Print Specialisms

Risograph Design

Design for the riso, not the inkjet

12 lessons4 modules9h 35m durationbeginner level

Instructor: StretchLearn Faculty

About this course

Risograph is a stencil-duplicator process that prints one Pantone-like ink at a time from soy-based inks, prized for its luminous flats, registration drift and gritty texture. This course rebuilds your design thinking around channels rather than CMYK: you choose inks, set up overprint and trapping, master halftone angles and LPI, and prep separated PDFs to a real studio's spec. By the end you can take a concept from sketch to a press-ready, colour-marked file pack.

Curriculum

Module 1: How the Risograph Actually Prints3 lessons

The machine: master, drum and one ink at a timePreview45m
Why riso looks like riso: texture, drift and grain🔒45m
Paper, ink and run-size constraints🔒45m

Module 2: Spot-Colour Layer Thinking3 lessons

Designing in channels, not CMYK🔒50m
Choosing inks: the riso colour library🔒50m
Overprint: getting new colours for free🔒50m

Module 3: Halftones, Textures and Tonal Control3 lessons

Why riso needs halftones🔒50m
Setting LPI, angle and avoiding moiré🔒50m
Building texture: grain, gradients and noise🔒50m

Module 4: File Prep, Studio Hand-off and Proofing3 lessons

Exporting a layered, separated PDF🔒50m
Briefing the studio and reading a quote🔒45m
Proofs, registration tests and press checks🔒45m