Risograph vs Swiss
リソグラフ / スイス・スタイル
Risograph comes from Stencil Printing and Swiss from Functionalism. One is technique and the other style. They are reached for with different intent, which is the fastest way to tell them apart.
Risograph
Keeps the per-color plates and their happy misregistration, giving each copy its own body heat.
Swiss
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Puts order front and center and makes the information itself the protagonist.
| Risograph | Swiss | |
|---|---|---|
| Era | 1980s– / contemporary revival | 1950s– |
| Family | Stencil Printing | Functionalism |
| Kind | Technique | Style |
| Cues | Misregistration / Spot-color inks / Halftone dots / Paper show-through | Strict grid / Sans-serif type / Asymmetry / Objective photography |
| Best used for | Handmade heat for zines and event notices · Memorable print with very few colors | Making complex information fast to read · Giving an organization rationality and transparency |
| Type | Bold letters or homely serifs, separated by color plate | Neutral sans-serif; be bold with size contrast |
| Composition | Large planes where overlap and slippage stay visible | 12-column grid, left-aligned, asymmetric |
| Material | Two or three spot colors, coarse halftones, uncoated paper | White space and objective photographs; almost no ornament |
| Caution | Don't fake it with a noise filter. Design how the colors overlap first. | Too much tidiness turns anonymous. Keep one strong jump in scale. |