
Custom Risograph Printing Services
We offer custom bulk risograph printing and binding services to the public with 9 vibrant ink colors to choose from.
Ink Color Palette
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Black
#00000
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Federal Blue
#3d5588
288 U -
Teal
#00838a
321 U -
Seafoam
#62c2b1
570 U -
Sunflower Yellow
#ffb511
116 U -
Fluorescent Orange
#ff7474
805 U -
Bright Red
#f15060
185U
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Light Mauve
#e6b5c9
7430 U -
Plum
#845991
2603 U
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Metallic Gold*
#ac936e
872 U*Specialty $$$
Risograph Design Considerations
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Maximum Paper Size
11"x17" (ledger) is the largest size of paper we can print on. The maxium image area is 10.5"x16.5", which will give a 1/4" border all around the sheet. Prints that bleed will need to be trimmed down to 10.25"x16.25".
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Roller Marks
When printing more than two colors, the same sheet is run through the press again, and the rollers that feed the paper through can leave track marks down the center of the page if there is heavy ink coverage in the center 1" strip. The marking can be minimized on our end with careful print planning and adequate dry-time, but be mindful of this possibility when designing and avoid heavy ink coverage in the center 1" of the sheet.
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Ink Density
Risograph printing uses rice paper stencils that have thousands of tiny holes burned to allow ink through. Artwork with 100% ink density across the entire image area may cause the Risograph machine to struggle with paper jams. Taking the density down to 90% can help alleviate this issue without drastically altering the look of the final artwork.
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Separations
Risograph printing uses spot inks as opposed to RGB or CMYK process. Artwork should be created with separations in mind as you would for silkscreen printing. This means for each color in your art, there should be a grayscale layer, where 100% black indicates maximum ink, and 0% (or white) indicates no ink coverage. Confused? Don't worry, we can help make separations from your artwork at the rate of $38 an hour.
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Trapping
Trapping is when one ink color slightly overlaps another ink color to hide misregistration between inks. Risograph registration is tricky, skew is almost unavoidable, and if there is no trapping, a sliver of paper may show between two colors where the layers are not quite lined up. Adding trapping to an image will keeps those little slivers of paper white from showing. This is especially important with thin linework.
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Layering Inks
Risograph inks are slightly transparent. While we have 9 colors to choose from, a design that incorporates layered inks can have an even greater color range. Seafoam + Sunflower Yellow = Bright Green. Sunflower Yellow + Bright Red = Orange. Ask about other combinations.
Why choose risograph printing?
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Unique
Risograph printing (or risography) makes a great alternative to traditional, commercial four-color process printing, or CMYK. Using strictly spot colors, the vibrancy of risograph ink is unmatched. Plus, there is a playful, loose quality to a risograph print that can't be replicated with commercial printing methods.
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Affordable
For special projects like wedding invitations, letterpress printing—beautiful and tactile as it is—can quickly become unaffordable at higher quantities. But quantity is where risograph printing excells! Cost per piece drops dramatically when you print over 100 copies. There may be no deboss on fluffy rag paper, but instead you get sumptious gradients and solids.
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Fun
Risography transforms a plain image into a textured, velvety, one-of-a-kind work of art. Variations in registration and surface imperfections lend an authenticity to the final product. Every copy is slightly different and thus unique. These are not flaws in risograph-land. It's part of the charm. Anyone who prints with a RISO duplicator will tell you, it's just kind of FUN!
Menu of Services
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Art Prints & Posters
No print minimums
One-color starting at $65
Two-color starting at $82
Inquire about other combinations and quantities!
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Zines & Booklets
Perfect for small editions of prose, poetry, comics, or illustrations. We can make folded menus, programs, or other pamphlets. Cutting and trimming services available.
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Invitations, Stationery, & Greeting Cards
We print on envelopes! Holiday cards, wedding invites, or menus — make a simple greeting into something special when you print it riso.
Ready to riso?
Printing Ideas
Posters & flyers
Programs & menus
Newsletters & bulletins
Invitations
Stationery
Calendars
Merchandise tags
Wire-o wire binding
Saddle stitch zine & booklet binding