Riso is a particular process and it may not fit the needs of every project. Here are some of the quirks of riso to consider before going forward. If you have any questions about these limitations, or about the process in general, don't hesitate to email Evan Bobrow at evan@rathaus.press for more information!
1. Smudging:
The riso uses a soy based ink that never truly dries, so it has the potential to smudge. This is primarily true of large areas of heavy ink coverage, and is much less noticable on lighter prints or prints with a lot of negative space.
2. Roller Marks:
If you are printing multiple layers, it is possible that the ink from the previous layer will leave a tire like mark when printing the next one. This can be avoided by keeping heavy areas out of the centerline of your print, or by leaving a larger margin on a leading edge. However, if there is heavy coverage it is still likely to be an issue. You can remove these marks with an eraser if the paper is otherwise blank in that spot. If we are concerned that there will be heavy roller marks based on your design, we will let you know before printing.
3. Misregistration:
The riso prints one color at a time. Because of this, there may be some misregistration in your edition. This will vary from print to print.
4. Uneven Coverage:
If you are printing a large area of solid color, there might be some inconsistencies in the ink application. This may include darker lines of ink, small white spots, or an uneven/banded texture.
5. Necessary Margins:
The RZ990 can print on up to 11x17 paper, but the print size is smaller than that. We require at lease a quarter inch margin on 11x17 prints, and recommend an inch on the leading edge (the side that goes through the printer first). If your print is less than 10.5x16.5, it can be trimmed down to full bleed.