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Vocabulary” “giclee extension”
The giclee is produced from an original work of art work, water color, pen and ink, or oil. The production process involves creating a scanned image of the original.
VirtualTaos Inc has developed the giclee production process to include additional steps and a specification for “authorizing” the giclee. Consistent with the discussions during the summer of 2005 between the artist A. Kelly Pruitt and the information scientist Paul Prueitt, we use the phrase “giclee extension”.
The steps that virtualTaos uses to produce giclee extensions are the following:
1) the artist gives authorization to virtualTaos to produce the extensions
2) the original is moved to Taos to the Barry Norris studio for the production of the high resolution digital image (size of the .tiff files are between 100Megs and 260 Megs) The cost of this production is between $70 - $120.
3) The digital image is corrected manually using Adobe Photoshop (this takes between 1 – 2 hours of editing work)
4) The digital image is then “mastered” and back up copy burned to CD.
5) One or more Extension Portfolios are developed
a. ITOYA brand artist portfolios are ordered through the Internet (
i. six of the 8.5*11 highest quality portfolio cost wholesale around $34 each
ii. smaller portfolios might be produced at the 5 *7 size
iii. larger portfolios can be produced up to the 13 * 17 size using the smallest Epson R2400 giclee jet ink printer (which is the one we use for portfolios)
b. an order is made for individual plastic sleeves, these are essential for sales but inexpensive (from www.LightImpressionsDirect.com )
c. The Epson R2400 (with maximum of 13 inch wide printing bed) is used to produce one or more each of a selected number of images (22 – 24 is a good number) (The direct costs, not including equipment, is about $2 - $3 each). Care is used to blow dust away from printer and paper.
d. Authorization and numbering: The virtualTaos extensions are only numbered over “n, with “Taos” and the year produced written lightly in pencil on the image, or directly under the image. No artist signature is acquired. Numbering is consecutively independent of the size or if extended on paper or canvas.
e. These extensions are placed into the portfolio
f. Shipping of the portfolio should be done by double packaging the portfolio.. one box inside a second box with bubble wrap (cost is $15 – 22 )