WOOHOO! I am *so* excited! After a ton of work, I've finally completed issue #2 of Manual Dexterity! The first dozen copies are for the zine exchange I am participating in. I still have to work on binding the copies I will offer for purchase, so if you want one, they will be available here on my blog soon!! (Hopefully late next week.)I learned alot from creating issue #1. I learned that it's not particularly fun to have to physically cut out and glue down all the colour pages by hand, especially if you have no feeling in your hands and you've got several colour pages per copy. It took forever and I went through an entire econo pack of Uhu glue sticks in the process!
For this issue, I learned my lesson and did a far better job of formatting, which meant no gluing, save for the cover. YAY! I use Publisher and there's a 1/4 fold template, which in theory works, but if you are doing five 1/4 folds for a total of 20 pages, you actually have to do some complicated math to get it to all work out. It took some brain bending, but I finally figured it out (which in itself was a small victory, because dammit Jim, I'm an artist, not a mathematician!) and it made the entire process of assembling the zine go much smoother.
Of course there's all the small details that I agonize over, so it took a solid month to write and format the second issue. I printed it last weekend and for the last two days, I've been folding, detailing and hand binding 12 copies so I could mail them off on Monday and meet the deadline. I am really pleased with the end result. I think it's even nicer than the first, aesthetically speaking.
Funnily enough, my brain is already churning out ideas for a third issue! It's amazing how once the season is beginning to morph into Autumn, my creative energy kicks into overdrive. I expect to get alot accomplished in the next few months!
For this issue, I learned my lesson and did a far better job of formatting, which meant no gluing, save for the cover. YAY! I use Publisher and there's a 1/4 fold template, which in theory works, but if you are doing five 1/4 folds for a total of 20 pages, you actually have to do some complicated math to get it to all work out. It took some brain bending, but I finally figured it out (which in itself was a small victory, because dammit Jim, I'm an artist, not a mathematician!) and it made the entire process of assembling the zine go much smoother.
Of course there's all the small details that I agonize over, so it took a solid month to write and format the second issue. I printed it last weekend and for the last two days, I've been folding, detailing and hand binding 12 copies so I could mail them off on Monday and meet the deadline. I am really pleased with the end result. I think it's even nicer than the first, aesthetically speaking.
Funnily enough, my brain is already churning out ideas for a third issue! It's amazing how once the season is beginning to morph into Autumn, my creative energy kicks into overdrive. I expect to get alot accomplished in the next few months!
6 comments:
I can't wait to purchase a copy. The first was exquisite.
argh, I have been fiddling with mine too long and then procrastinating ( plus I can't think of a name). Making a handmade zine is much more challenging that doing it all digitally. I need to get it printed so I can get them to Alma.. thanks for the kick in the arse. Hugs
Are you swapping in Alma's swap? I just sent mine off. I have to tell you right up front that I was sooo inspired by your first Manual Dexterity zine,that I learned how to make the quarter-page format and used it on mine. Sooo much easier to do this! I hope hope hope I get one of yours in the swap. :) I LOVE what you do!!!
Are you swapping in Alma's swap? I just sent mine off. I have to tell you right up front that I was sooo inspired by your first Manual Dexterity zine,that I learned how to make the quarter-page format and used it on mine. Sooo much easier to do this! I hope hope hope I get one of yours in the swap. :) I LOVE what you do!!!
Oohhh...they look and sound wonderful! They are making me pathetically sad and jealous taht I didn't join the exchange! But with Belgium coming up it just wasn't possible... And...I love Publisher, too...used the 1/4 fold for my last one and loved the outcome.
Good job!!
I am giggling over your Star Trek quote as I can completely empathize with desktop publishing and Publisher. Yes, theory is great, but you do have to work some math magic for it to work. I learned that the hard way when I self published my poetry book. I am sure your zine is uber fab because you are uber fab and rock hard! xoxoxoxo
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