How does /p/ feel about zines?

They seem fun. You print your stuff, distribute it however you want, and people look at it. They might toss it in the trash but at least you made an impression.

You can make them for pretty cheap. I made some lo-fi DIY-style ones with my visual art at home using just an inkjet printer, and I've been dropping them in random places for people to find.

Anyone ever make zines?

When i was coocoo about photo i made a handful, like 4 or 5, it was neat

>>4438880
What did you do with them?

where can you make zines where you can get everything bespoke essentially? looking to do a low run

>>4438940
Sold some, gifted them too

>>4438872 (OP)
I have only made individual prints instead - bc I only feel like printing it out and gifting it to the friends/family portrayed on it if it's a very good shot. And if it's a very good shot then it's also good enough to hang it on a wall.

But maybe I should look into zines. I like that they feel more casual.

How do you get confident enough to make a zine? Aren't you worried that nobody will care?

>>4439059
Just do it. I did my first run of 20 this month and just left them in gas station bathroom stalls and whatnot. Just random places that people might be bored and looking around.

If someone scans my QR code and follows me on IG, then they're more likely to interact with anything I post from there on.

Plus, it's not like anyone's ever cared about my work. Didn't stop me from posting 1800 photos on Instagram over 9 years.

>>4439068
based & redpilled

>>4439068
nice

>>4439114
>>4439120
The cool thing about it is that they're extremely cost-effective to make.

10 cents for b&w, 25 cents for color prints at my local library.

I would encourage anyone to make them and treat them as a modified business card almost (if you're into the business and social media side of photography). People love and remember tangible goods with real value rather than just a QR code itself or business card.

Would anyone be interested in a zine exchange?

I was thinking about setting up a website like Postcrossing.com but for zines.

You send a zine to a random person.
Another random person sends you a zine.

I think this would be a great idea but I don't know how2code.

>>4439615
maybe I'd make one just for this

>>4439616
Would you utilize a website like that?

>>4439620
I would be interested but I don't know if I want to put my address into a 4chan guys website

>>4439627
Ideally the website would be advertised on other websites as well and it would have a very clear privacy policy.

I'm just throwing the idea out there, but if there's a photographer-web developer out there that is reading this and wants to create something special, feel free to take this idea. Call it "Zinecrossing" or something and base it entirely on the functionality of Postcrossing.

So how do you actually obtain a zine?

>>4440416
go to zine fairs

>>4440416
Go to your local libraries, bookstores, and record stores. Anywhere like that might have zines. If you don't see any around your town, start a movement and release your own zines in random spots around town and inspire others to do the same.

>>4438978
1. look up how to fold a zine from a single piece of paper
2. put b+w photos together for this format in photoshop
3. print them with your local library's laser printer for free or cents
This is how you actually make a zine instead of whatever OP's image is showing.
(I'm only 50% joking. My point is the spirit of a zine is using what you've got even if it's not much.)

>>4440527
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsUeIffOwMQ

Here's a good video for that anon.

Here's the templates she offers:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/11Lc8s3w5HLrs8ekKiIGrbxNjVUV591MRvLdIOp_5fiA/mobilebasic

I tried to make one using the freeware scribus but it's not very intuitive for me, I also wasted a bunch of paper because I didn't set the print collating correctly. I ended up just exporting to PDF and will see if I can get it printed at Kinkos in color instead.
If anyone has any freeware software suggestions for PC please let me know.

>>4441088
just pirate photoshop

>>4441088
Photopea.com is a pretty good online photoshop alternative. Lot of features

>>4441088
Judt pirate InDesign

>>4441093
>>4441114
I'm scared to pirate, I'm a pussy. Although from my research InDesign would be the proper tool to use albeit it's totally overkill for my subpar street photography half-page zine.
>>4441110
Thanks, but I've been using GIMP as a photoshop alternative. From looking at that website it doesn't seem to have much in the way of zine templates that match what I'm looking to do.
This guy has some scribus templates for zines:
https://metaparadox.itch.io/scribus-zine-templates

I'm going to give it a shot, I'll report back if there's interest.

>>4441309
I'm definitely interested in seeing what you come up with.

>>4438872 (OP)
>lo-fi DIY-style ones
Photos are not music you silly goose unless you mean definition as in blurry or upscaled to oblivion

>>4441584
probably means jank graphic design, typefacing and layout, etc shit like picrel

>>4441584
What I meant is that they're lo-fi in the sense that they're not printed using the highest quality paper or printers, and I'm a complete hobbyist when it comes to design.

