Key Takeaways:
- Print doesn’t have to be polished to be powerful.
- Color combinations and paper choice drastically change tone and mood.
- Imperfection can create a sense of honesty and energy in a visual outcome.
One of my first experiments was with Riso printing, something I had never tried before I started studying here. I was curious how this printing technique could be reinterpreted in a contemporary way. I had seen a lot of work that used it for zines and art prints, and I was curious whether this imperfect, grainy technique could have a place in something as high-tech and polished as motorsport. I printed abstract forms and type on a range of colored paper and layered inks like this dark red, pink, and light blue to see how it will turn out. I love how every print is a little bit different, a bit like race weekends actually.
The outcome had a kind of raw energy. What I found interesting was the contrast. It felt both mechanical and handmade, a good metaphor, actually, for motorsport itself. This experiment made me think about how I might include physical, tactile production methods in my thesis. Could I use Riso as a way to contrast the sleek, hyper-digital world of motorsport branding? Could analogue imperfection become a design statement in a space that usually celebrates perfection?
This technique could also be useful for producing a printed element of my final product — maybe something that documents alternative narratives in motorsport, or an experimental rulebook reimagined through Riso. I want to continue testing more complex prints, layering photos and text, and see how far I can push the limits of the medium while still keeping it legible and strong.
