The zine-making process is completely up to you and you have complete control over your work. Yeah! But it would also be a good idea if you got hold of a zine and used it as an example throughout the entire zine-making process. Observe the way it is laid out in booklet form and formatted. All you need is your writing, your artwork, paper, courage, a glue stick, access to a copy machine, scissors, a stapler and a heart.
1. Decide whether or not you would like to handwrite your zine or use a computer or typewriter. Think about the artistic format of your zine and if you want pictures for the background or nothing at all.
2. Figure out what size you would like to make your zine. You can make it a full-size zine by folding an 11 x 17 piece of paper in half so each page is the size of a regular 8.5 x 11 piece of paper. (NOTE: This size can often be more expensive to copy and more difficult to mail.) A half-size zine consists of folding an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper in half so it opens like a book. A quarter-size zine can be made by folding an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper in half and cutting it. The halves must then be folded in half again so it opens like a book. Though the pages of the final zine will need to be cut in order to fit this format, it is easiest to keep the pages on a single piece of paper during the copying process. It is also a good idea to have an even number of pages for this format as a way to not waste paper or copy resources, since two full pages fit onto a standard piece of paper.
3. Lay out your artwork and writing on paper, and create your zine. It is best to use a glue stick when laying out your pieces. Glue sticks don't make as much of a mess and the glue doesn't clump up underneath paper like regular glue. Tape also works as long as it is invisible. Leave room for the margins and don't put anything too close to the edges of the pages because they can be cut off during the copying process. Make sure that pages are in correct numerical order.
The zine-making process is completely up to you and you have complete control over your work. Yeah! But it would also be a good idea if you got hold of a zine and used it as an example throughout the entire zine-making process. Observe the way it is laid out in booklet form and formatted. All you need is your writing, your artwork, paper, courage, a glue stick, access to a copy machine, scissors, a stapler and a heart.
