Risograph: The Revival of Analog Printing in the Modern World

Contents:

• Technology
• History
• The Rise of Independent Riso Studios
• Risograf in Russia
• Designer's Guide

A risograph is a high-speed digital printer that uses screen printing technology. This tool is used in situations where it is necessary to quickly print single-color materials - from advertising brochures to medical documents. It is especially effective for printing on thin sheets of paper. However, beginning in the first half of the 2010s, independent designers began actively using the risograph to create complex multicolor posters and zines, distinguished by the vibrant hues made possible exclusively by this technology.

In this article, we will examine the risograph's design, its evolution, and the reasons for its popularity among designers. We'll also share some important aspects to consider when designing a layout for this device.

Technology

From the outside, the Risograph resembles a cube, with side trays for paper and a digital display on the top panel. Inside, in the central part of the device, there is a removable drum with paint, to which a stencil made of a special film is automatically attached. The process involves the program moving the paper from the left tray to the right, and the rotating drum applying the image to it.

The risograph has a feature that allows you to create the desired image on a special film, which then serves as a stencil and can be reused until will not wear out.

A Risograph can only use one ink drum at a time, meaning that for multi-color prints, each color must be processed separately. Models with two drums arranged in a V-shape exist, but most studios prefer more economical options due to budget constraints.

When using analog high-speed printing, it is important to keep in mind that the resulting images may vary slightly, causing them to "jump" slightly from one sheet to the next. This is especially noticeable on multi-color projects. Although experienced printers can minimize this effect, it is worth considering any deviations as "perfect imperfections" that are inevitable in the hand-made process.

A large part of the charm of a Risograph comes from the inks used. These inks are made from soybean oil or rice bran, which means they do not dry completely. Even some time after printing, the works may leave light marks on your hands. Therefore, for printing, it is preferable to choose uncoated, more textured paper, which absorbs ink better.

History

Today, many companies, including well-known manufacturers Ricoh and Duplo, produce risograph printers. However, the original source of this name is the Japanese company Risosha, founded in 1946 in Tokyo by Noboru Hayama. Two years later, it was renamed Riso Printing Company, and in 1963 it received its current name, Riso Kagaku Corporation. The word "riso" in Japanese translates as "ideal." Hayama, talking about the choice of this name, noted that he tried not to forget about his ideals in the difficult post-war times.

The creation of the risograph was a long process. In 1955, the company had just begun producing soy ink, master films, and hand screen printing devices. It wasn't until 1980 that the first Risograph model, the AP-7200, was released. This model consisted of two separate components: a device responsible for heating the master film and a printing press. It wasn't until 1984 that both elements were combined into a single unit. This marked the beginning of the Risograph's history, which has remained virtually unchanged to this day.

Despite this, numerous challenges persisted: older models often failed to feed paper reliably, ink was sometimes applied unevenly, and there were no automatic mechanisms for feeding and ejecting master film. Creating production runs became a complex task, requiring highly skilled personnel.

In 1988, significant changes occurred when Riso specialists introduced digital interfaces to their devices. This innovation allowed print shops to more accurately match layouts and opened up new horizons for printing. Modern models are now capable of printing at a resolution of 600x600 dpi, and are also equipped with built-in scanners and the ability to directly connect to laptops.

The Rise of Independent Riso Studios

The risograph became popular among large companies, but with the advancement of technology, many alternatives emerged, attracting the attention of independent studios focused on underground culture. Initially, such cases were rare, but starting in the decade, interest in risography spread across many countries and continues to this day.

In 1984, Dutch punks from Nijmegen turned their attention to risographs. Jan Dirk de Wilde founded the Knust Press printing house in a former squat. During this period, Roneo and Gestetner risographs began to lose their popularity, which made them available for purchase from large companies. This is how de Wilde and his colleagues were able to acquire decommissioned devices.

Knust turned to risographs for practical reasons: they provided fast and cost-effective printing without requiring regular cleaning. However, typographers soon began to appreciate the aesthetic appeal created by richly colored inks on textured paper.

For almost forty years, the printing house has been printing posters, zines, and books, both for its own use and on request. During this time, Knust has established itself as the oldest Riso studio, boasting an impressive collection of over fifty colors, while most other studios have no more than ten. Knust also uses five different Riso and Ricoh dual-drum presses. Knust actively promotes the development of risography by providing consulting services to other studios. They also collaborate with the art space Extrapool, which shares the same building, on book printing. Knust also invites authors to work independently at its second printing house, located in Amsterdam.

