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FYSB 1754: Border Stories

Zine Librarian Jenna Freedman created this guide to support zine-making in Francesca Ochoa's First Year Seminar Workshop: Border Stories

Zine Tech

Print as booklet

screen capture that shows the print-as-booklet feature on a print menu

divisible by 4 (or 8)

screenshot of pdf file name: jurydutyflat-flipshort-optimized

screenshot of print menu with arrows pointing to "size" and "print short"

1/4" margin

photo of a zine cover with thick margins on the top and right

screenshot from InDesign directing you to leave a margin in the center, rather than around the frame!

Zine Elements

photo of a cat on a table with bookbinding suppliesCovers

  • color
  • construction
  • relief prints

Binding

staples * sewing * stab * pamphlet * paper types* materials

Graphics

  • illustrations
  • fair use/copyright
  • photographs
  • typography/handwriting
  • backgrounds

Elements

Essay * Poem * Review * Drawing * Collage * Personality Quiz * Crossword Puzzle * Playlist * Top Ten List * Likes/Dislikes * How To * Comic * Rant * Blank Space * Art * Handwriting * Typewriting * Design Software * Stick Figures

Metadata: author, title, publication location, publication date, freedoms and restrictions

Genre

  • personal
  • political
  • art
  • literary
  • split
  • compilation
  • minicomics
  • DIY

Pro Tips

  • Leave a 1/4" margin around your pages
  • Remember your zine will be copied or scanned, so light text and images may not reproduce well
  • You do you

Make a Zine

Today we're making quarter size zines. The layout may mess with your head. That's okay; breaking your brain while making a quarter size zine is a rite of passage! This zine is for practice to share or not as you like!

photo of a black and white cat on a banner that reads "Zinesters in Residence."Suggested Themes

  • Yelp reviews of TikTok dances
  • DIY some niche thing you're good at
  • Ode to your favorite or least favorite TV show, celebrity, politician, sports figure, family member (including animals)
 

Cover

Selfie or brain map

Page 1

  • Introduce your zine (pro-tip: you might want to do this at the end, so you know what you're introducing)
  • Metadata: contextualize for the reader and history
    • Could be s nom de plume
    • Date
    • Publication location
    • Contact information
  • Freedoms and restrictions
    • Do you want to claim copyright?
    • Assign a CC license?
    • Reject copyright?
    • Control digital reproduction?

Page 2

Rant, I statements

Page 3 (left side of centerfold)

Cartoon, sketch, art, doodles (be bold! draw stick figures!), collage

Page 4 (right side of centerfold)

continue from page 3

Page 5

Pencil game: maze, crossword puzzle, word finder, quiz, survey, matching

Page 6

Recipe

Back Cover

Credits, playlist, reviews or recommendations

Another pro-tip: number your pages. This will help when you are assembling your zines.