Research Guides: Zines@Douglas: How to Print or Make a Zine (2024)

FAQs

Research Guides: Zines@Douglas: How to Print or Make a Zine? ›

The most popular style is a digest-sized zine, which is made by folding sheets of 8.5”x11” paper in half. For easier copying and printing, your total page count should be divisible by 4. Each piece of paper will have four page segments – two pages on each side, with a margin in the middle.

The most popular style is a digest-sized zine, which is made by folding sheets of 8.5”x11” paper in half. For easier copying and printing, your total page count should be divisible by 4. Each piece of paper will have four page segments – two pages on each side, with a margin in the middle.

Paper Choices for Zine Printing

115gsm and 130gsm are the choice for 99% of zines we print. These are thick enough that images don't show through.

Self-publish and print punk, photography, art, or fanzines in vibrant full color on 70#, 80#, 100# premium gloss, matte or uncoated paper. These professional-quality zines are ready to be delivered to your doorstep as fast as 3 to 4 days from proof approval.

Formatting a Zine in Microsoft Word

On the Margins tab, change the setting for “Multiple pages” to “Book fold.” The orientation of the page will automatically change to Landscape. You can also use the Paper tab to choose between A4, for a 5.5” x 11” zine, or Tabloid, for an 8.5” x 11” zine.

Historically created and bound through various DIY methods, anyone can craft a zine with a sharpie and a photocopier. But today's new-age zines are taking the shape of physical and digital forms, including online websites, Instagram accounts, and the classic typewriter handouts.

Zine style & format

It's an affordable yet professional style, available in a range of sizes, paper finishes & stocks in line with your requirements. Booklet printing is perfect for lower page counts (e.g. 8, 12, 16, or 20 pages), but can easily accommodate up to 84 pages.

--PVA Adhesive: proven quality for archival purposes. --Mixture: Mix methyl cellulose with PVA (following package directions) so it is less thick and dries less fast than PVA. --Double-sided tape:" 3M #415 as archival quality (you can glue on a cover or images for your zine, etc.)

Can a zine be just pictures? ›

A zine is most commonly a small-circulation of self-published work. It could be about many different topics: photography, illustration, design, etc… Usually zines are the product of a small group or individual people, and the primary intent is exposure rather than profit.

zine, a small-circulation print or online publication that is produced through noncommercial means and is meant to appeal to a niche audience. The term zine derives from fanzine, an amalgamation of the words fan and magazine.

A zine is an independently made publication that follows a do-it-yourself philosophy emphasizing expression and connection over exploitation and alienation. Zines have no strict rules or aesthetics and can feature a variety of content, from radical political writings to personal stories to experimental art.

One way to layout your zine is to fold up a blank booklet, number the pages, then take the book apart and create your content. You might also create individual pages and then cut out and glue/tape them onto a blank sheet of paper.

Settings for printing booklets

Select File > Print. Under Two-sided, select Booklet. Tip: For a professional touch, consider adding page numbers in the header or the footer.

For making zines or layouts, one free way we use a lot is Google Docs or Slides. In there, you can to File > Page Setup and pick one of the standard paper sizes, eg Statement (5.5" x 8.5") or A5. Then once you've made your zine (very fun for collaborating too!), go to File > Download > PDF Document (.

The Eight-Page Folding Zine

This folding zine format uses just one piece of A4 paper, folded into eight rectangles with a horizontal slit down the center. Each little rectangle represents one page of your zine. Remember that the pages won't be in sequential order when they're laid out flat as one piece of paper.

How many pages are in a zine? Traditionally, zines have around eight pages with saddle stitches. They also come in small batches, usually under 100 copies. If the zine has many more pages, it must be perfectly bounded (like soft-cover books).