Seeking Friction in Printing
18 January 2025
Our first Faux CMYK test print
Remnants of past prints
Seeking Friction in Printing
18 January 2025
At the click of a button on our laptop, a peculiar sequence of shaking and turning sounds and beeping noises is launched into action. If all goes well, the machine spits out printed sheets of A3 paper in quick succession a few dozen seconds later. While we marvel at this wonder of not-so-modern engineering, the printer comes to an abrupt halt. Another paper jam!
Our first Faux CMYK test print
In times dominated by (seemingly) frictionless (digital) media production, it feels refreshing to be confronted with a machine that refuses to bend to the prevailing order. Risographs can be messy, frustrating and ruthless, and yet they are a powerful reminder that all media and “content” has a material foundation, whether we see it or not.
From a visual design perspective, the printing process, which relies on the (often somewhat imprecise) layering of spot colours, offers endless opportunities for experimentation, chance discoveries and happy accidents. Trying to stick to only a few colours for economical and practical reasons, or maybe even opting for a single-colour print, can be liberating.
Still, it remains possible to achieve an semblance of a “real” reproduction of a photograph by using the “Faux CMYK” technique. While Riso inks do not formally conform to any exact colour standards, combining colours like Blue, Fluorescent Pink and Yellow (and optionally Black) will lead to an approximation to the CMYK standard used in most other segments of the printing industry. Thanks to tools like Spectrolite, which has been generously made available by artist duo ANEMONE, this process has become a lot simpler and more predictable in recent years.
Remnants of past prints
We chose the Risograph as the primary production tool for our publishing practice for multiple reasons. While the aesthetic appeal and creative potential of this peculiar machine certainly played a role, we were also drawn to the Riso due to its embodied material characteristics and historical role in community-oriented mass communications.
Risograph printers were originally developed in the early 1980s, building on previous iterations of rotating stencil printing machines that had been around for more than a hundred years prior to that. Their intuitive design and low running costs made Risographs a popular choice for community institutions like schools, neighbourhood centres, sports clubs and churches.
With the proliferation of modern consumer and business laser and inkjet printers, as well as given the general move away from printed matter for everyday communication, the Risograph gradually lost its mass appeal in Europe, while gaining popularity among creatives. In Japan, where these machines originate, Risographs are still widely used as low-cost printers by schools, hospitals and government offices.
Compared to other printing methods, Risographs are known for their eco-friendly credentials. Unlike contemporary office and consumer printers, they rely on a cold-printing technique which does not require heat to fix an image onto the paper. This leads to reduced electricity consumption and lower running costs. Modern Riso inks are plant-based and made primarily from rice bran oil, a byproduct of the Japanese rice growing sector.
We believe that most forms of printing are more sustainable than information infrastructures relying solely on digital infrastructures characterised by a growing information disorder, resurgent fascism and real-world environmental harms. Given its embodied potential and qualities, the Risograph is particularly well aligned with our values and creative ambitions.
Seeking Friction in Printing
18 January 2025
At the click of a button on our laptop, a peculiar sequence of shaking and turning sounds and beeping noises is launched into action. If all goes well, the machine spits out printed sheets of A3 paper in quick succession a few dozen seconds later. While we marvel at this wonder of not-so-modern engineering, the printer comes to an abrupt halt. Another paper jam!
Our first Faux CMYK test print
In times dominated by (seemingly) frictionless (digital) media production, it feels refreshing to be confronted with a machine that refuses to bend to the prevailing order. Risographs can be messy, frustrating and ruthless, and yet they are a powerful reminder that all media and “content” has a material foundation, whether we see it or not.
From a visual design perspective, the printing process, which relies on the (often somewhat imprecise) layering of spot colours, offers endless opportunities for experimentation, chance discoveries and happy accidents. Trying to stick to only a few colours for economical and practical reasons, or maybe even opting for a single-colour print, can be liberating.
Still, it remains possible to achieve an semblance of a “real” reproduction of a photograph by using the “Faux CMYK” technique. While Riso inks do not formally conform to any exact colour standards, combining colours like Blue, Fluorescent Pink and Yellow (and optionally Black) will lead to an approximation to the CMYK standard used in most other segments of the printing industry. Thanks to tools like Spectrolite, which has been generously made available by artist duo ANEMONE, this process has become a lot simpler and more predictable in recent years.
Remnants of past prints
We chose the Risograph as the primary production tool for our publishing practice for multiple reasons. While the aesthetic appeal and creative potential of this peculiar machine certainly played a role, we were also drawn to the Riso due to its embodied material characteristics and historical role in community-oriented mass communications.
Risograph printers were originally developed in the early 1980s, building on previous iterations of rotating stencil printing machines that had been around for more than a hundred years prior to that. Their intuitive design and low running costs made Risographs a popular choice for community institutions like schools, neighbourhood centres, sports clubs and churches.
With the proliferation of modern consumer and business laser and inkjet printers, as well as given the general move away from printed matter for everyday communication, the Risograph gradually lost its mass appeal in Europe, while gaining popularity among creatives. In Japan, where these machines originate, Risographs are still widely used as low-cost printers by schools, hospitals and government offices.
Compared to other printing methods, Risographs are known for their eco-friendly credentials. Unlike contemporary office and consumer printers, they rely on a cold-printing technique which does not require heat to fix an image onto the paper. This leads to reduced electricity consumption and lower running costs. Modern Riso inks are plant-based and made primarily from rice bran oil, a byproduct of the Japanese rice growing sector.
We believe that most forms of printing are more sustainable than information infrastructures relying solely on digital infrastructures characterised by a growing information disorder, resurgent fascism and real-world environmental harms. Given its embodied potential and qualities, the Risograph is particularly well aligned with our values and creative ambitions.