Because sometimes the best way to share your art (or thoughts, or weird obsessions) is a tiny photocopied book you made yourself.
Zines are the scrappy, DIY heart of independent publishing. They’re small, self-published, often chaotic, always personal, and completely immune to gatekeeping. No publisher approval needed. No ISBN required. Just you, some paper, an idea, and the willingness to fold things.
At Art Supply Center, we love zines because they’re accessible, experimental, and endlessly customizable. You can make one in an afternoon with a single sheet of paper, or you can go full production mode with printing, collage, and hand-stitching. Both are valid. Both are zines.
Let’s talk about how to make one.
What Even Is a Zine?
A zine (short for “magazine” or “fanzine”) is a small-circulation, self-published work. Historically, zines were the domain of punk rockers, sci-fi fans, political activists, and anyone who had something to say and no interest in waiting for permission to say it.
Today, zines are still all of that plus art books, poetry collections, comics, how-to guides, personal essays, visual experiments, and whatever else you want them to be. The only rule is that you make it and you decide what goes in it.
Zines are typically small format (think folded letter-size paper or smaller), photocopied or printed at home, and distributed by hand, through the mail, or sidewalk joy locations. They’re meant to be accessible, reproducible, and a little bit rough around the edges.
Perfect is not the goal. Communication is.
The Simplest Zine: The One-Sheet Fold
If you’ve never made a zine before, start here. This is the classic 8-page zine made from a single sheet of paper, one fold, and one cut. No staples. No glue. Just geometry doing its thing.
What you need:
- One sheet of paper (8.5″ x 11″ works great)
- Scissors or a craft knife
- A pen, pencil, or whatever you’re drawing/writing with
How to fold it (for you awesome visual learners, see the diagram below):
- Fold the paper in half lengthwise (hotdog style).
- Fold it in half widthwise (hamburger style).
- Fold it in half widthwise again. You now have a small folded rectangle.
- Unfold back to the first lengthwise fold.
- Cut along the center crease, but only through the middle section (between the two valley folds). You’re making a slit, not cutting the whole thing in half.
- Unfold completely, then refold lengthwise.
- Push the ends toward the center so the cut section opens up into a + shape.
- Fold it all into a little book.
Boom. Eight-page zine. You can now draw, write, collage, or scribble your way through it.
Pro tip: Plan your layout before you fill it in. The page order gets weird because of the folds. Make a prototype first so you know what’s on what page.
Level Up: Stapled Zines
Once you’ve outgrown the single-sheet fold (or just want more pages), stapled zines are the next move. These are multiple sheets of paper folded in half and stapled along the spine. Classic mini-book energy.
What you need:
- Multiple sheets of paper (start with 3-5 sheets for a 12-20 page zine)
- A long-reach stapler (or a regular stapler used creatively)
- Folding skills and a bone folder (or the back of a spoon)
How to make it:
- Stack your sheets of paper evenly.
- Fold the whole stack in half.
- Staple along the center fold (the spine). If you don’t have a long-reach stapler, open a regular stapler, place it over the fold, and staple from the outside. Then flip it over and flatten the staple legs with something flat and heavy.
- Trim the edges if they’re uneven (optional but satisfying).
Now you’ve got a proper little booklet. Fill it however you want — drawings, writing, collage, mixed media, absolute chaos. All valid.
Collaged Interiors: Where Zines Get Weird (In a Good Way)
One of the best things about zines is that they don’t have to be precious. You can glue things in, layer, cover mistakes with more art, or make it messy on purpose.
Collage ideas for zine interiors:
- Cut-and-paste text from magazines, newspapers, or old books
- Layer photocopied images, drawings, and textures
- Add found ephemera: ticket stubs, receipts, stamps, maps, packaging
- Paint or stamp backgrounds before adding text or images
- Use transparent or translucent paper for layered effects
- Glue in pockets, fold-outs, or inserts for interactive elements
The beauty of zines is that they’re allowed to be rough. Glue wrinkles? Part of the aesthetic. Slightly crooked text? Adds character. This is the medium where “imperfect” is not just acceptable — it’s often the point.
Printing and Reproducing: Making More Than One
Zines are meant to be shared, which usually means making copies. Here’s how:
Photocopiers are your best friend. Black and white copies are cheap, fast, and give zines that classic DIY look. Many copy shops let you print double-sided and will even help with collating if you’re doing a big run.
Home printers work too. If you want color or more control, print at home. Just know that ink costs add up fast, so budget accordingly.
Risograph printing. If you want that vibrant, slightly off-register, retro look, find a local Riso printer. It’s a sweet spot between photocopying and offset printing — affordable for small runs and visually chef’s kiss.
How many to make? Start small. 10-20 copies is a solid first run. You can always make more if they disappear faster than you expected (which is a great problem to have).
Distribution: Getting Your Zine Into the World
You made a thing. Now what?
Give them away. Seriously. Hand them to friends, leave them in coffee shops (with permission), trade with other zine makers. Zines thrive on circulation, not profit.
Sell them. Zine fairs, art markets, online shops, consignment at local bookstores or record shops. Price them low enough that people will take a chance ($2-$5 is common).
Mail them. Zine culture has a long postal tradition. Trade with other zine makers, send them to people who request them, build a little mailing list.
Leave them places. Little free libraries, art spaces, community boards, or contribute to Sidewalk Joy. Some zines are meant to be found.
The goal isn’t to make money (though if you do, great). The goal is to get your work out there and connect with people who vibe with what you’re making.
Why Zines Matter (Beyond the Craft)
Zines are a low-stakes, high-reward creative practice. They let you:
- Experiment without pressure
- Finish something tangible quickly
- Share work without needing approval from anyone
- Build community with other makers
- Practice storytelling, layout, and design
- Make art that’s meant to be touched, folded, and lived with
They’re also an incredible gateway into bookmaking, printmaking, illustration, and publishing. A lot of artists and writers start with zines and never stop making them — even after they’ve “graduated” to other formats.
Because zines are fun, scrappy, endlessly adaptable and they remind you that you don’t need permission to make things and share them.
If you want to try making a zine but aren’t sure where to start (or if you want to level up from one-sheet folds to full-on collaged booklets) come see us. We’ve got all the paper, all the tools, all the enthusiasm, and probably too many opinions about stapling techniques. Want to share a zine you’ve created? Tag us on Instagram.
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