side parts or canvases.

Diptych - An art work that has two side-by-side part or canvases.

Gallery Wrap - the canvas streched on thick gallery stretchers, painted on edges and could be exhibited without frame.

Edition Size - the total number of prints printed, or pulled, of one particular image. Separate edition sizes are recorded for the signed and numbered prints, artist's proofs and printer's proofs.

Limited-Edition Print - a reproduction of an original work of art that is signed and sequentially numbered by the artist. The total number of prints is fixed or limited by the artist or the publisher.

Open-Edition Print - a reproduction of an original work of art that is sometimes signed by the artist. The number of prints published is not predetermined.

Signed and Numbered - limited-edition prints that have been signed and sequentially numbered by the artist. The artist's signature is usually found in one of the lower corners of the print and is accompanied by a number that looks like a fraction; the top number indicates the number of the print and the bottom number indicates the total number of prints in the edition.

What is giclee printing?

A GICLEE ( pronounced ZHEE-clay ) comes form the French term for "fine spray".
The term Giclée first appeared in 1989. It is a process of shooting millions of ink droplets per second through a microscopic nozzle, producing a seamless, continuous tone image.

Giclée reproductions provide incredible detail and brilliance, and a three dimensional appearance. Giclées are printed on the highest quality canvas, watercolor paper, cotton paper and other substrates, using sophisticated calibration technique and years of experience in color management. Combined with the newest generation of Giclée printers using pigmented light-fast inksets to create stunning six-color hi-fidelity, this technique produces extraordinarily accurate reproductions. The technology used in Giclée actually produces higher resolution and richer color than traditional lithography without the fading.

Prints should not be exposed to direct sunlight just as any original artwork, made in oil or any other media. Under normal lighting conditions, inks will not show noticeable fading for at least 200 years . The pigmented inks are the best on the marked in longevity.