... I would like to present to you...
… nine printed errors...
... eight adapted palettes…
… seven Schitt shoes…
… six movie dresses…
… five gold wings…
… four paper pests…
… three growing bathers…
... two storytellers...
... and a lazy day in space.
Print errors are normally a pain in the ass. Something that can ruin your final product enough that you have to resign it to the bin, but with risograph, the errors are part of the charm, they're part of why they're loved.
Originally developed in Japan by Noboru Hayama in 1946, the risograph printer was based on stencil duplicators known as a mimeograph. This machine created a stencil through which ink was forced to create a duplicate, the risograph (RISO, the name if Hayama's company translating to "ideal") was developed as a hybrid, somewhere between a traditional photocopier print and a screen print/mimeograph. It was designed to produce single colour copies at high speed and low cost.
Essentially a digital screen printer in a convenient office sized machine. But rather than using toner, a risograph printer uses soy based ink to print each colour individually, layered one over the next, building up your design in a similar fashion to a screen print. This means that when they're being designed, you must consider not only what colour goes on what layer (and how high or low the opacity to give tonal variation), but how the overlaying colours will interact to create new one.
Each colour being printed one by one means when using a risograph printer, each colour is on a separate ink drum. So, for every colour you want to print you need to switch out one ink drum for the next, along with a new file with that parts of your design in said colour (though they're created using values of black and white). With that information, on each drum, a disposable screen known as a master is created, this is of your uploaded image for that particular colour, and is pricked out in microscopic hole, through which the ink will be forced through to create your image.
This layering also allows the artist to be clever, with knowledge of colour theory they can minimize how many colours they need to use, thus fewer passes from the printer and a cheaper print while still retaining a great variety of colours within their artwork. Though they need to be careful when layering, because miss registration from one layer to another can lead to print errors, colours shifting outside of the desired lines or smudging, and while this is not particularly wanted, it makes each print unique and has become a feature many artists embrace.
It's not a high tech method of printing, but can lead to some incredibly vibrant colours, and beautiful results...
Psychedelic Frog - A4 Risograph Print by Jasmine Floyd (Jasminesillustration) via Etsy
This Psychedelic Frog risograph by Jasmine Floyd, is made using three colours in its print: fluorescent yellow, fluorescent pink and aqua, but through colour theory and the process of layering each of the colours, it expands the palette and results in greens, oranges, teals and purples, as well as deep blues and browns. It's a great example of colour theory and how impressive a limited palette can be when using a risograph printer.
Link || Jasmine Floyd (Jasmine Illustration) || Website || Instagram || Twitter || TikTok Behance || Etsy
Link || Psychedelic Frog - A4 Risograph Print by Jasminesillustration via Etsy
Dragon Rider - A4 Risograph Print by Ali Pye (Alipyeillo) via Etsy
Raccoon Party - A3 Risograph Print by Ali Pye (Alipyello) via Etsy
Even two colours, using different values, can create beautiful and very different effects. These two risographs by Ali Pye, Dragon Rider and Raccoon Party, use fluorescent and medium blue to create these happy sunset coloured prints, the colours going from pale peach to deep blue blacks. But while both use the same colours and work within Pye's aesthetic, they still look very different.
Riso Cat - A4 2 Colour Risograph Print by Chris Gilleard (ChrisGilleard) via Etsy
Likewise this roughly rendered, expressive blue and orange cat by Chris Gilleard, most likely uses the same - or very similar - colours of riso ink to Pye, but with a very different effect. The layering process enhancing the drawn texture and tone with only two simple colours.
Link || Ali Pye (Alipyeillo) || Website || Instagram || Twitter || Facebook || Pinterest || Etsy || Good Reads
Link || Dragon Rider - A4 Risograph Print by Alipyeillo via Etsy
Link || Raccoon Party - A3 Risograph Print by Alipyello via Etsy
Link || Chris Gilleard || Website || Instagram || Twitter || TikTok || Facebook || Flickr || Behance || Etsy || Illustration X || Dribbble
Link || Riso Cat - A4 2 Colour Risograph Print by ChrisGilleard via Etsy
Overgrown Nokia - A3 2 Colour Riso Print by Monika Viktoria Diak (Monikaviktoria) via Etsy
Somewhere in a box stashed somewhere in my home is my old Nokia 3310, along with colourful replaceable cases and stored inside, lost forgo, the ringtones I programmed in by hand so I could have Nirvana or Green Day instead of the pre-set tones. Genuinely, I had a folder when I was a teenager full of printed out guitar tab, song lyrics and coding for ringtones... God I do not miss those days and love the instant access to the internet that my phone and tablet allow for, if only because I'm not decimating the rainforest with printouts. Do however miss music as my ringtone.
This is a very simple two colour risograph by Monika Viktoria Diak, and I love that it looks like a photocopied hand drawing, and that you can see the miss registered fluorescent pink layer below the blue of the line drawn fungi and lichen that are smothering this old technology. As part of the artwork for their "Overgrown" zine, which featured old and newer tech and toys abandoned and taken back by nature, the misalignment was something that Diak chose to embrace rather than fight against, especially since the risograph is old tech itself.
Link || Monika Viktoria Diak || Blogspot || Instagram || Instagram (Fine Art) || Facebook || Pinterest || Tumblr || YouTube || Tumblr II || YouTube || Etsy
Link || Overgrown Nokia - A3 2 Colour Riso Print by Monikaviktoria via Etsy
Marrow and Moonlight Riso Print (Detail) by Kelly Bastow (Moosekleenex) via Etsy
I think this is really beautiful and shows the delicacy this printing method can produce.
