Risograph Basics @ Outlet!

Welcome to our Risograph Basics course: a printing, collage, experimentation, and mark making extravaganza! Get to know Outlet and our RISO sisters (Barbara, Janet, Corita, and Tina) and learn the basics of this fun and unique print method!

This workshop is a great place to start if you’re new to riso, or if you’d like a refresher! We’ll take a deep dive into risograph history, an overview of how these machines work, the stencil-duplicator process, and the quirks and fun (sometimes unpredictable) outcomes of riso printing. The main focus of this class is EXPERIMENTATION. We’ll share print inspiration, favorite mark making tools and how to use them for riso, and we’ll walk through a print demo on two of our riso printers! This class is led by Kate Bingaman-Burt and Leland Vaughan, with the help of the rest of the crew at Outlet and our riso sisters—Barbara, Janet, Corita, and Lil’ Tina (yes we named all of our printers).

This class culminates in making a printed mark making worksheet and a 2-color riso print edition—we also do a share-out and print exchange so you can take home a copy of everyone else’s prints from the class (your own starter print collection)!

Supplies Needed

- You don't need to bring a thing except yourself! We provide a slew of making tools, pens, paper, collage materials, watercolors and more!

- This workshop is totally analog so no digital tools/laptops/ipads are necessary (working with your hands and getting messy is part of the fun!). Artwork does not need to be made in advance.

- Optional: you're welcome to bring your favorite darker mark making tools (colors closer to black, dark blue, red, and green work best with the riso—try to stay away from yellows and other light colors).

Skill Level

- Any! This a good introductory class if you’re looking to get started with riso, but we also dedicate some time to details and set aside Q&A time at the end of the workshop for more seasoned riso enthusiasts!

Workshop Fee & Ticketing

We have two ticketing tiers for all of our workshops—a regular ticket tier and a friend of Outlet/supporter tier. The regular ticket includes the workshop, a printed mark making worksheet, an edition of 2 color prints, some downloads for future use, and access to our open hours printing appointments!

The supporter tier ticket includes all that and more! It supports our small print shop and community space and allows us to pass it on—our scholarship program gives free and discounted workshop tickets, printing, and more to those who need it. Our goal is to not turn anyone away for lack of funds and your support makes that possible. All supporter tier tickets get a special gift!

Your ticket helps keep Outlet afloat. We can't thank you enough for supporting us!!

Accessibility & Mask Policies

We want our workshops to be as accessible as possible! Outlet is a ground-floor space with a single-stall ADA accessible bathroom. You can find more information about wheelchair access, parking, transit options, and more on our accessibility page. If there’s any way we can make your visit feel more comfortable or safe please let us know.

In an effort to keep our classes accessible and to keep our most vulnerable community members safe we require masks in our space for all group workshops and indoor events. We offer both masked and mask optional appointments during our open hours. There will be max 11 attendees total, plus instructors.

About Outlet

Outlet is a risograph print shop, community maker space, and the studio of Kate Bingaman-Burt and Leland Vaughan. We host workshops, pop-up events, and other projects and offer an array of services from printing, button making, binding, and more! We're the home of a zine library and more art supplies, making tools, and collage materials than we know what to do with. We also rent our space and offer in-person open hours where folks can print, make buttons, and hang out. Outlet is based out of Portland, Oregon and was founded in 2017.

About the Instructors

Kate is Outlet’s part owner and has her studio upstairs where she illustrates for clients all over the world. She draws, letters, documents, and collects, but she also does a lot of other things that involve energy, conversation, and exchange. Kate loves creating spaces that make people want to MAKE! Along with running Outlet and leading workshops here, she’s the Associate Director of the School of Art & Design and a graphic design professor at Portland State University.

Leland is Outlet’s part owner and studio manager! They’re a graphic designer, illustrator, and a riso print nerd! Leland is the organizational force behind Outlet—from printing to workshops, events, pop-ups, bookkeeping, inventory, and more—and is most likely the person you’re emailing with about everything risograph-related. They’ve got a thing for spreadsheets, fixing riso printers when they break, and they have an eye for detail when it comes to printing.

Host or Publisher Outlet