Goo Goo for Gocco
Yello and Welcome! Over the next year I will be obsessing over, printing on, and finding conventional ways to resurrect Riso’s “Print Gocco (プリントゴッコ)”. What’s a Print Gocco? From Wikipedia:
A self-contained compact color screen printing system invented in 1977, by Noboru Hayama. Gocco became immensely popular in Japan and it is estimated that one-third of Japanese households own a Print Gocco system.
Basically an all in one screen printing press with an exposure unit and registration table built in. It uses single use flash bulbs, Risograph coated screens, and inks all of which haven’t been made since 2008. Is that going to stop me from using the damn thing? Has it ever? No.
While all these consumables are no longer made by the Riso Corp. I believe this press is not dead. With the help of modern screen coating capillary films, 3d printers/cnc machining, the right combo of elbow grease, skill and luck, I think we bring this guy back to life and make this a viable modern screen printing option for crafters with very little space everywhere! I would like to have the ability to produce my own screen prints at home, I don’t have the space or inclination for a whole printing set up, nor the money for an actual Risograph machine. The Gocco is a well thought out, and beautiful system. The even distribution of pressure throughout the entire screen without the need of squeegees, the ability to place multiple colors on one screen, the ability to print without registration marks... The list goes on.
I’ve acquired a barely used PG-10 Super kit off Ebay, some old bulbs, screens, a mess of ink, and lots of spare parts in the beginnings of my experimental workshop.
In an effort to fund this project I will still be selling my stickers as well as the prints. I hope you stick around and enjoy the process.
Stay Peachy!
