Traded my photocopied zines for a risograph one. Hated it at first.

Found a local print shop in Portland that lets you use their risograph for $20 a session. I was all about the grungy photocopier look. Messy, imperfect. Thought risograph was too clean, too professional. Gave it a shot last month after the owner kept pushing. Took me 3 tries to get the registration right. But once I did? The colors popped. Way richer than my copies. I still like the raw photocopy style for some stuff. But for a cover or a photo-heavy zine? Risograph wins. Anyone else switch their method and end up liking the change?

2 comments

2 Comments

anthony88320d agoTop Commenter

Dude it's not that deep lol. Like yeah risograph looks nice and all but you're acting like you discovered fire or something. It's just a different way to print stuff. Photocopiers are still gonna be around and they're way cheaper than paying to use someone else's machine every time. Plus half the charm of zines is that messy thrown together vibe anyway. If I wanted perfect colors I'd just use a regular printer.

the_tara20d ago

oh man @anthony883 i actually used to think exactly like you did. i was all about the messy photocopier zines and thought risograph was just some hipster trend people used to flex. but then i helped a friend print a batch and holy crap it changed my whole view. the way the ink sits on the paper is just different, it feels alive in a way a regular printer cant touch. i get why people get excited about it now, it isn't just about having nice colors. its about the texture and the process, makes you slow down and think about each page. still love a good messy zine though, dont get me wrong.