by Eunice Addo, Co-Editor-in-Chief, The Continuist (Fall 2021)
Hello! I'm Eunice, one of the Co-Editors at The Continuist for the Fall 2021 term. On Thursday, November 25, 2021 I shared my process for making digital ready-to-print zines on canva.com in a workshop. Here are some resources you can use to start making digital zines of your own!
Below is a video that briefly explains:
The history and uses of zines
The technicalities of making digital zines (i.e. number of pages, dimensions, etc.)
How to print zines from home as a booklet using Adobe Acrobat Reader
You can access the presentation slides here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/18xH6lrO4cr8LfB57KGpTIqmvplK_8edX0JdoaDnnJVA/edit?usp=sharing
Download the 8/16-page Zine Table of Contents Templates here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iBU17YTlniHJY0Z9XIhsf2tABq77p8HpxlpRs0cAP84/edit?usp=sharing
Now, a major part of zinemaking is being resourceful. To create zines I usually surf all over the internet for resources that'll make the process a bit easier. Here are some resources I can provide, all in one place!
Toronto Public Library (TPL) Resources
The Toronto Public Library is a magnificent resource for zines and beyond!
Toronto Reference Library Zine Collection (5th Floor)
Asquith Press Book Printing Service (located in the Digital Innovation Hub at the Toronto Reference Library): https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/using-the-library/computer-services/book-printing-service/
Highly recommend exploring their website at tpl.ca or visiting your local branch to discover how much you can access with just a library card. This includes academic journal articles, free passes to the Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario, good quality film and music streaming sites, ebooks, and so much more!
Where to get photos to use in zines
If you’re making a zine for your personal collection or to share with family or friends *for free* you’re technically allowed to use any images you’d like. But, just to be safe, I’m providing links to websites where photos are free to use. Please visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ to learn more about copyright and what it means!
Collage Images on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/groups/collageimages/
My absolute favourite website for free images! Most are vintage and you'll come across some pretty weird photos but, if you have the time and patience, a look through will uncover a lot of gems. Also, it still gets updated regularly so you can check back every once and a while and find new images to use!
Smithsonian Open Access: https://www.si.edu/openaccess
U of T Libraries - Images and Visual Resources Public Domain Guide: https://guides.library.utoronto.ca/c.php?g=250820&p=1671955
Felt Magnet - Free Images & Collage Sheets: https://feltmagnet.com/crafts/free-printables-for-collage
Digital Arts - Free Old Images and Photos: 14 Best Sites for Free Vintage Photos and Artworks: https://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/features/illustration/free-old-images-photos-12-best-sites-for-free-vintage-photos-artworks/
*WARNING: Do not distribute any zines for profit unless you've checked the rights of the images or content you've used! Using your own images and content is the safest route if you want to sell your zines.
You've probably heard of "Fair Use" in terms of using/appropriating other people's content. Fair use is actually a legal doctrine in the United States and in Canada the equivalent of this is called Fair Dealing. Learn more about fair dealing here: https://fair-dealing.ca/what-is-fair-dealing/
Zines Collections/Archives/Libraries
If you’d like to see a variety of zines/small-press publications, check out these websites! HEADS UP some of these pages are NSFW (Not Safe For Work), so please browse with this in mind.
Toronto Zine Library: https://www.torontozinelibrary.org/
Canada Comics Open Library (Toronto): https://www.canadacomicsol.org/comic-book-resources/zine-resources/#
Internet Archive (CW: nudity): https://archive.org/details/zines
Douglas College Library Online Zine Collections: https://guides.douglascollege.ca/zines/distros
Broken Pencil - Canadian and International Zine Distros: https://brokenpencil.com/distributors/
To explore current zine culture
Zinemaking is not a thing of the past! There are so many independent creators and zine publishers around the world who keep the culture alive. "There's a zine for that" may not be too far of a stretch, honestly.
Broken Pencil Magazine: https://brokenpencil.com/
Microcosm Publishing (Portland, Oregon, USA): https://microcosmpublishing.com/
If you know of any more websites or zine distros and would like to add to the above list, I'd love to know about them! Email them to: eunice.addo@ryerson.ca
If you want more zinemaking tutorials, check out our Quaranzines series (also hosted by me) on our IGTV or YouTube!
If you'd like to share your zines with a larger audience we have a platform for that! Send your zines (as a pdf file) to our email thecontinuist@gmail.com and you can be featured on our Zines By You page! Check it out here: https://www.thecontinuist.com/zines-by-you
Happy zinemaking :)