Learn how to print on the Risograph, a machine that combines the ease of a photocopier with the stencil concept of silkscreen.
A Risograph creates a stencil for each layer, printing a single color at a time. Inks are semi-opaque, so when layered two colors can create a third overlay.
In this class you’ll create two image layers by hand, and each student will print a 2-color poster in an edition of 20. Come ready to turn sketches or drawings into your poster. If you would prefer not to draw, consider bringing clip art, traced designs, stamps, or collage elements to make your design.
Materials to Bring
Sketches, drawings, photographs, or collage imagery no larger than 10” x 16” on paper or clear acetate (spot imagery smaller than 10” x 16” will work as well).
Pens: black ink, all kinds of tips/types (sharpies, markers, brush pens, felt tip, different sized nibs, etc.) Faber Castell's PITT pens or Micron's are examples where you have different sized nibs. You can also bring pencils (especially softer/darker ones if you want more hand-drawn imagery). Essentially anything to make a drawn mark with! Colored markers in yellows and pinks won't work well, though.
Photos can be fun. Make sure they aren't precious in case you want to cut them up. Grayscale with a wide value range work the best, rather than color photos. You can print out or photocopy what you want to play with and bring that, rather than the original.
Collage materials: papers with patterns, tapes like washi, templates or stencils for making shapes, black or dark construction paper for cutting out shapes.
Stamps/stamp pad and letter/number stickers are great if you want to work with text.
Scissors or X-acto knife; glue stick or clear tape; eraser.
Please print out any digital imagery before class, no larger than 11" x 17", with a 1/2" border all around.
About the Instructor
Meri Brin (she/her) has been teaching Printmaking around the Bay Area since 2007. Besides teaching at SFCB, she has taught Silkscreen at Mission Grafica, and was full-time faculty at Academy of Art University for a decade. Her prints have been exhibited in local, as well as national shows. She has a print in the Library of Congress, and also exhibits as Fixated Press at San Francisco Zine Fest. Her artwork examines the complexity and visual noise of the everyday world, or she just wants to show you some cats.
Meri is a member of the California Society of Printmakers, and is the Printmedia Studio Manager at California College of the Arts.
Past Student Reviews
“Great intro to Riso. I appreciate the examples as well as clip art and other things students could play with.”
“Meri provided lots of graphic materials and tools that we might want to use for the class, also gave us good background on the Risograph and how it works.”
“Meri's directions were clear and concise, and I felt well informed about the possibilities and limitations of creating a risograph print. I came to class with just a general idea of what I might like to do, so the fact that Meri had a lot of examples to look at to give us ideas of what could be done on a risograph helped me a lot. It was a really fun, hands-on workshop, and I felt like I learned a lot and came away with a great piece of art."
Location
San Francisco Center for the Book
375 Rhode Island Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
Registration Policies
Please read over the SFCB Registration Policies before signing up for a class. Registration will close approximately three days prior to the start date of the workshop to allow the instructor time to prep materials for class. We recommend you not wait to register, as workshops that don't meet our minimum enrollment will be canceled, sometimes as much as a week in advance.
Workshop fee
(includes materials fee):
$150
Prerequisite(s):
None.
Class sessions:
Sunday, May 11, 2025
12-4:30pm
If this workshop is full, please click this link to add your name to the waitlist. If a seat becomes available, we will contact you.