Make a memorable impact with a zine-style business card.

Write this way.

Each page is located in its own folder. Toggle them open by clicking on the arrow next to the folder icon. To change the text, double-click on the T icon within any text layer to edit it. To swap in a new font, use the Font menu in the Options bar. “Choose a typeface that speaks to your individual style,” says Hanna. “If it feels too stylistic to use for body copy, choose a more neutral font to pair with it like Roc Grotesk, Freight, or Yorkten Slab.” To edit the “upside down” text in the layout, click the R button on your keyboard to activate the Rotate tool and then click and drag to rotate the canvas 180 degrees. To return to the original orientation, hit the esc key. TIP: To hide and unhide the guides, hit command + ;.

Be image conscious.

Hanna has included colorful shapes in her design that act as frames for images within your zine. To change their color, click on the shape layer, then hit the U key to activate the shape options in the Options bar. Adjust the color with the Fill field in the Options bar, and add a stroke in the Stroke field. To add a photograph to your layout, drag and drop it onto the canvas, then resize and position it. (Make sure to toggle Hanna’s photos off in the layout by clicking the eye icon next to them.) Name your image in the Layers panel and drag it into the appropriate page folder. “Consider the pacing of images and writing,” says Hanna. “Breaking up images can keep the flow of the zine from feeling too stagnant.”

Take your design to the next level.

“My advice is to keep zine pages feeling lighter and not too densely packed with writing,” says Hanna. “The less people think they have to read, the more they are likely to engage with it. Also, with such little space, think small decisions with big impact! Such as dramatic scale changes to keep things interesting, or a funky arrow to express your individual style. If you’re feeling ambitious, try combining two pages into one, and design across one full page with extra-large images or written content.” You can also use the free QR code generator in Adobe Express to create a QR code that directs folks to your website. The open space on the contact page is an ideal spot for this within the layout.

Print it out.

Time to make your zine! For best results, print directly from Photoshop. You can opt to print your design with the cut line guide visible, or you can turn it off in the Layers panel before you export your PDF. If your printer hasn’t automatically detected that this file should be printed in Landscape, make sure to choose that option before printing. This design will really pop when printed in color, but has enough contrast to print well in grayscale, too. Now begins the fun, hands-on part.

Fold it up.

1) Fold the paper in half crosswise.

 

2) Unfold it and fold it in half lengthwise.

 

3) Unfold it and fold each side into the middle crease.

 

4) Unfold it again, and fold it crosswise once more, and cut along the dotted line or to the edge of the next crease.

 

5) Stand your zine up with the cut side facing up. Push the two two sides together in the middle of the cut — it will look a bit like a + sign. Then fold the booklet together so that the front and back covers sandwich the two middle pages. Congratulations, you just made a zine and a business card!