If you’ve been following along with Heartell lately, you may have noticed a little more color and risograph prints coming out of the studio this year.

Our Risograph printer machine, Rosy, has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for our cards and paper goods. Behind many of those vibrant, layered prints is Sarah, our Risograph printer.

Sarah brings a love of color, design and experimentation with the wonderfully imperfect nature of Riso printing to the Heartell studio. We asked her a few questions about how she found her way to Risograph, what she loves about the process, and what she hopes to print next.

How did you get started with Risograph printing?

Sarah: "It was mid-pandemic when I impulse bought an old RP3700 Risograph (with five ink drums!) on eBay. After my partner and I got it home, I was kind of afraid to use it for a while. It became a focal point of our living room, and every once in a while we would print a poster or something for a friend.

In 2023, a friend and I started a bike-drawn bookmobile. Designing and printing free bookmarks for that, as well as printing zines for a friend, is what got me to use my Riso more frequently and become confident with the process.

Eventually I got a hold of more ink colors and learned various maintenance, like removing and cleaning the drum screens. When I saw that Heartell had a new Riso and was hiring, I had to reach out!"

What draws you to the Riso process?

Sarah: "The first thing that drew me to risograph was the vibrancy and texture of the prints. When I learned how it worked (by layering inks), I fell in love with it.

As a designer, working with a limited palette is a fun challenge. The process is a mix of digital and analog that I enjoy and I feel like it lets me work the technical and creative parts of my brain."

What do you like to do outside of the studio?

Sarah: "Video games, gardening, thrifting. Lately I’ve been getting into optical illusions and impossible shapes. Things that confuse your eyes. Maybe I'll make some of my own!"

What would you love to print next?

Sarah:  "Calendars, notebooks and notepads are what I’m most excited about printing in the future. I have always wanted to create these things, but never followed through on my own because I didn’t necessarily want to have to figure out how to sell them. Working for Heartell, that part is taken care of so now I get to enjoy the printing process!"

Riso Printing at Heartell

Step One: The Design

Every Risograph print begins with Rachel's artwork, owner and designer of Heartell Press.

Some designs are created specifically for Risograph, while others are beloved Heartell illustrations that Rachel reimagines through the unique possibilities of soy-based inks.

But unlike digital printing, where every color prints at once, Risograph printing requires us to think about each color individually. Every layer has to be planned before a single sheet of paper enters the printer.

Step Two: Choosing the Colors

Risograph inks are beautifully vibrant, and because they're semi-transparent, they interact with one another in surprising ways. When two colors overlap, they create entirely new shades and textures that can't be achieved with traditional printing.

Choosing colors is equal parts planning and experimentation. Sometimes we know exactly what we're looking for. Other times, the magic happens when we discover an unexpected combination.

Step Three: Separating the Artwork

Once the colors are chosen, the artwork is separated into individual layers.

Think of it like creating a stencil for every color. One layer might contain only the yellow flowers and vase, another the green leaves, another the pink underlay.

Each of these layers will become its own printing pass, meaning the same sheet of paper travels through the printer multiple times before the design is complete.

Step Four: Test Prints & Proofing

Before printing an entire edition, Sarah runs test prints.

This is where patience becomes just as important as creativity.

She checks that every layer lines up correctly (called registration), makes sure the ink coverage feels balanced, and looks closely at how the colors interact on paper. Tiny adjustments can make a huge difference, and it's not unusual to print several rounds of proofs before everything feels just right.

Step Five: Printing One Color at a Time

Once the proofs are approved, it's finally time to print.

Sarah carefully loads the paper into the Risograph printer and begins with the first color. After every sheet has been printed, the stack is allowed to dry before moving on to the next layer.

Then the paper goes back through the machine.

Again.

And again.

With each pass, another piece of the artwork appears. Watching a design slowly come together layer by layer never gets old.

Step Six: Swapping the Ink Drums

One thing many people don't realize is that changing colors isn't as simple as clicking a button.

Each Risograph color lives inside its own drum, so Sarah physically swaps out the drum every time it's time for a new ink.

It's a hands-on process—and yes, occasionally a little messy—but it's also part of what makes Risograph printing feel so wonderfully tactile.

Step Seven: Trimming & Finishing

Once every color has been printed and the ink has fully dried (usually overnight), the prints move to our paper cutter.

Sarah carefully trims each stack to its finished size before giving every print one final quality check.

From there, they're packaged, paired with envelopes, and made ready to head to shops and mailboxes around the world.

Why We Love Risograph

What's not to love!? One of our favorite things about Risograph printing is that no two prints are ever completely identical.

There may be a tiny shift in registration. A little more ink here. A little less there.

Variations are part of the charm of riso for us. They also remind us that every print was made by hand, layer by layer, by a real person in our Indiana studio.

In a world filled with mass production, we love that each Risograph print carries the marks of the process that created it. We hope you can see and feel how much care went into making it.

From Rachel's original design, to Sarah's careful proofing, to every ink drum, paper stack, and final trim - we're grateful to create these little pieces of art and send them into the world.

Thank you for following along behind the scenes with us. We hope this glimpse into the studio helps you appreciate the process as much as we do.