Archival Fine Art Giclée Prints by The Mighty Mitten
OUR PRINTS ARE:
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MADE IN MICHIGAN!
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Hand-drawn (No AI - Ever!)
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Signed by the artist
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Archival giclée fine art prints
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Printed on heavyweight, acid-free matte paper
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Made with top quality pigment-based inks
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Standard sizes — Ready to frame
Please note:
Actual print colors may vary slightly from the colors you see on your screen.
What sizes are our prints?
Our prints are produced in 5 standard sizes, which means you don't need custom framing — you can buy an affordable frame right off the shelf at many local stores.
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8x10" (matted to 8x10", printed area = 5x7")
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11x14" (printed area = 9x12")
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16x20" (printed area = 14x18")
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18x24" (printed area = 16x22")
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24x36" (printed area = 22x34")
Each print is made with a 1"white margin around the printed area (except for the 8x10" prints, which have a 1.5" white margin) which is also where the artist's signature is typically located.
8x10" prints also come with a mat, which typically obscures the artist signature.
Custom sizes are available - just ask!
One complication to offering so many options in standard sizes is this: Different sizes have different proportions.
A 24x36" print is proportionally taller and narrower than a 16x20" print. The worst way to address this is to stretch and distort the image to fit... this looks terrible and is unthinkably lazy, but some folks do it.
Another way is to keep the illustration exactly the same proportions on both sizes, but to allow the print to have uneven margins, or you can just crop off the parts that don't fit the new format—Neither are our preference.
So, in order to offer so many standard options that all have a uniform 1" margin, Brian subtly alters the composition of each illustration to fit the proportions of all the print sizes we offer. It can be a lot of extra work, but it has the best results!
What does Giclée mean?
Giclée (pronounced "zhee-clay," from the french word “gicleur,” which means “to spray.”) is a term used to describe high quality fine art printing using pigment based, archival quality inks, manufactured on advanced, high-resolution inkjet printers.
Giclée printers use 10 different ink colors and print at very high resolution (up to 1200 dpi), which provides rich, vibrant color and incredibly smooth gradient transitions to the final print.
Giclée prints also require pigment based inks, which use refined particles of pigment suspended in liquid to create beautiful, high-resolution finished artwork. Pigment inks are much more durable than dye based inks, which can bleed or fade quickly.
You may see the word "poster" a lot on this site, but make no mistake: we sell archival-quality fine art prints.
What does archival mean?
The term "archival" refers to museum-quality art prints designed to remain crisp, vibrant, and beautiful for an extremely long time. Indeed, properly stored archival prints can last decades without yellowing and degrading. This is possible due to the high end materials and methods used in their production.
As mentioned in previous "giclée" section, pigment based inks and specialty inkjet printers are two pillars of archival materials and methods... another pillar is the base to which those inks are applied. In our case, this means luxuriant Archival Matte Paper with a 100% alpha-cellulose base stock which is free of acids and lignins. This is important because acids can migrate through the paper and, over time, weaken the bond with the inkjet-receptive coating.
In short: Pigment inks + archival paper = an archival print.
Proper Care?
Good news! It's not hard at all to ensure that your prints stay vibrant & sharp for a long, long time!
1.) Keep it under glass, or a UV-protective glass substitute. In short: Frame it.
2.) Keep it our of direct sunlight. Though, to be honest, we tested a print by leaving it in the back window of the car for an entire summer and couldn't notice any damage.
3.) Acid-free is key if you're mounting it on a board of some kind.
4.) Excess humidity may increase the appearance of ripples forming in the paper.
5.) Similarly, correct framing will help preserve the integrity of the paper from the effects of gravity.
Framing?
Since we make our prints fit standard frame sizes, you should have no problem finding an off-the-shelf frame at your local Meijer. For an extra wide variety, including pre-cut mats, try Michael's.
However! Definitely consider your local frame shop. Not only will you be supporting a local small business, but the results are always superior. You can also get more creative with different mat colors and frame styles.
Buy Framed Prints?
We are working on connecting with a framing partner that would allow us to sell already-framed prints directly to our customers, but this service is not yet available.
Please check back for updates!
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Other Questions?
If there's something you'd like to know about our prints that isn't covered on this page, feel free to drop us a line!