November's Risograph Subscription Print + Small Bookplate! (Patreon)

Hey everyone! I'm working on getting November's Riso package out to subscribers asap- included in this batch will be The Nutcracker and the Mouse King Risograph print as well as a little bookplate, complete with the classic Latin phrase 'Ex Libris,' which means 'From the library of.'

This print was excruciating to finish, I must have gone through 30 masters trying to get the values right and then trying to get the Riso to apply the masters straight. Sometimes the masters can be applied to drums a little crooked, which makes registration a nightmare for a three color print. It's especially difficult while working on a single drum machine- before, working on a 2 drum machine made 3 color prints a breeze. Right now I'm also waiting 24 hours between each ink printing, so printing takes a full three days once I'm finished with the correct values and have the masters laid on as I like. Some printers skew the image digitally because of this issue- but I've noticed if I just remake a master 2 times I can usually get the machine to lay on a straight master.

I've added the value separations for this print so you can see the amount of ink that made each color! I also added the digital mock-up of the print so you can see how I originally intended the colors to look. I always know I won't get the colors as dark as I see them in the digital recreation but I can try and match the values as close as I can with this guide. There's so much blank space on the right of the image because I wanted this to be a slightly longer print than the others, so I'm cutting each print down to 7 1/2 x 11 for a unique size. 

Also in this package is a bookplate! The first known bookplate dates back to the mid-fifteenth century. For over 500 years this tradition has provided book owners the means to identify their treasures. Ex Libris actually means 'from the library of' and with your name or signature under the Latin phrase it lets friends, borrowers or whoever inherits the book know that this your treasure. I left a little more room on these cards for owners to have the option to write handwritten notes as well. A book plate looks best when it is 'tipped in' to the front page or the end papers of your book. a narrow band of glue across the top is all that is needed. An acid-free glue stick works great or you can simply leave it in the front page of the book like a library card. Risograph ink can be lifted from the paper by oils on your hand, while applying this bookplate to your book be sure only to touch the white/unprinted parts of the paper.

I'll be sending these out early next week so keep a lookout for them in the mail soon! 

Best,
Natalie