You’re on version 35 of your zine, and you finally think it might just about be okay enough (you’re your harshest critic, remember?) to release on the unsuspecting pubic. There are so very many options with regards to getting your zine printed, so how does one possibly choose? I was, in a way, lucky that the zine was a lockdown project and as a result my depth and field of view for my printer search was narrowed to 200mm at f2 (apologies) on micro 4/3s (genuinely sorry). A local printers would definitely have been my preference, having wanted to talk to someone in person about various options (such as fold out pages) and their associated costs. Alas, in April 2020 this wasn’t happening, so online I trotted with my crusade.
Even if supporting local business was off the table, there are still a fair number of online printers who all have a plethora of options to bring your project to life. I ordered some paper samples from a few that inspired confidence and quickly opted for premium weight paper with a natural finish. For the cover I wanted matt laminated for durability and a professional look, again with the heaviest weight paper available. As this was a stake in the mud for my ‘brand’, I wanted it to be the best it could be, whilst maintaining an affordable price-point.
I’ve mentioned before in these pages that I’m impatient at the best of times, so convenience was king when deciding which printers to go for. This is where I think I made my first mis-step, but park that statement for a moment. The UK based company, Mixam, has a wonderfully simple interface where you can input different variables to your hearts content, and the resulting price alters as you explore your options. The Trustpilot reviews were overwhelmingly positive and I liked the paper samples so we had found a winner, ladies and gentlemen.
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Following the PDF upload instructions on the website was painless and I received an instantaneous proof copy to check over, as well as a nice little digital flick book of the publication as well. I was given an estimated 10 day wait, but they managed to beat that by 3 days. Top marks Mixam. My delivery came in 3 boxes; excitement levels soared through the roof and into the stratosphere as I opened the first one. I had it in my hands. The cover looked and felt great, as did the 200gsm natural paper. However, the digital inkjet printing was, well, less great. A zine, by definition is a little handmade, a tad rough and ready… photocopies or newspaper printing are not uncommon. But… but… the work was shot on digital medium format. The images have a contrast, tonal range and depth that was somewhat lost through the digital printing process. I went to great lengths to craft each image with portable studio lighting, painstakingly designing and sequencing the zine with constant refinement of the project with each review, and opting for premium weight papers that kept my profit down but the quality high. The last step, my choice of print technique turned out to be, for me at least, the weak link in the system. When it comes to image making, I am a self-confessed perfectionist, as I’m sure many of you are. Perhaps my ‘good enough’ bar may be set too high? Nonetheless, next time, and every time, I’m going for the lithographic option. I’ll need to order more (or pay more per copy) but for me, I feel that it’ll be worth it. Most importantly, I want people who buy my zines to feel that too.
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For a print run of 100 copies, Mixam only offered digital printing. The litho printer kicked in at 350 copies and this seemed far too many. To be honest, I genuinely didn’t think I’d sell 100 copies, but more on that later. If I had my time again, I’d have ordered a number of sample prints of my own work, which is a service that Mixam and others offer. That way I could compare print quality and make a more informed decision. In fairness to Mixam, the natural papers that I chose were supposed to result in a lower contrast print. I should probably up the contrast of the images before exporting the PDF and organising samples would’ve given me this feedback. Alas, it just wasn’t possible for this venture. For a number of reasons I was against the clock with this publication, so unfortunately had a narrow timeframe in which to get ordering. I won’t be making that mistake again.
So how did I market the project and actually sell the zine? It was quite rough and ready, in true zine fashion. I simply announced the imminent arrival in an Instagram post, and requested that people DM me if anyone wanted one. I then gave out my PayPal details and that was it. I was flabbergasted by the response. ½ of the copies were gone within 24 hours and only 7 left after a second post the next day. What a huge honour it was to feel that, and I’m certain that if you are an active member in your chosen social media outlet(s), you’ll feel the love too.
OK, time to talk dirty… I know how you like that. Here’s what the project cost and how much net income I received:
Cost for 100 copies:
Outlay: £253 (56 pages, A5, 250gsm uncoated and 350gsm silk matt laminated covers) plus £10 postage
Cost of 125 A5 hardback envelopes: £12
Total: £275
I charged £10 for the zine (plus postage) and 25 were not for sale:
10 copies for family members
10 as ‘thank yous’ - I asked a number of trusted eyes to critique the zine before sending to print - a highly recommended part of the process as I made a number of changes from this
5 in case any got lost in the post - and all of these went!
75 x £2.75 = £206.25
£750 (75 sold @ £10) - £206.25 = £543.75 profit, although the final total was less than that due to zines lost en route, not charging enough for postage in some cases etc.
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What do you think of all that? I know some of my thoughts may sound negative, and I hope if you’re reading this and bought a copy that you don’t feel like you received a sub-standard product. I was, and importantly, continue to be genuinely happy with the zine. What’s more, I received a lot of really heart-warming messages from people who bought the book. I even had repeat custom from someone who bought it as a present then wanted to keep it, and someone else wanting one after they’d seen their friends copy, by which time they’d all sold out. In fact I’ve examined zines from other artists that I’ve supported, and those that are inkjet printed don’t bother me in the slightest! The negativity stems from being a perfectionist with my own output and I guess I’m swallowing the bitter pill of my own advice by being my harshest critic. On occasion, it can be tough gig when you put yourself out there, releasing work that runs emotionally deep yet feels like whatever you produce is never quite good enough.
Perhaps this blog has turned into a bit of an autopsy, but like I said before, I’m doing it so that you don’t need to make the same mistakes I did. The very last thing I want to do is discourage you from producing your own zine. It was a fabulous journey of learning and creativity, and a voyage I shall certainly be going on again. If you receive samples of inkjet printing and it works for you, great! It's by far the most economically viable option available, and perhaps closer in nature to the original spirit of the hallowed hand-crafted zine. Most of all, the joy of seeing your photographic endeavours permanently forged into something you can touch, feel and share with others… that is up there with some of the greatest thrills I’ve experienced on this photographic rollercoaster, and I want to stay on for another ride - I hope you decide to hop on too.