St Michael's Mount prints: giclée art on paper from Penzance
Table of Contents
Sarah Bell's St Michael's Mount Marazion print begins as a hand-pulled screen print, then goes to a Penzance printer for its giclée reproduction on 220gsm paper. If you are choosing among St Michael's Mount prints, what matters is the printing method, the edition, the paper weight, the size and the way the print arrives.
Giclée, screen print and editions
A print listing may say "giclée", "screen print" or "poster", and each word describes a different object. The difference lies in how the ink reaches the paper and how many copies exist. These two things decide what you are paying for.
How giclée reproduces the artwork
Giclée printing sprays microscopic droplets of ink onto coated fine-art paper. Pigment inks usually give a wider colour gamut and last longer than dye inks. Our St Michael's Mount print is an artist-quality giclée reproduction of Sarah Bell's original hand-pulled screen print, and it is produced locally in Penzance. You can see it as the St Michael's Mount Marazion art print, with the lettering kept from the original.
Lithography and offset printing are two other ways of reproducing an image. A poster is a printed reproduction, not an original fine-art edition. The same applies to "oil on canvas" in a listing: it names the medium of the original artwork, and there is no oil paint on the reproduction.
What distinguishes a hand-pulled screen print
In screen printing, ink is pushed through a mesh and a stencil. This lays down a heavier layer than inkjet does, so the colours are opaque and flat and you can feel the texture on the surface. It is why the Marazion original has such solid blocks of colour.
Because each impression is pulled by hand, no two are exactly the same. In my view, these small variations are the evidence of a hand process, and they are not a defect.
Open editions, limited editions and signatures
An open edition has no declared upper limit, so it does not create fixed scarcity. A limited edition declares its number of impressions, usually written as 25/250. A signature or an edition number on its own does not prove print quality or the full size of the edition.
Sarah's original St Michael's Mount Marazion screen print is a separate edition of 25, each signed and numbered, and it is distinct from our giclée. The Fine Art Trade Guild's print standards set a maximum edition size of 1,950 and recommend staying below 850. If you are buying for collectability, also consider authenticity, condition, provenance and demand.
Choosing paper and print size
Paper weight tells you how a sheet will handle and how long it will last. Size tells you where it will hang. Both need checking against the real measurements, because the words on a listing are not enough.
Paper weight and surface
Economical art papers weigh roughly 180–250 gsm. Fine-art papers are around 250–350 gsm, and museum-style papers can be heavier. The "fine art" label on its own does not establish quality, so ask for the weight in gsm.
We print Sarah Bell's St Michael's Mount Marazion giclée on 220 gsm paper in Penzance. For comparison, these are two named cotton papers, both conforming to ISO 9706:
- Hahnemühle Photo Rag: 308 gsm, 100% cotton, matt and acid-free.
- Canson Infinity Rag Photographique: matt, acid-free cotton, available at 210 gsm and 310 gsm.
- Surface finishes: smooth matt, textured or felt, baryta-style, gloss and satin.
Acid-free paper reduces deterioration caused by acidic materials, so ask about it when comparing fine art prints. I would choose a matt surface for a screen-print design like the Marazion one, because gloss adds reflections that its flat colour blocks do not need.
Standard and alternative dimensions
Our print comes in four ISO 216 sizes: A4 (210 × 297 mm), A3 (297 × 420 mm), A2 (420 × 594 mm) and A1 (594 × 841 mm). Image area, paper size and finished framed size are three different measurements. For example, one square-format St Michael's Mount print has a 260 × 270 mm image and a 440 × 440 mm finished frame.
A3+ and panoramic formats can suit wide landscape views. The separate hand-pulled Marazion screen print measures 30 × 41 cm, which is close to A3 but is not an A-series size.
Checking the fit before ordering
An unmounted A4 sheet fits an off-the-shelf A4 frame. A mount adds an outer dimension, and the frame you choose has to fit that as well.
On a mounted print, the window is cut to the image area, not to the full paper size. Check both measurements before you decide where it will go on the wall.
