Things on Your Phone That Could Become a Zine

Your phone may already contain the beginnings of a zine: a group of photographs, an unfinished note, a list or several versions of the same idea.

The useful task is selection. Exporting everything from a folder will not automatically create a readable publication.

Start with a pattern

Look for material connected by one question or repeated detail.

You might find photographs of meals eaten alone, views from train windows, objects you wanted to draw or notes about a place you were considering moving to.

Choose a small set and write a sentence describing the connection. If the sentence needs several unrelated clauses, narrow the selection.

Turn notes into a readable sequence

A note written for yourself may rely on context another reader does not have.

Add enough information to explain the setting and any unfamiliar reference. Keep the original fragment where its form matters, then use a short caption to supply context.

You can show several stages of an idea, but make it clear which version came first and what changed.

Use lists for more than a wall of text

A list can become an index, a series of illustrated entries or a comparison between intention and result.

For example, choose a few items from an old to-do list and write what happened to each. Some may have been completed, some abandoned and some no longer relevant.

You do not need to make the outcome neat. The differences can be the subject.

Check photographs at print size

A photograph that looks clear on a small screen may reveal problems when enlarged.

Make a rough layout at the size of the finished page. Check whether the important detail remains visible and whether a crop removes something the reader needs.

If a screenshot is too dense, recreate the relevant portion in a readable layout rather than shrinking the entire screen.

Remove information that does not belong

Look for addresses, account names, notifications, private messages and other people's personal details.

Ask before using material someone sent privately. You can often describe your own experience without reproducing the entire exchange.

Keep an untouched copy of the original file and make edits to a separate version so you can reconsider the selection.

Give the collection an ending

Choose a final image or note that completes the sequence rather than simply using the last item in the folder.

Add a brief credit or date where useful. Then make a test copy and read it away from the phone.

Next: How to Make a Photo Zine.