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What Is a Zine? Meaning, History and the Kinds You Can Make
A zine is a small, self-published booklet made for love, not profit. Learn what zines are, where they came from, the main kinds, and how to make your first.
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Zine making, one clear step at a time
Twelve in-depth guides with original diagrams. Each one gets you to a finished zine, not just an idea of one.
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Start here
How to Make a Zine: A Complete Beginner’s Guide
How to make a zine from idea to finished copies: choose a format, plan the pages, make a master, print, fold, bind and share it. Clear steps and diagrams.
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Tutorial · 10 minutes
How to Make an 8-Page Mini Zine from One Sheet of Paper
Fold an 8-page mini zine from one sheet of Letter or A4 paper with a single cut. Page layout map, 8 illustrated steps, troubleshooting and a free template.
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Free templates
Free Printable Zine Templates (US Letter and A4, Actual Size)
Free printable zine templates in US Letter and A4 that print at 100%: one-sheet mini zine, mini comic, booklet masters, planner, lettering sheet and hole guides.
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Paper
Zine Sizes and Paper: Letter, A4, Half-Letter, A5 and Paper Weight
Every common zine size from US Letter and A4, how many pages each sheet makes, which paper weight to use in lb and gsm, and how paper grain affects folds.
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Layout
Zine Layout and Imposition: Page Order for 8, 12 and 16 Pages
Why zine pages are not in reading order on the sheet, and exactly where every page goes for 8, 12 and 16-page zines. Maps, a formula, layout tips and checks.
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Binding
How to Bind a Zine: 7 Bindings Compared, from Staples to Stab Binding
Compare 7 ways to bind a zine: long-reach staples, the foam-board trick, side staples, pamphlet stitch, five-hole stitch, Japanese stab and rubber band.
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Tutorial · 15 minutes
How to Sew a Three-Hole Pamphlet Stitch for Zines
Step-by-step three-hole pamphlet stitch for binding a zine with needle and thread: hole spacing, thread length, the thread path, the square knot and fixes.
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Printing
How to Print a Zine at Home or at a Copy Shop
Print a zine double-sided without upside-down pages: duplex flip settings, booklet printing from a PDF, copier settings, cost per copy, paper and risograph.
Read the guide →Ideas, sharing and teaching
Ideas
Zine Ideas: 50 Prompts for Beginners, Students and Friends
50 zine ideas sorted by who you are making for: yourself, a class, a friend, your town or a cause. Plus how to shrink any idea into an 8-page zine plan.
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Sharing
How to Sell, Trade and Give Away Zines: Fairs, Shops, Libraries and Mail
Price a zine from its cost per copy, sell at zine fairs, place copies in shops on consignment, donate to libraries, trade, and mail zines without overpaying.
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Teaching
How to Run a Zine Workshop: A 60 or 90-Minute Lesson Plan
A tested zine workshop plan for classrooms and libraries: learning goals, materials for 20, a 60-minute and 90-minute timeline, fold script and access notes.
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