Zines and print publishing also allow the creator to make more creative decisions than many online publishing platforms. When self-publishing online, authors rarely have the technical expertise required to make a website appear exactly as they wish. Authors are forced to contract off web design to experts, pay large sums to use digital design tools, or use recycled templates on platforms like WordPress or Canva. This calls into question if the DIY ethic can exist in online spaces. As Chloe Parks points out, “if the digital carrier of user-made content is not created by the author/artist/zinester themselves–is it [the DIY ethic] even comparable?” (14). Is using a WordPress template truly DIY? DIY is championed for the “distinct freedom of expression that comes from completely detaching oneself from corporate sponsorship or necessity” (Parks 14). In DIY subculture, there is a focus on authenticity, uniqueness, accessibility, and independence. Zine creation fits perfectly into the DIY principle. Zines “are simpler technology” (Piepmeier 221) in which “each element requires choice and each zine is different” (Piepmeier 221). Zine creation does not require high upfront investment or skill. Their design is intuitive with simple cutting, pasting, and folding techniques. If one wants to move or add an image to a zine, they can simply print it out and paste it in any position they want on the page. Picking up a pencil and doodling is always an option with zines. It is not necessary to rely on expensive design software or coding expertise. Zine creators also have to make decisions, such as what size paper to use, what type of paper to use (e.g. newsprint or printer paper), whether to handwrite, typewrite, or word process, whether to rip or cut the paper, and how cluttered the page should be. All these choices lead to “a level of personal involvement that is not as often possible in electronic media” (Piepmeier 222). The existence of only a limited amount of templates and lack of tactical components on the web takes these decisions out of the hands of the creator. Each of the design choices of a zinester makes also influences the way the content is read, allowing for rhetorical effects that may not be present online. As Anna Blake points out, “a small zine may be handled as an intimate object while a zine printed on newsprint may feel less precious” (34).
This page from a zine named “East Village Inky” also uses the limited size of a page to emphasize the stress and conflict present in the narrative. (Piepmeier 224) There is a conflict between the size of the page and the amount of writing jammed onto the page. The writing is frantic and gets progressively smaller down the page, mirroring the wild emotions of the character. The materiality of the zine can be used strategically to aid the storytelling. The form and the content of the zine can be read together to create meaning and express emotions. These considerations are often absent on blog pages, where the page can be essentially infinite due to scrolling, eliminating space constraints. Content and form cannot interact as seamlessly. One can have a cluttered webpage, but the option to easily zoom in is always present, and there must be room for navigation menus. Zines allow for true DIY publishing where the creator can make choices about every step of the creative process that enhances the authenticity, uniqueness, and rhetorical effect of the media.