Kingston University Receives First A2 Risograph in the UK

Kingston University Receives First A2 Risograph in the UK

Kingston University has innovated its art faculty’s print-making capabilities by commissioning… Midshire to install the first of its kind RISO Duplicator (known as a Risograph) at its Knights Park campus in London. The A2 Duplicator is not only the first to be installed in the UK, but a first-to-market product from Japanese manufacturer RISO.

The Problem: Limited Print Capabilities without RISO

Problem 1: Dated print techniques
Problem 2: Faculty finances and waste
Problem 3: Old, unreliable hardware

The university’s students already produced beautiful work using traditional typography, intaglio, hydraulic beever, and offset lithographic presses, but these older techniques, when paired with the department’s two standard inkjet printers did not cater to the massive demand for creating modern screen-print art on A2 mediums.

Furthermore, the wasted ink and paper being produced as a by-product of the dated printers meant that faculty finances were quite literally being thrown away. The old, slow, and unreliable machines were becoming an issue for final year students needing to produce high-quality work to tight deadlines.

The Solution: Midshire Installs first UK A2 Risograph

Solution 1: Bridging a gap in the printmaking department
Solution 2: Reducing waste, and saving money
Solution 3: Reliable, faster hardware

Working closely with Ioannis Belimpasakis from Kingston, and with the university’s problems in mind, Daniel Bridgeman identified the RISO A2 Digital Duplicator as the perfect solution. This device, launched worldwide in April 2016, would allow students to create modern artwork by layering the 21 available colours of ink on A2 mediums, currently the most used paper size in the print industry.

Additionally, in a bid to reduce waste and save money, the Risograph uses a cheap, eco-friendly soy-based ink, and its heat-free printing process ensures a very low running cost with minimal paper jams, further reducing waste.

Lastly, the device requires no pre-press preparation and is ready to print in 60-seconds. Combined with its output of 100 pages per minute, the fast, reliable A2 Duplicator can keep up with the demand of the vast student body.

“I have been supplying and supporting the RISO range of products for nearly 30 years now, and my favourite sector is without doubt higher education, art and design environments. Their ability to turn what’s traditionally seen as a workhorse machine into an easel, producing the most incredible artwork still amazes me.” Midshire’s Senior RISO Product Specialist, Daniel Bridgeman( Dan, Dan the RISO Man)

The Outcome: The RISO A2 is the perfect fit

Since the installation in 2016, students from all over the world choose to gain the invaluable experience presented by the A2 Risograph, currently a unique competitive edge only offered to the UK by Kingston University.

Over 1,000 individual projects have been completed by both students and staff; artwork is masterfully created at the touch of a button, making the RISO Duplicator an incredibly easy teaching tool for staff, and a niche skill that can be learned quickly by students. Faculty members have even had the opportunity to expand on their own research – featuring works of art produced on the Duplicator in exhibitions and galleries across the Greater London area.

 “The RISO Duplicator has been a fantastic investment for the University. It’s challenging our way of thinking and our production processes. It’s not just a printer, but a creative tool, in fact it shares the same principles as traditional screen-printing. The low running costs and the 100-sheets per minute print speed make this device a firm favourite for both staff and students.” Ioannis Belimpasakis, Printmaking & Interim Letterpress and Bookarts Workshop Manager