AN INTRODUCTION TO: Contents

Introduction 4 A brief history 4 Why zines? 5 Who makes, sees and reads zines? 5 Where are zines distributed & found? 5

Genres & Formats 6 Pages, cuts & folds 7 Zine styles 8

Content Development 9 Design (elements & principles) 13 Typography 16

Making a Zine 18 The process 18 Multi-sheet zine 18 Single-sheet zine 20 The Public is an activist design studio specializing in Working on a computer 22 changing the world. Reader vs. printer spreads 25 Making a mockup 25 This zine, a part of our Creative Resistance How-to Cutting & combining your pages before photocopying 26 Series, is designed to make our skill sets accessible Copying the master 26 to the communities with whom we work. We encourage you to copy, share, and adapt it to fit your Get it Out! 27 needs as you change the world for the better, and to Mailings & P.O. boxes 28 share your work with us along the way. Recovering costs 29 Special thanks to Dana Shalab Alsham from the York- Selected Resources 30 Sheridan Design Program in Toronto, for developing Books 30 this zine on behalf of The Public. Inspiration 30 For more information, please visit thepublicstudio.ca.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/.

About our internship program Wall. A Chinese activist posts a dazibao on the Democracy wHO MAKES, SEES AND

Introduction theepochtimes.com/news/5-6-3/29285.html READS ZINES? Derived from the word Anyone and everyone can make “magazine,” a zine is a small press a zine! Zines are made, read, and publication that is like a magazine seen by all sorts of people and with a twist: it is non-commercial, they cover many topics. A zine grassroots, independently is appropriate for anything you published and captures the sprit npr.org/blogs/therecord/2011/09/ want to share with your friends, of DIY/DIY (Do-It-Yourself/Do-It- community or the world, like Together) ideologies. your experiences, interests, skills, Riot Grrrl zine. Riot

A 20/140640502/revolution-girl-style-20-years-later opinions, ideas, and much more. a brief history It is likely that your zine will attract people.blogspot.ca/2008_08_01_archive.html Passersby stop at the wall. mike-servethe individuals with the same interests Zines were used in non-Western as you, or who are curious about contexts and cultures, as everyday what you are up to, which is a people creatively made political, inspired poster. poster. inspired great way to let someone know and often subversive, ideas public. they are not alone and make An example of this is the Chinese friends along the way! dazibao (“big-character posters” Riot Grrrl zine Riot riotgrrrlnow.wordpress.com or wall-mounted newspapers), A which used self-publishing as an wHERE ARE ZINES activist and cultural tool during Why zINES? DISTRIBUTED & FOUND? the Democracy Wall Movement in 1978. Citizens would post general Publishing today can be exclusive Zines can be found in alternative discontents, as well as their and inaccessable, with strict stores, bookshops, music venues As punk culture arose in the rejection of certain aspects of the rules set in place on where, why, and stores, distribution centers, ’70s, a stronger interest in self- political system, on a long brick how, and what can be published. distros found at zine fairs, online, publishing emerged in the west wall in Xidan, a major commercial Most magazines are accountable and in libraries. as zines were used to promote district in China, and activists to mainstream advertisers or underground bands that didn’t would publish underground parent publishing companies and receive mainstream attention. journals to hand out and post maintain strict rules about what Later on, in the ‘80s and ‘90s, zines along the wall as well. Debates can and cannot be published. If played an important role in the and demonstrations were also you are trying to challenge social development of the Queercore initiated near the wall, attracting a norms, or provide an alternative and Riot Grrrl movements. Zines Resource list wide range of curious individuals. take on mainstream thought, were used to get the word out Check out the “Get it Out!” The idea of public involvement zines are a great way to do it. and create communities in which section on page 27 for links and and community were really Self-publishing can be a radical people could share their stories, locations you can visit to get important in the dissemination of way for marginalized people to experiences and views. help you get your zine seen by ideas during this movement. create our own culture, connect other cool people! with one another, and get our voices heard.

