StretchLearn Course

Make a zine people actually want to hold

From the eight-page fold to a stitched booklet on a distro shelf, design and self-publish a real edition.

Beginner9 hrSelf PacedRegistered

Course Overview

What this course is designed to develop

A zine is a small-circulation self-published booklet, traditionally photocopied and hand-folded, that gives you total editorial control with almost no budget. This course teaches the real craft: page-count and signature maths, imposition so the pages land in order after folding, editorial pacing across spreads, the high-contrast photocopy aesthetic, accurate DIY print specs, and hand-binding with a long-arm stapler or pamphlet stitch. You then price an edition, list it on Etsy, approach distros and table at a zine fest, leaving with a finished, sellable zine and a plan to print the next one.

Learning Outcomes

What the learner should be able to understand, build, or execute.

Plan a zine format, page count and binding method that fits its content and budget

Impose pages so an 8-page one-sheet or saddle-stitched booklet collates correctly after folding

Lay out spreads with deliberate editorial pacing, gutters and reading rhythm

Build the high-contrast photocopy aesthetic with halftones, threshold and toner texture

Prepare and proof a press-ready DIY print file at the right size, bleed and resolution

Price, list and distribute an edition through Etsy, distros and zine fests

Curriculum Preview

Inside the curriculum: a structured path from fundamentals to execution.

Preview the course structure, see how the modules build on one another, and understand the path this program is designed to take you through.

Module 1

Module 1: Formats, Folds and Page-Count Maths

Choose the right zine format and binding, and master the signature and imposition maths so your pages land in the correct order after folding.

3 lessons

What a Zine Is, and Picking Your FormatContent · 45 min

Preview Enabled

Page Counts, Signatures and the 4-Page RuleContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Imposition: Making Pages Land in OrderContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 2

Module 2: Editorial Layout and Pacing

Build a working grid and use spreads, typography and rhythm so the zine reads as a sequence rather than a pile of pages.

3 lessons

Grids, Margins and Gutters for Tiny PagesContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Editorial Pacing Across SpreadsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Type That Holds Up When PhotocopiedContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 3

Module 3: The Photocopy Aesthetic and Print Prep

Build the high-contrast, grainy photocopy look on purpose, then prepare and proof a clean DIY print file.

3 lessons

High Contrast, Halftones and ThresholdContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Texture, Toner and the DIY LookContent · 45 min

LMS Access

DIY Print Specs and ProofingContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 4

Module 4: Binding, Pricing and Selling Your Zine

Fold and bind a finished edition, then price it and distribute it through Etsy, distros and zine fests.

3 lessons

Folding, Stapling and Hand-BindingContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Pricing, Editions and Print RunsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Distribution: Etsy, Distros and Zine FestsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Built for Application

A complete learning path, not a one-off inspiration hit.

This program is designed around progression: focused lessons, structured modules, applied resources, assessments, and a course rhythm that turns information into usable capability.

zine designself-publishingsaddle stitchimpositionphotocopy aestheticeditorial layoutEtsyzine fest