Zine Dummy:Explore ideas first by making a rough dummy (or maquette) of your zine booklet. This can be folded office paper scribbled in pencil. It doesn’t need to be fancy or refined, but is a way to explore things like sequence, pagination, imagery, and text without getting too precious or spending too much time on an idea. Work out the order and size of pages, how you might bind it, and what you might do for imagery, text, etc. Photograph or scan to upload along with your final zine.
Book Structure:The final book structure is your choice but consider something simple such as a pamphlet, single-sheet pamphlet or accordion for this first assignment.
Final book size: The dimensions of your zine are your choice. Consider if you want printed imagery to go to the edge of the paper, as you may need to trim the paper to cut off the margins.
Number of Page Spreads:You will need at least3spreads plus the front and back cover. This means you will need at least2pieces of paper folded in half and placed in-between your cover paper if you create a sewn pamphlet, or a single-sheet pamphlet will work perfectly to create your zine. Consider using heavier or colored paper for the cover, or adding an introductory sequence w/ title page and a colophon at the end.
Image and/or text:No restrictions, although try to utilize hand cut, torn, collaged, drawn or painted imagery. Your page designs can then be scanned or photographed, could be digitally manipulated if you wanted, and then printed out as copies to be bound into a book.
Color:It’s your choice to work in black and white or in color for the final printed zine. Consider working with different color paper as well. Your printing could all be in black and white but with the use of color paper you could add a lot of depth and variety.
Paper:Your choice. You might consider going to KellySpicers Paper to purchase 80 lb. 11 x 17 color paper, asking for photo paper at Kinkos or Alphagraphics, or cutting down some paper to size that could accommodate Xerox printing. Thicker papers can be difficult to fold without scoring. Also look out for paper grain, create a dummy to make sure your paper will lay flat after folding.
Printing/reproduction: Your choice. It’s fine to illustrate or paint by hand, and then scan it and print it. Your zine can be produced digitally, photographically and/or from collage. The final zineMUSTbe a physical printed copy, bound with stitching or staples!Remember to take margins into consideration if the printer cannot print full-bleed, or to the edges!
Edition size: Only one printed zine, photographed for upload is required, but you might wish to create several copies and even trade with fellow classmates.