- 4 - - 5 - contributor, with their contact zine will have, and how and a zine with 16 pages (refer to the Genres & information, and they receive where you want it to be read or illustration under “Folio” for an Formats a free copy (and sometimes an used. Deciding on that will help to example of how this type of zine honourarium) once it is complete. determine whether you will need would look after binding). There are many kinds of zines multiple individually cut pages, or that exist including 24-hour zines Art zines if a single folded sheet will do. Single sheet, folded (zines started and completed in These kinds of zines are not only You won’t be able to get a booklet one day), art zines, compzines, art in and of themselves, but also Folio (half-fold) using this method because it fanzines, perzines (personal zines), showcase artwork like drawings, For this method, you will need doesn’t involve cutting. However, and political zines. The possibilities photographs, collages, handmade to fold multiple sheets of paper it is easy to make and could be are endless, but it helps to have an objects, recipes, handwritten in half — think of each side of most suitable for your kind of idea of what kind of style you are poems, etc. They do so creatively, a sheet as being two pages (# zine. Below are some examples of aiming for. Even if you don’t want and sometimes the zine develops of sheets x 4 = # of pages). So, ways you can fold your zine (e.g. if to fall under one specific category, as an artistic concept itself, folding 2 sheets of paper in folio- you don’t have a lot of content or it may help strengthen and focus becoming more than just a style and stapling in the middle if you want something easier and your zine’s message. compilation of artworks. will produce a zine with 8 pages. quicker to assemble and copy). Below is an example of how a Below are a couple of illustrated Political zines zine would look in this method. examples of folding options. These super-awesome zines

qzap.org/v5/ deal with politics, anarchy, social justice, historical movements, and current issues. They can tackle topics like racism, sexism, homophobia, feminism, health,

compzine. compzine. Is It Trash gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=1548 anarchism, and much more! ovulationawareness002.pdf wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ Awareness . Political example from Ovulation Compzines Single sheet, folded Short for “compilation zine,” this is Quarto (quarter-fold) with a single cut This is similar to the folio, but the This method will result in a zine a zine that is made up of pieces inotherwords.org/ written and/or created by more number of pages is doubled. You with 8 pages, with a cut down the than one zinester (a person who will need to fold multiple sheets of middle when unfolded. makes zines). Typically, compzines paper in half and then half again have one editor, or an editorial – think of each side of each sheet collective, who chooses a theme as being four pages (# of sheets for a zine issue that determines More zine genres and examples: x 8 = # of pages). Be careful with what other zinesters write about zines.barnard.edu/about/genres this method, though, because you and submit (through “submission will have some pages that will end calls” in flyers, letters, online posts, Pages, Cuts & folds up being upside down. Unless you etc). Once the editor(s) gets the plan on cutting and pasting, make submissions, they are compiled There are various ways to put a sure you consider this before and printed in the compzine. zine together. First, you need to printing. So, folding 2 sheets of Credit is always given to the decide how many pages your paper in quatro-style will produce

- 6 - - 7 - zinelibrary.info/pleasure-power-comix-closer-look Scans of comics from Pleasure Power Comix zine. Zine Styles Content My goals: The style you choose to use for your zine will determine its tone Development and will influence the way your Topic message is seen and perceived. Before starting your zine, identify the topic or topics you want Cut-and-paste to focus on. Do you want to This is a technique where the show off your drawings? Express content is extracted from different your love for pretzels? It can be sources and combined onto the anything. We encourage you master zine to later be copied and to tap into social issues. Maybe reproduced. For example, cutting you can speak up about issues words out from newspapers and Content relating to POC, women and images from magazines and This is the meat (or tofu!) of your trans people, migrant justice, rearranging them on a page to zine. You probably have many student movements, sweat shops, create a collage, put together ideas about what you want to capitalism… anything you feel a message, or create any other say about your chosen topic. strongly about exploring! desired composition. However, However, getting it out on paper usually the words are handwritten can be difficult sometimes. Start off by sketching and jotting down or created with a typewriter to Topic ideas: avoid a zine that looks computer words that come to mind when generated. This method is very you think about your chosen hands-on and is a good technique subject. Also, please consider whether the language you are to use if you want to critique what’s in the mainstream or using is accessible and clear provide a new perspective on enough for anyone to understand. existing imagery.

