It took 850 days, 74 tubes of soy ink, 15 colors, 660 masters, 690,000 sheets of paper, 3 fans, 2 riso printers, and 4 people to complete a book – a 360 page book that only talks about 1 thing. The thing that is always the most fascinating is “Process”. The processes and experiences that did not have the chance to appear in the pages of this book can only be quantified, converted, and recorded into words.

<NO MAGIC IN RISO> is the result of 2 years of image separation studies and experiments, and is the second book published by O.OO, continuing the spirit and purpose of <Imperfection Booklets> published 3 years ago. Instead of using wordy descriptions, we hope that readers can feel the wonders of Risograph printing through the details of the design in the book. Whether you are a designer, an artist, or an illustrator, anyone interested in color can use this book to enter the field with ease.

The methods discussed in this book are not the one and only, and are not absolute. Everyone’s way of experimenting is different, and this book just offers our experience as a tool. Without the participation of people, the technology is plain and void of charm. Thus, the title NO MAGIC IN RISO.

Risograph is a brand of digital duplicators that are designed mainly for high-volume photocopying and printing. The process creates micro-imperfections in printing, similar to spontaneity, or even comparable to how improvisation in jazz can lead to an unexpected but pleasant result. The result of two years of research by O.OO, a graphic design studio based in Taipei, the main focus of this publication is colour separation and experimentation with images. The studio does not claim the colour separation methods described here to be absolute or the “right” way, but offer resources in hopes that they can provide helpful advice in practice while on the path to professionalism in this field.

Year: 2021
Pages: 360
Dimensions: 11 x 18 cm
Cover: Softcover
ISBN: 9789869758802
Language: English and Mandarin