Procreate, duplicate, replicate

practitioner on Flickr” href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/krossbow/2231020026/”>

Most zines are written by creating a master copy (be it hand-written/drawn, help typewritten, approved or printed from a computer) which is then duplicated using a photocopier.

This is not your only option, though.

*If you have a digital file of the zine, and easy (and free/cheap) access to paper and a printer (like the office printer, or your school printer), printing the copies can keep you out of Kinkos (and may be utterly free, which is always nice). If you enjoy subversion, free things, or the smell of toner, this may be for you.

*You could use carbon paper to make duplicate copies, though you’d be limited to however many sheets you can cram into your typewriter. If you enjoy Mad Men, purple fingers, or the delightful frustrations of typewriter use in general, this may be for you.

*You could create each copy by hand. If you like your style to be pre-Gutenberg, you want to be an 11th-century monk, or you want each and every zine to be hand-made, this may be for you.

*Back to the ol’ copier — again, your school or work may have one you can use. You can also take your master copy to a shop that lets you produce copies using their machines. In the US, Kinko’s is king, though you might find a mom-and-pop shop to give your hard-earned dollars.

If you’d like to think more about how to hatch your zine, I recommend Stolen Sharpie Revolution (1 and 2). Alex writes about how to copy and distribute your zine, amongst maaaaany  other things zine. It’s a staple of the canon, if you want to get all serious about it. It’s some of the best $6 you can spend. Go find it at a zine/infoshop, or buy it online if you have to.