Objectives Comics Things to say: After deciding on a subject, come These are usually hand drawn up with a list (or single point!) of illustrations that can be used to tend to look closer to mainstream things you want to accomplish deliver a message or provide printed magazines or books. with your zine. Do you want social commentary with a bit of There are so many creative to get a message out? Do you humour (or with a seeming light- possibilities allowed through want your readers to act and do heartedness). the use of a computer, and it something (e.g. boycotts)? Are can be used in ways that are you hoping to change people’s Digital radical and that defy the norm. perceptions? Keeping a goal in These are zines made on the You don’t have to stick to rigid mind helps you stay focused and computer and are usually cleaner layouts, so don’t be afraid to break better accomplish what you are looking than cut-and-paste and boundaries and push yourself! trying to achieve with your zine.

- 8 - - 9 - Collaborating online. Check out the list we’ve Additional things to consider Although zine-making is great as compiled for you below! Fill out the sticky notes below to help you plan out your zine and to a form of personal expression, it is have the information available to refer back to when you need it. also a wonderful way to meet and connect with others. Working with individuals who share the same Budget: timeframe: passion as you can strengthen How much can you spend? When to start/finish by? Free images! your work and open you up to new and amazing ideas. morgueFile A collaborative effort that Do you know people who are provides free high-resolution stock photos contributed by already producing work in the different artists. You can use areas that interest you? Use the these images in any way you space below to brainstorm and jot like, but you can’t claim them as tone: down some notes about potential your own. How do you want to affect your audience? collaborators! morguefile.com/archive Circle your choice(s) or write down your own! Unrestricted Stock Free, unrestricted stock photos People i KNOW: and vectors for use at no cost ! ? and provided without usage Other: restrictions. unrestrictedstock.com Explain briefly:

Pixabay A repository of free, high quality public domain images. No attribution to the original author is required. pixabay.com

Extra notes: The Open Photo Project Quality over quantity is their emphasis, and they offer their Image sources images for free under Creative Drawing, cutting-and-pasting, and Commons licensing terms. taking your own photos are some openphoto.net great ways to create original visual content for your zine. Also, old Free Media Goo books and magazines from thrift Royalty free, with no limit to the number of images you can use. stores are good places to look freemediagoo.com for readily available and usable imagery and text. You can also find some really useful sources

- 10 - - 11 - Freebies & add-ons Design sketches and brainstorming: If you want to spice your zine One of the most important Add as many additional bubbles to the chart as you need. Write down up and make it a bit more unique, you can include trinkets, things to think about when all the ideas that come to mind — hold nothing back! Feel free to creating and putting together sketch and doodle around your brainstorming notes as well. souvenirs, or gifts with your issue. This will give the readers your zine is its design. Not just even more to look forward to! for aesthetic purposes, but in For example, if you are pushing terms of functionality as well. for a social movement and you It is important to keep in mind create some sort of symbol or how you want your zine to be logo, put it on pins and buttons distributed. For example: Do you and stickers, or make patches, and want it to be photocopied by include them in the zine for the others and freely distrubuted? Related ideas reader to take out and actually Then your zine will need to work use! You could also make toys, well on cheaper formats, such as CDs, accessories, include tickets, letter-sized paper printed in black or even a QR code for people and white. You can also try using with a Smartphone to get more multi-coloured or textured paper information about your zine or and see if that works well for your topic from the web. purpose. Another thing to keep in mind is accessibility: Is the text Your main topic goes here readable? Are your pages too

Copyright & creative commons

If you are downloading images off the web, be careful with using copyrighted visuals. If you can, ask the creator for permission and if they would like to be credited in your work, and tell them about the nature of your project.

Creative Commons is a new and better alternative to traditional copyright laws that allow and restrict how works can be copied, distributed, edited, remixed, and built upon while protecting the owner from unfair uses. Artworks marked with a symbol signal that you would likely be able to use the work in your zine. There are different kinds of Creative Commons licenses, so make sure to double check which one a particular artwork is under and that your usage of the work meets the criteria of that specific license. You can find more information about Creative Commons at creativecommons.org or by referring to the inside cover of this zine as an example of attributing and declaring Creative Commons in your work.

