IT's a zine thing
The Zine Library is a place to download and print out free zines at home or to upload your own creation to share with other people.
It’s like ordering one of our books, except it’s free and you don’t have to wait for it to arrive.
Zines are a bit of fun and a way of documenting local riding scenes, event reports, riding trips or literally anything you like.
Everyone is welcome to send us a zine to be featured on this page. In doing so, you might even be invited into the Misspent Summers Zine Club.
What is a zine?
WHAT IS A ZINE?
‘Zine’ is short for ‘fanzine’. Usually: homemade, unofficial, commercial, printed or handmade things made by fans of… well, whatever. We are fans of bikes, guess you are too. Maybe you are a superfan of a pro rider or a fan of a certain bike or publication (ahem)? Or if you’ve just got a great story to tell, that works too. We’ll keep booklet, pamphlet and zine under the same heading.
Check out this massive archive of zines for endless ideas and inspiration.
HOW ARE THEY MADE?
A zine can be made any way you like.
It could be as simple as one sheet of A4 paper folded down the middle to make a four-page booklet (front cover, two inside pages, rear cover — see, a zine!). Grungy simplicity can be golden.
There isn’t a minimum or a maximum number of pages or a fixed way in which it should be folded or held together.
A ZINE COULD BE:
- Made by hand and scanned
- Made on a computer (using any software you like)
- Made on a smartphone (free apps like Sketchbook are great)
- Full of images and words and drawings and literally anything you want to include
THINGS TO CONSIDER:
- People probably don’t want to use up a lot of printer ink, so limit the number of big images
- Think about how it might look in black and white as well as colour
- There are many genius ways to fold a piece of paper, but we still want to be able to read your story and see the images
- Talking of images, no one said there had to be any — all words could be a different approach that not many people take
- Make it concise. Zines aren’t meant to be lengthy works, they are small, fun, and perfectly simple
- If you are making a booklet (as opposed to a single sheet zine), use both sides of the sheet of paper and provide instructions on how to print both sides at home
- If it doesn’t have at least one fold or a binding, it’s just a piece of paper.
WE’VE INCLUDED LOTS OF INFORMATION, IDEAS, TIPS AND FAQS IN THE ‘HELP — IDEAS, TIPS AND FAQS’ SECTION
HELP — IDEAS, TIPS AND FAQS
There is no right or wrong way to make a zine. It just needs to be possible to print and construct at home for anyone downloading it from this page.
The video above shows the beautiful simplicity of creating a zine. No previous skills required. No special software. No computer even. This might be a good place to start.
EASY ZINE IDEAS
- Single sheet of A4 paper folded once to make a four-page A5-size flyer/zine
- Single sheet of A4 folded three times to make an eight-page mini-zine
- Several sheets of A4 stapled/bound together to make an A4 landscape- or portrait-oriented booklet
- Several single sheets of A4 paper each folded once and make into an A5 booklet
SOME USEFUL LINKS
In-depth how to make a zine
How to make a mini zine electronically
Free basic design software for computer
Sketchbook for mobile
Free scanner apps for mobile
TEMPLATES
Templates for Word
No staples zine template (download)
Bind and fold zine template (download)
FREE ADVICE
If you are going to make a booklet-style zine (i.e. more than one sheet of A4), before you do anything, think about how it will be possible to print when you’ve finished designing it. For example, if it’s going to be A5 size, which is a sheet of A4 printer paper folded once down the middle, it’s best to think of each ‘page’ — each half of one side — as separate from the one facing it once printed and folded. Otherwise, it can be super complicated to figure out the print order — but if you manage it, hats off to you.
THIS IS HOW SIMPLE IT IS
Anyway, it doesn’t have to be fancy — rough around the edges won’t affect your chances of winning our hearts (we like handmade as much as we enjoy perfectly designed).
It just has to be A4 size and able to be printed from a computer.
You don’t need any expensive design software or experience to make a zine. You can even make it on your phone using a free app like Sketchbook.
If you don’t have a computer, handmake it on a piece of paper and scan it. If you don’t have a scanner, you can get an app for your phone that scans and saves the document. If you don’t have a smartphone — what century are you from?! (We love you.)
BASICS: HOW TO PRINT ON BOTH SIDES OF A SHEET OF A4
Before we get carried away, it’s probably important to note: Double-side printing doesn’t require a clever, high-tech, new-age printer. It’s much simpler than that. If you haven’t already figured this out, prepare for your mind to be blown.
Just design two separate pages. Print one. Flip the sheet over. Feed it back into the printer. Print the other page on the reverse (don’t spin the sheet of paper around though, otherwise the reverse will be upside down — make sure you note this in any instructions for other people printing your design).
