The popularity of digital cameras means that most photos remain in digital format and are only shared on various social media platforms. Those who wish to print their photography can still do so, although the price of prints and photobooks can be a costly expense. Enter the photo zine. What is a photo zine? I’m glad you asked. Keep reading to find out how creating your own zine can showcase your photos at an affordable price.
What Is A Photo Zine?
If you’ve never heard of a photo zine, you’re not alone. A photo zine, or photography zine (pronounced “zeen”) is a creative and inexpensive way to self-publish your work. Originally called fanzines (short for “fan magazine”), they were first created in the 1930s by science fiction fans who wanted to publish and trade their own stories.
As it relates to photography, there are no hard and fast rules on how to create a zine. Some are presented as a booklet, and others are three-fold pamphlet-style. An avant-garde zine design prints photos as postcards that are contained in a fancy, handmade envelope. Whatever your preference, creativity is a key feature of your zine, and original presentations will generate more buzz. You have ultimate freedom as to how you present your vision, so go all-in on the presentation that speaks to you.
Photography printing does not come cheap. Even the lowest-priced photography book can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars depending on the run size and materials used. This is another reason that makes photo zines so attractive. You can create something unique, and not have to break the bank doing so.
How To Make A Photography Zine
Making a photo zine is a do-it-yourself project. As a creative person, you probably have this initiative hard-wired into you already. There is no set quantity when it comes to publishing a zine, but usually, they’re run in a lower number as a limited edition.
The only limitation to the presentation of your photo zine is your imagination. You can make it however you wish. Many creators take inspiration from those that have come before them. You can do this but make sure to put your own spin on it so it’s a somewhat original idea.
Content
A photo zine is nothing without content. You’ll need to have a body of work to present. Stick with a specific theme if you want your zine to have the most impact. If it’s a travel photography zine, but you include family portraits, they’re going to look out of place and confuse the viewer. However, if the entire zine is a mixture of random photos, that would actually be more thematic.
Once you define your theme, pick the best photos to tell your story. The argument can be made to stick with your artistic intuition and only present the photos you deem worthy. But you may want to include a few shots that you know to be crowd-pleasers, even if you don’t consider them your best work.
Layout
The layout of your photo zine is one of the most important aspects of it. Properly laid out, the photos should succinctly tell the story you’re intending to convey. You’ll have to first decide on a size for your zine. A common layout is an 8.5” (H) x 5.5” (W) booklet, which is essentially a letter-size 8.5” x 11” piece of paper folded in half. This layout gives you 4 pages per page – two images on the front of the page, and two images on the back. As each piece of paper overlaps, you’ll have to pay extra attention to which images go on what pages.
Some zines are designed to be much smaller, so you can fit them in your pocket. You may want to create yours to be larger and maybe even in landscape orientation. Only you know the best way to present your photography, so take your time to look into various zines layouts before settling on one.
Also, take into account how you want your photos to be displayed. You can have a single image centered on a page or you could stretch it to fill the entire page. You might want a single photo to stretch across two pages, or have two or four small images per page. Mixing and matching creates a dynamic photo flow that keeps readers’ interest. It’s much more effective than having a single, centered image on every page of your zine.
Size
You should think about how big you want your photo zine to be. Zines are traditionally smaller in size, which means keeping them under the 40-page mark. This gives you the front and back covers (both sides), plus 36 inside pages to use how you wish. It’s important to note that the more pages that are in your photo zine, the more difficult it will be for the zine to lay flat when not in use. More paper means the zine will be thicker and push out the cover, which can be an eyesore. For this reason, printing companies usually put size limits on their zines.
Materials
The affordability of zines comes down to the materials used for them. This doesn’t mean that you’ll be using cheap materials, but rather you’ll be using materials that aren’t going to cost as much as the high-quality paper, binding, and covers used in traditional photobooks.
The easiest way to publish your photo zine is to design it in a program such as Adobe InDesign, and then send it to a print company. Some print companies may supply you with templates if you’re not familiar with InDesign. They also give material options to keep your zine well with your budget. Some zines are printed with the same paper all the way through, while others opt for thicker paper for the cover. You can also choose between matte and gloss finishes, depending on the look you’re going for.
Of course, if you want to do it all yourself you absolutely can. If you have access to a printer, you can do the printing yourself, and then put the zine together on your own.
Words
Many photographers prefer to let their images tell the story. You may wish to include anecdotes alongside your photos to elaborate on what the reader is seeing. Again, there’s no right or wrong. I personally feel that adding words can enrich the experience. You can include a little blurb of when and where the photo was taken. Maybe you want to include the camera settings that were used on each shot. Another idea is to put a photo on 1 page and a story explaining it on the adjacent page. Play around with things before your zine is finalized. You may have a certain idea in your head, but by expanding on it you can create something even more compelling.
Sell, Sell, Sell
Unless you’re a well-renowned photographer, you probably won’t make major waves with your first few zines. In fact, you might even struggle to sell them to anyone who isn’t family or friends. At this point, you should focus on the creation of it and providing value, rather than the potential monetary return.
However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to make some money. Every little bit helps, and with a bit of savvy, you might break even, or even turn a profit. The internet has made it easier than ever to connect with people. The DIY nature of photo zines means you can sell them on Etsy, a huge “handmade product” marketplace. Join online photography or zine communities and let them know about your work. Social media is another great way to get your name out there and bring awareness to your latest project.
Making A Photo Zine Is Easy
By now you should have a good idea of what a photo zine is and isn’t. Creating one isn’t very difficult, and you can either do it all by yourself or use a printing company to help out. Whichever route you take, know that there will always be a market for printed work and physical products. You may think your photography is nothing spectacular. But the only way you’ll know if it inspires others is to create your zine and release it into the world.
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