Couldn't decide between a risograph print run or hand-stamping my new zine

I had 50 copies of my 'Abandoned Motels on Route 66' zine ready to go. The choice was a $200 risograph service for color covers or hand-stamping each one with a $40 kit. I went with the stamping, spent a whole Saturday at my kitchen table. The registration is a bit wobbly on some copies, but it gives it a real handmade feel. Anyone have tips for keeping a rubber stamp aligned over 50 prints?

2 comments

2 Comments

brians276d ago

Man, that's a lot of work for a zine. I get wanting the handmade look, but spending a whole Saturday and still getting wobbly stamps sounds rough. Is the perfect alignment even that important for something about abandoned motels? The slight messiness probably fits the theme better than a clean print would anyway.

riley9566d ago

Nah, I get where you're coming from, but the whole point is the control. It's not about being perfect, it's about being on purpose. A clean print would feel totally wrong for the subject, but so would random wobbles I didn't choose. The work is part of it. Getting it just messy enough, but in the right way, that's the skill. It has to feel intentional, not just sloppy.