Saturday, 31 July 2021

[LAUIL603] Studio Brief 2: Zine Research and Considerations

• Contextualising a physical publication and zine - here are a number I picked up at various places back in my sighted years including Leeds Zine Fest 2016, Thought Bubble 2016, and Manchester Print Fair 2015.

• I want to give thought and consideration to publication/booklet/zine specifications. How many pages for a publication? What size is a "good" size?

Due to the pandemic and lockdown this will not be a printed publication. It will be digital, ut I need it to load quickly on the computer so a small size is still something to consider. If this were a printed publication I would want it to be something portable and handheld that people could easily transport and carry it. A pocket object. A5 seems an appropriate size. A5 dimensions are 148 x 210mm. I will work to 300 DPI for print if the opportunity arises though 72 is all that is needed for online - so the resolution will be above and beyond for an online publication. I want to remain considerate for print.

• How many pages should my publication be?


https://www.reddit.com/r/zines/comments/5vmutu/how_many_pages_for_your_average_zine/

https://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5843832

https://www.quora.com/How-long-should-a-zine-be

• Research on google is inconclusive in regards to the amount of pages for a zine or publication and has open discussion in regards to where to start. Publications/zines can have upwards of 80-100 pages though will need perfect binding/stitching and no longer have that DIY feel.

Conclusions: Anything goes! Whatever is relevant to what I am making. People agree on around 25 pages as an average? I think I will need to make a basic skeleton of the content and then create padding and add pages as and when, allowing room for any additional content that may seem appropriate.

• Issuu no longer seems to embed online publications for free - what else is available?

https://www.g2.com/products/issuu/competitors/alternatives

Conclusions: FlippingBook, LucidPress, Joomag, FlipSnack, Zeplin, there are a lot of alternatives! I will need to assess each one and make a decision on which one is accessible with my screenreader and meets my needs.


Consideration for contents:

Around 20 or 22 pages at a minimum to start - though will add more as and when I construct. 


Page 1: Cover and title

Page 2: Insert Pattern

Page 3: Opening context [Text On September 5th 2018, I started to experience a change in my vision... After a lot of rest, it wasn't going away and I needed medical attention. ]

Page 4: Instagram Post

Page 5: What is retinal detachment?

Page 6-9: The process of the curtain coming forward 

Page 10: Flashing lights

Page 11-12: Surgery 1

Page 13-14: Surgery 2

Page 15-16: Surgery 3

Page 17-18: Surgery 4

Page 21: Insert Pattern

Page 22: Back cover

Thoughts and Reflections:

I'm quite nervous to get started on the constructing and feel an immense pressure to do a good job of this. this project has significant personal value and I've been crafting the canvas paintings for quite some time. I do feel a sense of relief after conducting some research in regards to existing publications in my possession and parsing page count and dimension. 

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