Prices, presentation and UK delivery
The price shown for a print rarely covers everything you need to hang it. What you end up paying depends on how the print arrives and on what still needs doing once it reaches you.
What the price includes
A rolled St Michael's Mount print at £10–£20 may still need a mount, a frame, glazing and hanging hardware before you can display it. The low price and the final cost are therefore two different figures.
The price of the print itself depends on the paper, the ink, the printing equipment, colour proofing, manual work, edition control and artist licensing.
Mounting adds a window mount and backing materials. Framing adds the moulding and the glazing, and acrylic, glass and UV-protective options are all priced differently.
Rolled, window mounted or framed
The Artist's House Gallery offers the giclée rolled in a tube, sent flat and window mounted, or mounted and framed. You choose the option from the drop-down menu before you order, and the listed prices include taxes. A rolled print arrives unmounted and is not ready to hang. You or a framer will need to flatten it and frame it, allowing for some curling.
A framed print arrives with its frame and glazing, ready to hang. The original screen print is supplied unframed as standard, and a mount and white frame are available at extra cost. I would go for the window-mounted version if you want to choose your own frame without having to flatten a rolled sheet first.
Packing, dispatch and buyer rights
A print can travel rolled in a tube or flat-packed. A framed print is bulkier and heavier, so it needs more careful handling and carries more risk in transit. UK sellers commonly print to order, dispatch within days and use tracked delivery. Check the production time, the returns policy and the damage-replacement terms before you buy.
The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, in force from 13 June 2014, handle cancellation differently for goods made to your specifications or clearly personalised. The Consumer Rights Act 2015, in force from 1 October 2015, protects you if the goods are faulty or misdescribed.
Choosing a view and style for your room
St Michael's Mount is Cornwall's most iconic landmark, and it appears in many different compositions. The view you choose affects the room as much as the size does.
Marazion, castle and causeway views
"From Marazion" names the mainland viewpoint, and it does not promise that the scene matches today's view exactly. A close castle view shows architectural detail. A distant Mount's Bay view leaves more open space, and a causeway composition leads the eye to the island. Before you buy, check that the listing makes clear the image, the colours, the artist, the dimensions and any licensing.
Matching colour and composition to the room
The room's light and style should decide which treatment you choose:
- Coastal cottage: softer colours and traditional frames.
- Modern flat: a graphic travel-poster composition or an abstract treatment.
- Small hallway: a portrait composition with a strong landmark silhouette.
- Dark room: a brighter image, rather than a very dark photographic treatment.
Sunrise, sunset and black-and-white views each set a different mood. For a hallway with little light, I would choose a bright, graphic picture over a moody black-and-white one.
Captioned and uncaptioned gallery artwork
Sarah's Marazion Text artwork carries the word "Marazion" and draws on the look of 1950s book illustration.
The same design is available as a text-free St Michael's Mount print, which shows the view from Marazion without a caption. I would choose it for a living room where the picture should read as art rather than as a place name.
A third design, the titled poster-style St Michael's Mount print, gives a retro-inspired Cornish image. Prints of familiar Cornwall locations also make good gifts for people who live in the county, grew up there or go there on holiday.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do canvas, acrylic and framed prints of St Michael's Mount differ?
A canvas print is printed on textured canvas, usually stretched over a wooden frame, and has no glazing. An acrylic print is face-mounted to acrylic glass, which gives it depth and a frameless look. A framed print has a solid frame, a glazed front and a mount or border around the image.
How can you check that a limited-edition print is genuine?
A signature and an edition number do not prove the edition size or the quality on their own. Ask for a certificate of authenticity and ask about any publisher's or artist's proofs. Also check that the seller explains the edition, names the artist, has the image licensed and states clear returns.
What should you ask before having a St Michael's Mount print framed in the UK?
Ask whether the size is A-series, whether a mount is included, whether the frame is made to order, whether it uses glass or acrylic, and whether UV protection is offered. If you are buying a rolled print, check that its size matches common UK frames. Also make sure the seller shows the actual frame, accurate colours and clear dimensions.