A Risograph print guide designed & curated by Dizzy Ink.

07. DRYING TIME

In a world of digital, Risograph celebrates the human touch. And in a world of fast-paced production, it celebrates a craft that needs a little love, time and care.

Riso ink doesn't dry instantly. In fact, you might still get a little ink on your fingers long after it's been printed — that's part of its charm. Unlike toner, which sits on the surface of the paper, Riso ink is absorbed into it and needs time to settle and dry between colours.

This becomes especially important with heavy ink coverage. Large solid areas, dark tones and overlapping colours all need more time. Sometimes we'll leave prints to rest between colour passes, helping to prevent smudging, ink transfer and roller marks.

Riso isn't a process that benefits from being rushed. Giving each layer the time it needs simply makes for a better print.

Artist: Never Brush My Teeth
Printed by: Dizzy Ink

Ink Tranfer & Smudging

Riso ink behaves a little differently from conventional printing ink. It remains slightly soft rather than fully curing, similar to the feel of ink on a newspaper. This means some transfer or smudging is always possible.

Because sheets are stacked as they enter and leave the machine, heavily inked areas can occasionally transfer onto the sheet beside them. This is particularly important for double-sided work and prints that will be trimmed, as pressure from the guillotine clamp can encourage ink to transfer between sheets.

Once printed, we recommend handling your Riso prints with a little care to minimise fingerprints and smudges. Reducing the opacity and overall ink coverage of particularly dense layers can also help create a cleaner result.

Tips that help

Every overlapping colour adds another layer of ink to the paper.

Consider using lower opacities for overlapping colours or knocking out the colours beneath large black areas, reducing their density, or using lighter tints where an overlap is needed.

As a general rule, avoid stacking several 100% colour separations directly on top of one another. Less ink often means a cleaner print, faster drying and fewer marks during the next pass through the machine.

Follow Advice

If we say that your artwork needs more time to dry in between layers, therefore longer process time, trust us! The slower printing process will result in best results.