FAQs
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While we don’t currently offer studio rentals, we do provide Risograph workshops and printing services. If you're interested in Risograph printing, please fill out our inquiry form—we’d love to help make your project happen.
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Our standard pricing starts at $1 per color (or layer) with a minimum order of 25 prints.
For example: 25 one-color prints would cost $25 plus tax.
We also offer volume discounts for larger orders.
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Our turnaround time ranges from 3 to 10 business days, depending on the number of colors, pages, and any additional finishing services like trimming or folding. Rush fees may apply for expedited orders.
Please note that print jobs begin once payment has been received.
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Tell us about your project by completing our inquiry form.
We'll provide a cost estimate and finalize the invoice after receiving your files and detailed specifications.
Production will begin once the invoice is paid.
Once printed, you can pick up your project at our Inner Richmond studio or get it delivered for an additional fee.
Digital Files
File Requirements
Please carefully review the following section when preparing your files.
Accepted file types
JPG or PDF
Minimum file requirements
Files should be delivered print-ready. This means
Artwork should be split up by color with each color as its own file
Each file should be grayscale
Name your file with the color that it is intended to be printed in
Artwork needs to be 300 PPI - 600 PPI in resolution
Regarding opacity, any large areas of black fill should be between 80%-90% maximum, so that they print evenly.
The minimum printable text size is 7pt, with a line thickness of at least 0.5pt. For best results, use registration black and, if possible, convert these elements to outlined vectors.
Size
Maximum printed paper size is 11” x 17”
Finished work should include a minimum 0.25” margin on all sides for any paper size
Please ask about trimming full bleed artwork
Need Help?
File prep is available for a fee of $55/hour
CMYK Prep
Basic color separations
In-person or online
We can give you an estimate on how long it will take to prep the file
Options
Color
We have seven ink colors available:
Yellow
Fluorescent Pink
Violet
Bright Red
Grass
Blue
Black
You can print one to seven colors per side.
Check out this page for advanced printing options.
Paper
We keep a small selection of paper in stock
24lb text (89 gsm) / copy paper / letter sized - 8.5” x 11” / White, Ivory, Pink, Blue, Green, Fluorescent Orange, Fluorescent Yellow
110lb index (199 gsm) / cardstock / letter or tabloid - 8.5” x 11” or 11” x 17” / white
Images below are of actual stock. Note that color may appear different on your screen from the actual paper.
Please check this page or ask to confirm if a certain paper is in stock.
Contact us about custom sizes or full bleed trimming
Want to use your own paper?
Our machine can print on uncoated paper in weights from 12lb bond – 116lb index (46 gsm – 210 gsm)
We do not recommend using textured paper like cold-press watercolor paper. We cannot print on coated stocks like glossy or photo paper.
Given the unpredictable nature of Riso process, please provide more paper than you need printed
Finishing
Trimming, staple binding and folding is available for an additional fee. Please contact us for a quote.
We offer three different standard folding options: Bi-fold, Tri-Fold, and Z-fold. See diagrams below.
For folding options not illustrated here, please get in touch.
Things to consider
Variation
Riso isn’t perfect! Part of the charm of Risograph printing is the variation inherent to the process. Some of this variation includes slight imperfections. These are some of the things that you might expect to see on prints in your order.
Uneven printing - Large areas of color will often not print evenly.
Tire marks - When printing multiple colors the paper feed wheels can pick up colors already printed on the page and leave marks on the following pages.
Smudging - Riso ink is an oil-based ink and smudges easily if rubbed.
Misregistration - When printing multiple colors, paper will go through the machine multiple times. Each time the paper goes through the machine, they may feed through in slightly different ways, leading to areas of color not lining up properly.
Proofreading
We do not proofread or correct artwork. Please check artwork for unintentional typos and errors grammatical or otherwise.
Color Separations
Our machine prints one color at a time. This means that every color in your artwork needs a separate file to send to the machcine. There are many ways to do this. Spectrolite is a free and simple-to-use option. This software is developed specifically for preparing files for Risograph printing. You can input a full-color image and it will separate it to print with up to four colors.
You can set up your palette with which four colors to use. Our 4-color (CMYK) equivalents are Blue, Fluorescent Pink, Yellow and Black. However, you can use any combination of four colors to produce interesting variations.
Studio Time
We do not offer public use of our Risograph machine or studio rental. If you’d like to make prints please get in touch for a full-service quote.
Ready to print?
Get in touch for a quote.