An interesting tidbit is that some of the earliest forms of fanzines were printed using a mimeograph. Print projects that needed only low volume were frequently commissioned, such as church bulletins, classroom materials, and office documents. The most attractive benefit of using this machine was the opportunity for people to print on the cheap with a widely accessible technology. By the 1960s, this technology began to peter out and was replaced with photocopying.

It worked by pushing ink onto paper through a stencil, which is why it’s also called a stencil duplicator. It’s regarded as the forerunner to today’s laser printers, scanners, and photocopiers. A mimeograph is an old-fashioned duplicating machine that didn’t break the bank. If you’ve ever heard of a mimeograph, you’re on track to understanding this process and how it works. Printing with the risograph technique produces an unmistakable aesthetic that’s been described as handcrafted and simple, though memorable, all at once. There are benefits to this method beyond cost and productivity advantages. This ideal balance makes it a welcome alternative for many designers, illustrators, and creatives. A digital duplicator is a form of printing technology designed to handle high-volume print tasks (upwards of 20 copies) with relative ease, while keeping costs down compared to offset printing equipment or toner-based copiers.

Invented by Japan’s Riso Kagaku Corporation in 1986, the risograph itself is a brand of printer duplicators or digital duplicators. Try your hand at this printing style, and you’ll be fascinated by its output and quality. Risograph printing creates some staggeringly colorful results, along with a finished aesthetic that makes it appear deceptively simple to master.

Riso machine cost