EASY WAYS TO DESIGN A ZINE
DESIGN A ZINE BY HAND
- Create your zine design by hand directly onto a sheet(s) of paper (A4 or same proportions — you could make it on a bigger sheet if that’s easier, but think about how it’ll look once scaled down to A4 size)
- Use pen, pencil, paint, photos, magazine cuttings, newspaper, whatever you like in the design
- Either use a scanner or download a scanner app for your phone
- Take a scan of each sheet of your zine design, save to your computer/phone, and email these to us along with the zine instructions and description (see ‘Entry Requirements’)
DESIGN A ZINE USING A SMARTPHONE
- Download an app like Sketchbook or Adobe Sketch
- Create a new file with A4 sheet dimensions (297 x 210mm / 3508 x 2480 pixels)
- Import images that are on your phone
- Add text, drawings, texture and more
- Save the file
- If you want to design and print on both sides of the paper the above for the reverse side
- Repeat for each sheet needed
- Option: you can also create multiple files, save them to your phone, then import them into one final file — this might make it easier to focus on the design for each page of the zine
- Note: if you are making a booklet (multiple sheets of paper folded together), you need to plan where each page needs to sit in your design so that it is next to the correct page once printed and folded
- Tip: Add page numbers in the corner of your design so that it’s easier for people to put together in the right order when they print it at home
HOW TO MAKE A ZINE ON A COMPUTER
Without professional software
- Decide what type of zine you’d like to make and make a rough plan for its content
- Create a new document with A4 proportions in pretty much any application — InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop are what the pros would use, but even a basic word processor is enough to create a cool design (our awarding will not be based on complexity, we are looking for great story, effort and clear passion for the sport)
- Work out where each page of your zine needs to be positioned in the design so that it is in the right order when it is printed
- Add photos, shapes, icons, scan and import handmade elements, add text, download textures from the internet (just Google ‘free background textures’), etc.
- (Note: If you are using a word processor, sometimes it can be tricky to position images — you need to find the ‘text wrap’ options, select ‘in front of text’, ‘square’, etc. Trial and error will get you there, although it’s probably easier to download a free basic design application)
- There are plenty of free basic design applications you can download, or you might even have on your computer already (Paint, for example). Just make sure you set the document up for an A4 sheet dimensions before starting
- Here are some free basic design software ideas
- If you see something you like in a magazine or online, you can probably achieve similar. Google is your friend — decide what application you are going to use, then if you can’t manage something (adding one image on top of another, for example), just ask Google and specify the application you are using (e.g. ‘how to reduce image transparency in Paint’)
- Save the file(s) as a PDF or JPGs
- Make sure the file size isn’t huge (we accept up to 20Mb). If it is, that’s because of all those images you added in. But don’t fear, you can normally select the size to save or export the document or resize it afterwards — 3508 x 2480 pixels height/width is just right for A4 print. If you can’t figure that out, Google ‘reduce file size in [your design software name]’
TIP: HOW TO WRITE YOUR ZINE INSTRUCTIONS
Your zine should be simple for people to print and put together in their homes without needing to buy any specific materials.
If it has multiple folds or any unique features, you need to ensure the instructions you provide are clear, brief and easy to follow. If you aren’t sure, send it as a test to a friend or family member and see if they manage to construct your zine in their home.
Short, simple sentences or bullet points should walk through the step-by-step process of printing the zine and putting it together.
Bonus advice: Add page numbers to your design so it’s more obvious what order it should go in when people are putting it together at home.
PS: Never assume. Make the instructions as if you were writing them for a dummy.
DOWNLOAD SIMPLE BIND AND FOLD ZINE MAKING GUIDE HERE
FAQS
Q: I have no design experience, does that matter?
A: No! The whole point of zines is that anyone can make one
Q: I am a professional designer, does that mean I’m not allowed to submit a zine?
A: No! Get involved.
Q: I don’t have a printer; can I still make one?
A: Yes, of course you can. Everyone’s welcome. It just means you won’t be able to give your design a test run at home. Try sending it to a friend or relative who has a printer to see if it works before sending us the final version
Q: Can I handmake it then just take a photo?
A: The main point of the zine library is that people can print your zine out at home. But yes, you could do that. You’d just need to flatten it out (don’t photo it already folded), lay it on a flat surface, photograph it from above looking down, crop the image so your feet and the dog’s bowl aren’t in the shot, then send us that with your description and instructions. Using a scanner app for your phone will probably be easier — it’ll automatically identify the sheet of paper and will save only that, plus the dimensions will be spot on
Q: Does it have to be A4?
A: It must be possible to print on standard A4 printer paper — that’s the paper that most people have in their home printer. But you could design it on a bigger (or smaller) sheet, it just needs to have the same proportions as A4 and still look good when scaled down/up in size
Q: What size is a sheet of A4?
