Richardson loading the risograph ink drum Zines, event flyers, greeting cards. Chances are you’ve seen risograph prints without knowing what they are. A risograph looks like a copy machine, but inside is a drum filled with soy-based ink that can make hundreds of colorful, eco-friendly prints in minutes. Risography—the Japanese digital printing method that blends photocopier efficiency with screenprint quality—was created in the 1980s.