You're looking at two prints of roughly the same image. One's £15, one's £65. They look identical on your screen. So what, actually, are you paying for?
It's a fair question, and most places selling art prints don't answer it properly — they'll drop the word "giclée" into a product description and assume you'll nod along. Here's what the terms actually mean, what's genuinely different about the print in your hand, and why it matters for something that's going to hang on your wall for years, not sit in a drawer.
The short version
"Giclée," "digital print," and "poster" aren't three totally separate categories — they overlap. Giclée is a type of digital printing. The real differences that matter are the ink and the paper, not the buzzword on the listing.
- Ink — pigment-based (archival, fade-resistant) vs dye-based (cheaper, fades faster)
- Paper — heavyweight fine art stock vs thin, standard poster paper
- Finish — how the surface handles light, colour depth, and detail
A print can call itself "giclée" and still use cheap paper. The two need to line up for the quality claim to actually mean anything.
What Fy! prints are actually made of
All Fy! fine art prints are made using Giclée printing — the standard used by museums and galleries — with pigment-based archival inks. That's the bit that matters most for longevity: pigment inks sit on the paper differently to dye-based inks and don't visibly fade when displayed indoors, so the print you hang today should look the same in five or ten years, not just on delivery day.
The paper itself is a 220gsm enhanced matte fine art stock — heavyweight compared to standard poster paper (which usually sits well under half that), with a smooth, clean finish and a natural white tone that stays consistent rather than yellowing over time. The matte surface also does practical work: it removes glare, so you can actually see the piece properly from most angles in a room, and it brings out highlights and tone in a way a glossy or thin print can't.
Every Fy! print — regardless of size or price — is made to this same standard. The choices you're making when you order are about how it's presented (frame colour, mount, size), not about a hidden quality tier underneath. What you see on a £30 print and a £150 print is the same paper and the same ink; the price difference is size, framing, and mount, not corners cut on the print itself.
The comparison, side by side
| Giclée (pigment ink) | Standard digital print (dye ink) | Basic poster print | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ink type | Pigment-based, archival | Dye-based | Dye-based, often lower resolution |
| Fade resistance | Won't visibly fade indoors | Fades noticeably within 1–2 years in light | Fades fastest, especially near windows |
| Paper weight | Heavyweight (Fy!: 220gsm) | Usually lighter, 120–170gsm | Thin, often under 120gsm |
| Colour depth | Rich, smooth gradients | Flatter, less tonal range | Flattest, visible banding on gradients |
| Finish | Matte, glare-free | Often semi-gloss | Glossy or uncoated |
| Best for | Anything you want to keep long-term | Short-term or budget decor | Temporary displays, posters you'll swap out |
Does it actually matter for your wall?
If it's a poster you'll swap out in a year — a gig print, a temporary decoration, something for a student room you know you're leaving — the cheaper option is a perfectly sensible choice, and there's no reason to spend more.
But for anything going in a room you're settling into, especially somewhere that gets natural light — a living room, a hallway, above a desk — the ink is doing the real work over time. A dye-based print in direct or even indirect daylight will noticeably shift within a year or two: whites go slightly yellow, blacks lose depth, colours flatten. A pigment-based giclée print is built specifically to resist exactly that.
Sizes on Fy! prints run from small (4x6") right up to genuinely large statement pieces (100x50"), all printed to the same archival standard, with an optional solid wood poster hanger if you want a frame-free, lightweight way to display a larger piece.
FAQ
What does "giclée" actually mean? Giclée refers to high-resolution inkjet printing using pigment-based inks onto fine art paper or canvas — originally developed for reproducing fine art with gallery-level accuracy. It's a printing method, not a brand or a single supplier's term.
Is giclée print worth the extra cost over a standard poster? For anything you want to display long-term or somewhere with natural light, yes — pigment inks resist fading in a way dye-based prints don't, so you're paying for the print looking the same in years rather than months.
Do all Fy! prints use the same paper and ink? Yes — every Fy! print is made using Giclée printing with pigment-based archival inks on 220gsm enhanced matte fine art paper, regardless of size or price. What changes between orders is size, frame, and mount, not the print quality itself.
Will a giclée print fade if it's near a window? Pigment inks are significantly more fade-resistant than dye-based inks, but no print is entirely immune to years of direct, intense sunlight. Indirect natural light is fine; out of direct sun is always the safer long-term spot for any print.
What sizes are available? Fy! prints run from 4x6" up to 100x50", all printed to the same archival standard.
Worth a browse if you're deciding what to put up next — explore the full range and see what's actually going to earn its spot on your wall.