Link || Kelly Bastow (Moosekleenex) || Instagram || Twitter || TikTok || Facebook || Pinterest || DeviantArt || Tumblr || YouTube || Etsy || Patreon || Society6 || Spoonflower
Link || Marrow and Moonlight Riso Print by Moosekleenex via Etsy
Thorns - A4 Risograph by Floss Burns (FlossBurnsArt) via Etsy
Emotional - A4 Risograph by Floss Burns (FlossBurnsArt) via Etsy
Limited colour palettes are some of my favourites in risographs, they're really bold and easily show the beautiful way that the colours overlap and combine. The aqua combined with red and fluorescent pink in Floss Burns prints being two combinations which are particularly in your face but capable of great subtlety too.
Link || Thorns - A4 Risograph by FlossBurnsArt via Etsy
Link || Emotional - A4 Risograph by FlossBurnsArt via Etsy
Creative Juice - A5 Risograph by Jacqueline Colley (JacquelineColley) via Etsy
Link || Jacqueline Colley || Website || Instagram || Twitter || TikTok || Facebook || Pinterest || YouTube || Behance || Etsy || Not On The High Street || Casetify
Link || Creative Juice - A5 Risograph by JacquelineColley via Etsy
The Madalorian - A3 Risograph by Alexandra Francis (AlexFrancisPrints) via Etsy
Created by Alexandra Francis, I'm just kind of obsessed with this, it's beautiful and that simplified little Grogu face... I love it. Can't wait to watch the third season.
Link || The Mandalorian (2019 - present) || Website || IMDb || Wikipedia || Rotten Tomatoes || Instagram || Twitter || Starwars || Lucus Films || Disney+
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Mamuanna - Risograph by Natalie Andrewson (NatalieAndrewson) via Etsy
Mamuanna - Risograph (Detail) by Natalie Andrewson (NatalieAndrewson) via Etsy
Blue, yellow and scarlet. Colour theory is freaking amazing, and the ability of artists such as Natalie Andrewson to create these intricate and tonally diverse pieces of artwork with three colours, laid over one another by just altering the opacity of a black and white image to create tone is kind of staggering.
Andrewson was interviewed by Bobby Chiu on the 18th of January (handy for me) and approximately twenty one minutes into the interview they discuss the science of riso and colour opacity, which with a limited number of ink drums (eight) she can create endless combinations of colours.
I've included the whole interview because it's interesting hearing her talk about her career, but if you'd like to skip to this part of the conversation, click here...
Andrewson's approach to working with colour values, having test sheets she can refer too to find the perfect colour, really speaks to the part of me that loves paint chips, ceramic and enamel testers, and the ridiculously expensive Pantone colour charts, and I would be anal enough to create this kind of references as much for the aesthetic beauty of it as the practicality. I love these kind of references, especially when they are created in a manner unique to the artist or designer.
Link || Natalie Andrewson || Website || Instagram || Twitter || TikTok ||| Facebook || Pinterest || Tumblr || Behance || Etsy || Patreon || In-Print || Big Cartel || Good Reads
Link || Mamuanna - Risograph by NatalieAndrewson via Etsy
Colourful Pastel Nudibranch Sea Slugs - A3 Risograph by Kitty Turner (KTurnerIllustration) via Etsy
Though the colours aren't listed, I'd take a wild guess that the three inks used for this Colourful Pastel Nudibranch Sea Slugs print are fluro pink, yellow and aqua. They stand out in this colourful print as the three colours which could potentially combine to create this range of colours.
I'm including this because I love nudibranchs, they're bizarre, colourful, highly patterned sea creatures that after I saw this little Moomin faced sea bunny...
... I was obsessed. They don't look real, and this riso print fully embraces the ridiculousness of them using three colours.
It's funny that none of these prints have more than three colours. It's really only a coincidence, but it's also a testament to how well these slightly transparent inks layer one over another in a limited colour palette.
Frequently used for large quantity print runs, posters, prints and zines, these perfectly imperfect machines provide an easy and inexpensive means of reproducing work, full of bright colours and potentially a remarkable amount of detail.
I got kind of obsessed by riso prints at some point in 2022, I watched some videos on how to create faux riso style designs in Procreate and then started to look at how the real thing worked, followed by filling my Etsy favourites with lots of them and there's just something wonderfully simple about it all. About the way the print works, that weird satisfaction from getting to use the photocopier, though that may just be me, and how the end products look with their imperfect perfection.
Now, I've made a Risograph Pinterest Board in case anyone is interested in more examples, and I'll continue to add to it because that's what you do on Pinterest, right? Get momentarily obsessed with collecting any and all examples of something. It's kind of like artistic Pokémon, gotta catch them all.
But that's Day 9, art done made on what is essentially a fancy photocopier. I think that's cool.
Anyway, another day, another month! Welcome to March! Part ten... *internal groaning* soon... ish?
Link || Riso Ink Colors via Stencil
Link || What's a Risograph? via Riso Pop
Link || Riso Printing | How Does The Risograph Work? Risograph Printing Explained via College For Creative Studies
Link || An Intro to Risograph Printing (& How to Start Your First Project) by Lyndsey Burke via Dribbble
Link || Digital Illustration for Risograph by Cris Tamay via Skillshare (If you're lucky to be signed up!)
Link || Risograph Printing for Beginners by Lisa Hassell via Digital Arts
Link || Risograph Creative: Pushing The Limits of Artistic Prints via Riso
Link || Risograph via Dizzy Ink
Link || The Story of Noboru Hayama via Exploriso: Low-tech Fine Art
Link || Aiming to Realize the Company Name RISO, Meaning "Ideal" via RISO
Listening: Over and Over - Hot Chip
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