'Hello Riso' - Beth Izatt's new book provides a delightful intro to the world risograph printing

Hello Riso is a unique introduction to the history and craft of Riso printing. It’s written and illustrated by Beth Izatt, an Illustration tutor at Hereford College of Art who specialises in experimental printmaking. 

The twenty-four page A5 book - 142mm by 198mm - printed on 170gsm Munken paper, using a four colour riso. 

Set for a release on 19 September, you can pre-order the book now on Design For Today's website. We caught up Beth to talk riso and find out more aboutt he book - read the Q+A below.

How did this project come about?

I’ve been experimenting a lot with Risograph printing and seeing what can be achieved with it. This led to successful and playful workshops with the students which explored some different Riso techniques that paired with their current modules. With this, Design for Today and I felt there was a perfect opportunity to create a book that encapsulated the fun of the Risograph as well as the basics of printing. Aimed at students and anyone who was interested in Risograph, the book would be an introduction to this vibrant world!

Where did your love for riso come from?

Printmaking has always been a huge love of mine, particularly Lithography and Screenprint. Despite these print practices being extremely rewarding, I was fascinated by the speed of the Riso and how it worked in similar ways to both Litho and Screenprinting. Alongside this, the endless combinations of colour and textures fuelled an important part of my practice: curiosity! There’s something charming about not quite knowing what you’ll get from the Riso, it’s truly endless play! 

Another aspect is that it has a firm place in contemporary illustration, with practitioners pushing its boundaries everyday with each print. I really admire Riso studios such as Duplikat, Drucken 3000, Jumbo Press, HWF Riso Club, Risotto, Terry Bleu (which my students and I got to visit on the Amsterdam trip - so cool!) and Earthbound Press (who I worked with on the book and they did the most wonderful print job!). These studios, and many more, print and produce work that is just so exciting and inspiring.

Lastly (although I could go on longer), Riso encourages collaboration and communication. When creating a print, I’ve had the most fun when I draw one layer and someone else draws another, creating an unexpected layered final piece that reflects problem solving and the experimenting both parties did in their layers. Collaborating nurtures integral parts of our practice and is super important for the overall creative community, it’s how we grow! 

What’s your favourite feature/quirk/part of its history?

Noboru Hayama was the creator of the Riso and was dedicated in making an accessible and efficient printing/copying machine. During this process, he created his own emulsion ink in his own kitchen, which would be developed further to go on to be the ink we use now. I find his level of dedication so admirable! The Riso is also economical and good for the planet, and its ethos is reflected in the name ‘Riso’ meaning ‘ideal’ in Japanese (逤萭). 

What’s it been like working with Design For Today?

A dream come true, and I still can’t quite believe it! At every stage, this project has been the biggest delight and I’m truly proud the book and the collaboration. I’ve also got to give such a huge thank you to the Illustration and Animation team (Neil, Nicholas, Marion, Max and Gabby) for all their support and discussions on the book! It’s also a huge delight to be part of such a supportive team and creative community.

For someone who has never heard of riso - what’s the one thing they should know about it? 

Aside from basic handling and how to create a print (which is covered in Hello Riso), they should know that being playful and experimental is key to finding what they’d want out of the process. Don’t go in with expectations, just have fun! 

Where can people see more of your work?

My Instagram @bethizattt and my website. With this, I host workshops and courses in the U.K and I proudly teach on the Illustration and Animation course. You can often find me in the studios, with a mug of tea and probably talking a student's ear off about Riso/Illustration/Print!