Master Copy

I have finally finished my coloured master copy which will be used to produce the five copies needed for the project hand in. After seeing it I am happy with the final outcome and had I had more time I would produce all the copies in colour as I feel it adds something the black and white copies lack.

I used recycled parcel paper, trying to be as green as possible :)

Making a Zine

After designing the Zine, making it is very easy and simple much like everything else about it.
For my Zine as there was to be no computers that meant no typing, so to have text in my Zine I would have to handwrite it myself using freehand and stencils which were scalped out and pained over to created a weathered worn effect.

After the Zine is finished and printed the only stage left is to bind it together, there are multiple was of doing this the most common is either stapling or saddle stitching.

I have opted for saddle stitching as it again ties (see what I did there) in with the whole traditionally eco feel. The method is very simple make three holes in the Zine one in the middle and one on either side of that then basically feed through thread and tie in the middle.

Community

Our Zine has to be specific about our chosen community, which would explain that community and tell a story through the narrative. I wanted this chance to be a learning experience for me also, so I chose a community I knew little about. I decided the focus of my Zine would be on the people who have allotments and grow their own organic food and vegetables.
The whole notion of growing your own produce, to become more self sustained and 'green' interests me and would be exciting to try and replicate that in my designs.

After observing and interviewing the community I learned many things which will encourage and support my design ideas. Firstly one of the main appeals to working on an allotment is working outside and using your hands to produce something, which basically means my Zine will have to be completely made by hand, no computers! Yes it will take longer but again that ties in with the whole notion of growing organic food as they don't use chemicals or pester-sides so the food takes longer to produce but looks and tastes better in the end :)

Whats a Zine?

For my latest project I had to design and produce a 'Zine' on my chosen community, which had to be photocopied five times. So what is a Zine?

A Zine, which comes from the word magazine, is usually a handmade booklet produced by fans or people who are interested in a particular topic. Originally called Fanzines, these forms of self publication often took one general viewpoint usually that of the producer.

Zines traditionally were produce in black and white to allow quick and cheap production. Zines are becoming more popular as they are an interesting way of getting someones view and opinion across.