A zine (whose pronunciation is "without", since it comes from the ending of the word "magazine", which means "magazine" in English) is a small and independent publication that is distributed in the form of pamphlets or miniature magazines. Zines are easy to make and inexpensive, which is why people have long used them as countercultural vehicles to post on topics not often covered in the mainstream media. Whether you want your zine to make a serious commentary on social issues or an anthology of funny cartoons, crafting and distributing it is a very rewarding experience that can increase your creativity.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Fold and Cut the Zine
Step 1. Fold a sheet of paper in half
To make a zine, you need to fold and cut a sheet of paper. This will form the skeleton of the zine, where you will then add the illustrations. To start, lay a sheet of paper on a flat surface, then fold it in half lengthwise (that is, so that the long edges meet). You can use regular 8.5 x 11 inch (22 x 28 cm) printer paper or some other type of thin rectangular paper.
Some people prefer to use an A3 sheet. This will make the zine exactly the size of a postcard when folded, making it easier to mail if you want. A3 paper measures 30 x 42 cm (11.5 x 16.5 inches)
Step 2. Fold the paper in half on the other side
After folding the paper lengthwise, fold it again in half across the width (that is, so that the shorter edges meet). Make sure you line up the corners well.
Step 3. Fold the paper widthwise again
Fold the paper widthwise again, so that the shorter sides meet. If you used an A3-size sheet of paper, you should have obtained a postcard-sized piece of paper.
Step 4. Unfold and cut the zine
After making these folds, unfold the sheet of paper and lay it out on a surface that you can cut on. Now, there should be one crease that divides the paper horizontally and three that divides it vertically, both of which should create eight sections across the entire paper. Using a precision or Exact knife, make a cut along the horizontal fold starting at the intersection between the vertical fold on the left end and the horizontal fold and ending at the intersection between the latter and the vertical fold on the right end.
- In other words, you're going to make a cut along the horizontal fold that doesn't start at the edge of the sheet.
- Use a ruler when making the cut so that it is straight.
Step 5. Fold the paper lengthwise
After making the cut, fold the paper lengthwise. You will get two strips of paper, one on top of the other, divided into four sections each.
Step 6. Push the ends of the paper inward to form a plus sign
As you fold the paper lengthwise, you will see that the cut you made extends across the top of the two middle sections of the horizontal strip of paper. Therefore, you can push both ends of the paper inward to form a "mouth" that resembles a plus sign if you look at it from above.
Step 7. Fold the upper and lower arms of the plus sign
After shaping it, fold the upper and lower arms to the right, sandwiching the right arm.
Step 8. Fold the left arm of the plus sign clockwise and mark this fold
You will notice that one of the arms of the plus sign has been to the left of the other pages. Fold it clockwise. You should get a four page booklet. Mark the fold of the spine with your finger to keep it in shape.
- You have just created the skeleton of the zine, which is where you will do the illustrations and add the text. You can make a single zine or use this skeleton to make more copies if you want to distribute them.
- If you want to add more pages, you can cut pieces of paper the size of each page from the skeleton of the zine and staple them to the center fold, where it would be bound if it were a book. You can also fold and cut two sheets of paper simultaneously so that the finished skeleton has twice as many pages.
Part 2 of 3: Add Text and Images to the Skeleton
Step 1. Come up with a concept
Many zines have a central theme, which can be something simple, like "man versus nature" or "typography," or something more specific, like a personal story or analysis of a current event. Before adding text or images to the zine, you should determine if you want it to be a collection of ideas and themes or if you want it to have a single focus.
- You can be inspired by whatever. Read the newspaper, re-read and watch your favorite books and movies, or get inspired by other artists.
- Sometimes you can get a lot of ideas from a simple doodle or statement, so scribble or journal to generate more ideas.
Step 2. Find contributors
Many zines include the works of multiple artists rather than just one. This makes these publications offer a wide range of perspectives and different styles. If you like the idea, ask your friends or relatives to each contribute a page to your zine.
If you decide to look for contributors, make sure you can depend on them. You could set a deadline for receiving contributions so that you don't run the risk of waiting indefinitely for them
Step 3. Mark the zine pages with arrows
It may be easier for you to add text or images to the zine when it is spread out rather than folded into a booklet. If so, number the pages and draw an upward-pointing arrow on each one.
- These arrows will help you know what the correct orientation of the text and images should be.
- When unfolding the zine, the arrows should point down, which means that you should reverse the images and text so that when the zine is folded again, they are in the correct orientation.
