REVISED Part 1: Preparing Adobe Illustrator Files for Risograph Printing

[@ailsaclark8630]

hey! could you by any chance upload the riso template again? getting a 404. thanks so much for this video, it is a big a help!

[@jasonmalmquist1655]

Thank you so much for the time and experience you are sharing.

[@kitetsustation]

No problem thank you!!

[@jessicapratten901]

Hi, your video is great. I am however struggling a bit as I am working with a file created in photoshop and that was then moved over into illustrator - a converted psd. I have downloaded your swatch panel (thanks for that) but I currently can't change the colours of my objects/layers for some reason. Could you help with at all?

[@nataliarobless]

Hello Olivia, do you know if you can also prepare the files using AI recolor artwork tool? I change all the colors to white and leave the one i wanted to print in black. Then I play with opacities to make the colors overlap. Thanks!

[@leilagc4101]

I can't access the Sample is it available somewhere else? great video btw!

[@kitetsustation]

This is a really old video so the file is no longer available but you can just grab the swatches from the illustrator swatch library - pantone uncoated. 🤗 I am glad you liked the video though!

[@laurag1679]

Great tutorial. What's happneing with the template, are you still offering this?

[@ALAMISME]

can you update the template link because it's already dead

[@MrAde1971]

Thanks for your reply. I get it, I understand everything you've said, but my question was how am I able to retain colour in my file when opened in Photoshop. I was illustrating how I can only get colour to show if CMYK was selected

[@kitetsustation]

+adeteepea I think you will have to use channels in Photoshop. Here are some tutorials I found online... helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/printing-spot-colors.html and planetphotoshop.com/working-with-spot-color-channels.html and also I have the Photoshop tutorial which is Part 4 to work with monotone, duotone, tritone. You may need to reapply the colours in Photoshop. I'm sorry if I can't be any much more help but this is the best I can come up with...

[@adrianpearsons3838]

Great tutorial, thanks a lot! Can you help? i am wanting my Riso design that i have created in Illustrator, using Pantone colour (as your tutorial demonstrates), to open in Photoshop without the loss of colour. Currently working on Creative Cloud, i am unable to open my Illustrator file without the loss of colour, it automatically opens it in Grayscale. The same occurs if i try to open the file saved as a PDF. If i try to open it as an EPS it pops up in colour but has lost all 'Overprint' value, the 3 circles of colour are opaque. However if i select CMYK when designing in Illustrator and not Pantone, i can open a file in Photoshop, in colour with the transparency of 'Overfill' working.

[@kitetsustation]

+Adrian Pearsons The difficulty with using CMYK is that when you separate the colour layers later on, it will separate into C, M, Y, K layers - but we know that riso doesn't necessarily use C, M, Y, K. For example, if you want to use a Riso colour that is fluorescent pink, CMYK will force it to be some combination of Magenta and Yellow and separate it into two colour layers even if you only want one layer that is pink. Have you tried watching my tutorial on using Photoshop to create monotone, duotone, and tritone images?

[@hansboon3353]

What trapping distance does risograph press require? Is it for example 0.3 mm trapping for 2 or 4 color print? Does the trapping distance is the same for 1 color press or 2 color press?

[@kitetsustation]

+Hans Boon I don't really put trapping on my artwork because I kind of like it when there's that imperfect quality to it. If you need it perfect, you can talk to your riso printer and ask for suggestions.

[@sendark001]

hey thanks a lot! do you know where I can find a risograph ink swatch? did you make yours yourself?

[@kitetsustation]

I made swatches just by picking out the equivalent Pantone Solid Uncoated colors in one if the available color libraries in Illustrator. Your printer may have this info but you can also go here to check out equivalents: iso9999.com/pic_iso/color.JPG

[@sendark001]

yep! i recreated them from your video!

[@MrAde1971]

Hi me again,I was just wondering, is this tutorial aimed at sending your PDF on to a litho printer? My local printer has been trying to explain to me they always request 4 colour artwork (CMYK) sometimes RGB, and that spot colours are invariably problematic for digital print, which I can understand.

[@kitetsustation]

+adeteepea This tutorial is specifically for a Risograph printer which uses something like spot colours, NOT for your local printer. Use CMYK for your local printer because they're probably using just a regular laser colour printer.

[@MrAde1971]

Thanks all the same

[@LULUstigelulu]

And how was the printing? Did u count with flashes of white everywhere by the knockouts? Since riso is often not very precise, you can save a lot of headache and broken prints if you wont use knockouts. (On most of the prints your blue border would not be printed exactly to the knock-outed position, but couple millimeters on the side, which will create nice white stroke where it was not planned) If it is what u wanted, than of course, do that, if not, experiment with the printing order instead. E.G. this file as most of our works is printed without any knockouts - but sure, sometimes u need them. facebook.com/ochdoch/photos/a.752079208185350.1073741829.751281171598487/1091207390939195/?type=3&theater.

[@emilylouise9358]

Can you send me the template ?