Just a few years ago, Giclee was considered an inferior method of printing and critisics often argued that the prints were too grainy and coarse.   They also sited that there were no traces of professional handy‐work on the print or traditional remnants such as printing plates of silk screens.

However, due to the advancements in technology, Gicee has become an increasingly popular method of printing, rivaling other traditional methods such as lithography or serigraphy. Improvements in printing materials such as ink and paper and an increase in digital printing demands are also contributing to the success of Giclee.

With significant improvements in quality, Giclee is beginning to be recognized in the art community as the method that allows artists to directly convey their artistic expressions. With such notions, artists and printers are beginning  to realize that they cannot rely only on traditional methods of printing and ignore the prospects of Giclee.

The follwing prints fall into the Giclee categoiy. They have different names. but in essence, they are Giclee prints, of prints, or prints produced from ink jet printers:

1. Iris Print
Prints created by an ink jet printer called Iris. Iris printers use dye ink that blends into the paper and gives the print a smooth appearance. The printer is very expensive snd differentiates itself from other ink jet printere by its name, Iris. Formerily the best ink jet printer, the Iris printer has been surpassed by improvements by other ink jet printers. For one thing,Iris Printere still use 4 colors, CMYK, bat other ink jet printers ara beginning to use 6 or 8 colors to improve the color and quality of the print.

2. Archival Print
Prints created from an ink jet printer that uses special archival ink that the manufacturer claims to last 100 to 200 years. Evidence does not support their claim of longevity.

3. Archival Museum Print
Archival Museum Print is an advanced form of Giclee printing and usec special ink. Developed using natural color pigments, the ink used by the Archival Museum Print is a true breakthrough for Giclee printing. The ink shows superlor color development and great UV light resistance. According to weather tests. the Archival Museum Prints are expected to last over 300 years.

 About Hue Art Studio and Giclee
Hue Art Studio was established in Los Angeles in 1989 by Kiyoshi Mizukami. in the begining, his studio only produced serigraphs. His clients included many well-known artists who respested and trusted his work. He takes prlde in the fact that his serlgraphs were well received received by his clients and the art community. His goal has always been to create quality prints that his clients are satisfien with and the quality of his work speaks for itself. He recenyly won a serigraph competition on his first attempt.

Mr.Mizukami was initially reluctant as a professional serigrapher to change his method of printing to Giclee although many artists and publishers were shifting towards Giclee and Iris prints. For one thing ,he was not satisfied with the color produced by Giclee printers. The color on conventional Giclee prints quickly faded or changed as the ink reacted with the chenical coating on the paper used by the printers. Due to this fact, he did not immediately bigin using Giclee printers, but began researching into advanced inks that did not produce these problems. He knew that one day, the quality of Giclee prints would improve to meet his level of quality.

In October of 2002, Mr. Mizukami, after waiting patiently for the technology to improve. implemented the Archival Museum Print in his studio. The Archival MUseum Print is an advanced form of Giclee printing that uses the latest technolong and enables the use of soecial ink. This special ink was developed by an artist who was not satisfied with the performance of the more traditional ink. He has the knowledge that worked in an ink maker more than ten years. he developed advanced onk, made from 100% natural pigmente, that is superior in color, durable, and resistant to UV light.

This special ink will also be used by the American Mint Bureau. The Bureru selected the same ink for digitally printing new bills beginning this autnmn. And the Smithsonian and other museums will soon begin publishing some of their art using the same ink.

Ink has been 90% of the problems caused by conventional Giclee printers. Many ink manufacturers try to develop special coiors to compensate for color changes caused by the paper in the Giclee printing process, but it is not to say that there has been an improvement in the ink.

At Hue Art Studio, Mr. Mizukami continues the research with an ink developer, to create not only a more advanced form of ink, but also a new generation of  Giclee printers that will use 12 coiors (including gold. silver, and white).as opposed to the more traditional 6 to 8 colors.