- 12 - - 13 - busy? Are photos still easy to see a sense of urgency (orange are three basic types of shapes: Balance is important because after being photocopied multiple and red), while cool colours are geometric (triangles, squares, it can affect the tone of your times? Becoming familiar with passive and don’t call for as much circles, etc.), organic/natural composition. A symmetrical some of the basic elements and attention (blue and purple). (leaves, animals, trees, people), piece can give off a resolved principles of design, as well as a and abstract (icons, stylizations, and peaceful feel, while an bit of typography, might help you You can also do some really graphic representations, etc.) asymmetrical one can add with this. great things working with black tension or provide a sense of and white (which would be Value energy. You are not limited to Elements of Design convenient if you are trying to How light or dark an area looks. choosing just one type of balance keep your printing costs down). A gradient can be used to throughout your zine, or even Line Remember that you can print visualize value because it shows within a single composition, so A mark connecting two points. a range of greys as well, so use dark to white, with all the shades don’t be afraid to mix, match, and Lines can be straight, curved, that to your advantage. For in between. These all have value. experiment! squiggly, zig-zaggy… pretty example, you can use black for This would be important to keep much any way you want them sections you want to stand out in mind when choosing the Contrast to be! They can be used to put (like “bolding” a title) and grey for photographs you want to include This is used to distinguish unique importance on a word or phrase something you want the reader’s in your zine. If the images have elements from one another. For (e.g. underlining or circling), to eye to get to later. a value that is too dark, the detail example, if you have two dark connect content to each other of the image might be lost once images beside each other, they (e.g. arrows or paths), to create Texture photocopied a couple of times. will both be fighting for attention patterns (e.g. criss-crosses or Tactile texture is the physical feel and become washed out. waves), and more. of your zine (rough, soft, etc.) and However, if you have one lighter visual texture is the illusion of image beside a darker one, they Colour that feel (the background of the will each stand better on their Can help organize information, page is of a tree trunk, but the own that way and get noticed give emphasis, create hierarchy, paper doesn’t actually feel like a faster and easier. The example and provide visual interest. Warm tree trunk). Using texture can add Principles of design below shows a contrast of size, colours are active colours, so depth and visual interest. shape, and value. Balance they attract attention and create Refers to how objects are Space distributed and weighted on a The area around or between page. There are two kinds of elements. It can be used to balance that you can create: separate or group information, symmetrical and asymmetrical. give the eye a rest, define Symmetrical balance means that, importance, or lead the eye if you were to fold a page in half, through a page. Dominance/Emphasis there would be an equal amount This is created by contrasting of visual weight on each side. Shape size, positioning, colour, style, Asymmetrical balance means that An enclosed area created using or shape to give a certain part there will be an uneven visual line, texture, colour, or the spaces of your page or spread more weight on the page. between other shapes. There importance than its surroundings.