In:
>>4439231
I just designed it using Photopea and a template that I downloaded (linked it earlier in this thread), printed it out at my local library, and folded it up myself with just my fingers before stapling it.

It's "lo-fi, DIY" in the sense that I'm a complete beginner to zines and I was relying on creative experimentation rather than any popular idea of what it SHOULD look like.

They're definitely getting seen by people because I've seen my analytics on Instagram shoot up in the past couple of weeks since I've been dropping them. Getting eyeballs on them is the main goal for me personally, because I'm confident enough in my ability to put together a compelling series of photos with an interesting narrative.

>>4439231
are you satisfied with library print quality?

>>4442013
I'm very satisfied with it. I'm not sure what kind of printer they used, but it was a lot better quality than the run of my first edition that I printed at home on an inkjet printer.

Of course, if these photos were going in a high-end art gallery or something, I'd go with a better option, but for little one-off zines to capture someone's interest, the libraries prints are perfect.

Alright I just finished my zine and I ordered 11 of them on Mixam

>>4442089
Please post the results when you get them in!

>>4442099
Sure. It was less expensive than I thought. $3 per zine.

I liked the idea of being able to share these with other dollfags and hand these out when people ask me for social media info if I'm out in public. So, this was tonight's project. Walgreens printing is, as usual, dogshit but they had 100 of these done in an hour. I won't be using them again due to bad colors and misalignment/scaling of my content. Folding and cutting takes a while, I think it was about a minute or two per fold cut and staple.

Seems kind of a waste to not use the inside of the sheet. Saddle stitch or having something in the center to unfold into a larger poster may be the way to go for the next version

>>4442110
A lot of zinemakers do suggest putting a poster on the back of your paper. I haven't tried it yet, but it does seem like a good idea.

>>4442110
ohhh, that is so cool
really hits home how zines are for sharing niche-interests and how they can connect people (I am new to all this)

>>4438872 (OP)
So you are intentionally littering? Isnt that a crime?

>>4442190
I can smell the reddit on this reply from a mile away

>>4442308
redditors are against taking tangible action. They prefer to just talk about it on the internet and get updoots

>>4442110
These look excellent. I am not a dollfag but your work is very cool. I love the camera obscura shot you have here.

>>4442346
honeslt, doll anon is one of the best we have on here lately despite the subject matter. Imagine like a davinci but used his tallent for furry gay porn.

>>4442527
truest post I've ever seen on here

>>4442110
Thats pretty nice, i think ill strart making zines again, at least one more

Anybody got anything new in?

>>4444873
mine are still in the mail

Does anyone have experience with using Amazon's publishing? I'd imagine that using a publisher probably takes away from the 'handmade' aspect of zine's but using amazon has serious advantages over going to my local kinkos or staples.
>>4442110
Wow these are pretty nice, what do people say to you when they see you in public with your doll?

>>4445220
>what do people say to you when they see you in public with your doll
A lot of people assume that I'm doing paid photography or it's my job or something which is pretty amusing. If people ask, it's mostly curiosity about it, some variation of 'what are you doing? can I see?', 'cute!', and asking if I post on social media. But by far, people just look in passing and move on which is what I'd prefer.
Some interactions of note:
Gen X lady scoffs and says 'weird', keeps moving. This is the only 'negative' reaction I'd say I'd had, but not unexpected.
A couple of middle schoolers pass by and the first one calls to the other 'look he's taking picture of anime' and they stop to chat for a while while I'm setting up. Phrasing of 'taking pictures of anime' was noteworthy.
The most confusing was definitely a boomer and his wife asking what I'm doing.
>Taking doll portraits
>What?
>Taking doll portraits
>What?
>Taking portraits of the doll, like this
I hold up my hands in a finger crop of the rough photo, the guy processes for like 5 full seconds
>Why?
>For fun
>No I mean why take pictures of the doll, why here?
I had no idea what he was getting at still, I think he was asking about composition but it also came across as a 'fuck, why do anything?'

Initial responses to zine was positive, I've handed out four so far to interested people that stop and ask in a way that came off as interested. Being able to show photos without having to pull up my phone is nice

>>4445325
You're an interesting lad.

