How To Make A TTRPG Zine!

[@graildemitrius6310]

Your channel and personality are so fun! Thx for this

[@GabeDunstonDraws]

Hey. Pro illustrator/designer here. I used adobe products since 2007. I have been using Affinity for about 18 months now. You are 100% correct. It works great! The interfaces and functionality of both suites are so similar, learning one after having known the other is very easy. Very smooth learning curve. Making my TTRPG zines with Affinity Publisher right now. (Also, love the video. Love the channel. SUBSCRIBED!)

[@JPCoovert]

Good to know! I use Photoshop, Illustrator, inDesign, AND Premiere on a daily basis. Switching all of those at once feels very overwhelming

[@kiiev_]

I'm Brazilian and need use Google Translator for understand what You say. But your vídeos are amazing and i learn a Lot with you. Congrats.

[@meridiangames8279]

JP, you were my inspiration for getting started in this space, since watching your video on how to make isometric dungeons, we have release a whopping 3 zines for dungeon crawl classics. You're the man and thank you from the bottom of my heart!

[@JPCoovert]

LOVE hear things! Thank you!!!

[@wahoothurman9969]

I've never used Adobe, but I've used the free program Open Office and it works really well

[@benjaminloyd6056]

Cool. I use Libre Office.

[@francoisdumont4105]

Thank you for doing this. I am trying to put together my first zine and this helps.

[@johnorr8094]

I have only contributed poetry to Lumpyhead 'zine in the 1990s. This inspires me to make my own 'zine.

[@Trippy_Space_Bunny]

The selling, shipping and subsequent taxes are the most confusing and intimidating parts of this for me. This video is great thank you so much :)

[@JPCoovert]

That part is difficult at first, but once you get it set up it's no big deal!

[@lindafarnes486]

This is really good video, very helpful and inspiring. I have self published but just used word. For my artwork (watercolours and watercolour pencil), I photographed the illustrations and added in as jpg. After formatting my booklets (zines), I converted to pdf via the print options. Then I could print at home or print at the local print shops depending on the finish quality I was after. Watercolours don't scan or photocopy very well at all. However if you take your art outside, or place in some good light and photograph it, it should look pretty good in your zines.

[@Vpkoivisto]

I've been working on a homebrew game for over a decade now, but it's been in digital form so far. Only in these recent years I've put some proper thought into what form it should take when I eventually print it. Having watched our videos, I think zines seem to be a good start. That way I can make each rules chapter into its own zine and then put them all together in a single folder or something like that, once they're all printed. I probably wouldn't have thought about zines without these videos, so thanks for that! :)

[@vernillet120]

Thanks for the video ! You helped me a lot in the last few months to regain intrest in drawing and mastering Roleplaying Games, after very hard times for me and my girlfriend. I'm now using most of what i learn from you to make maps for custom worldbuilding to make paper miniatures for upcoming games. One of the flows in the plan is i hardly see how i'm gonna draw Transformers for my next session xD but still ! all the content, tutorials and ressources you give to us is a treasure, thank you a lot !

[@matthewgoettel2798]

Love that old school Ryu Hayabusa shirt, and my Exploring Dungeons Zine. Bless you JP.

[@artisanbinks1205]

A very inspiring tutorial JP i need to have a go at making one somtime. Great work.

[@DiomedesRangue]

You're very talented. Thanks for this video. Definitely helps a lot.

[@JockevanHelgen]

Awesome timing as I'm working on my first Zine right now. It will be in german language (Because I'm german ^^) and will be a Dragonbane themed Zine about a Tavern, it's patreons and adventuring hooks. As a gimmick I will throw in an Artifact Card as a hand out for the players. You do have inspired me to create this Zine, because your awesome style with your own Zines. Thank you a lot.

[@JPCoovert]

That sounds like an awesome zine! I'm excited to check out Dragonbane too!

[@brandivolpe]

love LOVE dragonlance! good luck.

[@fturfler2]

Thank you I was going to ask you where you get your zines printed. I love the cover stock you choose.

[@JPCoovert]

I get "matte lamination" from them ;)

[@rpgmancy]

This was an excellent video. Thank you for taking the time to put this together!

[@doremicocoparis9410]

Love it thanks for the inspiration

[@TeeKetch]

This was really cool dude. I’ve been debating doing maybe a zine to start with Knight Light having just the basic rules/character creation to see how it goes and than elaborate down the road. Thanks for all the insight!

[@Sword_And_Sorcery]

You are extremely helpful.

[@greystorm9974]

You can also use Scribus

[@DaTux91]

Damn it JP, you've done it again! Now I want to try this too! I DON'T HAVE THE TIME JP!! 😂😂

[@keimek8641]

Good video, helped me like every other you made, love it, thanks

[@luciusrex]

dude you are a big inspiration. thank you!!

[@jameshurley6021]

Very Inspiring! Do you keep a physical copy of your work for yourself?

[@morgangleave8518]

I just got my comics back from the printers on Thursday - they look great! Must get back to writing my TTRPG - kinda stalled on that, but still doing #dungeon23 every day!

[@TheeSlickShady_Dave_K]

Awesome! 🏆

[@EyeMCreative]

You should make a video showing how you would go about printing and binding a zine yourself. Seems like you format them in page order, but for printing and stapling you'd probably have to shuffle the order around so you can staple the pages together and have it all line up? Obviously a service like mixam takes care of all of that for you, but I'm curious what your process would be for printing and binding everything in the right order.

[@JPCoovert]

Adobe Acrobat has a booklet printing option that makes it very easy!