- 14 - - 15 - For example, having a huge Because they are so decorative, There are many websites on cut-out of a head in the center Feet! and sometimes really detailed, the internet that provide free of a page surrounded by smaller these are best used for headlines fonts. Check out the ones we’ve words/phrases branching out or to create abstract visuals. Do compiled for you below! If you puts emphasis on the cut-out of HELLO not use this in paragraph text; want to get more hands-on, look the head (or, as with the example This is a paragraph. Look how it would be really hard, if not through existing magazines and under “Contrast,” the black circle easy to read it is! Here’s some impossible, to read! cut-and-paste the text you want more text... but wait, it’s going dominates by size and value). to get smaller! Oh, see what we did to use that has the font you like. there? This is still readable. Now, This principle is important let’s go even smaller. Not bad! You could probably try going smaller, but we wouldn’t HELLO for creating hierarchy and recommend that, especially if you want determining eye flow (the your zine to be accessible. Display Font: Burnstown Dam sequence or way in which Free Fonts! Serif Font: Georgia someone looks through a page). Script DaFont Be careful not to make too many These are fonts with a lot of Downloadable fonts that are elements look large and important Sans Serif swooshes and curls, like cursive freeware, shareware, demo because this might confuse These are like serif fonts, except or handwriting. These are also versions, or public domain. the reader and, as a result, they without the feet (sans = without). best used as headlines, or for little Please read the .txt that usually accompanies these files when won’t know where to look first They are usually clean looking details to give your zine a more and geometric, and they are you download them for more or how to navigate through each handmade feel. information. You can also search composition and they could easiest to read when they are for fonts by style. easily miss out on what you are really big or really small, so that dafont.com trying to say. Although all of your makes them perfect for headlines content is important, emphasizing and captions. Hello there! Font Squirrel A collection of fonts organized too much of it could actually Script Font: Angelina into categories and free take away from its importance, No feet! for commercial and non- so working in moderation will commercial use. However, help preserve your content’s Handwriting please make sure to read awesomeness! If you don’t have access to a licensing information on each HELLO font beforehand, just in case! This is a paragraph. Look how computer, or if you want to get fontsquirrel.com Typography easy to read it is.. right now. But, even more intimate with your look, it just got smaller. Still not bad, approach, there is absolutely this is still pretty readable. Now, 1001fonts Serif let’s go even smaller. Hmm.. pretty good. nothing wrong with writing out Free fonts licensed for all use. These typefaces have “feet”— lines If you go smaller than this, don’t write too much or paragraphs, headlines, captions, 1001fonts.com that stick out of the edges of the make it into a long paragraph. Save it to use in captions. or even illustrating something letters. These fonts are really easy Sans Serif Font: Arial typographically yourself. This can Lost Type Co-Op to read because the feet create a make your zine look less digitally A “Pay-What-You-Want” type foundry (put in $0 for a free subtle visual connection between generated, give it a more personal Display download). All the funds go to the letters. Their readability makes feel and pull readers in on a more the respective font designers. These are fonts that have a lot of them great for paragraph text. intimate level. losttype.com personality and are “dressed up.”

- 16 - - 17 - Making a Zine Multi-sheet zine 3. Unfold the sheets and align them on top of each other. For this example, we will be Before you start, we would like to creating a folio zine with 8 pages. remind you of something super important: perfection is overrated! Materials Perfection is a concept that is »» Paper built upon the same values and »» Stapler standards that oppress people »» Scissors and turn them into boring robots. »» A piece of styrofoam What’s important is that you »» Pen, pencil, marker, etc. are creating something original, »» Newspapers, magazines, books, something you are putting time printed images, etc. and thought into because you care. Also, have fun! Put aside any insecurities about your writing, drawings, ideas, etc, and express 4. Place the sheets flat on top of the piece of foam and staple along yourself as you wish, and enjoy the center of the sheets, on the fold. Two staples are ideal. The foam the company and creativity of is used to protect the surface you are working on and make it easy those you are collaborating with. to lift the staples out after puncturing. It’s not only the final piece that matters, but the process itself is important as well.

The PROCESS Step-by-Step Guide 1. Gather all of the materials Feeling overwhelmed? Zine listed and shown in the making can and should be fun, picture above. so relax and get ready to create! Maybe you could choose your favourite chair to work in, put on some of your favourite music, dance around a little, start a brainstorming diagram, think of all the ways you would like to express yourself from the techniques previously mentioned (or come up with your own!), plan 5. Lift up the stapled sheets, flip them over, and carefully fold the out your zine using sticky notes… staples down flat. You can use the handles of the scissors, the flat these are just some ideas, so don’t 2. Fold each sheet in half, width- end of the stapler, or your fingers. Please be careful if you use your be afraid to enjoy yourself! wise. In this case, we will be fingers — don’t push down too hard! folding two sheets in half.

- 18 - - 19 - 6. Fill up your zine with awesome content! Cut up the images that you printed out, or from the magazines and books you collected, and glue them onto your pages. Don’t be afraid to write directly on your zine with a pen or marker as well. Get creative!

