Risograph Around the World!

What is a Risograph?

Risograph printing offers a playful, tactile approach to modern printmaking, bold colour, soft texture, and unexpected charm in every run.

Working like a bridge between screen printing and digital duplication, the Risograph creates prints one vivid ink layer at a time. Each colour is applied through a master stencil, burned directly onto a thin sheet and wrapped around an ink drum that spins at high speed.

As paper feeds through, soy-based inks are pushed through the screen, building rich, overlapping tones with slight shifts and misregistrations that make each print feel alive.

Affordable, efficient, and more sustainable than many traditional methods, risograph printing celebrates imperfection while keeping production low-waste and vibrant.

Steps for to use a risograph!

Prep your artwork (one colour = one layer).

Separate your design into spot-colour layers (e.g., Fluoro Pink, Medium Blue). For each layer, use grayscale art where black = print, white = no ink. Add small registration marks.

Load the first colour drum.

Slide in the ink drum you want to print first. (Each drum holds one ink colour.)

Send or scan the file.

You can scan a physical original on the bed or send a digital file. The machine treats what it receives as a single-colour layer.

The master is made-auto-stencil.

A roll of thermo-sensitive “master” paper feeds inside. A thermal head burns tiny holes where your image is dark, creating a stencil. The machine wraps this master around the ink drum.

Set paper + stock settings.

Load your paper: pick the correct weight setting and tray guides. Heavier stocks usually benefit from slower speeds and higher print pressure.

Run test prints and adjust.

Print 1-3 tests. Tweak density (ink amount), speed, and image position (tiny nudge controls) until the layer looks clean and centered.

Print the first colour run.

The drum spins at high speed; a pressure roller pulls paper across the drum as soy-based ink is pushed through the master onto the sheet. You now have colour #1.

Swap drums for the next colour.

Eject the first master (it's single-use), load the next colour drum, and create a new master from the next layer file.

Register the second colour.

Use your registration marks to align. Print tests, micro-adjust X/Y. Slight misregistration is normal (and part of the Riso look).

Repeat for additional colours.

Each extra colour = new drum + new master + alignment. Overprinting layers creates new blended tones.

Dry the prints.

Riso inks are oil-based and can offset when stacked. Lay prints in short stacks or on drying racks until surface-dry.

Finish + clean down.

Trim, fold, or bind. Recycle used masters, wipe any stray ink, and store drums properly for next time.

Here are some my favourite studios that work mainly with Risograph