Making a Photo Zine: Design Tips, Cost, & Profit

CHAPTERS
- Intro (0:00)
- Zine specs (1:09)
- Designing the layout (3:29)
- Getting colors & contrast right (6:11)
- Costs & profit (12:25)
- Fulfilling orders (16:12)

MUSIC BY SLINGS (used with permission)

OTHER LINKS

FILM PHOTOGRAPHY ONLINE COURSES

VIDEO DESCRIPTION
It only took me 20 years in the photography community to learn what a “zine” is, then another 3 years to make my own. Turns out they’re kind of a big deal in the analog photography world. After all, us film photographers love the tangible. Pixels? We say FEH! Give us INK, give us PAPER, give us something we can HOLD IN OUR HANDS.

Enter the humble zine. With a relatively low cost of entry, you can turn your photos into real live prints to share with friends, family, and customers. No need to find spare wall space to hang a big ol’ print. You can taste that sweet, sweet nectar that only print-making can deliver with just a lil’ book. This is my first ever zine but it certainly won’t be my last.

And so now that I’m a seasoned zine-making professional with exactly one publication under my belt, I feel fully qualified to teach you how to do it. In this video I’ll cover everything on what it takes to make a zine - planning, design, packing, shipping, costs, and profit. No doubt it takes some serious work to publish your own zine, but by God I just might be so bold as to say it’s worth it.

Oh and if you want to get your hands on this very zine - “3 Nights in Arizona” - I’m doing a second run of ‘em. You can pre-order yours now using the link at the top of this description.

*This video contains no paid endorsements of any kind.

[DavidEvenson]

Got mine about a week ago, and as someone who ran a prepress color house for a decade, it looks amazing. The zine itself is very well produced - what you would expect from a commercial printer, and obviously the photography is outstanding. Great job with everything.

[philo]

As a graphic designer/prepress specialist for a commercial printer, I can't tell you how helpful it is when clients come in and want to know what they can do to make things go smoothly. Truly made me happy to hear you talk about binding styles, RGB vs CMYK and the importance of bleed. The books look terrific!!

[mproyuclan]

Hi Nick
My Zine just popped through the letter box having crossed America and the pond to NW England.
Arrived on my birthday 9/15, most propitious!
What a lovely start to the day. Looks amazing and now I can look at your pictures on the wall while relaxing with the new ones in the zine. Wishing you the best for your solo exhibition.
Mark

[ianlaker]

As a retired (sort of) UK graphic designer and photographer of some 40 years experience, your account and workflow of how to layout your zines in InDesign and allow for the smaller colour gamut of commecial CMYK print is spot on. Since finding your channel I have been binge-watching your shoots and tutorials with great interest and amusement. Fabulous work from a perfectionist of both process and creativity. I hope you factored in those few days of signing and packing, not to mention all the other cost of time, materials and fuel etc!

[kenblair]

Hello Nick. Received my copy of your "Outstanding" Zine today. I will cherish this copy, from a famous Youtuber. Great work, your an inspiration, to this old photographer . Thanks. KB

[BruceLR]

Nick, Yesterday I received and excitedly opened my copy of your SIGNED ! zine. Absolutely love the images and will enjoy revisiting the video with the book in hand. Your work has been a real inspiration for me (even better than Crewdson, whose work is too contrived for me) as I begin focusing less on typical landscapes. I noticed something though: there is repetition in some of the subjects. I received a valuable message from this and that is "Work the Scene." Try different angles, different views, different lighting. Stay longer. Thanks for all your effort producing this book and sharing tips for us to try our own.

[b.a.p.]

How the heck are you so good at talking on camera? ❤

[therealblowers]

Brilliant. Your energy and enthusiasm for your work is really inspiring; I don't think many people can touch it.

[seanchem]

Offsetting the images in the full-page spreads was a great idea!

[Fundytidez]

Hi Nick, as a photographer on a small scale looking for ways to expand their options, it's always great to see the numbers, plus time and effort! A lot of people like the pictures, but don't consider the time and effort put into the project. I like your style! Thanks again. :-))

[mxb]

🔴 I've said this to you before, but your Attention To Detail and Organization is Unmatched.
Thank you for the offer to purchase this.

[i_am_x_wild]

Hey Nick. Stumbled upon your channel yesterday. Your content is Ah-mazing and covers topics that very few other photographers cover

[warpspeed]

It would make the envelope a bit heavier but i think you should put another cardboard in front of the zine too. To protect the cover from extra wear and tear...

[maxmillion]

As the old saying goes, hard work pays off. You worked your ass off Nick.

[jimwlouavl]

Love that you do all the detail work yourself. I’m too old to be a hipster but you’re the hipster I aspire to be.

[tkxplores]

Missed out on the first run, so I just ordered the Zine combo. See you in a few weeks. Tim

[CalebWeston_dubland]

Thanks for sharing the process. There’s nothing like the satisfaction of doing a project like that. Congrats, that’s no small feat!

[rafaelsmit]

So so happy to have received the zine! It looks stunning. Every detail as you describe so very well in the video looks and feels amazing. After this video I appreciate it even more! Best, Rafael - the Netherlands

[samuel]

Got mine safely across the pond, it’s epic! Super high quality and the photos…. Ahhh just unbelievable, very very impressed

[tompoynton]

Awesome! Ordered a second run edition to the UK, can’t wait