Affinity Publisher tutorial on creating a digital zine

A description of the course:

You’ve heard of them, and whether you’re a reader in general or part of the creative community, you’ve undoubtedly encountered one at some point in your life. Zines are fundamentally independently produced publications that convey specialized tales to specialized audiences. They have traditionally provided the counterculture with a forum for unrestricted thought exchange. Zines have had a long-standing impact on creative culture and society as a whole, from the perzines of the 1930s through the underground punk rock zines of the 1980s and the feminist manifestos of the 1990s. Through their work, they encourage people to take a position, and they have a special way of fostering community.

They also distribute the voices of those living under repressive authorities. This month, we’ll discuss zines, including their most recent iteration, the digital zine, and how you may use the idea to express yourself or market your creative work. This workshop is for you if you are a designer who wants to develop a distinctive portfolio, an illustrator or artist wishing to display your work or a person with a larger creative vision who wants to bring it to life on paper with a group of like-minded creatives. Over the last 15 years, I’ve done a lot of creative work, but some of my most treasured moments came from running my independent publication, Halfstack Magazine.

Affinity Publisher tutorial on creating a digital zine

What started out as a fashion project has transformed into a 6-year self-guided creative adventure showcasing the finest of Chicago’s independent designers in the fields of fashion, art, and music. I worked on this with some of my most imaginative and motivating pals, including photographers, painters, authors, graphic designers, stylists, make-up artists, fashion experts, and a ton more.

Hello to everybody! Welcome if this is your first lesson with me. Welcome back if you’re a returning student! You will be following this creative course under my direction of me, Jen. I own Bella + Sophia Creative Studio and work as a freelance graphic designer, artist, and educator in the Midwest. Check out The Creative Studio, my YouTube channel, to find out more about me.

You can access a vast collection of more free courses on art, design, and illustration there, as well as get a behind-the-scenes look at the work I do as a creative freelancer and educator. I am a strong supporter of accessible information sharing, and I have discovered that online courses and websites like Youtube are fantastic for doing this. They also give me the chance to talk to many different people who are eager to learn and grow.

We’ll be learning about and creating our digital zine in class today! I published the independent zines Halfstack and Creative Chicago for six years. Today, I’ll tell you more about that time, give you some tips on designing and making zines, and show you how to make your own zine using an affinity publisher and the website Issuu.

What the course covers

We will produce a digital zine in this session that showcases individual work. This is a fantastic thing to utilize while pitching and may be used as a piece for a portfolio. I’ll show you how to use Affinity Publisher and the website Issuu to make a digital zine and put it on the internet.

I’ll talk more about zines, their history, and how digital zines have changed before we get into the specifics of designing. Before we get into layout design in Affinity Publisher, we’ll talk about the artistic direction of your zine and how to make it.

Even if you are unfamiliar with Affinity Publisher, I will ensure that you feel at ease using the program and guide you through the process of setting up your pages step-by-step. I’ll briefly discuss utilizing mockups to show off your artwork, typography, and grid design principles. I will then guide you through the Issuu upload procedure for your zine.

Who is the course designed for?

Anyone interested in learning how to make their own digital zine using Affinity Publisher should take this course. Regardless of your level of experience, this course will walk you through every step required to publish your zine online so you can show the world your work in a unique and entertaining way.