Long Live
GOCCO
BY JILL BLISS
Can we resurrect the world’s coolest
printing machine?
Ilove the idea of screen printing, but never quite interest in the Gocco system has been steadily
mastered the processes of emulsion, dark- increasing in the United States, as artists, design-
rooms, exposure times, power washers, proper ers, zinesters, and craftsters discover it, fueled by
ink consistency, and proper tilt of the squeegee. So, online word-of-mouth. Enthusiasm for Gocco is
when a few years ago a Japanese artist friend sug- contagious. The universal first response to seeing
gested I try her screen printing system brought from a Gocco in action is “I gotta get one of these!”
Japan, I was a little leery. “No, it’s easy,” she insisted. It’s no surprise to Gocco enthusiasts that nearly
She described Print Gocco as a self-contained one-third of Japanese households own a Print
unit that both exposes and prints on paper cards, Gocco, using them regularly to print personalized
combining the basic principles of screen printing holiday cards or invitations. What is surprising is
and rubber stamping. That was all I needed to pique the lack of great success for Print Gocco outside
my interest and troll online for a kit of my own. Japan, save for our own legion of devoted followers.
Although there were a few high-priced listings on With all this growing interest, you’d think Gocco’s
eBay, after an extensive online search, I was able to parent company, Riso, would increase production,
secure a kit from an art store’s dusty and forgotten marketing, and sales in the United States, but on the
shelves for approximately $150. Once my Gocco contrary, Riso decided to pull the plug on us shortly
arrived, it took less than an hour to make my first before last Christmas. The machines have been dis-
set of prints: the “whirl wheels” flower design on the continued, with limited supplies and accessories on
back of old postcards. hand. U.S. suppliers have already run out of stock
Unlike screen printing, there are only four basic on the familiar powder-blue B- 6 kit, and prices for
steps to the Print Gocco system: make your design, them are skyrocketing on eBay.
expose the artwork inside the machine using bright So I wonder, can Gocco be saved? No one is cer-
flashbulbs, ink the screen, and print using the tain. With the discontinuation of Gocco here, many
screen inside the machine. worldwide fans speculate about the future of the
Like all Gocco owners, I showed off my first set of system in their own countries, and Riso remains
prints and kit to everyone I knew. And, like so many tight-lipped about any future plans. My own fan-
other Gocco geeks, I was even able to convince my site, savegocco.com, attempts to keep atop the
local art store to stock the system and its accesso- latest Gocco news and the efforts to save it. Once
ries, as well as offer classes. During my initial Gocco my site receives 1,000 sign-ins in the guestbook, I’ll
online foray, I also found the 609-member-strong approach other companies who may be interested in
Yahoo Gocco group, a treasure trove of Gocco infor- manufacturing it. Fingers crossed and go go Gocco! ×
mation, ideas, and swaps. There is also the more
recent Flickr Gocco group, with 189 members.
Gocco has been a staple in Japan since the 1970s, Jill Bliss’ comfort with both handcrafts and technology can
be traced to her tech-tinkerer dad, who was a member of the
when it was first marketed as a print kit that the Homebrew Computer Club, and her mom, who made and sold
whole family could enjoy. In the past few years, crafts each Christmas. Visit her site at blissen.com.