4. Unfold the paper, place it in a landscape position, and fold the left edge to the center fold, and do the same with the right edge, so that both folds meet in the middle. Once unfolded again, your paper should have 8 sections.

Single-sheet zine

For this example, we will be using one folded piece of paper that has a single cut in the center to create an 8-page zine with a poster foldout.

Materials »» Paper (any kind you want! Can be recycled, coloured, or textured) »» Scissors or X-Acto knife/OLFA »» Newspapers, magazines, books, printed images, etc. 5. Fold the sheet in half again once, width-wise, and use the OLFA, scissors, or X-Acto knife to cut through one panel/section from the Step-by-Step Guide outer folded edge moving inwards. 1. Gather all of the materials listed above and shown in the picture on the left. This guide uses the OLFA. 2. Fold the sheet in half, width-wise. 3. Fold the sheet in half again so that it is divided into four sections.

- 20 - - 21 - Microsoft Word 2011 (Mac) 1. Open a new document (File > New blank document). 2. Go to File > Page Setup and click on the image of the landscape page orientation. 5. Once your design is complete, go to File > Print Booklet. 6. Choose 2-up Saddle Stitch under Booklet Type.

6. Make a star-like shape out of the sheet and pinch the outer sides, folding them inwards into a booklet. 7. Your zine template is 3. From the toolbar at the top complete! Fill it up with of the page, click on Tables content, and once unfolded, then new and highlight 1 row the back can be used as a 7. Click on Print Settings at and 2 columns, then click poster or anything else you the bottom. again. You will now see a think is appropriate! 8. Select Setup on the sidebar table created that divides your on the left. document in half. Working on a Computer 9. Under Orientation choose a landscape option, and then If you have access to a computer and would like to design your zine on click OK. there before printing, here are some instructions on how to setup your 10. Select Preview on the left zine file to create a folio/booklet with saddle stitch (stapled) binding sidebar and make sure that using an 8½ x 11 sheet of paper. your pages look like they are set up correctly. Adobe InDesign CS5 & CS6 1. Open a new document. 4. If you want to remove the 2. In the dialogue box that pops up, choose your paper size and page borders (so that they don’t orientation, then click OK. show when printing), click on the table. Then, in the 3. Once the blank page has opened, if you would like to change the toolbar at the top of the page, margins, go to Layout > Margins and Columns and modify the click on table layout and default numbers. then Properties. In the 11. If everything looks good and 4. Design the pages of your zine using spreads (two pages beside window that pops up, click you’re ready, click Print! each other), making sure your document is divisible by four. on Borders and Shading

- 22 - - 23 - and select None from the left 7. Now, start filling in the table Reader vs. Reader Front sidebar. This might be best with your design! Each Spreads Printer printer spreads Cover Spreads to do at the end, in case you column of the table is a (pg. 1) need the border for reference page in your zine. Refer to If you are creating a zine with Back Front while you work. a mockup of your zine for multiple pages, you will need to Cover Cover pagination purposes. If you be familiar with the difference pg. 2 pg. 3 (pg. 8) (pg. 1) haven’t made one yet, read between reader spreads and about mockups on page 25. printer spreads when working on 8. Once you have filled the the computer and preparing your pg. 2 pg. 7 pages with content, you are file to be printed. The way your pg. 4 pg. 5 ready to print! Go to File > zine looks after it is complete is Print, and make sure the different from how it starts off printer you are using does because the order and position pg. 6 pg. 3 double-sided printing. If not, of the pages is changed to match pg. 6 pg. 7 5. Now, to make the table the no worries! Once you have the needs of the printer. height of the page, go to all the pages printed out, use PROPERTIES again under glue to stick the front and Reader Spreads Back pg. 4 pg. 5 reverse side of pages together. These are your pages shown Cover Table lAYOUT. Select Row (pg. 8) from the top of the window consecutively (one after the other) that pops up and click on the in the order of how your pages empty square on the left of look to someone who is holding making a mockup and reading your zine. This is ideal specify height to activate it, More tutorials: and then change the number for viewing on the web, or getting Before starting your zine and in the box on the right (for a Rookie Magazine a sense on the computer of how filling it up with content, make letter-sized paper, this would A simple, one-sheet zine. your zine will turn out before a few mockups. A mockup is a rookiemag.com/2012/05/how- be around 15cm). printing and assembling. test version of your zine. It can to-make-a-zine/ be to scale (the same size as you want your final to be), or smaller Design Instruct Printer Spreads Transferring and cleaning up art In this case, your pages are not if you just want to figure out for your zine in Photoshop. shown consecutively, but they are the order and orientation of the designinstruct.com/print-design/ in a specific order made for the pages. Make notes on what you design-a-handmade-art-zine/ printer. Once your zine is printed, want to include and where on the folded, trimmed and bound mockup. Your chances of making 6. If you feel like there is too Callie Garp together, the pages will appear in a mistake will decrease if you start much padding around your Binding your multi-sheet zine the right order. This is how your off with a mockup, and you will page, click on layout in with string, yarn, or embroidery end up saving time and money. the top toolbar and select floss instead of stapling. spreads need to be before you calliegarp.wordpress. go out to print your zine. Even if To figure out the printer spreads margins. You can choose com/2013/05/28/how-to-bind- of your zine, fold and put together from one of the default sizes, it looks like a mess to you, don’t a-zine-a-tutorial/ the mockup, number the pages, or create your own by clicking worry, the printer will know how to handle it! and then take it apart to get a on Custom margins. better idea of the order.

