Risograph buying guide

What is a Digital Duplicator / riso printing?

Digital duplicators are commercial printing machines for office use that have been developed based on stencil printing technology. They are an evolution of the obsolete stencil duplicators like the Mimeograph and Gestetner. Riso Kagaku developed the first automated computer-controlled stencil printing system, the risograph.There are several manufacturers of digital duplicators, popular brands include RISO Kagaku Corporation (which makes many types of printers, including the RISO Digital Duplicator series), Ricoh, and Duplo. There are several other brands, such as Rongda, Ethona, Gestetner, Nashuatec, and Standard, but most are now owned by Ricoh and are rebranded versions of their machines. Because of market dominance, “riso” is often used as shorthand for digital duplicators and "risography" for stencil printing in general.

Types of risograph machines

Production vs Standard

Each series usually has several standard variations that include a subset of the features that can be found in the production model. These machines are usually cheaper, and are offered in a variety of configurations. Variations of standard one-color features include scan resolution (300 vs. 600 dpi), print resolution (300 vs. 600e vs 600dpi), print size (A4/letter vs. B4/legal vs. A3/ledger), the presence of a touch screen, and physical vs. digital horizontal print position control.

"Production" is the top-of-the-line model in each series. Production machines have full 600 DPI resolution printing and scanning, full print-position control with digital adjustment in both x and y directions, faster print speeds up to 190 ppm (pages per minute), and other advanced options they may or may not be important to artist users (often not).

One-color vs Two-color (Single- vs Dual-Drum Machines)

You can also choose between risograph machines that have one drum inside, and print one ink color per pass through the machine, or "dual-drum" machines which have two color drums inside, and the design on each drum is printed as the paper passes through the machine.

Dual drum machines are generally more expensive, slightly larger, and heavier. Aside from the obvious ease of being able to print two colors at once, what’s the benefit?

1. More accurate registration and alignment. Each time you make a master, you will need to do some manual alignment for each layer of color. And no matter how much you align things, the paper still shifts around slightly as your stack prints. But the registration between the two drums on a dual-drum machine is pretty consistent, once you get it set. So 2+ color designs are twice as difficult to get consistently registered on single-drum machines compared to dual-drum. If you plan on doing a lot of 3+ color print jobs with relatively tight registration, a dual-drum machine can save you a lot of headache, and ultimately produce cleaner prints.
2. Less smudging. Consider that every time a sheet of paper passes through your machine after the first impression, the rollers and feed tires are going to touch the ink and smudge it a little. With two drums, half the amount of smudging will occur, because you can print twice as many colors per pass.
3. Fewer paper jams. Because there are fewer passes through the machine, you have less opportunity for paper jams, which can save a lot of time and frustration when using difficult paper stocks.
4. Less paper and ink waste. With the combination of better alignment of the print position onto the page, better registration of ink layers to each other, less ink smudging, and less crumpled paper from jams, 2+ color printing on dual-drum machines can have very little waste compared to printing with a one color machine.

What are the benefits of a single-drum machine?

1. Less expensive.
2. Easier to maintain. There are slightly fewer moving parts inside, and in particular the master making unit (MMU) is in a fixed position in single-drum machines, vs. being a moving part in dual-drum machines.
3. Can be easier to train new users on. A bit more of an analog to traditional printmaking, with one impression printed per pass through the machine.
4. More appropriate for a community space without dedicated print monitor. Robert Baxter says: "I don't recommend two-drum machines (MZ/ME/MF/MH) for a community space, they break so fast in an uncontrolled environment. They are meant to be production machines—only used by those who use them all the time and know the ins and outs. They'd need a dedicated studio monitor or a real training + access protocol of some kind."

Compact

Compact risos have similar features to many standard one-color machines, but in a smaller form factor that can fit on a desktop/table. All compact risos have a maximum print size of B4/legal and use non-standard ink tubes (or cartridges) that are not compatible with any other machines. They are the CZ, CV, CR, KZ and TR series.

Other considerations for which model to buy

Paper size and print area

One of the biggest differences in machine functionality is the paper size they can print on, and their print area. This determines how big you can print for artwork and posters, and the maximum page size of books/zines.

A4/Letter 8.5x11"

TODO: add model examples.

B4/ Legal 8.5x14"

SF, RZ, EZ

Also note that some of these machines can feed larger papers. For example, an SF might be advertised as able to accept A3/11x17" size paper, but because its maximum print area is much smaller, this is not actually very useful. Many SF buyers have been surprised by this limitation.

A3/Ledger/Tabloid/11x17"

MH, ME, MF, MZ

This size is good for those making books, booklets, or zines, a larger print size also allows you to have more options for printing 4+ pages per side, and having more possibility for having the correct paper grain alignment to the spine of the book.

Touch screen and digital printing

For any print space where the priority is ease of use, digital printing and touch screen functionality are worth prioritizing if possible. The touch screen gives more information, which less training needed to use. And being able to send files directly from a computer to the machine is much faster, easier, and cheaper than having to print out a greyscale copy of your digital work, then scan it into the riso on the scan bed. Registration and alignment are much more consistent with digital printing as well.

See How to print using the risograph Mac printer driver

Current model vs recent models, vs obsolete models

Artists and independent publishers are often are buying used machines due to cost and availability. The top of the line models and the next generation or two back are often pretty similar, and a sweet spot for artist publishers. As you get into much older models, there is generally more maintenance and supplies and parts are more difficult to find.

