Risograph available at Eastern

CHENEY – The Department of Design at Eastern Washington University has acquired a risograph and is expanding its palette with an array of spot colors.

Now, the university is rolling out a residency program aimed at inviting resident designers to utilize this innovative machine, said Ginelle Hustrulid from Eastern's Design Department.

A risograph is a digital screen printing device.

Hustrulid emphasized the value of this initiative, stating, "What better way to showcase a relatively unknown piece of equipment than by offering its use to regional and national creatives through a residency program? With this residency, we aim to highlight the diverse creative potential and applications the risograph can offer."

She reiterated that the university wants to ensure that the local community knows the risograph is available for anyone to use, alongside other equipment in their 4D Lab.

According to Hustrulid, risograph printing blends a rich history of manual and digital processes, combining the logic and charm of screen-printing with the reliability and speed of a photocopier.

In discussing the creative techniques emerging with the risograph, Hustrulid highlighted a range of endeavors, including illustration, zine creation, graphic novel printing, book arts, paper engineering and animation.

"Risograph uses a spot color process and inherently creates offset accidents by nature, artists and designers get to experiment with color mixing in surprising ways," she said.

Hustrulid pointed out the risograph printer's forte in its ability to produce volume, enabling the creation of multi-page and edition-based projects in less time.

The community-based nature of the SAGA grant Eastern Washington University received prompted the Design Department to focus on proposals that would benefit the local region and foster connections with the public. Community engagement became a significant criterion in evaluating proposals.

"We created a pretty comprehensive rubric to send to the jurors beforehand, and then met to discuss and hash over the results," Hustrulid said. "The main areas the Rubric focused on was the strength of the proposed project, community engagement, and a portfolio of work that promoted the former criteria."

Access to risograph equipment is limited for many designers in the inland Northwest region, with the closest machines located in Seattle and Portland. Eastern Washington University's Design faculty is actively integrating the risograph into various course projects, such as typography, zine creation, and animation.

Describing the inner workings of risograph printers, Hustrulid highlighted the complex network of cylindrical ink drums, sustainable plant fiber-based "masters," and guided pressure rollers that ensure precise color stencil impressions at a rapid duplication rate.

Regarding sustainability, Hustrulid underscored the eco-friendly nature of risograph printing, citing its low energy consumption, soy-based inks and stencil film made from plant fibers. Risograph printers are free from ozone emissions, toner particle emissions, silica dust, and other air pollutants associated with toner-based printers.

Hustrulid expressed enthusiasm for its potential to engage artists and designers across the country. While funding limitations currently restrict the program to one year with four resident designers, the department aims to establish a project proposal system to facilitate collaborations among local creatives.

"Also, donations are welcome and encouraged if anyone wants to contribute and help fund future residencies," Hustrulid said.

Author Bio

Clare McGraw, Reporter

Clare is an Eastern Washington University graduate and a reporter at Free Press Publishing.