Riso for Photography

Welcome to our Riso workshop for photography! In this fast-paced and immersive workshop, you will have the opportunity to learn about the exciting possibilities of Riso printing and how it can be used to enhance your photographic work.

Through a series of hands-on exercises and projects, we will cover the core concepts and skills needed to create striking and unique photographic prints using the Riso printing process. In just three sessions, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of how Riso printing works and how it can be applied to photography.

We’ll start with an overview of the Riso printing process, including a discussion of the types of inks and paper stocks that work best with this unique printing technique. We’ll then move on to the core techniques you’ll need to create beautiful and effective Riso prints, including ink mixing, registration, and layering.

By the end of the workshop, you’ll have gained a wealth of skills and knowledge that can be applied to your own photographic work. You’ll have created a 4 color 11×17′ with your own images, and you’ll have a deeper understanding of how to integrate this unique printing process into your own creative practice.

Prior participation in Hands-On Riso, Analog Riso, and Duotone Riso Printing is required to take this class. Students must be prepared to bring their own laptop with photo editing software installed, and must have basic knowledge of photo and digital image editing software.

Required Materials:

• Pencil and paper for taking notes
• A personal laptop with Adobe Suite or other image processing software.
• Own photographic images - digital or scanned.
• Clothes that can get stained or dirty (CBA will provide aprons, but the ink used on press can stain).

All other materials will be provided by the Center for Book Arts at no additional cost.

About the Instructor:

Eva Parra (1982) is a researcher, educator and printer. She is part of the curatorial collective Indisciplinadas where she has developed exhibitions such as No room for books and soft [cover] revolution. She is the co-founder of Calipso Press, a printing studio, publishing label and artistic collective established in 2015 in Cali, and since 2022 based in NY. Calipso hosts a residency program oriented to expanded publishing and printing experimentation. They have participated in Art book fairs such as NYABF, UNFOLD Shanghai, Libros Mutantes Madrid, Rrreplica México and curated contemporary art projects such as Post Digital Mimeography (Colombia Biennale, Pereira, 2016) and A Sketch for the Future (Miriam Gallery, New York, 2022).

All images courtesy of the instructor.