perfect is not our type
Misprint is a graphic design studio with a risograph print room behind the desk.
identities, posters, books
rotterdam, since 2014
We draw identities, posters and books, then pull them through two drums of ink ourselves. Every job leaves the room a little off-register, and impossible to mistake for a template.
how we print-
fresh off the drum
Five recent jobs, each designed here and printed, at least in part, on our own two drums.
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Forty more jobs live in the archive drawer, most of them still smelling of ink.
ask for the archive
two inks, no excuses
Every job starts with one rule: two inks, one paper.
Limits force decisions. Which word is loud, which line stays quiet, where the second ink lands. A two-colour identity looks deliberate on a phone and on a bus shelter, and it costs less to print.
- one paper per jobChosen before the first sketch, so every layout is drawn for its real colour and grain.
- two inks, picked togetherThe second ink is decided with the first, never added at the end to brighten things up.
- misregistration staysWhen the drums drift a millimetre, we keep it. It is the proof that a person printed this.
what leaves the room
Five kinds of work, all of them made to be printed, held in a hand or read from across the street.
identities
Marks, typefaces and rules a whole team can actually use.
posters
Single sheets and season series, pulled on our own drums.
books
Catalogues, monographs and zines, from the grid to the binding.
packaging
Labels, bags and boxes that hold their own on a crowded shelf.
signage
Storefronts and wayfinding readable from the other side of the road.
how a job goes to print
- step 1
brief over coffee
We read everything you have, then ask the awkward questions until the job fits on one page. You leave with a sketch on a napkin, not a mood board.
- step 2
sketch in one ink
Layouts in a single colour first, so the structure carries the idea before colour can hide a weak one.
- step 3
add the second ink
Colour goes where it earns attention: one word, one shape, one edge. Then we print a proof and argue about it.
- step 4
trim, test, hand over
Files, guidelines and a box of proofs on your desk, plus a print run from our room if you want one.
the print room is open
Bring a file, leave with a stack. Artists, students and other studios book our two drums by the hour; we mix the inks and keep your sleeves out of the rollers.
book a slot
| run | what you get | price |
|---|---|---|
| A4, one ink | up to 100 sheets | €40 |
| A3, one ink | up to 100 sheets | €65 |
| each extra ink | one more pass | €15 |
| paper from our shelf | per sheet | from €0.20 |
| an hour with a printer | help on the drums | €35 |
Open Tuesday to Saturday, ten to six. Send files as PDF, one layer per ink.
seven people, one printer
Designers, a typographer, a bookbinder by training and the person who keeps the drums running. Four of us are here; the rest are out at a press check.
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ilse vermeer
creative direction
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tomás okafor
type and identity
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june park
books and editorial
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ruben de klerk
print room
We are looking for a junior designer who does not mind ink on their hands. write to us
said over the proofs
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“They talked us out of a gradient and into a second ink. Best decision of the whole rebrand.”
Mara LindHarbour Bakery
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“Our posters went missing from bus shelters within a week. We decided to take that as a compliment.”
Sem AchterbergLow Tide Jazz
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“The catalogue finally looks like the rivers it is about: a bit muddy, very alive.”
Noor HaddadAtlas of Small Rivers
questions we get a lot
how long does an identity take?
Eight to twelve weeks from the first coffee to the guidelines. If you want it printed by us, add a week for proofs and the run.
do you only design for print?
No. Most identities live on screens first. We design for print because it keeps the work honest, then build the digital kit from the same rules.
can we print a job you did not design?
Yes. The print room is open to anyone with a file. Book a slot, bring a PDF with one layer per ink, and we will set up the drums with you.
what does a project cost?
Posters start around a week of work, identities around two months. After the first conversation you get a fixed quote on one page, no hourly surprises.
do you work with clients abroad?
Often. We meet on video, post the proofs and ship the final run. Only the coffee for the brief is harder to share.
say something imperfect
hello@misprint.example- call
- +31 10 000 0000
- visit
- Example Street 1, Rotterdam
- print room
- Tuesday to Saturday, ten to six