We keep a variety of papers in stock for Risograph printing. Papers can be chosen when you Riso print with the technician, or bought for your own use. They can’t be put in the school self-serve printers, but the Digital Output Centre does accept some of these papers purchased from COMD for black and white laser printing.

Studio Paper List, Fall 2026

Copy Paper

Sustana Enviro 20# Copy (Recycled White) This is our standard Risograph test paper. The branding for this family of recycled papers, which we have available in three weights, changed from “Rolland Enviro” to “Sustana Enviro” in 2024.
Lettermark/Hammermill Colors 20# Copy (Blue, Green, Pink, Canary, Gray, Orchid)

Text Weight Paper

Sustana Enviro 70# Text (Recycled White)
Accent Opaque Smooth 70# Text (White)
Cougar Natural Smooth 70# Text (Natural/cream)
Mohawk Via Vellum 70# Text (Kraft)
Astrobrights 60# Text (Stardust White, Eclipse Black, Solar Yellow, Lift-Off Lemon, Terra Green)

Card, Cover and Bristol

Sustana Enviro 80# Cover (Recycled White)
Accent Opaque Smooth 65# Cover (White)
Cougar Natural Smooth 80# Cover (Natural/cream)
Mohawk Via Vellum 80# Cover (Pure White, Kraft)
Astrobrights 65# Cover (Stardust White, Re-Entry Red, Orbit Orange, Galaxy Gold, Solar Yellow, Lift-Off Lemon, Terra Green, Gamma Green, Terrestrial Teal, Lunar Blue, Blast-Off Blue, Venus Violet, Planetary Purple, Fireball Fuchsia, Pulsar Pink)
Astrobrights 80# Cover (Eclipse Black)
Springhill 67# Vellum Bristol (Gray, Blue, Green, Pink, Canary)
Lettermark 67# Vellum Bristol (Ivory)

Other

Tru-Ray Construction Paper (Black, Slate Gray)
Label Paper: Basic White
Label Paper: Metro White 60#

Please refer to the studio paper sample books or contact the COMD technician for the most current prices and availability, and the full information on each paper stock including recycled content and environmental certifications.

Most of these papers are available in tabloid (11×17″) size sheets, but the label papers and a few Astrobrights colours are currently only available in letter size. All 11×17 sizes can be cut in half for 8.5×11.

Bringing your own paper: All personal paper must be approved by the COMD technician (please bring the original packaging or label with full product details, if possible.) All Riso paper must be uncoated, no bigger than 11×17″ (tabloid), and no heavier than 80# cover / 216gsm.

What do the categories mean?

Copy: This paper is lightweight, like the most common papers used for home and office printers and copiers. It’s also sometimes called “bond” or “multipurpose”, and the most common weight is 20#. It’s thin, but it’s fine for prints like zines, booklets, posters, or flyers where an informal or do-it-yourself style can be part of the look and feel.
Text: This paper is nicer and thicker than copy, and it gives book pages, publications, and posters a more substantial and professional look and feel, with less show-through front to back. Its weight range is usually 60 to 100#.
Card, Cover, and Bristol: These are the heavyweights, suitable for projects like cards, book covers, and sturdy art prints. If you’re looking at the label information when buying your own paper, “card”, “cardstock”, and “cover” are all the same thing, but “bristol”, “index”, or “tag” each use different numbering for the weight. The card/cover weights we use for Risograph are 65# and 80#. The 67# bristol that we keep in stock is actually the lightest of the card-type papers, and can be used as either the lightest choice for card/cover projects, or a thick n’ sturdy choice for book pages.
Other: Everything else! This includes special papers like sticker, and materials like construction paper that can be Riso printed, but generally aren’t used in other types of printer.

More About Risograph Paper

All paper for the Risograph must be:

UNCOATED. It needs a natural surface to absorb the ink properly, so no extra coatings, no synthetics, and nothing glossy or shiny. Paper with recycled content tends to work well with the Riso inks. Paper with a bit of soft texture or “tooth” is a little better for absorbing the ink, but smooth paper can make the prints look more crisp and consistent. Which is better? It mostly depends on the project!
Size: Letter(8.5×11″) or Tabloid (11×17″). If your final design is a different size, usually you would figure out how many copies can fit on to print on either letter or tabloid sheets, and then cut it down. If you want to print on a custom sized paper, please talk to the COMD technician. Any custom Riso paper must not not be bigger than 11×17 inches (It doesn’t accept 12×18″ or 13×19″ – sorry!)
Weight: roughly between 20# bond/copy paper, and 80# cardstock. Keep in mind that weight and thickness are actually two different measurements for paper…so even if several different papers are all “80# Cover”, they can all have a slightly different physical thickness and feel due to other factors like the texture.

Definitely not:

The following things can’t go through the Riso machines:

No vinyl, plastic, synthetic paper, or any other sheet material besides natural uncoated paper
No non-paper pieces like staples, seeds, or glitter
No paper with rough or uneven edges, or sheets cut into unusual shapes
No handmade paper
No torn, folded, or crumpled paper. If you want torn-looking edges, do that after the print is done and dry!
No paper with holes in it (including regular hole punch/coil binding holes.) Please punch the holes after printing.
No label/sticker paper with some parts already peeled off.

Tips: you can print on full-sheet uncoated label paper and then stick that to a sheet of material that can’t go through the Riso. The end result is a piece that’s Riso printed on the front, and something else on the back (like, for example, wood, plastic, magnets, foam board, or cardboard that is too thick to print on.) Layering clear plastic sticker or label material on top of dry Riso prints gives a glossy look and also acts as a protective layer to keep the ink clean.

Probably not:

Fine art paper intended for traditional media like watercolor, painting, or printmaking, including cotton rag paper. If it’s under the limit for weight and sheet size and contains only natural fibers (no synthetic or coating), we can try it…but most students who’ve tried it in the past haven’t loved the results. COMD studio’s current recommendation for an alternative to traditional art papers is our Mohawk Via Vellum Pure White 80# cover.