Print Quality

The Search

The Wilma Thomson Gallery considers print quality a top priority. Since we only sell prints of Willy's work, they are the only representations of her art that most will ever see, and as such we take print quality very seriously.

For that reason, we have chosen Milestone Printmakers of Maryland. This choice was made after an exhaustive search for a printer capable of meeting our needs. Milestone Printmakers more than exceeded our requirements and has proven a very valuable asset to The Wilma Thomson Gallery.

Exceptional Quality of GICLEE

Milestone Printmakers was founded by master printer Nick Simon. Simon's printmaking process is the GICLEE (pronounced gee-clay) method of printing. The word "giclee" is a French word meaning "to spray ink through a nozzle." A giclee print is a digital print made with a highly sophisticated inkjet printer capable of creating museum quality fine art prints having great archiving qualities. He uses the Epson 9600 Ultra-Chrome Pro Inkjet, which is considered by many to be the finest giclee digital inkjet printer in the world. The prints this machine produces are stunningly beautiful. Hue, saturation and value range are rich, with image resolution and clarity that is astounding.

Master Printer Nick Simon

But regardless of how amazing the Epson 9600 printer is, it is only as good as those who are operating the equipment. Simon's skills in professional graphics and printmaking, from scanning to image preparation, and from proofing to creating the final master print, are truly exceptional. Simon has a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree from Alfred University's top-ranked professional school of art and design in New York, and graduated magna cum laude. Additionally, he has earned a Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degree from Indiana State University. (Simon also has a B.S. in psychology from Defiance College in Ohio, which enables him to handle The Wilma Thomson Gallery's webmaster.)

Simon has taught undergraduate classes in color theory, design and composition, and art history at Indiana State University. He is an accomplished artist in his own right, having gained high reputation for his work in ceramics, furniture design and fabrication, photography, digital art, computer graphics and, of course, printmaking.

** Gallery Certificate & Certificate of Print Quality **

With each print you order, you will receive two certificates: one from The Wilma Thomson Gallery authenticating the print's approval by the gallery and one from Milestone Printmakers detailing the title, size, media, printmaker's name and credentials, and method of printmaking used, including the brand and quality of print media and inks used, the print's archivability and level of craftsmanship that went into making the print.