handwriting vs. typing

[ashlee swanson]

i'd like to hear people's view on this subject. do you prefer to handwrite or type your zine? and when reading a zine, which do you prefer? have you had any struggles with either?

i've been working really hard on my new issue and i debated whether to use my typewriter or handwrite it. personally, i've done both in the past and i've never had a problem with either. my handwriting is very legible and if you use the right kind of pen, it prints just the same. i chose to handwrite the bulk of it since it's a personal zine and i think writing it by hand gives it an extra personal touch, like it's a letter to my readers. it takes some extra time, but i figure if i've got the time, why not? and i also never use a computer during the production of my zine--i don't write rough drafts on it, i don't print off anything with it, etc. i use my computer as a method of communication and distribution of my zine and that's about it.

[Emma Jane Falconer]

Why not mix both? I've seen that done very well before

[Amazing Sunflower]

If handwriting is legible, It can look so beautiful in a zine. If handwriting is messy, it can be a nightmare to read. I guess we all know that.

I think there is charm to both handwriting and typing. Old school typewriting looks cool, as long as there aren't so many typos that reading is a chore. If reading is a chore, I am less likely to bother. Harsh, I know, but true for me.

I do use my computer a lot for producing my zines. It's easier on me physically (my hand goes numb when I'm handwriting anything, but not when I type), and I appreciate being able to more easily make corrections and move text. Usually I type everything out, then do a cut and paste layout. I would use my computer to do layout too, if I could figure out how to do it with what I have.

I hate using my computer to communicate, but I do it because it's fast and easy and cheap. It is cool that via the internet I have met people and communicated with people that I would have otherwise not have known.

I think readability (including adequate white space--one of my personal challenges) is ultimately what's important to me.

[Misti Ko]

I like to see handwriting in zines, especially in perzines. Like people have said, it adds yet another dimension to the personality of the zine. I do have a pet peeve though. I have one zine that is hand written, but it has been shrunk down so much that my old eyes just can't read it. If I get any more like that, I'll have to get a magnifying glass and change my name to Sherlock.
M

[Yul Tolbert]

I've done quite a few hand-written zines in my time. But lately, I mostly type due to the time factor. But if I could write as fast as I type, I might go back to handwriting my zines. But of course the utlimate compromise here would be to use a font that's based on my handwriting.

[Mab]

I don't mind a mix of handwritten and typed, but I rarely read completely handwritten zines, especially if they're messy. I agree with Chantel G. on the old school typewriter stuff: it's beautiful if there aren't a lot of typos. If I have to spend a lot of time deciphering it, I'm less likely to finish reading it at all. The key for me is neatness, no matter how it's written up.

[Denise]

Chantel G. said:

If handwriting is legible, It can look so beautiful in a zine. If handwriting is messy, it can be a nightmare to read. I guess we all know that.

I think there is charm to both handwriting and typing. Old school typewriting looks cool, as long as there aren't so many typos that reading is a chore. If reading is a chore, I am less likely to bother. Harsh, I know, but true for me.

I do use my computer a lot for producing my zines. It's easier on me physically (my hand goes numb when I'm handwriting anything, but not when I type), and I appreciate being able to more easily make corrections and move text. Usually I type everything out, then do a cut and paste layout. I would use my computer to do layout too, if I could figure out how to do it with what I have.

I hate using my computer to communicate, but I do it because it's fast and easy and cheap. It is cool that via the internet I have met people and communicated with people that I would have otherwise not have known.

I think readability (including adequate white space--one of my personal challenges) is ultimately what's important to me.

there's a program for doing layout on zines... but it's like 50 bucks and I cant afford it right now... they do have free trial though... i think... but i forgot the name of the darn thing... but I'm sure if you try to google around, you will find it. :P

[Nat Rally]

Being raised in this age of computers I've (remorsefully) gotten accustomed to typing my thoughts out on a keyboard through high school, college etc...

However, I feel that my handwriting so very unique (and gloriously messy) that I make it a point to emphasize it in some places.

[Iris]

i am more likely to type in interesting fonts on my computor, but i really love the old fashioned typewriter look too. as for handwriting, i kind of hate when an entire zine is done that way, particularily if theirs a lot of writing. some can by nice though. for my collab. zine we do a combo of everything.

[The East Village Inky]

handwriting! I write differently in longhand than I do on the computer, where editing is easy and word counts often count. Also, since all my other written work is accomplished on a computer, I enjoy the freedom of knowing the zine is really all mine b/c it's in my handwriting.

I am a major culprit in contributing to eyestrain, though...

[apartmentcat]

With my mini zines, I hand write and draw all of it, but with my longer zines, I type the majority of it. My zines are very text heavy, so hand writing the whole lot would be a huge chore, not fun. Plus I have trouble finding good pens that don't conk out quickly. Usually I print it out and go back over it, writing notes and drawing pictures, adding a personal touch. I really love those books (usually children's books) that have been made to look like a notebook with photos and scraps stuck in, with hand-written notes. I just finished Lemony Snicket: An Unauthorised Autobiography. Most of the handwriting in that is pretty hard to read, though!
My handwriting is pretty neat; my problem is with white space as well. I tend to fill it all up with notes and comments.

[Whip-ette]

it's strange, my zine is typed because i just prefer the way it looks, especially as i print everything out and do a lot of cut and paste - that mix of obviously stuck down printed pages really appeals to me when combined with the grainy look you get from photocopiers and black and white typed text.

strangely however i like to read zines that aren't typed, or, if they are, are at least very collage-looking. i don't think i'd ever do a zine entirely on a computer, there's something massively appealing and tactile about arranging everything on a page and having a big thick wodge of a master copy with everything stuck in it.

there's something kind of glorious about a zine that you can see has been made by hand - and yeah, especially for perzines it's so personal to have things handwritten. i couldn't handwrite things myself though it's too time consuming and because my zine is like an anthology of different writers i think it's more of a level playing field if it's typed - everything is given the same space and 'look' so there's no bias towards one thing or another.

that's just my two cents, anyway.

[ParadoxMoxie]

When reading zines, I do prefer at least some print, but some handwriting is neat. In my own zines, most of it is typed, but sometimes handwriting is more appropriate for what I want to convey. And of course, sometimes I think of something I want to say but don't want to print it up, so I just write it on a scrap strip of paper.