"Sutton Graphics Inc. are traditional and digital prepress specialists with over thirty years of experience. The fine art division of Sutton Graphics concentrates on crafting high quality giclée fine art prints using the world's first production model of the Iris 3047G printer. The ink sets and substrates used are unsurpassed in the industry. The company prides itself on having a state-of-the-art infrastructure beginning with the Hell CP345 digital chromograph drum scanner and the Scitex system at the heart.

A giclée (pronounced zhee-clay) begins with the original art, transparency or photograph being scanned by a high-end drum scanner. The digital image is then transferred to the computer.

The image is output to a sophisticated printer from Iris Graphics. Specifically designed for fine art printmaking, the 3047G has, for example- increased the tonal range from 496 (its predecessors) to 1,984 levels of gray per colour. The printmaker/technician loads the desired stock to be printed on and verifies the colour management elements. The printer sprays microscopic droplets of ink on the substrate at a rate of 1.5 million droplets per second. As the drum rotates at a rate of 90 mph, four nozzles (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) each with an opening of one quarter the diameter of a human hair engages to produce the resulting colours of an image… hence the French term giclee, which means to spray. The spray is more like a mist, each droplet the size of a red-blood cell.

The result is a continuous-tone image rather than a dot pattern. An original painting can be duplicated very accurately with colours that are precise, intense and rich. A giclee can have a sharpness that no other prints can match.

The longevity required for collector quality giclee prints is only ensured by the use of the finest substances and inks. Sutton Graphics uses only 100% rag, acid free, 140 lb. (300 g/m) watercolour papers such as Somerset Velvet or Arches for Iris and Legion Capri Digital canvas.

The inks used are the Lyson Fine Arts ink sets (FA II) imported from England. After independent testing by Wihelm Imaging Research Inc. (stringent conditions - 450 lux for 12 hours per day), the inks have shown the best longevity characteristics."*

*Used with permission of Sutton Graphics
In partnership with Sutton Graphics, Mia Lane now brings you the finest in giclée prints. You may contact Sutton Graphics for more information on giclée's at www.suttongraphics.com.