What is a "giclée" print ... really?

[koraks]

Carbon print

Which, coincidentally, is also a confusing term when applied to color images, due to the lack of 'carbon' as such in it. Something like 'colloid/gelatin pigment transfer print' would be more descriptive.

 

[Vaughn]

But mine is a carbon print. Single transfer if one wishes to get fancy...

 

[Sirius Glass]

Even the top or the line giclée print will never have the feel or the look of a single or double weight silver gelatin print.

 

[GregY]

Even the top or the line giclée print will never have the feel or the look of a single or double weight silver gelatin print.

 

[Carnie Bob]

@fgorga I hear you on the 'C print'. It's really almost as obscure as 'giclée', albeit without the undertone of seemingly deliberate obfuscation.
I prefer 'chromogenic print' though.

or dye coupler

 

[albireo]

I prefer fine-art silver feline prints, myself!

 

[fdonadio]

I can think of many reason to shoot film and not one of them has to do with printing my own work in a darkroom.

The “in my opinion”, just before “contemporary”, applies to the question too. I could have chosen better punctuation, I see…

Yeah, I know people will come up with several different opinions and preferences.