View Full Version : Photography zines, printing, blurb, etc.
Anyone of you make zines? Either done under your own roof or through blurb, etc.?
Any recommendations for me to check out?
I'm starting to experiment with a Canon P300. If you are making a zine, I'd love to hear about your workflow or just have a conversation about it all. All the details from cover stock, size of paper, what to put on the cover, layouts, edits, text or no text ... and of course, subject matter.
wikipedia accurately describes it: "A zine is a small-circulation self-published work of original or appropriated texts and images, usually reproduced via a copy machine. Zines are the product of either a single person or of a very small group, and are popularly photocopied into physical prints for circulation."
Zines are very popular now. You might find more and better information from a forum that deals with them rather than LF photography.
I once lived inside a ZINE press, many have stolen the name
It was a free newsprint with Chicago Punk the topic
https://archives.depaul.edu/repositories/2/archival_objects/65194
Underdog extinct
However http://lumpen.com/ is always evolving, very political
Ed still at it, he hits every hipster coffee shop before the Internet gets a whiff
Paper is landville
Alan Klein
5-May-2023, 05:12
I used Blurb recently to make my first book of my grandson's first birthday. 8 1/2" x 9 1/2", 48 pictures (24 pages) around $50 although they usually have 20% off sales. I had to redo it because the pictures were too dark. No charge. Follow their instructions for lightening up photos as this is often an issue with printing. Blurb has an app that allows you to layout pictures, create text and covers etc. They have different papers to select from as well, flat, semi-gloss, glossy, etc.
Zines are short-run publications, usually a form of artistic expression, mostly saddle-stitched and have a less polished look than magazines or books. They can incorporate more experimental layouts and materials and binding processes. Many are printed on consumer-grade inkjet printers and a variety of paper stocks. A pretty good source for printing a more mainstream zine would be Blurb's subsidiary MagCloud.
Zines are very popular now. You might find more and better information from a forum that deals with them rather than LF photography.
Looking less into zines and more into the people who may make or made them. Doesn’t hurt ask.
Mark Sampson
5-May-2023, 16:43
I recently self-published a book through Blurb, titled "The House and the Cape". You can see a preview in the Blurb bookstore section (search on my name or the title). They do a pretty good job, considering. I'd use them again.
Mark Stahlke
5-May-2023, 16:48
I've put together a couple books on Adorama's Printique. They produce a nice product but they're pricey.
Looking less into zines and more into the people who may make or made them. Doesn’t hurt ask.
I still think you willl find more people making zines on a different forum. Folks on this forum are more likely to have made something more traditional, like a book.
Too bad you just missed this: https://www.rit.edu/news/campus-spotlight-archive/zine-fest?utm_campaign=mc-nedaily&utm_source=message-center&utm_medium=email&utm_content=photo-spotlight
Alan Klein
6-May-2023, 09:19
I recently self-published a book through Blurb, titled "The House and the Cape". You can see a preview in the Blurb bookstore section (search on my name or the title). They do a pretty good job, considering. I'd use them again.
Did you grow up there? Nice pictures..
https://www.blurb.com/books/11458293-the-house-and-the-cape
Alan Klein
6-May-2023, 09:21
I still think you willl find more people making zines on a different forum. Folks on this forum are more likely to have made something more traditional, like a book.
I'm still not clear what the difference between a soft cover photo book on Blurb and a zine? Maybe you can explain.
I'm still not clear what the difference between a soft cover photo book on Blurb and a zine? Maybe you can explain.
Zines tend to be short-run, lo-fi and often home made, sometimes incorporating unconventional materials and binding methods. Most of the zines I have seen have more art (drawings) and text than photographs. They sort of remind me of some of the underground publications from th 60s and 70s.
Alan Klein
6-May-2023, 10:07
Blurb's link on zines.
https://www.blurb.com/blog/zines-and-self-publishing/
Blurb's link on zines.
https://www.blurb.com/blog/zines-and-self-publishing/
So does that help you distinguish between a zine and a soft cover photo book? Obviously, Blurb is going to skew their examples and descriptions to encourage you to have them print the zine, but most are lo-fi (think copy machine, now inkjet on uncoated paper) and self-produced.
Looking less into zines and more into the people who may make or made them. Doesn’t hurt ask.
ive made them and bought them and enjoy looking at them. you're kind of funny asking people here about zines.
do you have a risograph or access to one, it might make your run easier
A successful Zine is free to all
Part of the politics
Blurb's link on zines.
https://www.blurb.com/blog/zines-and-self-publishing/
Alan Klein
7-May-2023, 07:02
A zine isn't free. It still costs money to print the photos if you did it yourself. So Blurb's price runs about $1 a print of 10x10" bound in a soft cover book with text annotations and a photo book cover is reasonable. Their sale price is $40. (24 pages. Pictures on both sides or 48 photos)
The Zines I know were Not For Profit, printed on newsprint and for free all over the CITY of Chicago
of course the anti commune often threw it all away
Chicago Reader was an actual free newspaper on every corner
Some used the free paper to wrap fish, or firestarter
I did make 2 books like Blurb for an artist who used them for selling his high end pencil and paper, $1000 each
He was driven to draw very complicated fine art, his day job was City Computers
I copied them all and charged him way too little long ago
That is called 'Vanity Press"
A zine isn't free. It still costs money to print the photos if you did it yourself. So Blurb's price runs about $1 a print of 10x10" bound in a soft cover book with text annotations and a photo book cover is reasonable. Their sale price is $40. (24 pages. Pictures on both sides or 48 photos)
Alan Klein
7-May-2023, 08:43
That is called 'Vanity Press"
I only made one copy for the birthday boy's parents. That's not Vanity Press.
