How is print media evolving in a digital world?

Introduction:

The idea that print will cease to exist is a quite scary one for designers like me, that are interested in tactile prints. However I believe that print will not 'die', it will just adapt and grow within the digital world. As Ludovico (2012) said the death of paper prints is yet to happen, as the printed page is more valuable and reliable to the people. Nowadays everyone can put their life and thoughts into the internet, but making a book out of these will take longer than 5 minutes. Therefore, people consider that the printed page must have better information since it takes time and money to create.

Zines, for example, were always the type of publication that is mainly handmade. Nevertheless, zine designers adapted, and nowadays most are made in software like InDesign with less fear of making a mistake and ruining the whole thing. Additionally, I frequently handmade and scanned into a computer for printing and distributing/circulating to the public. I found a couple of projects that distribute and present zine culture in a digital way while supporting various artists/designers. The shophouse walking tour kit in japan (in zines) by Kia Kia, a mass-printed project that gives you a tour of the Penang Shophouses in a variety of zines. As well as, the zine-o-maniac website, a space in the digital world to subscribe and receive, every month, a collection of zines.

Main Text:

The first idea I would like to analyze is that of zines being like guides. Imagine yourself on a holiday what is right at the door of each airport? A lot of things, but you will probably see a printed map or book/brochure of the city or country you just landed. Why? Because people find the printed page reliable and familiar. Therefore, the idea of creating a pack of printed pages to guide you on an adventure is the most reliable, as the printed page is not going to run out of battery. The shophouse walking tour kit in japan by Kia Kia gives us just that, this project (Kia Kia, 2018) encourages people to explore, wander, and rediscover the city.  The kit consists of three zines of different topics: introduction (introduce you to the origin, types of shophouses in Penang), characteristics (gives you an idea of what makes a shophouse, a shophouse), documentary (documents the special traditional trades, little conversations in Penang), one brochure map, one Penang Hokkien slang book, postcards, stickers, and vouchers. These are mass-produced and digitally designed.

Chloe Parks, a student at California Polytechnic State University, conducted a study to discover if the creation of handmade zines will continue in the future despite the immense digital options for those making them, as it was conducted by a student the results come with limitations. While interviewing members of the zine-making community (Parks, 2013) "It is interesting to note that every participant in the study had a URL to offer as a digital presentation of their work (zines, art, portfolio, etc.). A majority also mentioned social networking and blogging sites as filters through which they share their work.", this shows how the community of zine-making adapted into the digital era and that even though a total handmade work is done, the presenting and distributing part is made mainly in the digital world.

The other idea I analyzed was the one of presenting and distributing the zine culture through the digital world. A project that supports zine makers that conduct their work by hand, but then distribute and share it through a monthly subscription system online. The zine-o-manic project is a monthly zine subscription service that (Zine-o-Matic, 2015) curates and ships a full package of zines, stickers, and indie art to your doorstep. This service supports up and coming artists and uses the digital world to promote them.

Conclusion…

Overall, print is very far from “dying” and it will continue to evolve and adapt in this digital era. The public, nowadays, trusts the printed page, and even though the digital world is a growing one zine designers take the digital as a pathway to distribute their work worldwide.

In the future, print could eventually disperse and change its role but for now, print has adapted itself into the digital world and is using it as a pathway to the future.

(740 words)