Some older models like GR/FR might not be worth it, unless you are technically oriented and want to spend a lot of time maintaining them—generally require a lot of maintenance and a bunch of extra work to keep them running. Because the RISO company has discontinued them, often the supplies are not available, and you have to do things like transfer ink from current generation tubes into older generation tubes, etc. Also, they are less reliable and require additional setup for digital printing.

Cost and Pricing

When you are buying a risograph, the cost of the machine is just one consideration. You also want to consider the cost of print drums, since you need to buy a dedicated drum for each ink color you want to have on hand. You'll also need to buy consumables: inks and rolls of master stencils. There are also parts that you replace semi regularly as they wear down, and other parts that you replace as they break. Finally, the cost of maintenance and technician work is worth considering, both in your time for arranging the fix, the cost of the machine's downtime, and the monetary cost of the work being done.

Machine initial purchase costs

To get a quote for a newer machine, you'll need to go through a distributor or authorized reseller; see below. New machines are also available for lease, and this is a common choice for institutional spaces like art departments.

Some rough estimates for pricing you might see for machines in the USA, in USD.

GR Series: FREE-$1000

RP Series: $300-$1200?

RZ Series: $500-$2000

EZ Series: $800 - $2500

MZ7: $1000 - $5000

MZ1090: $1000 - $5000

ME: $4000 - $10000

SF: $4000 - $18000

MF: $5000 - $28000

MH: ?

Cost for additional print drums

Drums typically cost USD $250-$1200, depending on how new they are and the model of the machine. Drums are expensive, especially for newer models. Start slowly and embrace the limitations.

Used drums are the only option for many machines which are no longer supported by RISO. Often drums are used because they are damaged, so you might get a deal but need to fix it before you can use it. OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts like screens and drum bodies are shockingly expensive, however, generic screens are garbage and worth avoiding.

Cost for ink tubes and master stencil rolls

Costs for inks vary depending on the color (standard, special, and metallic generally have different price points), and where you are sourcing them from, and your region. As of September 2025, Hallagans sold inks for $45-50/tube, and master stencils for $50-75 per roll of ~220 stencils, depending on the size.

Don't buy expired inks, they may be watery (if inks don’t have a production date on them (on the lower end of the tube), they are definitely expired, because production dates have been printed on the tubes since 2008.

Cost for consumables and parts

Generic Ink, Masters, and generally anything off brand is really inferior to OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) Riso Brand items, and can cause error codes. You’ll be happier spending the extra money on OEM ink and Masters. Smaller parts such as gears, sensors, consumables, can be bought via Aliexpress/Alibaba (with varying quality).

Some rough estimates for costs in USD:

• Pickup rollers $20-$50
• Stripper pads: $10 - $30
• Sensors: $35-$50
• Gears: $10-$50 ??
• Card Feeder Kit: €500 (Norway)
• Pressure Rollers: $50 - $200 (~€50 Germany/Norway)
• Ink Pump: $100 - $250
• TPH (Thermal Print Head): ~$1800 for newer models, difficult to source for older models

Distributors and Authorized Dealers

Many artists find used machines through the network of independent publishers selling on machines they no longer use. People also find them serendipitously through Craigslist, estate/garage sales, and auction sites, sometimes for an amazing deal or free — many schools and churches who have upgraded to digital/inkjet printing just want this old obsolete machine out of their storage room. But for consistent availability and newer machines, you might want to go through a distributor or authorized reseller

Asia Pacific

• Japan https://www.riso.co.jp/index.html
• Korea RisoNS (Seoul) - recommended for their knowledge and experiences. http://www.risokorea.co.kr/
• China http://www.riso.com.cn/
• India http://www.risoindia.com/
• Thailand http://www.riso.co.th/wordpress/
• Hong Kong https://www.riso.com.hk/
• Other Countries https://www.riso.com/ap_othercountries/

Africa

• South Africa http://www.riso.co.za/

Europe

• Austria: Leodolter GmbH (Graz, Austria)
• Germany: Riso Germany (Hamburg)
• Austria: Firma Leodolter (Graz) (service models up to GR + sell every consumable)
• Slovenia: Firma Leodolter (Graz, Austria)
• Croatia: Novel Centar (Zagreb)
• Norway: Postrom (Oslo)
• Netherlands/Belgium: Riso Benelux (co-sponsor of Magical Riso)

North America

Canada

• Riso - Brytecom
• Ricoh Canada

USA

• Hallagans, Chicago
• Riso Studio Arts (Dave Bow, Jayes Caitlin), LA and Portland, OR
• Green Office Solutions NJ
• Annie Chen (@printingconsumables on IG)

• Riso USA - https://us.riso.com/find-a-sales-office/
• Ricoh USA - https://www.ricoh-usa.com/en/officelocator
• Duplo USA - http://www.duplousa.com/dealerlocator/

Latin America

• Riso Latin - http://www.risolatin.com/Sales-Office
• Marcozer - (Querétaro, Mexico) "They sell machines, drums, masters & inks. Also they have Riso technicians that have helped me many times. They are also at Guanajuato and Estado de México, and travel to many places. I just worked with the ones in Qro. They have very good prices in supplies and tech support, but sometimes they don’t have pieces and have to order from Riso, and that could take some time. But they are professionals and trustworthy."

Oceania

• Australia – Copier Distribution Australia – https://cda.net.au/

Don't get scammed

- Research the seller. If it seems like an established seller, are they reputable? Ask around. There are several problematic resellers in the secondhand market.

- Do not use wire-transfer, use payment methods with consumer protection (PayPal / eBay / Credit Card chargeback) and be conscientious of the dispute periods.

- Ask to get video clips of the machine in action, performing all the things you want it to do.