Free zine templates

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Download two free zine templates: a 16-page half-letter zine for Microsoft Word, and the classic 8-page mini zine that folds from one sheet of letter paper. Use the mini zine for a quick photocopied run, and the 16-page template when you want a stapled, full-color zine.

Zine template, 16 pages, 5.5 x 8.5 in (Word) (DOCX) 8-page mini zine template, one letter sheet (PDF) (PDF)

The 16-page zine template

The Word file is 5.5 x 8.5 in, the standard half-letter zine size, with every page in reading order.

Pages	What's laid out
1	Cover: title, issue number, cover art and byline
2	Inside cover: credits, a dedication or a short welcome
3	Contents
4 to 14	Layout pages that repeat: full-page photo, text, two photos, a six-panel comic, a poem, and a photo with caption
15	Back pages: thanks, links, zine swap address
16	Back cover: your handle, site and price

Swap any layout page for another. Keep the total at 16, or drop to 12 or 8. A stapled zine is built from sheets of 4 pages, so the page count has to be a multiple of 4.

The 8-page mini zine

The PDF is one letter sheet divided into eight panels, each 4.25 x 2.75 in. The page numbers are already in folding order, with the top row upside down so it reads the right way once folded.

Draw or paste your pages into the panels, keeping the top row upside down.
Crease every dashed line so the sheet folds into its eight panels.
Cut only the slit marked on the template. It runs along the center line across the middle two panels; the outer panels stay joined.
Fold the sheet in half long-ways along the slit, push the two ends together so the slit opens into a cross, and flatten it into a booklet with page 1 on the front.

It prints on any home printer and photocopies well, so it is the fastest way to make 20 or 200 copies of a small zine.

Making the 16-page zine in Word

Replace the sample text. Click a line and type over it. Keep words at least 0.25 in from the edges and 0.375 in from the fold.
Add art. Click a shaded box, then Insert > Pictures. Scans look best at 300 dpi or more at the size they print.
Use the full page. For art that runs off the edge, extend it past the page edge in your design app and export a PDF with 0.125 in bleed. The artwork guide shows how.
Save as PDF. File > Save As > PDF, then page through it once more.

The file also opens in Google Docs, Pages, Affinity Publisher and InDesign.

Printing your zine with us

We print 5.5 x 8.5 zines in full color on 70 lb paper, stapled on the fold, from 10 copies.

Copies	16-page zine, 5.5 x 8.5
10	$79 ($7.90 each)
25	$109 ($4.36 each)
50	$149 ($2.98 each)
100	$229 ($2.29 each)

The price is the same for 8, 12 or 16 pages, so fill all 16. You approve a digital proof before anything prints. More on sizes and paper on the zine printing page.

More free templates

Questions

What size is a zine?

The most common size is half-letter, 5.5 x 8.5 in: a letter sheet folded in half. Mini zines are 4.25 x 2.75 in, folded from one sheet.

How many pages should a zine have?

Any multiple of 4 for a stapled zine: 8, 12, 16 and so on. A one-sheet mini zine is always 8 pages including the covers.

Can I make a zine in Google Docs?

Yes. Upload the Word template to Google Drive and open it with Google Docs. Check photo placement before you download the PDF.

Is the template free?

Yes. Download it, use it for any zine and print it wherever you like.

Printed and bound in Charlotte, North Carolina, and shipped across the US.