Collection: The RISO Show 3

But, what exactly is a Risograph anyway?

Risograph printing is a technique sometimes described as a ‘digital screen printing’. The process is similar to screen printing, but with the convenience of an office copier. It’s known for its vivid colours (that other printers can’t produce) and its specific textures. These machines deliver ‘perfect imperfections’ and provide a cheap and easy method for reproducing work at large quantities, like posters, prints and zines.

Riso is the name of both a printer and ink company from Japan. Noboru Hayama started his company in post-war Japan (in 1946), calling it Riso. The risograph and the development of soy-based ink was a response to the expensive import tax levied on emulsion ink following the end of World War II. The name Riso means ‘ideal’ in Japanese, a poetic name that Hayama chose as he found it important that people should not lose their ideals during this period of despair.