[@EyeMCreative]

@@JPCoovert oh nice! I'll have to experiment with it then

[@Dtgray12]

Thanks for the tutorial. I've been trying to create a TTRPG but I can't figure out certain features like whether or not to include a leveling system or how to simplify battle mechanics while making it enjoyable.

[@JPCoovert]

Play test and find out!

[@griner65]

I've watched a few of your videos and they have been helping me get together my first TTRPG zine. Quick question, what font sizes do you use for that size?

[@JPCoovert]

It SUPER depends on the font. My advice is to do a little test paragraph in 8, 9, 10, and 11 point sizes and PRINT IT. Don't just look at it on the screen.

[@RollforDrama]

I think I have that same flannel…I love it but doesn’t fit me. Looks great on you!

[@MoxOwl]

Great video.......more zine stuff please

[@PeterMatthess]

Is a zine basically a mini magazine then? I was a little hung up on what exactly a zine was until I guessed this. This is a very interesting way of getting into self publishing some D&D content without the daunting task of thinking you need to make like a 100pg+ hardback MCDM book for instance! Problem is, I don't have any online following in the D&D community

[@JPCoovert]

Yes! I should have clarified! Start making cool stuff and people will be interested!

[@jefftheless]

What kind of paper do you print your covers on? They have a really nice matte finish

[@JPCoovert]

I choose "matte lamination". Get the bright colors and some durability without it being too glossy!

[@TheEmeraldMinotaur]

It's already been said, but thank you! This video was so very helpful (and inspirational.)

[@jdfleblanc]

Love your content man. Great stuff!

[@hatchlingsgames]

We have a 50 page zine to be published in April. What would you advise for binding type? Perfect bound? Stapled? Something else? My previous projects have been 200+ pages so I would love some guidance if you have time.

[@JPCoovert]

That's a tough size! My Dragon Town zine is 40 pages and it feels like it's kinda the max for saddle stitch. The cover still likes to open on its own. Of course it depends on what paper weight you are using and with saddle stitch the cover contributes to that too. My suggestion would call your printer and ask their advice. Maybe even get a couple of samples! It'd be worth it with your print runs!

[@slydog75]

Zine is short for Magazine?

[@JPCoovert]

I think that's how it originated, but I feel like it's kinda it's own thing now.

[@CONTINGENCY_sys]

Nice.

[@Arty8090]

Good vid

[@colinomelia9866]

Hey JP is there a way to just subscribe and automatically pay and order your monthly Zines?

[@JPCoovert]

Not really sure what you're asking here. Join Patreon to get a new zine every month, plus past digital versions. You can order physical copies of older zines from my online shop. Everything is linked the description.

[@grimmtales503]

Goodness gracious your videos evolved! Please expand on your 'Iterate' process. This brainstorming process could change the famous 'Writer's Block' phenomenon. Thank you / excellent video.

[@DigitalinDaniel]

I want to make zines and my own rpg book, I do a lot of art and rpg things, but the technical side of the book layout stuff is just too confusing. I have Clip Studio Pro EX and it has book/comic making tools but ugh, it looks so simple but I struggle badly and stress myself out.

[@JPCoovert]

There are lots of great tutorials out there! KZbin videos and blog posts. Just take it one step at a time and look up what you get stuck on!

[@TixoDelta]

if it helps, there's this program called "Electric Zine Maker" that allows you to make the pages and leave the layout to the program. One problem is that it doesn't have a template to go bigger than the usual 8 page zine. But if that isn't a problem, Check out the program for yourself! I wish I knew abt it when I made my first zine.

[@viniciusjp]

I'm from Brazil and it would be very helpful if you made all your zines available digitally

[@JPCoovert]

They are all available digitally by joining my patreon.

[@mariadevries416]

I know this is really open ended, but how do you come up with your ideas? Also was this zine just descriptions of dragons or is it a mini-campaign?

[@JPCoovert]

Description of the dragons, plus some history, and story hooks so you can use them as quest givers, helpful NPC's or antagonists. Maybe I'll do a video about how I come up with ideas/get inspiration. I try to write a lot of stuff down. If there's something cool in a show or book. I like to combine things that don't necessarily go together (like, what is a pirate dragon like?) or put an interesting spin on common ideas.

[@mariadevries416]

@@JPCoovert Thanks, cool!

[@clintedmonson]

I've had good luck using PowerPoint instead of InDesign or Affinity designer. Not quite as powerful but much less complex and easier to learn. Just set slide size to 5x8 and print to PDF for mass production.

[@miaou5878]

You mean Affinity publisher ? Designer is more for one page design and illustration. Honestly I would just buy Affinity Publisher as PowerPoint is ok for very very amateur look. And it's not so complicate, just learn what you need as you need it.

[@JPCoovert]

Oh interesting! I always thought that Power Point was for screen stuff only, but if it can export high res PDF's then I can see how it'd be a great option!

[@JPCoovert]

@@miaou5878 Woops! Yes, I meant Affinity Publisher. Didn't even realize there was a "Designer" program. Need to take my Adobe goggles off and learn more about these other options!

[@JustGem87]

maybe a silly question but what is a Zine?

[@JWClayArt]

Independently made magazine.

[@JustGem87]

@@JWClayArt Thank you :)

[@robot7759]

Costs? Selling price? Minimum & maximum number of pages?

[@Jon-Gardner]

Since you asked so politely…

[@calcite_dragon]

FIrst like and first comment!

[@f.a.santiago1053]

HEY! I'm the 800th Like! XD