What’s the Difference Between a Fine Art Print, a Giclée Print, and a Reproduction?

If you’ve ever shopped for art online, you’ve probably seen the terms fine art print, giclée, and reproduction used interchangeably. It can be really confusing, especially when they’re all called “prints.” But they actually mean very different things and if you are buying art, I think it’s important to know the difference. 

Here’s a simple breakdown to help you understand what you’re really buying.

Fine Art Print (Original Print)

A fine art print is an original artwork created through a traditional printmaking process such as screenprinting, woodblock, etching, lithography, or carborundum. In my case, I print all of my editions myself, but some artists work with master printers who specialise in printing editions. Either way, fine art prints are created by highly skilled hands, often using specialised equipment and techniques.

Even though there may be multiple prints in an edition, each one is still considered an original piece of art because it is made directly through the printing process. Every edition is produced in a fixed number, and each print is individually numbered, titled, and signed by the artist.

Because editions include more than one piece, fine art prints are generally more affordable than unique works like paintings or sculptures. This makes them an accessible way to collect original art. 

Maria Atanacković working on a fine art screen print at Graphic Studio Dublin

Maria Atanacković with some of her colourful abstract fine art screen prints at Graphic Studio Dublin

Giclée Print

A giclée print is a high-quality digital inkjet print, made from a scan of an existing artwork, or created digitally to begin with. It is printed using archival inks on fine art paper, so the results can look beautiful and last for many years.

However, the key difference is that the artwork already existed before it was printed. The printer is simply reproducing an image, the artist is not creating the work through the printing process itself.

Because of this, giclée prints are technically reproductions, even though they are often marketed as fine art prints.

Gicleé prints by Maria Atanacković. These are printed on fine art paper, but they are not fine art prints!

Reproduction

A reproduction is any printed copy of an artwork that was originally created in another medium. This includes giclée prints, posters, and open-edition digital prints.

Reproductions are designed to make art more affordable and accessible, but they don’t have the same relationship to process, rarity, or the artist’s hand as an original fine art print.

A digital reproduction of one of Maria Atanacković’s fine art screen prints

Understanding these differences can help you decide what’s important to you when buying art. You can view some of my fine art screen prints here.