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30 August 2024

A visit to Rabbits Road Press

Metroland’s staff and artists recently had the pleasure of paying a visit to Rabbits Road Press, a community-focused risograph print studio based in East London.

Metroland studio artist Heiba Lamara, who is a co-founder of Rabbits Road Press, led the group on a tour of the space and a fun and beginner-friendly introduction to risograph printing.

in a large workshop a group of around 15 people sit listening to Heiba, a young woman who wears a hijab, as she gives an explanation. on the walls are colourful bunting and artworks.
Heiba teaching the group about the process of riso-printing

Introductions

Heiba first talked everyone through a brief history of risograph printing. Explaining that the medium had its origins in corporate and commercial printing, before having a resurgence in use by artists.

She also discussed the history of Rabbits Road Press as a project of OOMK Zine – of which she is assistant editor. Explaining how the press emerged from an artist residency at Old Manor Park Library in 2016.

a large risograph printer machine sits in a workshop. Behind it on large boards are different riso-printed artworks and posters in many bright colours.
One of the three risograph printers currently at Rabbits Road Press

The printing process

For two-colour risograph prints, which the group made on this visit, it’s necessary to separate your image into two colours. Everyone created two a4 pages, which included drawing, writing and collage, which could then be scanned and printed in their isolated colours. Printed on top of each other, these two pages come together to create one image.

The group got stuck-in, creating their images to riso print. Some embraced collage, using scrap materials from the large scrap paper bins in the Rabbits Road workshop. Others used images and materials brought from home. Some created their own illustrations and drawings, adding writing and print material.

Once they were ready, Heiba led people through the printing process, scanning the artworks two at a time to create the print masters – the paper stencil which wraps around the ink drum. After this, the final prints could be created, one colour at a time.

It was a really wonderful experience for everyone to watch their risograph prints come to life with colour, especially as many had never used risograph techniques before.

three people stand around a large risograph printer, placing papers into the scanner
Heiba demonstrating how to scan artworks to create a master

It was great to see all the wonderful prints and artworks created by the metroland community during this session. Outcomes included the cover for a riso-printing instruction manual, event posters, mini zines, and much more.

Towards the end of the session everyone laid their creations out together so that they could all be admired by the group. It was great to see so many different and varying artworks, as well as all the differences in style and material, despite all using the same medium.

a large group of around 12 people stand around a large table looking at laid-out artworks, they are smiling and talking
The group admiring all of the different artworks created in the session

This visit to Rabbit Road Press was an incredible opportunity for different artists in the Metroland community to learn and share from each-other, gaining an insight into a new art medium and into other artists methods of working. Many of the group that attended the visit found that they are now interested in using and experimenting more with riso-printing in their own art practices.

Many many thanks to Heiba and to Rabbits Road Press for hosting us and delivering such an incredible and joyful learning experience for all of us!

You can learn more about Rabbits Road Press and all they do, as well as how you can support them, on their website, rabbitsroadpress.com.


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