frequently asked q’s

What is your pricing like?

The Risograph is an excellent machine for quick, inexpensive and unique art prints that has been favored for decades by schools and government agencies for its efficiency and cost-effectiveness. That being said, every project is unique and costs can fluctuate greatly due to quantity (costs average out to be cheaper for a number of reasons the more you print), number of inks used, paper choices, whether we receive layered, easily editable or already grayscale files, and things like trimming or other finishing options.

In general, most posters come out to have an average cost between $1 - $3 to print, business cards or small multiples are $0.20-$1.00 each, and staple-bound zines $2.50-$7.00 each. When you fill out our quote request form, we’ll go into heavy detail about the scope of your project and will try to provide a close estimate for you.

If you’re new to Riso and looking to learn more about the process and get some more direct involvement with the printing process, we recommend trying out one of our workshops where we tell a bit about the printer and how it works, then print your class project during the workshop so you walk away with some new print knowledge and your own prints!

Do you offer discounts? 

We offer a community discount for LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals, public school teachers, students, and formerly incarcerated persons. There is an opportunity to check a box if any of these apply to you on our quote form and we’ll update your quote accordingly with this discount.

Additionally, we offer different rates on our processing fees depending on if the project is for an individual, small business or non-profit, or large business. This allows us to provide a bit of a sliding scale to better provide opportunities for more people to receive accessible printing.

We also provide different price breaks on paper and ink depending on the quantity of prints ordered. This is because it allows us to buy paper in bulk, or in some cases of very large print jobs, purchase entire tubes of ink at a lower price knowing it will be used directly and completely for your project.

Why is your minimum order requirement 15 copies?

The Risograph is a unique printer that takes a bit to “warm up” and the first few prints always print darker and more saturated with ink. To get a consistent batch of prints, we require a minimum print run of 15. Additionally, the time it takes for us to print one-offs doesn’t really make financial sense for us as a business. We would recommend a different print method such as inkjet or digital printing instead if you’re set on a print run of less than 15 copies.

What is turnaround time usually like?

Most print jobs take about a week or two to finish, but depending on colors, quantity, other projects already in the works, etc. timelines can shift by a few days. If you request a proof print, you can expect to add an additional 1-3 business days to your overall turnaround time.

Are you ever closed or not able to take on print orders?

Due to the very busy Art-A-Whirl event held in NE Minneapolis the weekend before Memorial Weekend in May, we will not be printing new custom prints the week prior. We can certainly consult on starting the prints the week after.

We also take a holiday break from Dec. 24-Jan. 1st each year. Again, we can certainly consult on starting the prints the week after we return.

We also occasionally go on vacaton! *When I say “we”, it’s really an “I” as our studio is owned and operated by one person :) - but again again– always happy to consult on starting the prints the week after we return.


Do you provide other services besides Risograph printing?

Yes! We are able to offer graphic design services, spiral binding, booklet folding, trimming paper or booklets to size, and larger-format (11x17” or smaller) scanning services. Just shoot us an email if you are interested in any of these services with or without Riso printing to get pricing and more info.

Could I watch you make my prints?

Since the Riso printer takes some time to dry between print jobs (ideally 1 day per color layer) - the short answer is no. The long answer is that yes, you could watch the prints be made in real time by signing up for one of our workshops! These workshops are meant to be teach about the print process and walk away with some prints!

Do you require a deposit? 

Any print job will always require a deposit equal to the cost of ink, paper and proof print (if requested). This helps us to both have skin in the game! This deposit will always be credit to the final invoiced due at the end.

The remainder of the invoice will be due upon completion of the prints, before we will arrange for any shipping or pickup. All sales are final, if you have any hesitations about using the risograph for your print project we encourage you to reach out and ask questions ahead of time! Remember that not every print job will be best suited for Risograph printing. If you’re looking for precise color-matching or crystal clear images, we would recommend visiting other print options like offset or inkjet printing.

Is purchasing a proof print possible and/or required? 

Any print job quoted can have a set of proof prints made, however for small jobs it may likely end up costing quite a bit in relation to the cost of your final print job. This is because the proofs still require color separations, setup and master stencils which can add up quick in relative comparison to just the cost of ink and paper alone.

So, for small print jobs under 25 copies, we don’t require or encourage them.

For print jobs with a quantity of 25+ copies, we will recommend a proof print but leave it entirely up to you to decide if you want it or not. it adds on an additional 3 or so business days to the overall completion time, and will cost a small fee, but is a worthy investment to have a chance to preview your prints and ask for any printer adjustments before printing “the real deal”.

if you choose to waive a proof print, we can’t be held responsible for any errors, opacity changes, etc. that you wish had been made. this also provides a chance for any corrections on the file to made on your end, for example if you notice a typo and want to fix it before we print the “real deal.”

Any print jobs with 500 copies or more will receive complimentary proof prints due to the large quantity.

Are you hiring or taking on interns? 

Unfortunately no, the business is a small, lean machine and at this time we are not able to support the cost or consistent work needs for additional employees. It’s a 1-person show, for now! If we do have any opportunities such as helping during the holiday season or during summer market season, we will likely announce those opportunities on our Instagram account as they become available.

Can I schedule a studio tour? 

Most likely, yes! We are in our studio many days of the week, but are often immersed in projects and other work so any visit to the studio needs to be scheduled in advance. Because of the sometimes busy nature of the studio and our work, we may not be able to accommodate visits longer than one half hour, or may request we book it for another week depending on availability. Shoot us an email if you’re interested in scheduling a studio tour.

Are you open to teaching customized workshops or demos? 

Short answer– possibly?! Feel free to reach out to us via email if you’re interested in setting up a custom workshop or demo. Let us know how many people would be attending (and if anyone is under 18, ages!), what date(s) and times you’d be interested in setting something up for, and of course, what you’d be interested in making. For all workshop requests, we do have limited capacity in our studio and can only fit up to 12 people at a time comfortably in our workspace. Thanks for understanding!