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I Made a Zine!
A couple of weeks ago I found myself in a bit of a quiet patch, and after seeing some other Instagrammers experimenting with zines, I decided to give it a go myself.
What I love about zines is that they’re handmade, often using collage and mixed media. You don’t have to be too precious it’s all about letting the creativity flow and seeing where it takes you.
Choosing a Theme
It didn’t take long to land on a theme. Over the summer, I’d been thinking more and more about switching off and spending less time on my phone. I’d also noticed lots of people talking about the same thing. So I thought a zine about getting offline might be both fun to make and useful for others too.
The Making Process
I began by sketching out a quick layout. Then I gathered inspiration: a booklist, a recipe, some photos, and ideas for illustrations. I drew the lettering and some bird sketches in Procreate before moving everything into Illustrator.
For the visuals, I used True Grit Texture Supply’s Halftone Zine Machine to give some of the photos that authentic zine look. I clipped and cut the images, merged them with the titles, and played around with colour and black-and-white versions, a nod to traditional zines, which were usually printed cheaply.
On the back, I designed a poster. I like the idea of the zine doubling up like this, so I cut up a printed copy, arranged the titles, and built a playful poster design from the pages.
Finally, I pulled it all together in the classic 8-page zine format.
A couple of weeks ago I found myself in a bit of a quiet patch, and after seeing some other Instagrammers experimenting with zines, I decided to give it a go myself.
What I love about zines is that they’re handmade, often using collage and mixed media. You don’t have to be too precious it’s all about letting the creativity flow and seeing where it takes you.
Choosing a Theme
It didn’t take long to land on a theme. Over the summer, I’d been thinking more and more about switching off and spending less time on my phone. I’d also noticed lots of people talking about the same thing. So I thought a zine about getting offline might be both fun to make and useful for others too.
The Making Process
I began by sketching out a quick layout. Then I gathered inspiration: a booklist, a recipe, some photos, and ideas for illustrations. I drew the lettering and some bird sketches in Procreate before moving everything into Illustrator.
For the visuals, I used True Grit Texture Supply’s Halftone Zine Machine to give some of the photos that authentic zine look. I clipped and cut the images, merged them with the titles, and played around with colour and black-and-white versions, a nod to traditional zines, which were usually printed cheaply.
On the back, I designed a poster. I like the idea of the zine doubling up like this, so I cut up a printed copy, arranged the titles, and built a playful poster design from the pages.
Finally, I pulled it all together in the classic 8-page zine format.
A couple of weeks ago I found myself in a bit of a quiet patch, and after seeing some other Instagrammers experimenting with zines, I decided to give it a go myself.
What I love about zines is that they’re handmade, often using collage and mixed media. You don’t have to be too precious it’s all about letting the creativity flow and seeing where it takes you.
Choosing a Theme
It didn’t take long to land on a theme. Over the summer, I’d been thinking more and more about switching off and spending less time on my phone. I’d also noticed lots of people talking about the same thing. So I thought a zine about getting offline might be both fun to make and useful for others too.
The Making Process
I began by sketching out a quick layout. Then I gathered inspiration: a booklist, a recipe, some photos, and ideas for illustrations. I drew the lettering and some bird sketches in Procreate before moving everything into Illustrator.
For the visuals, I used True Grit Texture Supply’s Halftone Zine Machine to give some of the photos that authentic zine look. I clipped and cut the images, merged them with the titles, and played around with colour and black-and-white versions, a nod to traditional zines, which were usually printed cheaply.
On the back, I designed a poster. I like the idea of the zine doubling up like this, so I cut up a printed copy, arranged the titles, and built a playful poster design from the pages.
Finally, I pulled it all together in the classic 8-page zine format.
A couple of weeks ago I found myself in a bit of a quiet patch, and after seeing some other Instagrammers experimenting with zines, I decided to give it a go myself.
What I love about zines is that they’re handmade, often using collage and mixed media. You don’t have to be too precious it’s all about letting the creativity flow and seeing where it takes you.
Choosing a Theme
It didn’t take long to land on a theme. Over the summer, I’d been thinking more and more about switching off and spending less time on my phone. I’d also noticed lots of people talking about the same thing. So I thought a zine about getting offline might be both fun to make and useful for others too.
The Making Process
I began by sketching out a quick layout. Then I gathered inspiration: a booklist, a recipe, some photos, and ideas for illustrations. I drew the lettering and some bird sketches in Procreate before moving everything into Illustrator.
For the visuals, I used True Grit Texture Supply’s Halftone Zine Machine to give some of the photos that authentic zine look. I clipped and cut the images, merged them with the titles, and played around with colour and black-and-white versions, a nod to traditional zines, which were usually printed cheaply.
On the back, I designed a poster. I like the idea of the zine doubling up like this, so I cut up a printed copy, arranged the titles, and built a playful poster design from the pages.
Finally, I pulled it all together in the classic 8-page zine format.
Reflections
The whole process felt quick, experimental, and really energising, a proper creative exercise that left me wanting to make more. I especially love the way a zine folds into a little book but can also open up into something bigger.
One idea I’d love to explore is designing a zine-style programme or leaflet for a business. It’s such a fun format and creates something people want to hold on to.
If you’d like me to create a zine for your project or business, I’d love to hear from you!
Reflections
The whole process felt quick, experimental, and really energising, a proper creative exercise that left me wanting to make more. I especially love the way a zine folds into a little book but can also open up into something bigger.
One idea I’d love to explore is designing a zine-style programme or leaflet for a business. It’s such a fun format and creates something people want to hold on to.
If you’d like me to create a zine for your project or business, I’d love to hear from you!
Reflections
The whole process felt quick, experimental, and really energising, a proper creative exercise that left me wanting to make more. I especially love the way a zine folds into a little book but can also open up into something bigger.
One idea I’d love to explore is designing a zine-style programme or leaflet for a business. It’s such a fun format and creates something people want to hold on to.
If you’d like me to create a zine for your project or business, I’d love to hear from you!
Reflections
The whole process felt quick, experimental, and really energising, a proper creative exercise that left me wanting to make more. I especially love the way a zine folds into a little book but can also open up into something bigger.
One idea I’d love to explore is designing a zine-style programme or leaflet for a business. It’s such a fun format and creates something people want to hold on to.
If you’d like me to create a zine for your project or business, I’d love to hear from you!