About Cosmic Dog House
Cosmic Dog House Press is an independent publisher that specializes in risograph printing, zines, and book making. We are a community-forward press. We prioritize uplifting the voices of our neighbors and aim to help folx who’ve been underserved within fine arts spaces by offering access to printing as a mode of communication through which information can be dispersed with intention and care.
What Is Riso?
A Risograph is a machine that resembles a photocopier but functions similarly to screen printing, meaning it prints one color layer at a time. It uses stencils and vibrant colors to produce tactile, vivid prints in an affordable and environmentally friendly way.
The Risograph is designed as a duplicator, meaning most of the cost lies in setting up the artwork. As a result, the more copies you print, the cheaper each one becomes. This is why we have a print minimum and charge less per layer the higher the edition you print.
The risograph process is inherently imperfect, occasional smudging from soy based inks, roller marks, slight misregistration, & offsetting are all a normal part of the process!
Riso printing is great for projects such as: illustration, comics, graphic design, typography, replicating analogue art methods such as collage & painting, and reproducing photography through variations of CMYK & RBG printing
If you are looking for exact replication & perfection this process may not be for you!
Equipment at the Press
Riso SF5130 with 10 different drum colors
black, yellow, light lime, kelly green, light teal, blue, red, flo pink, aqua, & gold
A stack cutter for trimming large editions (can trim up to 2” thick paper stacks)
One Spiral Binder ~ for coil binding methods
A perfect binder ~ for soft cover binding methods
Two long armed staplers
A button maker!
A paper creaser
About our Riso
Our risograph is named Lil’ Champ. Lil’ Champ is a SF5130 riso printer with one drum, meaning we can only print one color at a time. Specifications on lil champ:
Lil Champ typically prints at 8.5” x 11” paper but can print up to 8.5” x 14” and almost any custom size under.
Lil Champ only likes uncoated paper! This means we can only print on matt, not glossy, papers.
Paper weights under 80lb cardstock will work best, anything at 80lbs or over will be very difficult to register.
Ideal paper weight for text paper is between 60-80lbs
At Cosmic Dog House we keep a stock of white & off white text & cover paper that you are welcome to buy. You are also welcome to provide your own paper! Just keep in mind that the paper would be uncoated & within the weight specifications we mentioned above.
BLACK
MEDIUM BLUE
LIGHT RED
LIGHT LIME GREEN
LIGHT TEAL
FLO PINK
YELLOW