Zine Swap Brings Print to Life at Libby Leshgold Gallery

On Friday, June 20th, students from the Communication Design and Print Media programs came together at the Libby Leshgold Gallery for our second annual Zine Swap.

More than just an exchange of print materials, zines serve as conversation starters and community builders by creating an in-person space for students to share thoughts, new ideas, artwork and more.

The zines, which were created as a result of projects from classes COMD 325: Independent Publishing and PRNT 323: The Democratic Multiple, are meant to give designers and printmakers new insights into the world of printing beyond their usual practice.

Often, for designers working in print, much of the work is done on screen and through test printing, and with final files handed over to print shops at the end of the project for production. In this course, taught by sessional instructor and designer Jean Chisholm, students are encouraged to dive in, create quickly, and create their print work throughout the project. Students are invited not to be too precious about the final result, embrace the DIY spirit of zine-making, and see how printing can also be part of their iterative process, not just a final outcome.

Using risograph printing techniques, students learn quickly how to create and format their first zine using just a single sheet of letter-size paper to develop a small eight-page booklet. By the end of the course, they work in small groups to develop a larger project around a centralized theme, seeking contributions from the community to build out the content.

"A big part of this class is seeing how we form and foster community, and how our own work as designers and print makers can drive community building,” says Jean. “Practicing this both within the class through group projects and with the broader community through zine swaps and other zine events has been exciting for the group."

Zines hold a special place in the history of print media. Not only were they a way of sharing stories, art or talking about fandoms, but they were often used by dissidents, underrepresented, and marginalized groups to support movements and spread messages, almost immediately after printing technology became more widely available.

In the classroom, Jean touches on zine history while also leading discussions with students about modern topics concerning the importance of physical media in creating offline spaces for people to connect, free from influences like algorithms and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

"We had a lot of great discussions in class about online and printed forms of media, and what roles they play for us and our communities,” says Jean. “Our students feel excited to explore zine-making not as a nostalgic exercise, but as a vital and necessary medium today, especially given the rise of AI-generated content. Zines are a meaningful mode to express ourselves and share our perspectives with each other."

The energy at the Zine Swap event was casual but purposeful as students flipped through each other’s work, swapped zines and delved into conversations. For participants, this was an opportunity to show off in person what they had learned in class and hold their own finished print deliverables in their hands. For others, the swap provided a moment to reflect on the importance and diversity of publishing and the print medium as a way to connect, share and collaborate.

Discover more about zines in our library collection or through these resources.