What is a zine?
Zines (rhymes with “beans”) are low-barrier, low-budget photocopied publications in which authors 
are in full control of the entire process of creating a publication, from writing and layout to printing and distribution. Zines are made for the purpose of sharing information, and allow unfiltered access to the ideas, expressions, perspectives, and experiences of historically marginalized or under-represented subcultures and social movements. In times of strife, zines offer a cathartic art form to create and share stories of lived experiences and play a large role in communication for members of social and political movements.
Wicked Meta #2: a Zine about Zines tells more about the history of zines, how to make them, and how to use them in your research.
How do I make a zine?
- Wicked Meta #2: a zine about zinesOnline readable version of our zine about the history of zines, and instructions on how to made a zine of various sizes, and zines in scholarship.
- How to make a zine by nicki sabalu (video)There might be an infinite number of ways to make a zine. This video shows how to make one handy and common type: a half-size, staple-bound booklet.
- How to Make This Very Zine by Anne Elizabeth MoorePrint to learn how to make an 8-page zine out of a sheet of paper.
- Introduction to ZinesDetailed information for making zines by The Public Studio in Toronto, Canada.
- MetaZine: The History and a How-To of Zines, by Davida Gypsy BreierPresentation by Gypsy Breier that provides a good history of zines along with practical tips for making zines.
Contact Us
If you have questions about using or making zines at UConn Library, please reach out!
- General information: zines@uconn.edu
- Zines in Archives & Special Collections: archives@uconn.edu
- Using the UConn Library Maker Studio: kimberly.mcnamara@uconn.edu
