✵✶✺What are hand-pulled prints? ✵✶✺
Hand-pulled prints are original artworks. They are any image that are created by hand printed image transfer process. That includes etching, relief printing, silk screen and lithography.
The artist designs, prepares the printing plate, block, screen or stone and prints the image onto a surface, usually paper, as a final artwork. Each print is considered an original because there are two prints that are identical due to the handmade nature.
The labour involved is no joke.
Hand-pulled prints are often limited edition, partly because of the labour involved. Who wants to print 10,000 prints by hand? Once the edition is gone, that’s it. Read this for a refresher on editions.
Many print lovers are fascinated with the texture of hand-pulled prints. Because of the heavy pressure of the printing press, hand-pulled prints often have an embossed quality to them.
I LOVE that effect too!
✵✶✺What are Giclée Prints? ✵✶✺
A giclée print is pretty much a fancy print out.
A fine giclée print is a reproduction inkjet print made with lightfast pigment, usually on archival art paper. Archival means the colours will not fade for 50-100 years. It can’t be compared with the quick and dirty job of our home/office printers.
A giclée print could be on art paper, canvas, rice paper or even silk!
Giclée prints are a wonderful way to start your art collection. They are usually more affordable and thus less scary as your first art object. Usually a giclee print is a copy of an original artwork. That means the artist photographs or scans the original art and prints it with a high-quality inkjet printer. The prints could be made in-house or the artist sends the digital files to a printing house. Good giclée prints look stunningly faithful to the original art.
✵✶✺Which one is better? ✵✶✺
It’s like choosing machine-made clothes VS hand-sewn ones. Machine-made clothes tend to be more affordable. Hand-sewn clothes have a warm human touch.
There are no right or wrong choices. As long as you are clear on what you are getting and on the reasons behind your choice, you’re good to go! xoxo
**A note though, giclée reproductions of original art tend to be more affordable than unique art (hand-pulled prints or original drawings/paintings.) These are not to be confused with digital art prints. In short, digital art prints just mean any art prints that are produced digitally. Digital art could be something the artist whips up in 30 minutes, or she could have spent 300 hours on it.
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Love what you are seeing? Get your own handpulled woodcut print or giclee print here.
“Hong Kong 2084” is a collection of giclee prints in support of Plastic Free Seas, a Hong Kong based environmental charity focused on changing the way we all view and use plastics in society today. Check it out!
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