The Rise of the Video Game Union zine: printing instructions

“The Rise of the Video Game Union” is our all-in-one explainer on why game workers are unionizing. We’ve created a zine of the story that is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States license (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US), which permits distribution of the zine provided that it is not altered or modified, or used commercially. That means you’re free to print it and share copies in your community!

There are a few ways you can create your own copies of “The Rise of the Video Game Union.” You can go to a local print shop, or some chains, to have them create the booklets completely; you can use a print shop or chain to make copies, and then bind/staple them yourself; or you can print and bind copies on your own.

Here’s our guide to each option!

Basics

You’ll need a copy of “The Rise of the Video Game Union” in PDF form. We’ve created a PDF of the zine as single pages; this is helpful for services that will reorder the pages automatically to print as a saddle-stitched booklet.

The booklet was designed to be used with regular letter-size paper (8.5×11 inches). Each page folded will measure 8.5×5.5 inches. The booklet uses only black ink to make copies as easy as possible.

Download “The Rise of the Video Game Union” [PDF]

Let the shop do all of it

Our suggestion would be to go to your local print shop and work with them, but there are a few chains that can do this, like FedEx Office and Staples — sometimes with same-day turnaround. Staples will allow you to upload a pdf file to their website. Select the desired location, then the Staples website will show you the cost and the estimated pick-up time. The store will reorder the pages for the booklet, then print and bind the books, so all you’ll have to do is go and pick them up!

This process is also used by print shops. We recommend it because it is both the most affordable and the easiest. You can also support local shops!

Tips:

  • Black and white are the best colors to choose if your chain allows you to upload through the Internet.
  • 20 lb. bond is standard copy paper, which is inexpensive — plus, the thicker the paper, the harder it will be to fold. Of course, if you’d like to use fancier paper, that’s up to you!

Make copies in the shop and then bind it by yourself

A print shop, or any store with a printer/copier is another option. Then, have the copy made by the printer/copier. You then have the option to bind the booklets yourself with a book stapler like the Bostitch Office Booklet Stapler.

Double-sided printing is recommended if you use a printer to ensure that the pages are folded in the proper order. When making copies of your booklet to print, ensure that the printer can scan both sides.

Tips:

  • To keep it affordable, you can use regular copy paper. It will fold easily.
  • A booklet contains 14 sheets. The seam is located in the middle. Be sure to check that the stapler you plan on using can cut through the same number of sheets. You might be able to use staplers from some print shops.

It’s possible to do this all by yourself

This option will probably not be the most cost-effective one if you plan to make a good number of booklets, but that said, it’s not too difficult to do. You most likely will need a booklet stapler and, more importantly, you will need a printer that can print double-sided pages — meaning it can print on one side, then reuse the same page and print on the other side of it.

An application must also be able to print the PDF properly. You can print the booklet from most applications that open PDFs. Adobe Acrobat Reader is free, and its print settings will allow you to select “Booklet,” which will automatically reorder and collate the pages to print correctly. In your print settings, be sure that “print on both sides” (or some such) is selected.

Get Support

If you are stuck at any point or something isn’t working as expected, there are some really great videos and tutorials online on how to print booklets — and of course, your local print shop is always there to problem-solve with you.

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