Print resolution

Giclée printers have a higher dot per square inch resolution than normal inkjet printers, allowing you to do justice to high quality image files to produce finer, less pixelated prints than you could with a home inkjet printer. Here at theprintspace we use the latest use best-in-class Epson UltraChrome K3 printers, capable of producing print resolutions up to 1440 by 2880 DPI.

Colour range

Like your home inkjet printer, professional Giclée printers use the CMYK color process, except that they feature a multiple ink cartridge, 8 channel printhead based on the CcMmYK color model, adding light magenta, light cyan and 3 levels of black. In combination with theprintspace’s in-house colour profiles (which you can download here), our true Giclée prints deliver unrivalled colour accuracy with superior black & whites, exceptional colour gamut and sublimely smooth gradient transitions.

Archival quality

Giclée printers use a higher quality of fade-resistant, archival, pigment-based inks. When applied to high quality archival substrates, like, for example, the Hahnemühle cotton-based, acid free Rag papers we use at theprintspace, this results in an unbeatable archival lifespan of up to 200 years.

Colour range

Unlike C-types, which are continuous tone, chemical process prints, where colours are produced by a chemical reaction, the colours on Giclées inkjet prints are produced by applying pure pigment inks directly to the paper. As a result, you can achieve a wider range of colours (known as the gamut) with an inkjet process, especially the purer colours at the extreme end of the spectrum.

So, if you have an image with bright punchy colours, and having those colours really stand out is an important part of the effect you’re trying to achieve, then you might want to choose Giclée over C-type. On the other hand, C-ypes handle images with gradual tonal changes better (like human skin tones, for example), so the choice of print type really depends on your image.

True black & white

Professional Giclées use 3 different tones of black and grey ink cartridge. Because these inks can be applied to the paper in pure form (without any colour noise from the other colour cartridges), files prepared in Adobe RGB Grayscale can produce exceptionally clean, colour-cast-free black & white Giclée prints. To find out more about how to get the perfect black & white print, check out our comprehensive Black & White Printing Guide.

Wide choice of print papers

The second reason you might choose Giclée over C-type is the wider choice of paper types. We’ve hand-picked 7 best-in-class printing papers, from photographic substrates to heavy cotton based textured papers, popular with illustrators due to the artily effect of the finished print. See the next article for a guide on how to choose the right paper for your image.

Print resolution and colour range

There are hundreds of C-type printing machines out there, each with varying output qualities and imaging accuracy. Here at theprintspace we use Chromira ProLab and RA4 machines with state-of-the-art patented light emitting diode technology, allowing ultra-fine imaging resolution and optimal colour reproduction across the spectrum. In combination with the pro-grade archival papers we use, our Chromiras allow us to create brilliant, flawless photographic prints to the highest standards achievable with today’s technology.

Archival quality

Paper type plays an important role in the archival quality of the final print. Cheaper papers produce prints with a lower archival lifespan. Here at theprintspace we’ve hand-picked the 4 best-in-class professional archival photographic papers to ensure the maximum achievable archival lifespan for your print. See the next article for more information on choosing the right C-type photographic print for your particular image.

Perfect colour accuracy

Most high-street labs apply preset colour corrections to all the prints they produce to create the more saturated effect preferred by many amateur photographers. Here at theprintspace, we give full control to you, the photographer, allowing you to realise your artistic vision, free of interference. Our print profiles are created by our own in-house colour scientist (available for download here), allowing you to soft proof your images in Photoshop before you print. In combination with our peerless colour management processes, including daily calibration of all of our machines, this ensures that what you see on your screen is always guaranteed to be faithfully reproduced in your final print.

Large format printing

Another benefit of pro-lab C-types is print size. Our Chromira machines are capable of printing up to 50 inches (127 cm) on paper rolls up to 50 meters, so truly enormous, high impact photographic prints are achievable.

Real photographic prints

Unlike Giclée prints, which are essentially high quality inkjet prints, C-types are produced by a chemical process on light sensitive archival photographic papers. So in this sense, a C-type is what you might call a true photographic print, producing a rich traditional feel in the final print. For this reason, whereas Giclées are more popular with our illustration clients, C-types are often the go-to choice for photographers.

Tonal resolution

C-type printing is a continuous tone process where colours are rendered at the molecular level during the chemical process (as opposed to Giclée where ink is applied in dots by the inkjet nozzles). This means C-types are capable of reproducing a much more refined tonal range (up to 16 million colours per square inch, compared to Giclée’s 256 colours per square inch). As a result, C-type prints are superior to Giclée prints at handling subtle total changes, such as skin tones. This is also especially noticeable in darker tones where you can achieve superior definition with a C-type print.

Samples & test prints

To really appreciate the feel and quality of each our professional papers, and help you choose the perfect option for your image, you can order a print sample pack online containing all of the 7 Giclée and 4 C-type papers we use at theprintspace. We also offer very reasonably priced test strips either online or in-house so you can see your image on your chosen paper before you commit to producing your final print.

One-on-one advice

You can also call us or visit our Shoreditch Studios for personal one-on-one advice. Under the guidance of our own in-house colour scientist, our highly trained and knowledgeable production team, all of whom are photography or art graduates, are here to assist you every step of the way. We’re open from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm Monday to Friday.

Preparing your files for print

For beginners, you can prepare your files for print using the default colour profile Adobe RGB 1998. Our machines are calibrated daily with our own in-house colour profiles, so you’ll still get excellent results with the default profile. You’ll need to save your files off at 300 dpi at the desired print size (with any borders added).

For the colour connoisseurs amongst you (we love you guys at theprintspace), download our colour profiles and load them into Photoshop to soft-proof your images on each of our 11 different paper types. We even offer a free screen calibration service, so just bring your screen down to theprintspace and we can geek out together!

Our print studio also has 4 private retouching booths, featuring the latest, fully loaded Mac Pros with Photoshop and Capture One Pro and calibrated Eizo monitors. Please call to book to avoid disappointment.

More printing tips

We also have a detailed printing help and advice section, that goes into much more detail on everything from how to soft proof your images in Photoshop to how to set up the professional digital dark room, and also simple step-by-step guides on all our services, including how to order prints online and how to use our new e-commerce software for selling art online.