How do I make a risograph effect without a riso machine?

Use a dithering tool to break your image into a grainy dot pattern, limit the palette to one or two flat spot colours, and keep the texture slightly rough. Ordered dithering gives the most authentic riso grain.

What dithering is best for a riso look?

Ordered dithering with a fine-to-medium dot grid mimics the even grain of a real risograph print better than smooth error diffusion.

Should I export riso artwork as PNG or SVG?

Export SVG if the artwork is going to a real printer, since the dots stay sharp and colours separate cleanly. PNG is fine for social posts and digital mockups.

Style

How to Make a Risograph Effect Online

Get that grainy, two-colour riso print look without a riso machine. The settings that sell the effect, and the export that keeps it.

Updated 2026-06-02

Risograph prints have a look people pay good money for: limited spot colours, visible grain, slight misregistration, and a texture that feels handmade. You can fake a convincing version of it digitally, and dithering is the secret ingredient.

Why dithering is the key

A real riso machine prints one flat ink at a time and can't do smooth gradients. To show a darker area, it lays down more ink dots; for a lighter area, fewer. That's dithering, physically. So if you want the digital version to look real, you can't use a smooth gradient — you have to break the tones into dots the way the machine would.

The settings that work

Pick a dither mode — ordered dithering gives that even, mechanical riso grain.
Use a tight-to-medium dot grid; riso grain is fine, not chunky.
Limit your palette. One or two flat spot colours is the whole aesthetic.
Keep contrast moderate so the grain stays visible in the midtones.

Selling the imperfection

Real riso isn't clean, and that's why people like it. Don't chase a perfect result. Let the grain sit on top of the image, let the midtones break up, and resist the urge to smooth everything out. A slightly rough output reads as authentic; a flawless one reads as digital.

Exporting for print

If the piece is actually going to a printer, export SVG so the dots stay crisp at full size and the colours can be separated cleanly. For a riso-style social post or mockup, a high-resolution PNG is fine.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a risograph effect without a riso machine?: Use a dithering tool to break your image into a grainy dot pattern, limit the palette to one or two flat spot colours, and keep the texture slightly rough. Ordered dithering gives the most authentic riso grain.
What dithering is best for a riso look?: Ordered dithering with a fine-to-medium dot grid mimics the even grain of a real risograph print better than smooth error diffusion.
Should I export riso artwork as PNG or SVG?: Export SVG if the artwork is going to a real printer, since the dots stay sharp and colours separate cleanly. PNG is fine for social posts and digital mockups.