A new art studio has opened up in Richmond's Aberdeen Square Mall and it houses the city's first risograph printer.
CopyCat Studio, owned by Richmond resident and artist Lou Tsui, recently opened as partly artist retail store and partly Riso printing workshop.
The studio's Riso printer is one of three in Metro Vancouver - the two others are in East Vancouver.
But what exactly is a risograph printer?
The printer looks like a photocopier but works like a silkscreen machine and uses vibrant colours to print images by layers using stencils.
"Riso sort of rebranded this for printmakers and artists because artists obviously love like pretty colours," Tsui said.
The colours the printer uses are "outside digital printing," such as fluorescent orange or pink, she added.
"You can imitate the Riso machine colours ... and go close to it, but you'll never get the exact swatch of it on the computer because it's so fluorescent."
CopyCat Studio's printer, named "Baby Ris," is a two-drum printer, which is considered a rare find as it can print two colours at a time, explained Tsui.
Every time a file is printed, a film stencil is created for both coloured drums. The ink then gets pushed into the drum and passes through a screen onto the stencil.
Once the page has passed through one colour, it passes through the second drum for a second colour.
The purpose of a Riso printer is to print more vibrant colours, something preferred by many artists.
The ink used in this type of printer is made out of rice bran oil, similar to petroleum, and is more translucent than acrylic ink.
"This allows artists to stack multiple layers of colours on top of each other and is good for layering images," said Tsui.
History and cost of Riso printers
Riso printers have been around since the 1980s and were popular before photocopiers became cheaper to use.
"People were using these to make photocopies of print until photocopiers became more cost-effective because they use powder toner," Tsui said.
Owning a Riso printer can get quite expensive, depending on the type of printer, the year it was made and the accessibility to one in certain countries.
The printer at CopyCat Studio costs around $48,000 as it is a brand-new machine.
"He's like a car. I lease him like a car. He's an expensive boy," said Tsui.
However, Tsui said the 1980s or 1990s edition of the printer is much cheaper and costs between $5,000 to $6,000.
The word Riso is a Japanese word, meaning "ideal."
Independent art spaces rising in popularity
As an Emily Carr Institute graduate, Tsui has always had an interest in printmaking and loved silk screening lithography, but it was a messy form of art.
She learned about Riso printing in 2021 at an artist's studio in East Vancouver and through that, she wanted one of her own.
"The process of Riso printing is so rewarding especially since it's a tricky art," said Tsui.
"Because the drums are not completely parallel, they often need minor adjustments to make sure the printed layers are aligned."
Tsui said Riso printing is making a comeback, as artists tend to gravitate towards unique colours and a unique form of art to express themselves with.
A reason for opening her studio was to provide a space for artists to express themselves freely, she explained.
"For me, it's so important to have art spaces because a lot of corporations are sort of stealing that from us," said Tsui.
She highlighted workplaces such as animation industries are having strikes because "the people at the top of the company just don't want to pay artists."
"I feel that having artist spaces gives people motivation to find their voice again, (as they) come out of something like corporate art."
That was why Tsui opened CopyCat Studio. To further the interest in Riso printing, daily workshops are held for the public.
Meanwhile, the studio space has shelves showcasing the artwork of around 21 artists from prints and zines to pins and handcrafted items.
A group show of Riso printed artworks is on display in the store and a print raffle is being held with funds going towards helping a family in Gaza get to safety during the war.
📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in Richmond? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected].
📲 To stay updated on Richmond news, sign up for our daily headline newsletter.
💬 Words missing in article? Your adblocker might be preventing hyperlinked text from appearing.
