How can I print a zine on newsprint?

[Samantha Trees]

I'm making a zine to include with my band's 7 inch record, and I want it to be really light weight and thin, so was thinking i would print it on newsprint.

I was wondering if anyone knew if you can get legal sized sheets of newsprint, or even 11x17 sized.  I also was wondering if anyone knows if I can use newsprint paper in a regular photocopier.

If people have any other idea on what kind of paper to use to make a light weight thin zine, that would be great to hear too!

Any advice would be super helpful!

[Whitering]

Oriental trading company sells tablets of news print. But newsprint tends not to be acid free so it turns yellow with time. I found a great article on google answers about getting the yellow out of old newsprint clippings.
There are papers that you can buy from most office supply stores that are lightweight and can be used in a photocopier. I know that some of them come in colors as well, and they tend to be a bit more durable.

[Hannah / Frothy Press]

If the newsprint is the kind you get in craft stores with the semiglossy side, it might not go through a photocopier very well, either. :^/ My only suggestion is to find a kind of paper you like, get it cut down if necessary (using an industrial papercutter for perfectly aligned edges) and test it out.

I read a zine from the UK not long ago that was on beautiful, light grey paper which, now that I think about it, was probably newsprint. It had tooth on both sides though, and it took the toner beautifully. Now you've inspired me, and I have to figure out how to do this too!

[janelloshea]

Just yesterday I was at a paper shop looking for newsprint but they only had the 50gsm one. I asked the lady if it's possible to run it through a home laser printer but she said it is not recommended. It came in a really large size too, A1, and she said most people use it for offset printing. I'd really like to be able to print on newsprint though.

[kit feral]

An old newspaper office downtown used to sell newsprint really cheap, but I can't imagine it would take to photocopying in a regular machine well. It used to tear quite easily even when I was just doodling on it. But then again, this was years ago, so I really can't say for sure.

good luck, I bet it'd look great!

[Hannah / Frothy Press]

Okay, so I took a pad of cheapo newsprint with a bit of tooth on both sides down to Kinko's and had them cut the gummed edge and trim it to 8.5" x 11". (They only charge me for one cut, which was sweet.) I carried the stack and my new minizine flat over to the copier and started experimenting. In the bypass stack tray, three pages in a row got jammed before they made it to the duplexer. I tried in the #1 and #2 letter size bins, and those both made it as far as the finisher before they also got stuck. In each instance, the paper crumpled at some point where it was supposed to roll over a portion of the copier.

It was Canson 30lb newsprint, and I think the problem is that it was just a little too thin. It didn't pull more than one sheet through at a time, so the texture was fine. It's a shame it didn't work, because the pages that did take toner before jamming looked awesome--it's exactly the aesthetic I want.

I'll try again at some point with a different type of newsprint and let you know what happens.

[thugs of the heart]

i often sketch on "student pads," that is, large pads of recycled paper, easily found at art supply stores. i'm looking at my current one right now: it's by pro art, it's called newsprint, and is 14"x17".

it seems to hold ink well, but i've never tried it with a copier. i would also say it's a fair bit heavier than your average newspaper, as it's 32#. i'm not sure this is what other people are referring to, so sorry if i'm being redundant/not helpful...

megan

[Dan 10things]

How many copies of the 7" are you putting out? If you're doing 500 or more, which you probably are, I'd talk to a local offset printer. You can get it directly printed to newsprint, I did many issues of my zine on newsprint with a glossy cover. It was way cheap. Talking to local freebie newsprint papers is a good way to find the cheap local printers.

[Adrian Fynch]

I don't know what kind of paper she used, but the zinester who makes Smelling Trees uses a type of paper similar to newsprint. http://smellingtrees.com/
At least, the issue I have is made from that stuff.

[Samantha Trees]

thanks soooo much everyone for all the awesome advice. My band is super set on diy everything (except the actual pressing of the record), but I might end up convincing them to get the zine printed somewhere, just so we can get the newsprint.

I'll keep you all posted! Thanks a ton, Frothy, for actually going out and doing it and reporting back!

[Milo]

I don't know why i didn't think of it yesterday (when i first read your post) but if you are planning a mini-zine made from a single sheet of paper, you could probably silkscreen it onto newsprint. That would keep it within the DIY frame, too.

Samantha Trees said:

thanks soooo much everyone for all the awesome advice. My band is super set on diy everything (except the actual pressing of the record), but I might end up convincing them to get the zine printed somewhere, just so we can get the newsprint.

I'll keep you all posted! Thanks a ton, Frothy, for actually going out and doing it and reporting back!

[Samantha Trees]

yeah unfortunately this zine is gonna be many many many pages, we have totally thought of silk screening, but i don't think it's gonna be worth the time!

[Andy (Footprint Workers Co-op)]

We used to get lots of enquiries about newsprint. Because it is so light it is more usual to be printed in massive 'web presses' where the paper is on a big roll (so it doesn't tear or get lost in the press). I've never heard of sheets of newsprint. In the UK it used to be the case that phoning up your local newspaper and getting them to print it (or finding out where they get it printed and getting them to do it)

Andy