Using a black and white inkjet to create riso effect.

[triptiks]

First off, hey PrintPlanet! This is my first post.

I was wondering how viable it would be to buy a cheap black & white inkjet and use custom ink in the printer instead of black. ie purchasing custom inks (neon for instance, or pastels, or any other color that i'd like to be spot instead of process printed) and using that in place of the black cartridge for effects similar to that of a risograph.

I ask about B/W printers specifically because I feel this kind of "hack" would be simpler without having to deal with added CMYK cartidges.

I tried to google around and I'm unsure if this is a viable way of replicating riso for cheap, but I'm super interested to hear what you guys have to say about this.

 

[Schnitzel]

Well, as long as the inks you're putting in the printhead have a low enough viscosity, the head will probably be able to push them through the nozzles. If you use a too viscous ink you'll risk plugging the nozzles, which may require you to replace the printhead if it can't be cleaned. Note, however, that this does not imply anything regarding the print quality - you'll have to judge that for yourself for each ink.

My inkjet specialist friend suggested you use Epson printheads which are more "forgiving" to different types of ink.