Alignment Press is Sacramento's first Risograph printmaking studio. Our mission is to provide printmaking education, equipment access, and support for independent projects to the greater Sacramento community.
Leader
Elizabeth Ballard-Branco
Location
Del Paso Blvd Sacramento, CA 95815
Alignment Press is Sacramento's first Risograph Press. Our mission is to provide printmaking education and equipment access to the greater Sacramento community within a safe and accessible space. Through workshops and classes offered at sliding scale prices, we will teach interested members in our community how to operate a Risograph machine, as well as how to perform other printmaking methods, such as linocut, woodcut, and screen printing. We will also be providing a space for established printmakers to explore their mediums through memberships and open access sessions.
The funds raised through this crowdfunding project will pay for our equipment, including 3 Riso RP3700 machines, 28 ink drums, paper, an exposure unit, and initial funds to support a long-term home for our press.
Step 1: We will purchase a suite of printing equipment and materials to use for both professional and educational needs. This includes smaller, hands-on Riso printers such as the Gocco series, large machines such as the RP 3700, as well as supplies for other printing methods. We will be establishing and managing an inventory of inks, screens, and paper for use by our community.
Step 2: With equipment costs covered, we'll use the remaining funds to house printing supplies in a cost-effective location. The location would preferably be in Midtown or Southside Park, near public transportation, and accessible to people with disabilities. This location will also allow us to host a space for showcasing the works of independent printers from the Sacramento area.
Step 3: We will host initial classes for small groups, followed by developing curricula for extended workshops for larger groups and more specialized techniques. Concurrently, general access memberships will be offered to established printmakers in the area in need of equipment access to sustain their work.
Step 4: We will develop fundraising programs to expand the range of available printmaking techniques after assessing the needs and interests of the Sacramento printmaking community. These funds will also be used to maintain subsidized memberships for printmakers in need of financial assistance.
Step 5: We will engage with community projects and neighboring institutions such as public schools, maker spaces, galleries, and art centers to build a long-lasting network between artists and resources in Sacramento.
Risograph printing is an extremely cost-effective and environmentally friendly method of producing fine art prints, posters, zines, magazines, books, and other paper products. Risograph studios are well established across the world, thanks to their affordable medium-volume printing, ease of production of prints, and versatility in style and product. Unfortunately, there are few institutions in Sacramento that have the required equipment, and there are no ongoing educational options for risograph printing in Sacramento. This has limited printmakers in the Sacramento area and forces them to relocate to areas with adequate resources or otherwise change their artistic ambitions. We seek to not only introduce risograph printing to the area but to provide a space for educational and professional development to expand the options for local artists and to spread awareness of printmaking to the community.
A community-driven approach to education and art is important to ensure that opportunities to create are accessible to all. Today, the only printmaking resources are often prohibitively expensive or center around industrial printing. The unique features of the risograph allow for a range of uses by a community in need of new printmaking options. Even established printmakers in the Sacramento area have not been able to take advantage of the well-established benefits of the risograph.