In its prime in the mid-1900s, collotype was a common monotone printing technique used to print items such as yearbooks. Although it was replaced afterward by the rapidly-growing color printing technology, Benrido succeeded the heritage of collotype in a solemn mission “to utilize collotype in creating quality replicas of cultural artifacts which will remain for coming generations.”

Since around 2000, the company has adopted a new vision, promoting efforts to employ collotype in artworks and collaboration with photographers. One such initiative is the Hariban Award. In this one-of-a-kind competition, winner of the Grand Prize is awarded a two-week residency at Benrido and a solo exhibition of their work in the following year. The experience of seeing one’s own work being printed by collotype is surely a new experience for artists. However, an even more important element of this project is that those of us at Benrido who are involved in collotype and art receive a great deal of inspiration from the artists.