- 24 - - 25 - cutting & combining have cheaper and more affordable Get it Out! your pages before copy prices. Remember: the master is precious! Make sure to Now that you’ve completed your zine, give yourself a pat on the back, photocopying keep it in good shape (protect it hug your collaborators, jump around and celebrate! You can start off from humidity, cat scratches and Assuming that you’re making by handing it out to family and/or close friends. If you feel comfortable dog drool, coffee, etc.) because a big batch of zines, you are enough and want your zine to be more widely distributed, check out it will allow you to make endless probably going to be doing a lot some tips below on getting your zine out and seen by other rad people. copies without compromising of cutting to separate pages, trim quality and clarity. edges, and more. Doing this only Common Locations »» Ste. Emilie Skillshare, Montréal with scissors or an X-Acto/OLFA Small venues, shops, music stores, steemilieskillshare.org knife can take a long time and be and bookstores are ideal places to »» The Purple Thistle, Vancouver tiring. We suggest dropping by start giving out your zine and get purplethistle.ca your local print shop and asking it known by a few people. Don’t to use their guillotine if they have fret or underestimate your work On the Net one available. Usually, this would if your zine is not automatically If you have access to a computer be free of charge and could make successful or accepted. Becoming and the internet, you can make things easier for you. Or, if you an experienced zinester takes your zine available online, or just have some extra money, investing time and practice, but you will get provide a “teaser” of it on your in a guillotine yourself might be a there! Below is a list of some zine blog or website. Putting a part of good idea. Alternatively, ask some libraries, another great place to your zine online can help draw friends and family to help out. The have your zine at. people in. Here is a list of some more the merrier (and faster)! »» Toronto Zine Library free blogging sites you can use to torontozinelibrary.org get you started: cOPYING THE MASTER »» OCAD Zine Library, Toronto »» Wordpress wordpress.com ocadu.ca/library/learning_zone/ »» Blogger blogger.com The final original copy of your zine_library.htm »» Tumblr tumblr.com zine is called the “master.” Now »» Center for Women and Trans that you have finished your People at York, Toronto Distros first zine, it’s time to make yorku.ca/ywc/ywc/ A distro is a place that distributes copies of it and get it ready for »» POC Zine Project Online Library independently published works, distribution. The easiest way to poczineproject.tumblr.com like indie music, DIY crafts, and do this is by photocopying or »» QPIRG Concordia Zine Library zines. They usually don’t make a scanning it (unless you want to qpirgconcordia.org profit from stocking and selling redo everything by hand – or »» Montréal Anarchist Library the works. If you know any zine you designed your zine on the (Librairie l’Insoumise) distros in your area, try contacting computer to being with). You can insoumise.wordpress.com them and asking if they would like find photocopiers at your local »» Simone de Beauvoir Institute, to carry your zine. Tell them what library, a print/copy shop, or even Concordia University, Montréal it’s about, or just send it to them at a friend or family member’s wsdb.concordia.ca/simones- and see how they react! Check house. College towns tend to library/ out the following links to some

