Risograph Printing Today Im going to be discussing the technique of - - PDF document

Kate Wixley , 31233

Risograph Printing

Today I’m going to be discussing the technique of Risograph Printing, which is used by many designers and art students to achieve an effect similar to screen printing through using a printer. I thought this topic would be useful to research as many of my favorite design houses (such as Risotto) utilize this technique in their work, and i’ve wanted to try it out myself for a while. Also the more I learn about the process and look at artists that utilize it, the more i’ll be able to achieve when I have access to it myself.

What is risograph printing?

Risograph is a printing technique that originated in Japan during the 1980s as a way of quickly making multiple copies at an affordable price. If one had between 50-10,000 copies of a single print, then it was calculated that the Risograph would be more affordable than the average

• printer. Due to the versatility of this process, with to its low cost and speed, and similarities to

screen printing (except with a polished result), it has been implemented by many designers

• today. The initial attraction was the low-cost aspect of this process, but the textures and color

schemes that can be achieved using the risograph resulted in a lot of artists and students taking to this technique due to its handmade aesthetic. Additionally the experimental and imperfect aspect of the Risograph is what makes it unique and appealing to designers, as it gives a more experimental approach to the whole printing process. [Gosling, E. 2016]

The origin of the Risograph

During the 1940s, the only printing ink available in Japan was emulsion ink, which was very expensive due to being imported. Realizing the gap in the market as many smaller businesses and schools couldn't afford the price of the imported emulsion ink, and due to feeling economic and cultural pride post-World War II, Noboru Hayama founded a new ink company named ‘The Riso Kaagaku Company’, shortened to ‘Riso’. A few years after been founded, and once the company had become more well known and established, Riso later released its first fully automatic duplicator in the mid-1980’s, and the Risograph was formed. The marketing of the company revolved around the usage of affordable emulsion ink, appealing to smaller companies, students and independent artists. Hayama marketed the Risograph to various companies, schools and churches by stating the economic benefits of the machine, as making between 50-10,000 copies is cheaper. [Putrino, M. 2013].

How does it work?

Risograph printing operates in a similar way to screen printing,applying one color at a time until the desired finish is achieved. Firstly, for each separate color of your artwork, a thermographic master screen is created, and then wrapper over the printer’s drum. When the paper passes through the printer, ink is released through the master screen, and then printed onto the paper. As the printer can only print one color at a time, the paper has to be re-printed using the next color and layer of the artwork. When preparing your artwork for the Risograph printer, it is

Kate Wixley , 31233

necessary to create different versions for the separate colors that are going to be used. This will make the printing process easier, and almost acts as a physical representation of the players on photoshop.

Advantages of Risograph Printing

As an alternative printing method, there are many advantages to the Risograph that drew students, artists and designers to use it as an alternative medium. Firstly there are the environmental aspects.The machine itself doesn't use any additional heat, requiring less electricity, and requires less maintenance than the standard printer. Risograph printing uses a soy-based ink, which is not only cheaper, but more sustainable and eco-friendly. These inks also have a transparent quality, so when applied on different types of paper, different effects and textures can be created, giving a more experimental aspect to the printing process. Lastly, printing using a Risograph is time and cost effective, especially for schools or studios that need to produce lots of copies, as Risograph is low cost (soy inks), fast in the printing process, and cheaper for mass produced items. [Putrino, M, 2013].

Artists that use Risograph Printing

1. Studio De Leijer Studio De Leijer is a Dutch studio formed by Jeroen de Leijer & Marjolein Schalk that specializes in illustrations, books, comic strips and tv programmes. Apart from their work for clients, they also run independent projects, such as printing zines (Wobby) and Risograph

• prints. Their Tilburg-based studio fuses the styles of De Leijer and Schalk, to create humorous,

witty designs. De Leijer specializes in comic strips, whereas Schalk's style involves a more free and painted aesthetic. [Studio De Leijer, 2017] Wobby An example of Studio De Leijer's practice with Risograph Printing is their printed magazine, 'Wobby'. The magazine is a collaboration between Studio De Leijer (De Leijer and Schalk) and Steppie Lloyd Trumpstein. Each issue of the magazine covers a different issue of theme, through a range of comic strips, illustrations and prints, all done using the risograph. The zine has a handmade quality, which is emphasized through the medium of Risograph Printing. The zine uses the bright, limited color scheme of the Risograph to create a flowing layout, having a decided color scheme within each spread, such as concentrating on just 2 colors for a spread,

• r layout. This allows to create unity through the zine despite Studio De Leijer liking to

experiment with a variety of formats, from comic strips, illustrations and mixed media pieces.

Kate Wixley , 31233

[Studio De Leijer, 2017]

Risograph application in Graphic Design and how I can use it to inspire my own work

While completing this research project, I found various graphic designers and design studios that I find very inspiring, as I adore using a limited color scheme and hand-made mediums, a look which can be achieved through the Risograph. Due to the various advantages that I’ve discussed, I think it does have an appeal to Graphic Designers who are looking for a more raw, handmade appearance, however it may not have an appeal to graphic designers that solely work in a digital medium. Also, as I am very passionate about the preservation of the environment and creating sustainable designs, looking into more sustainable techniques such as Risograph Printing will enable me to achieve the style and approach I want as a designer, where design should add to the world rather than take away from it. Personally, I am very motivated to try this style of printing, and might go to London to experiment with it for my final

• project. I even bought some notebooks from one of the Design Studios I found while completing

research (Risotto), as I love the look of Risograph Printing, and they did a range of recycled notebooks using this method. [Kate shows the class one of her nice new notebooks]. Overall, I’m looking forward to see how I could experiment with this technique to evolve my own work, while trying a different medium.

References

Cargo Collective. (2017). Bolt Editions. Available: http://cargocollective.com/bolteditions. Last accessed 19th Jan 2017. Gosling, E. (2016). Design With Limitations, How Graphic Designers are Harnessing the Rise of

• Risograph. Available: https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/design-with-limitations-how-graphic-

designers-are-harnessing-the-rise-of-risograph/. Last accessed 17th Jan 2017. Hato Press. (2017). Hato Press- Risograph printing press in London. Available: https://s-media- cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/4a/e6/25/4ae625126707fca818fa62b64df43cc8.jpg. Last accessed 23rd Jan 2017. King, JP. (2014). Illustration of 100 Shapes. Available: http://blog.jpking.ca/post/81321764219/ sneak-peak-of-a-new-illustration-made-up-from. Last accessed 23rd Jan 2017. Burnley, L.. (2016). Machine Monday: Risograph Press. Available: https://make.works/blog/ machine-monday-risograph-press. Last accessed 23rd Jan 2017. Putrino, M. (2013). Rise of the Risograph, Part One. Available: http://nothingmajor.com/features/ 17-rise-of-the-risograph-part-one/ . Last accessed 17th Jan 2017.

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Spare Residency . (2012). Risograph Red Ink Test Prints. Available: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=eXbW7CcBZ_c. Last accessed 23rd Jan 2017. Studio De Leijer. (2017). Studio De Leijer. Available: http://studiodeleijer.tumblr.com. Last accessed 19th Jan 2017. Studio De Leijer. (2017). Studio De Leijer, Wobby . Available: https://s-media-cache- ak0.pinimg.com/736x/57/94/a4/5794a4d22322995bf5989d264b5a2515.jpg. Last accessed 23rd Jan 2017. Studio De Leijer. (2017). Studio De Leijer, Wobby . Available: https://s-media-cache- ak0.pinimg.com/736x/3f/8a/dc/3f8adccbfa61f216e7624f3b431d7d9f.jpg. Last accessed 23rd Jan 2017.