Why a zine is the easiest book you will ever print
A zine is a small, self-published booklet about anything you care about: a comic, a collection of poems, a guide to the best noodle stalls in your neighbourhood, photos from a trip, a fan tribute to a band. There are no rules about content, which is the whole point. There are, however, a few practical rules about how pages, folds and staples work, and knowing them makes the difference between a zine that looks handmade in a good way and one where the page numbers are in the wrong order.
This guide walks through the choices that matter for a first zine or mini comic: format and size, page count, how to lay out the file, paper, binding, and how many copies to print for a first run.
Pick a format first
Most zines use one of three formats. Each is built from standard sheets, so they are cheap to print and easy to fold.
| Format | Finished size | How it is made | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-sheet mini zine | A7 (74 x 105 mm), 8 pages | One A4 sheet, folded and cut once in the middle | Short comics, a single idea, giveaways |
| Half-letter or A5 zine | A5 (148 x 210 mm) | A4 sheets folded in half and stapled in the fold | The classic format, most content |
| Quarter-size zine | A6 (105 x 148 mm) | A5 sheets folded and stapled | Poetry, pocket guides, cute mini comics |
If you are not sure, go with A5. It is large enough for comic panels and photos, fits in a bag or an envelope, and every print shop can handle it without special setup.
Page counts: the multiple of four rule
A stapled zine is made from sheets folded in half. Each sheet gives four pages: two on the front, two on the back. So the total page count, including the covers, must be a multiple of four. That means 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 or 28 pages, not 10 or 14.
If your content comes out at 14 pages, you have a choice: add two pages (a contents page, a short "about the maker" page, or a blank notes page at the back) or cut two. Zine makers often use the inside front and back covers for thanks, credits and a way to find more of their work.
For a first zine, 12 to 24 pages is a comfortable range. Below 8 pages, the stapled format hardly makes sense, and above about 40 pages of normal paper, a simple saddle stitch begins to struggle and the pages in the middle push outwards.
Laying out the file
Send single pages, in reading order
If you fold a stack of sheets, the page order on each sheet is not 1, 2, 3, 4. On an 8-page zine, for example, page 8 and page 1 sit side by side on one sheet. Working out this order by hand is called imposition, and it is easy to get wrong. The simplest solution is to design your zine as single pages, in normal reading order, and export a PDF with one page per page. The print shop's software puts the pages in the right places on the sheet.
Margins, bleed and the fold
- Bleed. If artwork runs to the edge of the page, extend it 3 mm past the trim. Otherwise, you may get a thin white line at the edge after cutting.
- Outside margins. Keep text and important parts of drawings at least 5 mm inside the trim edge.
- Inside margin. Leave a little extra space near the fold, 8 to 10 mm, so text does not disappear into the staples.
- Spreads. If a drawing runs across two facing pages, avoid putting a face or a word right on the fold.
Drawing comics for print
Hand-drawn comics look best when scanned at a high resolution. Scan pencil or greyscale artwork at 600 ppi, and pure black line art at 600 to 1200 ppi. Hand lettering and speech bubbles should be large enough to read without squinting. At A5, lettering around 8 to 9 pt in size (about 3 mm for capital letters) is a sensible minimum. If you are also scanning old drawings or children's work, our guide to printing kids' artwork covers scanning in more detail.
Black and white or colour
Many zines are printed in black and white, and not only to save money. Photocopy-style black ink on off-white paper is part of the look, and line art often reads better in one colour. Colour printing costs more per page, but it can be worth it for photo zines, travel diaries and comics that rely on colour.
A popular middle ground is a colour cover with black-and-white inside pages. It makes the zine stand out on a table at a fair, while keeping the price of each copy low enough to sell or trade.
Paper and cover
Paper weight changes the feel of a zine more than people expect.
- Inside pages: 80 to 100 gsm uncoated paper feels like a proper booklet, takes ink well, and folds neatly. Heavier paper for many pages makes the zine stiff and hard to close.
- Self-cover: The cover is the same paper as the inside pages. Cheapest, and it gives that true zine look.
- Separate cover: A heavier 170 to 250 gsm cover makes the zine last longer, especially if you plan to sell it or post it.
- Coloured or recycled paper: Kraft, pastel or recycled papers work well for black-and-white zines and give a handmade feel without extra cost.
Stapling and finishing
Almost all zines are saddle stitched: two staples through the fold, from the outside. At home, this needs a long-reach stapler, which can reach the middle of an A4 sheet. A print shop does it by machine, which gives neater, straighter staples, and trims the outer edge so the pages line up perfectly.
That trim matters more than you might think. When sheets are folded inside each other, the middle pages stick out slightly beyond the outside ones. On a thin zine, the difference is tiny, but on 24 pages or more you will see a stepped edge unless the zine is trimmed after stapling.
For a longer project with a spine, like a collection of your comics or a travel journal, look at other bindings. Our guide to photo books, binding and paper compares them.
How many copies to print
A first run of 30 to 50 copies suits most new zines. That is enough to give to friends, sell at a small fair or swap with other makers, and it does not leave a box of unsold copies under your bed. Digital printing means a small run costs nearly the same per copy as a slightly larger one, and you can reprint when you run out, with corrections if needed.
Before you print the full run, ask for one printed and stapled proof copy. Check the page order, how the fold falls across any spreads, and whether the text is readable. It is the cheapest way to catch the one mistake that would otherwise be in all fifty copies.
Printing your zine with us
We print zines and mini comics through our booklet and folded printing service, in A5, A6 and mini formats, in black and white, full colour, or colour cover with black-and-white pages. Choose from uncoated, recycled and coloured papers, with a self-cover or a heavier cover card, and we staple and trim every copy. Send a single-page PDF in reading order, and we will set up the imposition and check the page count, bleed and margins before printing.
Small runs from 20 copies are normal for us, and a single proof copy is available first if you want to see it in your hands. See the digital printing services page for other options, or get in touch with your file and page count for a quote. If your next project is a cookbook for the family, our article on printing a family recipe book follows many of the same steps.
Once the first box of zines arrives, keep one copy aside. You will want it later, when you print issue two and see how much you have learned.