- 26 - - 27 - sites that might help you find a Reviewers Recovering Costs However, sometimes making distro near you. Getting your zine reviewed by a zines can be pricey and you Trading is common among the might need money to recuperate »» grrrlzines.net/zines/distros.htm well-known zine reviewer can get zine-making community as it for printing and copying costs. »» zinewiki.com/List_of_Distros your zine out to a wider audience allows folks to get their work seen Usually zinesters try to earn back »» stolensharpierevolution.org/zine- outside of your usual locale. They and read by other zinesters while what they spend and don’t aim to distros/ usually provide a summary of it, so readers would know what to giving them a chance to read make a profit. The most common and own zines made by others Fests and Fairs expect. Below is a list of some price range is from $1 to $3. If you in return. It is also common to decide to sell your zine, below are These are festivals and fairs where popular zine reviewers: freely distribute zines to close some things to consider when a large number of all kinds of »» Broken Pencil friends and family, or even to trying to come up with how self-publishers (artists, writers, brokenpencil.com the public to increase visibility. much to charge. illustrators, etc.) get together to »» Shameless share, display, and talk about their shamelessmag.com zines. Attending and taking part in zine fests and fairs is a great Mailings & p.o. boxes what to think about when pricing my zine: way to meet other zinesters and become more familiar with what’s For your safety, if you are What went into making it (materials, time, etc)? out there, and it helps get your making your zine available Did you include any extras (add-ons, fancier paper, trinkets, etc)? work known as well. Below is a list online, please make sure that of some popular fests and fairs for you don’t publish your address you to check out! with it. Having it at the back of

»» Expozine, Montréal your printed physical zine is OK expozine.ca/en/ since it will be distributed locally »» Anarchist Bookfair, Montréal and can be useful if you are How much will printing How much will it cost to mail anarchistbookfair.ca creating a compzine that calls for and copying cost? them out (stamp, envelope, etc)? »» Queer Between the Covers, submissions, or if you want other Montréal zinesters to be able to mail you their zines to trade. queerbetweenthecovers.org »» Distroboto Project, Montréal distroboto.com Calculating postage Take the total cost of printing, add it to the mailing cost, and then »» The Canzine Festival of Zines You can visit your local post office divide by the number of people and places you will be sending your and Underground Culture, and ask about their rates or check zine in order to get how much it costs for each one, like this: North America online through their website. You (printing cost + mailing cost) ÷ # of people. will need to know the weight, brokenpencil.com/canzine »» OCAD Zine Fair, Toronto size, and destination to find

zinesforlunch.blogspot.com out the mailing cost. You may also have the option of adding insurance to make sure you or

the person receiving your zine get compensated if it goes missing.

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BOOKS

Look for them at your local public library!

»» Whatcha Mean, What’s a Zine?: The Art of Making Zines and Minicomics by Esther Watson »» The World of Zines: A Guide to the Independent Magazine Revolution by Mike Gunderloy »» The Factsheet Five Zine Reader: The Best Writing from the Underground World of Zines by Seth Friedman »» Fanzines: The DIY Revolution by Teal Triggs

Inspiration

Online zine archives to browse through.

»» qzap.org/v5/index.php »» zinelibrary.info

Movies & Shows

Some cool fiction and non-fiction ones to check out.

»» $100 & a T-Shirt: A Documentary About Zines in the Northwest (2004): A film about the Portland zine scene. »» Our Hero (2000-2002): A show about a girl who writes a zine and focuses on one issue per episode. — ourhero.tv »» Godass (2000): A zine-centric film with a lead character who publishes a punk zine and interviews bands in the underground punk scene to write about them in.

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