Riso, Plate by Plate

About this prompt pack

This 8-image pack shows you how to build risograph-style campaign art from the plate level up, starting with two inks and finishing with a controlled four-plate scene. You get reusable prompt moves for overprint color, localized misregistration, halftone volume, photographic screening, knockout, trapping, and depth without digital gradients.

What you'll learn

• Two plates — The base move is visible in one glance: two named plates, one job per plate, and a third color made only where those plates overlap.
• Overprint makes green — The overlap is treated as a production decision. Yellow and blue stay separate across most of the frame, so the few green intersections are easy to understand and reuse.
• Misregister motion — Registration error is localized to the trailing edges while the eye stays locked. That turns a print flaw into a directional motion cue.
• Halftone volume — Two angled dot screens replace smooth shading. Changing dot density plus bare-paper highlights gives a curved product form without drifting into glossy CGI.
• Photographic screen — This keeps a photographic value range inside two ink passes. Coarse screen tone carries detail while the palette stays disciplined.
• Knockout and trap — Paper-color channels separate busy overlaps, while a small hidden trap protects the edge from press shift. The technique scales well to packaging and dense illustration.
• Density builds depth — Coverage and dot size separate three spatial planes. The image gets atmospheric depth while the sky remains mostly untouched paper.
• Four-plate system — The final study coordinates four plates without letting black swallow the palette. It combines overprint color, selective registration, screen tone, and a controlled key plate.