However, Knust stands out from the crowd. A real explosion of interest in independent risograph studios occurred in the 2010s, with new ones opening annually in various countries and cities. Today, their number has exceeded fifty.

One of the most recognizable studios is Risotto, located in Glasgow. It was founded in 2012 by designer Gabriella Marcella. Her passion for risography arose amid growing interest in eco-friendly projects, as the inks used for this method are made from organic materials, and the printing process is characterized by low energy consumption.

Marcella creates posters and books, but has also gained popularity for her original stationery, such as notebooks and notepads printed using a risograph. She sources paper and other materials for production from local mills, which helps minimize her carbon footprint. In addition, all of its products are packaged in leftover scraps of paper or in packaging previously used by others.

Risotto is one of those local studios that has successfully integrated into the international creative market. Marcella regularly organizes workshops outside her country and actively collaborates with famous brands, including Apple, Mini, Puma and Swatch.

Famous Risotto studios can be found in many corners of the world, from Drucken3000 in Berlin to Corners in Seoul. Interestingly, such creative spaces often open even in countries with limited freedoms, such as China. Shanghai-based risograph publisher and gallery Bananafish Books, which shortly before the pandemic, organized a retrospective exhibition of Knust Press, thereby strengthening its international connections.

Risograph in Russia

The risograph began its history on the Russian market in 1991 and for a long time was used exclusively for practical needs, rather than for creative expression. However, the situation changed with the emergence of risograph printing house ESH Print, as well as publishing houses Samopal Books and Sputnikat Press in Moscow and Plateau Press in Tolyatti, which have fostered a new approach to using this equipment.

ESH Print studio was founded around 2017, and since then its specialists regularly organize risography workshops, training new interns. They also produce materials that explain in detail the rules for preparing layouts, and have also published an issue of the Shizo newspaper, which contains basic information on the operation of the Risograph. The studio has printed over half of the risograph works of independent Russian artists.

Sputnikat Press is the second significant center of rizo culture and the first full-fledged rizo publishing house. It was founded by BHSAD professor Chris Rainbow and his students. Unlike traditional publishing houses, they do not accept commissions for publication, but focus on publishing comics created by their students or authors they admire. Sometimes they combine these works into series, for example, in a comic book series called "PersonaZH."

Publishing house Samopal Books, founded Sasha Marshani actively uses a risograph in his work. Sasha was one of the first in the country to engage in zine culture. Initially, he printed his projects on a standard office printer, but before launching the first Russian zine festival, he mastered risograph printing technology. For several years, Samopal Books has been publishing photozines distinguished by their carefully curated selections, and in recent years, they have also begun accepting commissions from authors outside their core portfolio.

Alexander Veryovkin founded Plateau Press in Tolyatti in 2018. This publishing house is known for its unique monochrome zines, which feature underground works containing poetry, prose, and illustrations by contemporary artists, including Alexander Brener, Varvara Gevorgizova, and Mikhail Lyozin. By 2022, the number of zines published by this house exceeded one hundred.

One of the key characteristics of Russian RIZO studios, distinguishing them from their foreign counterparts, is the need for frequent relocation, caused by difficulties with renting premises. In this regard, if you plan to submit your works for printing, it is recommended to clarify their current location in advance by visiting the website or pages on social networks.

Designer's memo

When creating a layout for a risograph, it is important to consider several key recommendations from the ESH Print studio:

• The layout should be prepared in sizes ranging from A3 to A7. For formats smaller than A3, it is recommended to use the "tiling" method, which will significantly save on material costs.
• Cut marks are not required.
• The size of the printed area is 289 by 409 millimeters, and the margins are 4 millimeters on three sides and 7 millimeters on one side.
• It is recommended to avoid too high a fill density along the edges; the optimal option would be to keep it at a level of no more than 70%. Otherwise, the risograph may start to jam the paper or it may stick to the drum.
• The standard resolution is 300 DPI, but if there are many fine lines, it is recommended to increase it to 600 DPI to achieve better quality.
• The line width should not be less than 0.25 PT.
• Each color layer should be saved as a separate PDF or TIFF file.
• Only black and white files are possible.
• The minimum allowed font size is 6 points (100/100/100/100 format), while a font larger than 12 points has a 0/0/0/100 format.

If you want to understand this topic in detail, I recommend checking out Ksenia Levanova's webinar on color separation in risography.