- If you prefer to add images or text when the zine is dubbed, you can skip this step.
Step 4. On the cover, put the name of the zine, the issue number, the names of the contributing artists, and the theme
The cover is a fundamental part of any publication because it not only captures the attention of readers through eye-catching images and designs, but also informs them of what they will find inside. Give your zine an appropriate name for the tone and theme.
- Note that if you want to produce a series of zines, the name must appear on each issue.
- Place the subject of the zine, if any, in smaller print above or below the name.
- You can also put an image on the cover. The images add visual interest to the zine and attract the reader, prompting him to continue reading.
Step 5. Determine the order of the pages and the arrangement of the zine
Determine what order you want the pages to go in. For example, if the zine is to tell a linear story, the pages must be in order. On a separate sheet of paper, write down the order of the pages and the names of the artists whose works will appear on them (if you will have contributors) before you start adding content.
Step 6. Add images or text to each page
Start filling the zine by adding images or text to each page. If you are going to do it with the zine unfolded, check the arrows you have drawn to make sure that the orientation is correct. You can add images or text with any type of materials, either in the form of collages or using paint, pens or ink. You can also print a text from your computer and paste it.
- If you are going to receive contributions from other artists, loan them the main skeleton of the zine so they can fill in the pages or give them the dimensions. In this way, they can adapt their works to that size and give them to you in person or scan them and send them to you to print and paste them in the zine.
- Each page of the zine will be made up of a folded piece of paper rather than a single sheet, as in books. Therefore, you can choose to add images or text to the inside of the zine. These will be hidden unless the reader unfolds it and turns it over.
Step 7. Make sure the colors of the images contrast with those of the text
If you are going to make multiple copies of the zine, keep in mind that it is more expensive to print in color than in black and white. If you want to make black and white copies, make sure there is a high contrast between the light and dark tones of the text and images. High color contrasts generally do not transmit well to a grayscale.
Step 8. Avoid using very thin lines or very small text
Remember that if you are making multiple copies of the zine, very thin lines and text of less than 12 points may have less definition and be more difficult to see when photocopied. Try to define the lines well and make the text at least 12 points in size. Also avoid including small and complex details that could be lost when photocopied.
Step 9. If you are going to do the zine on a computer, create a document for it
You can also make a zine on your computer with software like Adobe Photoshop, Indesign or even Microsoft Word and then print and fold it. If you choose to produce your zine on a computer rather than on paper, creating a physical mockup is still helpful.
- You can get the dimensions of the zine pages by following the steps mentioned above to make the skeleton. Use these dimensions to configure the document you are going to work on on your computer.
- To make a zine on a computer, you must create a document that has the dimensions of the unfolded sheet of paper. Then divide the document into sections, each of which will represent one page of the zine. Add your images and text to your document making sure they are oriented in the correct direction. Then print the sheet and follow the steps mentioned above to fold and cut it.
Part 3 of 3: Make copies of the zine and distribute it
Step 1. Unfold the zine
When you finish adding images or text to the zine, you may decide to make more copies. To photocopy your zine, you need to unfold it into a single large sheet of paper and place it in a scanner or copier.
- Making copies of the zine will help you reach a wider audience and produce a product with a better finish and a less homely look than the original copy.
- Make sure to use a copier that has a scanner function rather than one where you have to physically insert the sheet of paper to photocopy it, as due to the amount of materials you can use to make a zine, you could lock up the copier and damage the original copy.
Step 2. Make copies of the zine
After placing the zine on the copier's scanner, make as many copies as you like. Keep in mind that color copies cost a lot more than black and white copies.
Instead of making multiple copies at once, it may be a good idea to make a first test copy to make sure the copies turn out the way you want
Step 3. Fold the copies
Follow the steps in part 1 of this article to fold the zine, make a cut along the center fold, and then fold it again. Since the sheet will already be divided into sections, it will not be very difficult to fold it.
Step 4. Distribute the zine
When you have the finished zines, you can start distributing them. You can charge a small amount of money for them or distribute them for free. Share them with your friends and family, or ask small businesses like bookstores or record stores if you can leave them some to distribute to their customers.
Advice
- You can structure a zine in different ways, such as cutting multiple sheets of paper the same size and stitching or stapling them to create the shape of a book. After making your first zine, experiment with other methods to make the skeleton.
- Scribbling and free writing are great ways to get ideas for a zine.