Let's Make A Zine!

    

We're all doing our best to stay indoors and conduct proper social distancing during these stressful times. So to help you get through it, we've got a fun little project for you to try out! Now, have you ever heard of a zine? 

Let's cover the basics and to start, let's ask ourselves what is a zine?

Zine: (ZEEN; short for magazine or fanzine) is a small-circulation self-published work of original or appropriated texts and images, usually reproduced via photocopier. – Wikipedia

There's a rich history and culture of zines, but for our purposes here, a zine is a little comic, story, poem, collection of images, or any creative endeavor printed on copier paper and shared with your community. They can be about anything and everything which makes them so much fun. Plus, they are the perfect size to mail!

SaraCapello_Zines

So now that we know what a zine is, let's check out the anatomy of a zine: you've got a front cover, back cover, and 6 inside pages to work with. The best thing about them is that they are just a single piece of paper, folded and cut to make a little booklet!HowtoFoldaZineNow don't limit yourself to just a 8.5 x 11, you can try Legal Size or even Tabloid side if you have the paper at home! And the steps are the exact same!

Zines, despite their size, can hold a lot of power. In these days, we've got to stay creative and zines are the perfect vessel to do so. Now, what should your zine be about? When I say anything, I mean anything! Which is honestly a little daunting...

So here are some ideas!
• A collection of poems.
• Doodles and descriptions of your house plants.
• Reviews of the shows you've been binging.
• The weird habits you've noticed your pets have now that you're working from home during the day.
• The dinners you've made with the odd things in your cabinets.

I'm personally a big fan of puns, food, and ducks! So if you want to see some of my zines, check out my website!

But, if you need a little inspiration, then don't worry, we have the perfect zine for you! Check out our very own Quarantine Activity Zine! Please download this PDF, print it at home (make sure you print "as actual size" not "fit to page", it could mess up your folding), and tag us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter when you make one so we can see it (and hopefully get some show recommendations)! Stay safe and have fun!

TPI Solutions Ink's Quarantine Activity Zine

 

About The Author

Illustrator, Graphic Designer & Duck Enthusiast