Nov Week 1 → Visual Research
Imperfect Perfection （不）完美的印刷品
Technical Support
Size
Paper
Colour
This is the first Risograph test print after the summer break. The idea was to visualise the interaction between perfection and imperfection: the red halftone blocks were used to highlight imperfection, while the black halftone blocks covered or hid perfection.
The whole composition also resembles a typographic poster of gibberish texts, as if mumbling the words “perfect” and “imperfection” at the same time.
Process, Results & Observations
The first version contained too many visual elements, and the layout appeared slightly overloaded. Adjustments were made by removing the lines and registration marks from the black layer. A yellow ink version was also tested, but the halftone dots became barely visible. For the remaining prints, 20 copies were produced; most of them turned out nearly identical.
I also collected all the tests that were printed on the “leftover” papers. Those papers were discarded by other students in the print studio, I used them to do the trials, however, they look way more intersting than the neat ones. (Regarding those leftover test prints, I have no intention of using other people’s designs. I only placed them here as part of the process documentation. Their copyrights still belong to the original students, and they are not part of my final design.)
Since Risograph is a rather mechanised process, the file preparation was done digitally, and no major technical issues occurred. The next step will involve creating a more complex or completely manual variation to push the process further.
There is potential to combine this method with other techniques or to explore new possibilities within the Riso process itself. The balance between mechanical precision and deliberate imperfection remains a key area for further investigation. Based on the previous feedback (already noted in the processfolio), the next stage will focus on generating new ideas and testing additional techniques for the upcoming visual research.