We spend a lot of time covering digital art here at Blaq Lyte Mag, but sometimes we miss the sensation of having a physical piece of art to hang on a wall or hold in our hands. That’s where Haptic Editions comes into play, a risograph printing and design studio here in Bangkok that many of our favorite artists have worked with. Located in Phrom Phong near Asok, the studio was founded in 2018 by Tawan Ithijarukul as a way to bring art prints, posters, zines, books, postcards, and stickers to life.

Risograph printing is kind of a blend between a photocopying machine with silk screening that uses a stencil to print one color at a time, building layers on top of each other depending on how many colors an artist chooses. After the original stencils are made, they can be printed quickly at high volumes but require time to dry. The ink itself has its own texture, which changes with color, paper type, and design style.

Ithijarukul was drawn to riso while studying in the UK: “It’s like a bridge between digital and hands-on printing, producing unique results in every piece with beautiful imperfections and textures with bright and solid colors.” She says that the colors and textures lend a new character to each piece of artwork in a way that our phone screens cannot.

Haptic’s riso ink is vegetable-based made from rice bran oil and the empty ink bottles are recyclable. They offer 21 colors, including some power options like fluorescents and metallics. The paper selection is all matte since it has to be uncoated in order to dry properly, but they have several textures and thicknesses available. They also provide full-service options like layout design and consultation on artwork preparation, paper types, and finishing to make sure that the final print is as good as possible.

Ithijarukul, who’s a graphic designer herself, views the studio as a creative hub, bringing together local and visiting artists. Haptic’s Instagram acts something like a gallery, featuring prints from many of the region’s most interesting artists who usually focus on mediums like graffiti, illustration, and design. She says that most of them come to the studio originally as customers, but that they often end up working on collaborations together later. The studio has also features mini exhibitions and risograph workshops.