18th January
I attended a Risograph induction with MA students where we learnt about the printing process. The machine works like a photo copier and screen printing combined. A master is created of your design, first using one colour and then using a second, you can only print a maximum of two colours at a time. We learn about what gradient to use on the prints and the thickness of paper that the printer will accept. How to change the cartridges of colour, what colours are available and how to run scrap paper through the printer to build up the colour on the plate to produce our artwork. At the end of the induction, I manage to book a session to print to print my designs via Orb next week. I am so thrilled I will be able to do this. I have only printed using Risograph once before when I manged to attend a workshop in Canada online. During Covid. Then we also learnt about the technique and how to set up our artwork to be able to print via Risograph – designs must be set in black with the lighter colour of the design printed first. I then emailed my designs the course tutor. A few weeks later I received in the post an envelope containing one of everyone’s designs who had attended the workshop. It was a joyous experience. I can’t wait to use my new knowledge and print my creative prompt cards via Risograph at LCC.
Above are the various design stages of my visual prompt cards from my initial visual concept to the artwork for both digital printing and Risograph printing which require quite different forms to produce.