For the love of print: The story of zines

The term – zine originates from magazine and fanzine. Think of zines as mini-magazines — they are non-commercial, homemade, and sometimes handmade. The concept of zines can be traced to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries during the amateur press movement.

The cultural and art scene in Mumbai is witnessing a zine revolution — at small-scale community events such as art pop-ups, flea markets, and indie festivals, artists are displaying tiny booklets and pamphlets free of the constraints of traditional publishing.

An ode to independent publishing

Zine-making, as an extension of independent publishing, allows zine artists to exercise greater freedom and control over literary themes and self-expression. The absence of censorship regulations enables artists to express a myriad of themes, for instance, Riya Thakkar, one of the owners of Urban Tales Company, defines zines as self-published physical books that help convey one’s thoughts “in a raw form.” Thakkar explains, “There is a surge in zine-making in India due to the open nature of the medium — zines help people put across their thoughts in an unfiltered manner.”

Aarfa Bham, a design student studying animation and visual effects from Atlas Skilltech University, echoes the sentiment, “In today’s digital landscape, a zine focuses on the physical, tangible, and a rather intimate approach to media; the voice of the maker remains unfiltered by the commercial publishing space.” Bham believes that given the selectivity of mainstream publishing in India, zines are vital for independent publishing, personal storytelling, and youth expression. They allow artists to discuss topics without the fear that comes with the broader Indian media landscape.

Rahul Terwankar, a product designer by profession who practices photography and is an independent zine artist, shares, “With zine-making, there is no one controlling you. Your ideas are your own, and there is no one to judge you.” He shares that the community and the atmosphere grant creators the freedom and space to pursue their artistic vision. Hrishikesh Rao, proprietor of Clikthot Solutions and an independent creator, aptly remarks, “Zines shun the constraints of the conventional.”

Jai Ranjit, professor of practice at Atlas Skilltech University, sheds light on zine-making and independent publishing from an academic and pedagogical lens, observing, “Through zines, students have found new voices and means of expression that have allowed greater freedom of thought and social design.” He continues, “In the design classroom, zines allow us to explore social issues, design contexts, and express ideas in unique ways.”

Thakkar highlights that at the Urban Tales Company — a collective of comic and zine artists — authentic stories are told without “any external interference.” She observes, “There is no dependency on an external entity to get our stories printed. We can print any story we want to tell.” She adds, “This freedom leads to original content that has a unique voice and helps us create a stronger personal connection with our audience, which is difficult to achieve with mainstream production.” She highlights that the medium offers an opportunity to experiment with different formats.

Zines also serve as depictions of otherwise undocumented spaces and lived experiences, providing evidence of cultures, languages, and experiences of marginalised individuals and communities.

Zine-making methods and techniques

The art of zine-making lies in the simple fact that there are no fixed methods for creating zines, like Rao asserts, “There is no fixed process of creating a zine.” There are no fixed steps or sequences, there are no do’s and don’ts, and artists echo this simple fact.

For instance, Terwankar says, “There is no standard process for me.” He continues, “I often have a body of work which forms the story, such as a set of photographs which complement each other — I compile these photographs into a zine. This year, I wanted to shoot something specific for the Bombay Zine Fest, making this year’s approach a little different.”

Terwankar initiated the project earlier than usual, dedicating significant thought to every detail, particularly the zine format, the size, and the paper type. The core method remained simple — selecting, sequencing, and printing photographs to tell a story — the only aspect which was distinct was shooting new images and generating ideas from scratch, rather than utilising a pre-existing photo collection.

Rao shares a similar viewpoint: “Some of my zines are a collection of past sketches and writing, while others were more of an urge to convey something specific.” He adds, “If there is a pre-conceived idea, I start with a sketch and then let it organically take shape with writing.”

For Rao, creative choices come first, and what follows is retrofitting the size and format of zines to convey the idea. He explains, “A lot of the things I do are on the fly. For example, I do not use a pencil for sketches; I dive in directly with a pen. This leaves minimal scope for corrections or changes.” He exclaims, “The output is more chaotic. I don’t visualise the final printed page as much as I probably should.”

For Thakkar and the Urban Tales Company, their zine-making process begins with scripting a story. “The script is sculpted to near perfection before we jump into drawing,” she shares. “We then make thumbnails for the entire book, like a storyboard. This acts like a blueprint for the whole book,” she adds. Next, the panels are drawn from these thumbnails.

Once the entire book is drawn and painted, the pages are scanned. These scanned pages are subsequently edited digitally and prepared for printing.

And then there are rollercoaster rides, a sign of a method to madness. While tabling for Bombay Zine Fest, Bham’s process involved two weeks of meticulous content scripting, an entire day dedicated to sourcing textures, a last-minute rush for paper, and a final gruelling session: six hours at the print shop followed by four hours of hand-binding and preparing extras. Bham shares, “It seems like a simple enough process, and it does turn out differently for different people.”

Paper and print

Zines serve as a countercultural force against mainstream publishing and standard print media conventions. Ranjit emphasises that zines are designed to be uncomfortable, with the right paper contributing to the reading experience. He shares, “I believe that relief prints, gel prints, cyanotype, and screen printing offer excellent visual platforms of creative expression to zinesters that can elevate the reading experience and knowledge transfer.”

Thakkar underscores the importance of selecting heavyweight matte papers that accurately showcase colours and textures. The company collaborates with a trusted printer in Mumbai to ensure high-quality outputs. She shares, “It was important to us to get the colours and textures right. We got a test print from our printer and knew instantly that our match was made in heaven.”

Rao takes a simpler approach, using local photocopy services to print his work, stressing that the tactile qualities of paper, such as weight and texture, are crucial, along with cost considerations. Bham highlights the impact of zine format on reader perception, stating that different designs serve varied thematic purposes. When adapting non-digital works, Bham considers design elements such as printable colours and brightness, and opts for affordable and accessible local digital print services that can meet her specific formatting needs.

The magic of zines

As digital publishing and AI continue to grow and evolve, Ranjit believes that zines remain special. “I believe that it is important that zines are respected just as much as books are, and treated with care, honesty and receptiveness,” he shares.

Thakkar, who has explored multiple themes through print media — from the loss of a dear one to the artist’s search for inspiration — believes that the most rewarding aspect of translating digital art files into physical products is holding the physical product in one’s hands for the first time. “It is the satisfaction you get upon reaching your destination after a long ride,” she remarks.

Terwankar, who practices documentary photography, bases his zines on his travels and photography. He highlights, “This year my zine was about my neighbourhood and how the surroundings are changing, how the city is changing, this is what I have been observing for the past couple of years.” He recalls other instances from his trips to Himachal Pradesh — which he documented in his zines — in which he distributed his zine series to locals he met. He shares that zines featuring cafes, restaurants, or homestays were given to their respective owners.

Bham shares, “Zines are not just publications, they are an experience.” She believes that zines enable one to carry stories and preserve worlds within printed pages. In a fast-paced, digitally obsessed world, zines offer a necessary opportunity to slow down and hold something real.

Zines embody the spirit of grassroots publishing, helping to build communities and fostering dialogue around topics excluded by mainstream media. This ensures that diverse voices gain a tangible, lasting platform.