>>4442110
Walgreens sucks big time. Last time I took a disposable to them I received well over half my photos missing and the ones that remained were all victims of light leaks at the lab. Luckily I found a local lab that does disposables that offers .tiff scans and I'm pretty sure they give you back your negatives so I'm going to check them out. If it pans out well I might see if I can get some 35mm rolls developed too

>>4445367
I wouldn't go to walgreens for developing. They don't return your negatives now, so what's the point? but I figured their document printers would be adequate. In this case, paying for convenience was fine with me but after seeing the printed document quality I'll take future work online or to a local print shop.
I have tried walgreens for digital for photo prints before, quality was meh but decent enough to put on a wall and not look closely at. WHCC is my preferred photo printer now

What are y'all using to make layouts? Any text or just pics. Starting work on my mannequin zine but I've never done anything like this before

>>4445378
Look at the templates here:
>>4440541

>>4445378
>mannequin zine
Godspeed

>>4445325
Pretty based. Gives me perspective on that eerie feeling I get just stopping and taking pictures of things in the countryside. I get that "Everyone's looking" heebie jeebies. But I think the general response to a random with a tripod is "wtf is buddy doin?" Props to you, Doll anon, for making space for yourself to practice your craft.

Anyone want an eggzine?

>>4446121
yes

my first and only zines showed up

>>4446484
Gorgeous. What are your plans with them?

>>4446485
Thanks, I was going to keep one and randomly distribute the rest

>>4446484
Hell yeah anon. What service did you use to print them?

>>4446507
I used Mixam. Pretty happy with the quality. Came out to around $3/zine. 12 pages plus the cover which is a thicker paper. Not bad. At least feels like something you shouldn't just throw away

>>4446515
I used Mixam too, no complaints.

>>4446484
>>4446515
>>4447307
Cool. Gonna look into this for my own work.

>>4438872 (OP)
Zines are tits.
Do it.

>>4438872 (OP)
this got me interested in printing either a zine or a book, but i looked around and it seems like it's not very common for the large sizes like A3 or larger. but i see at the bookstore photobooks and magazines that size or bigger quite often. maybe i'm just retarded and not looking for the right thing but i can't see any. i figure if i'm gonna put a bunch of photos together, i want em big.

>>4447307
Ya see that dad?? it’s kino…I’m fucking inspired… that’s it I’m doing this shit that thing is amazing looking holy hell

>>4447307
Too fucking legit

I have ordered my zines fuck I hope they turn out well

>>4447307
What size is that?

Any tips on editing photos for printing?

>>4447743
just make sure you're in CMYK color space and makes sure your resolution is adequate. If you're taking normal pictures it's not really a big deal. If your photos are somehow full of ultra neon colors then you will have to edit thinks to be less saturated.

>>4447325
>>4447375
>>4447610
>>4447742
Thanks anon(s). It's 8.5"x8.5"

>>4448014
Thanks and great stuff

>>4438872 (OP)
Should we make a /p/ zine?

>>4449555
it would just be blurry out of focus pics and pics of dog dicks

>>4449555
Sounds fun. Do any anons here trust a random 4chan user with their address? Someone trustworthy can create a Google Form and we can distribute copies that way.

>>4449557
Have some faith, anon. I've seen some really nice photos in /fgt/ over the years
>>4449558
I haven't even thought of that, honestly. I don't think simply giving out your address would get you into any trouble and you can always use a random fake name for the delivery. Or people could get them delivered to those shipping lockers?

>>4445378
>>4445442
Bros they turned out so good I can't believe I waited so long to do something like this

>>4449618
Nice stuff anon. Having things printed out always feels good

>>4441584
>https://metaparadox.itch.io/scribus-zine-templates
I had a professor who has been a zine junkie since the 1970s, collector and maker. He teaches an art class on them, which is a regular favorite. I've seen some of his from over the years in the museum, and was surprised to find he went through several stylistic eras, into Art Books (not books about art, books AS art), to ridiculous levels of fine craftsmanship and design, and yet still ended up back where he started, making single sheet, letter-sized mimeographed zines featuring punk images, artifacts and philosophy. He brought in his mimeograph to let the students try it. It's a tiny, manual drum, hot & messy little thing, spitting black carbon from its mouth and zapping you if you hold it wrong. It's probably the truest process to the spirit of the zine ive ever seen, and of course that's why he does them that way still/again.

So yeah you can hand write each one, print them on a ruby laser or run them on a broken down ink-snorting messy beast, and all are of equal worth, all are 100% the thing you chose to make and present to the world.