Become a RISO Pro

Session 1: Thursday November 5th, 6 - 9pm

Session 2: Sign-up required for a 1hr 1-on-1 Print Session

Sign-up Dates:

Saturday November 7th from 12 - 4pm

Tuesday November 10th & Friday November 13th from 9am - 5pm

This two-session workshop introduces artists and designers to the basics of RISO printing also known as risography.

In the first session, our resident print technician Elk Paauw will walk you through how to set up print projects for RISO using the Adobe Creative Suite and free RISO-specific software. The session will also explain how to make the most of this unique printing process and include bespoke tips and tricks.

Participants will be guided through a print-along process from start to finish, and will take home a 2-colour print made in class.

Participants are encouraged to bring an example (digital or physical) of what they intend to print to this first session.

Topics include:

• Introduction to how the RISO machine works and what types of jobs are best for RISO printing


• Do’s and don'ts of designing for RISO


• How to create colour separations and mix spot colours


• How to choose paper for RISO projects


• How to print crisp, clear text


• How to make digital proofs for RISO prints


NOTE: Sign-up for the second session will take place in this initial class.

In the second session, you will return to the gallery in your chosen time-slot for a 1-hour, 1-on-1 print session with Elk, who will provide advising and guidance to bring your project to life. During this 1-on-1 session, participants will use what they learned in the first session to craft and run their own small print edition of 20, 2-colour prints on provided 11x17 house stock.

All materials will be provided, excepting personal laptops/tablets and software.

This workshop is best suited for creatives that are already comfortable with Photoshop/InDesign/Illustrator or other digital image editing software like Gimp, Procreate, or Clip Studio Paint.

Facilitated by Elk Paauw, Forest City Gallery’s resident print technician who has been repairing our RISO printer since May. Elk is a comics artist and PhD candidate at the University of Western Ontario in Theory and Criticism. In addition, Elk is an adjunct professor at Fanshawe College and Western University teaching film and trans studies. In another life, Elk performed as half of the cartoon band Spooky Action, and was host/curator of a monthly international animated children's film series at SIFF Cinema Uptown in Seattle, Washington. Elk has a master's degree in Visual and Critical Studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where he wrote his thesis on the philosophy of time.