What Is Giclee Printing? A Guide to Museum-Quality Art Prints

If you have browsed art prints online, you have almost certainly seen the term "giclee" (pronounced zhee-clay). It sounds fancy, but the concept is straightforward: giclee is a fine-art printing process that uses high-resolution inkjet technology to produce prints with exceptional colour accuracy and longevity.

Unlike standard digital printing, giclee printers use a much wider colour gamut — typically ten or twelve individual ink cartridges compared to the four found in a standard office printer. This means smoother gradients, richer blacks, and more faithful reproduction of subtle tones. The ink is sprayed in microscopic droplets onto archival-grade paper or canvas, producing a result that is virtually indistinguishable from the original artwork. When paired with acid-free, cotton-rag fine art paper, a giclee print can last over a hundred years without noticeable fading.

At Dear Atlas, every poster is giclee printed on 230gsm fine art paper or premium canvas. The difference is visible the moment you hold the print — the map detail is crisp at every scale, the colours are rich without being oversaturated, and the paper itself has a satisfying weight and texture. It is the same process used by galleries and museums worldwide, which is why we are confident offering it for a piece of art that celebrates your most important address.