The Risograph is a duplicator manufactured by Riso Kagaku Corporation in Japan. Risographs are a direct descendent of the mimeograph, though they are often referred to as an intersection of screen printing, photocopying, and offset printing. Images are produced with a stencil (referred to as a master) wrapped around a cylinder coated in ink (referred to as a drum). The drum rolls over paper fed through the machine, creating an impression. Each drum corresponds with a color of ink, so one color is laid down at a time. Every subsequent color means a new master, and new impressions on the printed stock.

Risograph printing is extremely efficient, fast, and cost-effective. The Risograph was designed for medium volume printing (50 to 5000 copies), typically in office settings, and proves one of the most economical choices against other methods of printing at such quantities. In the last decade Risographs have gained traction in art communities both for the machine's practicality as well as its unusual and vibrant palette of spot colors.

Perfectly Acceptable Press has been in operation since 2013. We do almost all of our printing with a Risograph MZ1090.

Printing specifications:

Paper:

We typically print all of our projects on 11x17" paper with a maximum printable area of 10.7x16.5". Of course, we are happy to cut down your project to any size from there. Our Risograph reliably accepts paper weights between 50# text and 80# cover. We have a roster of affordable paper we like a lot, but we are happy to try out a new stock.

Some of our favorite papers are milled by French, Mohawk, and Domtar. When looking for paper, keep in mind Risograph ink primarily dries by absorption, so paper must be uncoated. The paper that typically performs best is fibrous and with a slight tooth (e.g. vellum finish).

Files:

Please provide high resolution (300-600 dpi) grayscale PDFs - one for each color of your project. The Riso will convert the gray values to halftones, so no need to do that ahead of time. If your project is full-bleed, include at least an 1/8 inch bleed area either embedded in the file or otherwise indicated. For books and booklets, provide your project in reading order.

We are capable of replicating full-color images using a faux-CMYK process using 3 or 4 inks to reproduce a more complete spectrum of color.

We are happy to help you prepare your files at any stage for printing at an hourly rate.

Smart design:

Given the cantankerous nature of the Risograph, Risograph printing is inevitably a collaboration between artist, printer, and the machine itself. There is no such thing as "perfectly perfect" print. The imperfect nature is part of makes Risograph printing unique among other forms of duplication.

That said, an intelligently designed image can minimize some of the more unpleasant imperfections such a roller marks and misregistration. Avoid large washes of dense ink coverage, especially down the center, and include trapping in your separations if you are working with more than two colors.

Our studio is located in the Zhou B Art Center in Bridgeport, Chicago.