Magazine Printing – A Content Creator’s Guide to Printing a Magazine

In the vastness of digital media and marketing, the trusted texture of a print magazine is still a fan favorite. Audiences are looking for a tangible connection with the quality and creativity that only you can offer. Clients and consumers are more attuned to the craft and personalization of art, business, and style when they can hold a physical representation in their hands. That includes the dynamic power of a print magazine.

Bestype’s magazine printing has brought NYC’s vitality to print for decades, from fringe artists to fashion lookbooks and photography compilations. When digital printing arrived, it opened this art form to even wider audiences. The reduced costs of digital printing made it possible to launch magazines with smaller budgets and shorter runs for multiple niches. In this third installment of our six-part series on book, catalog, and magazine printing, we’ll show you how content creators are leveraging the capabilities of digital printing to create specialized magazines — enhancing their outreach and offerings. You’ll see why working on magazine printing in NYC means Bestype for premier service and excellence.

Magazine Printing: big and small

Bestype has decades of experience working with print clients ranging from some of the most prominent commercial publishers to independent creators of limited-edition zines. What does that mean for your magazine printing? We have a wide variety of exposure and experience to draw upon. We have helped clients ranging from large conglomerates to fringe poets find the layout and design for their creative and magazine printing needs.

In the past, a company or artist would need to have an audience of thousands to run a print magazine — not anymore! You can run a one-off or a limited edition for an audience of hundreds. You can even start a quarterly publication that is dynamic, affordable, and memorable. Our in-house staff and fleet of printers can accommodate a traditional magazine or a bound journal. We have the creative capabilities and in-house support to help any magazine, big or small, create an impact.

How do content creators use magazine printing?

Here are a few ways Bestype helps bring creative vision to life through print magazine projects:

Print content marketing
Comic books and graphic novels
Literature and poetry journals
Shopper’s news and coupon books
Press kits
Catalogs
Special event guides
Newsletters and newspapers
Music, art, and pop culture zines

What is a zine?

A zine is a self-published booklet on anything, and there are no rules! Bestype has worked with zines featuring poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. We’ve seen them for nomadic music followers tracking their favorite bands to poets highlighting the rooted depth of one specific neighborhood. The beauty of the zine is that it breaks convention and opens the gateway to creativity. It puts the power of messaging and art back into your hands as a creative. Zines can be simple, small batches of art. They can also utilize the dexterity of our print technology and in-house expertise, creating a more refined artistic piece that publishes once or quarterly — remember, there are no rules.

Magazine printing is a creative opportunity for everyone

You might not be publishing a zine, but you or your business can still take a page out of the freedom that a zine inspires. With digital printing increasing the availability and decreasing the cost of magazine printing, there is a converging moment to make a difference in how you present to your audience.

Photographers can create compilations to display their portfolios for future clients. Graphic artists and designers can create a piece that presents their skills in a new context or showcases previous work. Community theaters can create playbills for upcoming shows or a collection of achievements for celebration or funding. Communities form around passion and support what they love. Boroughs or schools can create yearly program booklets to promote events or activities — as can local artists, interests, or businesses. As much as we interact in the online world, it’s what a person can touch and feel that will catch their attention and gain their support.

What print magazine is right for you?

What paper will you choose — a matte or the glossy paper magazine publishers prefer? What kind of binding will you pick — one with a small-batch feel or a stackable one? What finish is the right one for your audience? Will you switch from digital print to offset lithographic printing? Don’t worry; you don’t need to have all the answers; our production team will walk you through our magazine printing services and more:

Expert design and layout consultation
Design troubleshooting
Paper and cover inventory
Digital and offset printing
Binding options including saddle-stitch, perfect, tape, and spiral
Insert production and packaging

The next step in printing a magazine is calling Bestype for a quote and letting our team help bring your vision to life. From professional periodicals to high gloss fashion layouts, for premier magazine printing, Bestype serves the NYC culture and community. In our upcoming article, we will delve into the potential of catalog printing and the opportunities they offer content creators to reach a wider audience.