In a workshop, sobriety is rarely apparent at first glance. It can be measured in terms of the electricity meter, ambient temperature, maintenance, consumables management and air quality. It is on these very concrete points that RISO has built the positioning of its high-volume inkjet printers since its creation.
The Japanese manufacturer, which celebrates its 80th anniversary this year, relies on a unique cold-set inkjet technology. Called Forcejet TM this patented technology, tried and tested for over 20 years, has been integrated into the ComColor and Valezus ranges.
91% reduction in power consumption
The Forcejet principle TM is simple: remove the heat from the printing process. The paper runs flat, the oil-based ink instantly penetrates the paper fibers, and drying takes place without ovens, thermal modules or pre-heating.
This architecture contrasts with laser processes, which require energy for fusing toner, and with some inkjet systems, which require a heated drying phase. RISO machines consume no electricity to keep components at temperature.
This cold-inkjet technology reduces power consumption by 91%. And printers can testify to this.
"With today's energy crisis, it's a real plus that RISO printers consume little energy, over and above the environmental quality of the inks used. We carried out a comparative study five or six years ago, and discovered that the energy consumption of our RISO printers was significantly lower than that of laser products. Consumption 85% to 90% lower" says Jeop Van Boxtel, Managing Director of Books4You, a Dutch printing company.
Technology offering 99% machine availability
Cold printing also has a mechanical consequence. By eliminating heating-related components, RISO simplifies the architecture of its machines. Fewer parts mean fewer sensitive points, and therefore less maintenance.
For example, RISO inkjet machines with Forcejet TM offers 99% uptime. Speeds reach 165 pages per minute on the ComColor range and 330 pages per minute on the Valezus range. The flat paper path also helps reduce jams at high speeds.
At Debeka, availability was confirmed by an intensive production sequence.
"When the machines were subjected to a six-week endurance test, they really proved their quality. During this period, they produced 9.2 million pages with great reliability." says Guerrit Udo, print center manager at German insurance group Debeka.
A healthy and comfortable working environment
Low impact doesn't just mean low power consumption. RISO printers use no toner and emit no ozone. Concentrations of volatile organic compounds are also reduced. Oil-based ink is non-volatile and low in impurities. In enclosed premises, administrative departments or poorly ventilated production centers, employee comfort is thus improved.
Materials and consumables in the recycling loop
RISO also works on the recycling of materials and consumables. Our Research and Development teams use recycled and recyclable materials in the manufacture of our machines. According to ADEME, RISO's equipment recovery rate is 99.44%.
For cartridges, RISO relies in France on Conibi, an industrial consortium responsible for the collection and processing of used printing consumables. The service is based on collection from a minimum volume, in order to optimize transport flows. The cartridges are then sent to recycling centers. In 2025, over 11,000 RISO cartridges were recycled in France. RISO also offers this service to its customers in Belgium.
In the end, RISO reduces the environment to shop-floor indicators: kWh consumed, machine availability, maintenance interventions and cartridge collection. Less spectacular than a grand speech, but more verifiable. Forcejet's low impact TM is measured on the farm, not just in an environmental data sheet.