Vanity press is any publication that is paid for by the author. Usually because no publisher will take it on. Whether the author chooses to have 1 or 1000 printed, sell it or give it away. Some publishers today want/expect the author to participate in the production and marketing costs, creating a sort of hybrid form of traditional and vanity publication and the opposite of an advance. Promotional pieces produced by photographers, agencies and design firms could be considered a subset of vanity press.
I only made one copy for the birthday boy's parents. That's not Vanity Press.
if you paid for it, it's a vanity press. Think having a license plate that says "LGFMT" or "4x5FILM" or whatever vanity plates ... you pay for them. back in the day when "vanity press" was a bad word, Brooks Jenson wrote the book about it. think garage filled with 36,000 books, now its print on demand. so you can fill your garage with something else you might want to hoard, like Sylvania blue dot flashbulbs, metal 35mm film canisters, and 122 film spools.
a zine is the way someone outside the "system" make a magazine/booklet. think Xerox machine and a stapler. I didn't go to blurp but their zine is probably a tier less than their traditional inexpensive book
maybe a different dimension, folded instead of bound, newsprint instead of "expensive" paper.
if you paid for it, it's a vanity press. Think having a license plate that says "LGFMT" or "4x5FILM" or whatever vanity plates ... you pay for them. back in the day when "vanity press" was a bad word, brook Jenson wrote the book about it. think garage filled with 36,000 books, now its print on demand. so you can fill your garage with something else you might want to hoard, like Sylvania blue dot flashbulbs, metal 35mm film canisters, and 122 film spools.
a zine is the way someone outside the "system" make a magazine/booklet. think Xerox machine and a stapler. I didn't go to blurp but their zine is probably a tier less than their traditional inexpensive book
maybe a different dimension, folded instead of bound, newsprint instead of "expensive" paper.
Maybe not newsprint, but probably bond or a light weight text.
The term "vanity press" comes from the time before print-on-demand, when an author wanted a book published but could not find a publisher to accept it, so the author paid to publish it themselves thereby satisfying their vanity. Bookstores would not carry such books and they were considered something of lesser value than a book from an established publisher.
I feel like I unintentionally brought up a sore subject here. Sorry about that.
If anyone wants to discuss self publishing, feel free to reach out via email or private message. We do not need to discuss it on here. I've used blurb and back in the 90s, xerox'd zines. I collect zines from other photographers.
It's just a fun way for me and others to share what we make, and I thought, potentially some others here would like to share ideas, anecdotes or whatever, so I ventured into starting a conversation about it.
Lesson learned.
I feel like I unintentionally brought up a sore subject here. Sorry about that.
If anyone wants to discuss self publishing, feel free to reach out via email or private message. We do not need to discuss it on here. I've used blurb and back in the 90s, xerox'd zines. I collect zines from other photographers.
It's just a fun way for me and others to share what we make, and I thought, potentially some others here would like to share ideas, anecdotes or whatever, so I ventured into starting a conversation about it.
Lesson learned.
It is not a sore point. The majority of the audience here is not familiar with the current concept of zines and there is some confusion with self-publishing using print-on-demand services.
Funny how the "audience" doesn't see the good in people enjoying photography in a way that makes them PRINT their photos and distribute them. Instead, blatantly act ignorant to a concept of printing photos in a way that doesn't please their ideals. Or just would rather to bother sending me on way to another forum.
I do not need recommendations to other forums. I want to be here and possibly find some like minded peers and/or mentors. People who you would invite over to have beers with. If anyone in the future reads this, please reach out. There's some genuine people on this forum ... they reached out to me privately. One didn't even provide information about his book. I found it by googling him and buying his vanity book. And it's good!
Chester McCheeserton
11-May-2023, 08:13
I've never considered them to be 'zines' but I've used blurb to print 40 copies of their smallest square book and give them away about 15 years ago. I've also made a bunch of book dummy mockups, using double sided inkjet paper, first made just using photoshop, then later indesign. Also made lots of mock ups using really thin matte red river paper just taping them into blank drawing notebooks. When doing this it helped to cut out every other page to help with bulk/bulge. I've also had a local bookbinder make me custom hardcover "blanks" in specific sizes. And used Lulu, which offers different sizes then blurb.
I see you're based in upstate NY, a person/place to check out if you haven't already might be Whitney Hubbs who works at Lightwork, she has made a bunch of zines herself using a copy machine but I think LIghtwork probably has a collection and/or exhibits such things. In any case she likely knows other makers/resources in that neck of the woods.
Tin Can
11-May-2023, 10:54
Only just now I realized I was trying to make a very limited IRL ZINE!
LOL
Meaning my limited Print Exchange, so far 5 have signed up
It will be 4X5 OR 5X7 wet prints loose leaf, no binding ZINE
5 are on it now, 10 is low limit and 25 top limit
Read these rules carefully, deadline is soon
Quote Originally Posted by Tin Can View Post
Sign up will start March 13, 2023
Firm 10 min and 25 max participants
4X5/5X7 FILM Contact Print on any 5X7 paper, alt et al
Join us by June 1, 2023 or not, firm shut off
Send me, 'Tin Can' a PM if you want to join
I will post a list here as people sign up
To simplify shipping make sure your prints AND mounting if any (not needed) are 5X7"
[
Your required 10 to 25 prints will be firm after June 1
Enclose $10 for shipping conus return, if international add for extra cost
I will return SHIP June 21
In essence I want and need 10 to max prints, from all members which means you will get one of yours BACK
Participant List
1 TIN CAN
2 mfohl
3 takpro
4 jp
5 bmikiten
6
7
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9
10 min
11
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15
16
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25
END
Last edited by Tin Can; 16-Apr-2023 at 17:36. Reason: now 5
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