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RISO is making a transformative comeback. A high-volume printing technology invented in 1986 by the Japanese Riso Kagaku Corporation, it is now becoming one of the most sought-after mediums for artists and designers. With its fun, energetic, and timeless appeal, more artists are using “Riso" to give voice to ideas and foster creative communities. From the creation of zines to limited edition posters, it’s a self-publisher’s dream.

What places risograph printing in a class of its own is its unique ability to combine the characteristics of traditional printmaking, the speed of a conventional photocopier, and the precision of a laser printer.

Panayiotis Terzis is an artist, printer, faculty member, and the lead technician of SVA’s RisoLAB. His passion for the medium is unprecedented, as he has published multiple zines and is the creator of dystopian sci fi/futurist magazine Trapper Keeper. Terzis shares that “the impulse to make a zine either to communicate in symbols, language, and visual indicators to a closed community, or to make a general proclamation, has been with us at least since Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of that church in 1517. In my class I trace this impulse, and its expression in print form, from Gutenberg through Martin Luther, William Blake, Thomas Paine, the Dadaists, Constructivists, 1960s underground comics and newspapers, the punks, etc. It's about harnessing this burning desire to express something and commit it to print rather than an ephemeral digital form, and most importantly without asking permission from any gatekeepers, be they publishers or peers; that gets me excited.”

There’s no denying the allure of the SVA RisoLAB, an electrified atmosphere where you will find students feverishly working the Riso printers while thoughtfully conversing about art, activism, and everything in between. The work produced is undeniably cool, yet incredibly sincere. Works that address states of affairs, both political and personal, are the currency that drives these zines into fruition. The magic of Riso is in its ability to bring the artist’s storytelling to life via the printed page, where every edition counts.

A version of this article appeared in ContinuED: Winter 2018. See more updates on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages!