Color vs. Black and White: As you get started, think about what the end product will be. Do you plan to print your zine in color or black and white? If you plan to print in black and white, you can still choose to use color in the original. Color, patterns, images, and shapes can work together to create a dynamic composition in your zine. This will give your zine dimension even in black and white.
Edge: You will want to leave a border around your images/illustrations/text. The photocopier may cut off some of your content if it is at the edge of your paper. Try to leave a ½ inch border, if possible.
Layout: Make a plan before you get started. This might mean making a chart so you know which pages will align when your zine is folded. If you are making your zine by hand, consider illustrating one side of the paper to photocopy. This may help you to keep your pages more organized. You can use the photocopier to turn single sheets into a double sided page.
“Zines” by University of Texas Libraries is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
“Zines” by University of Texas Libraries is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
Every third Wednesday of the month creatives get together to work on zines and teach others how to make zines at Chromatic Collective! Learn more at the Gluestick website.
Watch this video to learn how to print your zine as a booklet. Email infocommons@butler.edu if you have questions or need help.
Make a Zine! by
In Microcosm's DIY guide to zine-making, editors Bill Brent, Joe Biel, and a cast of contributors take you from the dreaming and scheming stages onto printing, publication and beyond! Covering all the bases for beginners, Make a Zine! hits on more advanced topics like Creative Commons licenses, legality, and sustainability. Says Feminist Review, "Make a Zine! is an inspiring, easy, and digestible read for anyone, whether you're already immersed in a cut-and-paste world, a graphic designer with a penchant for radical thought, or a newbie trying to find the best way to make yourself and your ideas known." Illustrated by an army of notable and soon-to-be-notable artists and cartoonists, Make a Zine! also takes a look at the burgeoning indie comix scene, with a solid and comprehensive chapter by punk illustrator Fly (Slug and Lettuce, Peops.) Part history lesson, part how-to guide, Make a Zine! is a call to arms, an ecstatic, positive rally cry in the face of TV show book clubs and bestsellers by celebrity chefs. As says Biel in the book's intro, "Let's go!"
Block Print Magic by
Block Print Magic is an essential guide to the techniques of linoleum block printing, including 17 captivating step-by-step projects and the works and insights of talented printmakers for inspiration and visual demonstration. Block Print Magic is the perfect reference for a wide range of printmaking enthusiasts. The easy-to-follow illustrated instruction takes you through every step of the process, beginning with choosing and caring for tools and setting up a studio, through design essentials, carving techniques, and printing techniques. Those techniques include multi-block printing, reduction cuts, puzzle blocks, and rainbow-roll printing. Advanced carving techniques for creating textures, crosshatching, and three-dimensional shading will give you the opportunity to expand and strengthen your expertise. Among the visually stunning projects you'll learn to create: Colorful, multi-block hex sign Reduction cut sunflowers print One-page pocket zine from a single block Fabric wall hanging embellished with embroidery Along with author Emily Howard's own work, artist spotlights feature interviews with and examples of work by five other contemporary artists--Lili Arnold, Jen Hewett, Kelli MacConnell, Derrick Riley, and Aftyn Shah--as a means of clarifying how each technique can be used in different ways. Block Print Magic is a must-have addition to any printmaker's bookshelf.
Computer-based tools should be used to enhance thoughtfully crafted stories, not to compensate for poorly written ones.
Watch to see a zine constructed start to finish by Violet Victoria for a Columbia undergraduate thesis.
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