A: 210mm x 297mm width/height. That’s 8.2677in x 11.6929in w/h. To print at a decent resolution, that’s 2480 x 3508 pixels w/h (select this when sizing your document to send to us). If you are printing landscape orientation, swap those numbers around (3508px width, 2480px height)
Q: Where can I buy the best books about mountain biking?
A: Glad you asked. They are in our Store
Q: Is that really all the FAQs?
A: We’ll keep adding to this page as we receive questions
Competition winners
A huge thank you to everyone who submitted a zine to our Zine Design Competition.
We had great fun printing and putting together every zine and found it incredibly difficult to choose the winners.
Eventually we settled on our top-three, but we have also selected five runners-up. Check out the runners-up and their prizes in this Scraps post.
Without further ado, we present our top-three winners and their prizes:
First place: AT THE CURVE OF THE TRAIL – SASCHA J. BORN
At the Curve of the Trail ticks all the boxes. It uses only two sheets of paper and minimal ink, plus it’s really easy to print and put together. Yet it still manages to contain all sorts of fun stuff, information and games. You can even colour in a trail and then ride it yourself, all within the zine.
Prizes:
– A super-limited-edition Tea & Biscuits x BTR Trail Tool.
– A copy of Served, the T&B zine.
– A T&Beanie hat.
– A BTR x T&B t-shirt
– The full Hurly Burly Collection
– The full World Stage Collection
Second place: BORDER COUNTRY – LEW PRICE
Border Country gives us a window onto a scene we probably wouldn’t have otherwise heard of. It flows nicely, combining a strong story with a grassroots zine feel. It also reminds us of Shredder Zine — which can only be a good thing.
Prizes:
– A super-limited-edition Tea & Biscuits x BTR Trail Tool.
– A copy of Served, the T&B zine.
– A BTR x T&B t-shirt
– A copy of Hurly Burly 2019
– A copy of The World Stage 2019
Third place: INTO THE WOODS – DADCAMTV
Into the Woods is a thing of beauty; it is very nicely put together and perfectly simple with great design and images. Print one out and cherish it.
Prizes:
– A copy of Served, the T&B zine.
– A BTR x T&B t-shirt
– A T&Brew mug
– A copy of Deathgrip book
Our judging was based on several factors: no excessive ink usage; ease of print and construction; creativity; storytelling; resourcefulness.
Remember, if you didn’t win, it’s not over yet. We will be announcing the runners up this week (week starting 27/04/2020). These extra prizes are rather special. Stay tuned.
ZINES
THANK YOU
James Mcknight
BACK COUNTRY BADMINTON
Victor Lucas
MR DANGEROUS WHEN DRUNK
Ben Winder
ANALOG
Jon Gregory
LES GETZINE ROUND 5
Chris Jones
2020 WC SEASON TRUMPS GAME
Sam Copp
THE MILLION-AND-FOUR-YEAR-OLD
Mokup
WELL SPENT SUMMER
Nicholas Smith
DOWNHILL DOWNUNDER
Archie O’Mahoney
2019 WC TRACKS
Mokup
BEN WINDER APPRECIATION AND ACTIVITY BOOK
Johnjo Oldale
POND LIFE
Harry Griffiths
BORDER COUNTRY
Lew Price
MTB: MUSIC THEN BIKES
Aurum MTB
LOOKING BACK TO LOOK FORWARDS
Matt
AT THE CURVE OF THE TRAIL
Sascha J. Born
EVOLUTION OF THE V10 COLOURING SHEET
Mokup
THE MOMOS IN TASMANIA
Momo C
INTO THE WOODS
Dadcamtv
POST TRUTH BIKING
Graham
ZZZZZZZZINE BELGIQUE
Loic Delteil
LOAM RANGER
@atomcreates
PL40
Norway Raggers
THE MOMO’S IN MADEIRA
Morgane Jonnier
FORECLOSURE OF A DREAM
Pete Scullion
DON’T HURRY BE HAPPY
TimFromWales
BIKE SMASH
Jules Hamilton
FUNDING BTR FABRICATIONS
Burf
misspent summers
CORE TEAM:
FOUNDER-DIRECTOR: James McKnight
CO-DIRECTOR: Ben Winder
CO-DIRECTOR: Mike Rose
CO-DIRECTOR: Victor Lucas
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Chris Jones
DOOD OF DOODLES: Jon Gregory
REGULARS:
Morgane Charre: Research
Harriet Jones: Management
Sven Martin: Photography
Boris Beyer: Photography
Sebastian Schieck: Photography
John Parkin: Legendary
FRIENDS:
Ric McLaughlin, Paul Aston, Lauren Jenkins, Tom Caldwell, Chris Kilmurray, Kerstin Kauffmann, Chris Jackson, Pedro Ballin, Alan
