Above [image]: Sugar City Zines (2010) by David Norbery. Image source: Flickr. Image creator: David Norbery. License: CC BY-NC 2.0. Image has been cropped and incorporated as part of design.
Zines provide a platform for expression through writing and design, which is conducive for narratives that are personal, political, irreverent, and more. The following characteristics are often attributed to zines:
Zines (pronounced “zeens”) are self-published print or online works that are often handmade on paper. They are produced in limited quantities using non-commercial printing (typically a photocopier) and generally geared towards a niche audience. Zines can represent a wide variety of viewpoints, narrative styles, and artistic media. The word “zine” derives from “fanzine,” a portmanteau of “fan” and “magazine.”[1] While Martin Luther's Ninety-five Theses (1517) is considered by some to be the first historical example of a zine, zines as we know them today emerged in the 1930s across science fiction communities.[2] The low production costs, ease of distribution, and accessible format of zines avoid the barriers that come with traditional publishing, making zines a more inclusive medium for marginalized communities. In 1947 Edythe Eyde made the first queer fanzine, Vice Versa, which she wrote on a typewriter in the Hollywood film studio office where she was employed as a secretary, for her group of friends.[3] The process of reading, making, and sharing zines promotes nuanced points of view, experimentation in information-sharing, and free expression.
Above [image]: Zine workshop, Tūranga (2020). Image source: Flickr. Image creator: Christchurch City Libraries License: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
The basic supplies needed to make a physical zine are...
For a digital zine...
Lastly, you can make a hybrid...which is a mix of physical and digital. You can make physical collages, scan the work, and assemble on the computer
Formatting your Zine
Zines also come in many different shapes and sizes, but a few formats are more common than others.
The three most common zine sizes are based on standard printer-sized paper: 8.5” x 11”, 5.5” x 8.5”, and 2.75” x 4.25” (see examples below). Plan for pages in multiples of four and bind your zine by “saddle stitching.”
Zines are typically reproduced via photocopying/scanning (scanners and printers are available throughout the Goldstein Library). 
16 page “saddle stitched” zine
8 page “folded” mini zine
Adapted from NAU Library.
Image: collage & art journal ideas zine by katie licht
A little history and cool visuals from Rona Akbari for The Creative Independent on How to Make a Zine.
by Celia C. Pérez, author of middle grade novel The First Rule of Punk. Includes great visuals on how to make a zine out of a single sheet of paper.
Making a Saddle-Stiched Zine, is easy but it does require a long arm stapler.
by Taylor Joy. So you want to print some zines to distribute at a punk show or other event, or to just give out to your friends. Sick! If you are new to printing or copying zines or just need a refresher, and want to avoid frustration and wasted paper, this guide is for you.
