A: Yes and No. The term Giclée (french for to spurt) is used to describe prints produced through any form of ink jet printing technology. Unfortunately all ink jet printers are not the same, and all Giclée is not made alike. We do not use the term as we feel it is misleading and potentially fraudulent. The term is currently used by print shops and artists to describe what many believe to be a brand name or proprietary type of printing. This is not the case. Not all Giclée is created equal. We feel that there needs to be truth in advertising, so we call our prints what they are. We use the two highest quality digital print processes currently available, the Iris printer and the Roland HiFi V8. If a print was produced on an Iris printer, it's an "Iris print". If it was produced on a Roland Pigment printer it is a "Roland digital pigment print". Companies and publishers selling Giclée can and do produce lower quality prints on inferior ink jet systems and the customer may not truly know what they are buying. Calling a print a Giclée does not change the fact that it was produced on a specific type of printer and the customer deserves to know what that printer is.

Q: What is the longevity of Digital Prints?

A: This is one of the most volatile issues surrounding digital printmaking. While no one can say definitively exactly how long a particular print will last, a staggering amount of research has been done on the subject. RIT and Wilhelm Research Institute have both conducted independent studies on the lightfastness of various paper and ink combinations. RIT and Wilhelm Imaging Research both use high dosage fluorescent lighting to predict how long an ink might last in low doses of fluorescent lighting. Their tests however, do not give any indication of how an ink would perform when exposed to gallery lighting and ambient or direct sunlight. Xenon testing, while being much more expensive to use, represents more realistically the full spectrum of light that inks are exposed to such as sunlight, incandescent, and fluorescent. Their tests were made with full-spectrum Xenon light at 1000 hours to better imitate the conditions in which prints fade (high levels of illumination). The Carbon Pigment that is used here is designed to perform without perceptible fade and color shifting in equivalent tests which give greater than 100 year longevity ratings to inks which have perceptible amounts of fade. As tempting as it is, we refrain from interpolating our less than perceptible fade into years. We're happy with less than perceptible fade.


Q: In Digital Printing are Pigments preferable to Dye?

A: In most cases. Dyes are synthetic, they are frequently unstable and most susceptible to fading. We have a deep concern for permanence and durability. With our digital pigment printing and carbon-based printing a pigment-based ink set is used. Pigments (derived from minerals) have stood the test of time. Pigment is a finely ground, particulate substance which, when mixed or ground into a liquid to make ink or paint, does not dissolve, but remains dispersed or suspended in the liquid. Pigments are categorized as either inorganic (mineral) or organic (synthetic).


Q: How do I determine the best way to produce my images?

A: At UDC we have a expert team that is happy to discuss your project with you to determine the best solution to your specific needs. Each artist that works with us brings with them new challenges. We are interested in finding the most creative solutions to your project. We have years of experience consulting with artists, dealers, and publishers. Call us and we'll set up a time for you to drop in.


Q: How do I begin the process?

A: The first step is to obtain a high resolution digital image of your artwork or transparency. We scan your original artwork, transparencies, slides or negatives with a state of the art Scitex scanner. If your work is already in digital form you can submit it on CD, DVD, or other portable disk. After an image is scanned, cleaned, and color corrected, you will receive an archival proof, on the media you've selected, for your comments and adjustments. During the process we are in constant communication discussing your vision and requirements. Once we receive the proof with your comments, we make the appropriate changes to achieve your needs and print another 8 1/2 x 11 proof. These two rounds of color proofing are included in your scan price. If you started with your own digital source files proofing is $25.00 per round. After the work has been approved and printed in it's final form, it will be digitally archived on a CD or DVD and stored on site for future printing.