How to design a mini zine in Canva

I made tutorials that show how to set up a design file in Canva to make an 8-page mini zine. The tutorials go over how to set up guides and what the page order will be. Everything in the tutorials is done with the free version of Canva.

There’s a video version you can watch on YouTube.

And a PDF version you can download for free (or pay what you want).

Here are a few preview pages from the PDF.

A guide titled How to design a mini zine in Canva with a subtitle about setting up design files and page order is displayed on a blue background. Instructions for using Canva to create a zine design are provided. A layout guide for zine page order, including instructions for rotating elements and the arrangement of the back cover, front cover, and pages.

If you have any questions or feedback on these tutorials, please send me a message.

Zine: Things we wouldn’t have to worry about if we didn’t depend on cars

I’ve been particularly annoyed lately about how much we depend on cars, so I made a little zine about it. I’m not saying we should eliminate cars completely. I want better public transportation so everyone has more and better options for getting around.

A hand holds a mini zine called Things we wouldn't have to worry about if we didn't depend on cars. The text is printed in black on a white background. Above and below the text, there's a black and white map of Chicago streets. A printed page features text about traffic congestion in Chicago and other cities, detailing car-related concerns. A paper with a printed list of driving-related tasks and challenges. Text that discusses the benefits of reducing car dependency and enhancing public transportation infrastructure.

Zine: An Incomplete History of Zany Brainy

“An Incomplete History of Zany Brainy” is a 20-page zine about a U.S. retail chain from the 1990s. These stores focused on affordable, educational toys for children.

The zine includes background on Zany Brainy, my favorite toys from the store, and what happened to Zany Brainy after the company declared bankruptcy in 2001.

Copies are available on Etsy.

I also made a digital version that is available on Ko-fi (free or pay what you want). You can download the zine as a PDF to read on your favorite screen. Note: This is not formatted for printing and folding a paper copy.

I had a lot of fun collecting info and reminiscing about Zany Brainy while I made this zine. I hope you enjoy reading it!

A zine titled An Incomplete History of Zany Brainy with a colorful, abstract line design on the cover. A timeline and a photo display details about Zany Brainy's history, featuring a colorful store exterior and company milestones. A zine page titled Favorite toys, featuring text and images of children's science toys, including Klutz books and Zap Science.

Zine: Playground games in the 1990s

“Playground games in the 1990s” is a pros and cons list of recess activities that were popular in elementary school. (At least in central Pennsylvania, in the 1990s.)

Each page includes small illustrations relating to playground activities. I drew on Whitelines paper so I could draw with a regular pen and then photograph the paper to use the drawings digitally.

A hand holds a pink zine titled Playground games in the 1990s with a sketch of a playground structure. A pink zine lists pros and cons for four children's games: Kickball, Four Square, Kick Back, and Red Rover. A pink zine humorously lists pros and cons for playground activities: Swings, The Floor is Lava, Double Dutch, and Circle Dodgeball. A pink zine lists pros and cons of games like Horse, Tag, and Knockout. A collection of zines titled Playground Games in the 1990s.

Wayne Manor

Here’s an illustration of Bruce Wayne’s mansion (Wayne Manor). I really like how the blue highlights contrast against the black on the building and the trees.

A sketchbook displays a black and blue drawing of a silhouetted mansion landscape with a bat signal in the sky, flanked by paint markers and held open with clips.

Here’s the pencil sketch I started with.

A sketch of a building and the bat signal is drawn on a spiral-bound notepad with a black pencil resting on it.

Bluth's Frozen Banana Stand

Here’s an illustration of Bluth’s Original Frozen Banana Stand from Arrested Development.

A sketch depicts a colorful drawing of a banana stand labeled Bluth's Original Frozen Banana with two people inside.

I started with a pencil sketch to draw the outline of each building.

A spiral-bound sketchpad features a line drawing with geometric shapes and curved lines.

Zine: Movies I never want to see again

“Movies I never want to see again” is about movies I watched one time and do not want to watch again. This doesn’t mean they’re bad movies! But something about them makes me feel like once is enough.

I drafted this zine by hand and then I made it in Canva. The popcorn bucket on the front cover is modified from Terrance Barksdale’s photo on Pexels.

A person is holding a red zine, titled Movies I never want to see again, with a small illustration of a spilled popcorn bucket. A person holds a red zine featuring brief commentary on the movie District 9. A red zine with commentary on the movies Annihilation and Jupiter Ascending. A red zine with commentary on the movies 2001: A Space Odyssey and TRON. Five copies of the zine Movies I never want to see again, fanned out on a yellow background.

Metropolis at night

Here’s an illustration of the Metropolis skyline at night.

A sketch of a city skyline at night features illuminated buildings, against a starry sky.

I started with a pencil sketch to outline each building.

A pencil sketch of a cityscape is drawn on a spiral sketchbook.

I started painting by covering the large areas first: slate gray for the sky, black for some buildings, and gray for some buildings.

A sketchbook features a stylized painting of a cityscape with abstract buildings and a central circular element.

Then I added in all the details.

A stylized cityscape illustration features tall buildings and a starry night sky.

Walking into Hill Valley

Here’s an illustration inspired by a scene in Back to the Future: Marty walking into Hill Valley.

A person wearing a red vest is walking on a road toward a sign that reads Hill Valley 2 miles.

I made this as part of a course on illustrating with Posca pens. The assignment was to use two shades of the same color as the main colors in the piece. Since a lot of this image is grassy fields, I chose two shades of green. I kept Marty’s outfit realistic (orange vest and blue jeans) to signify that he’s out of place…or, more accurately, out of time.

Here are some thumbnail sketches I did prior to painting the scene. I wanted to test out colors–what looked good for the grass and Marty’s outfit.

A series of four simple, hand-drawn thumbnails depicting a person walking along a path with a sign that reads Hill Valley 2 Miles.

And here’s the simple pencil sketch I started with.

Auto-generated description: A simple sketch of a person walking along a road with a signpost in the background.

The Candy Bar from Jimmy Neutron

I took an online course on illustrating with Posca pens taught by James Chapman. He has posted lots of his sketchbook pages to his Instagram.

I had a couple Posca pens for a few years, but I hadn’t done much with them. I saw this course and thought it would be a great way to practice with Posca pens.

The course covers how to create a pencil sketch to get the composition down. Then it explores various color schemes to determine how to color the illustration. I especially like the challenge of limiting the number of colors used.

I like the process I learned in this course. It takes me several hours to finish an illustration, but I really enjoy the time I’m spending learning and practicing. I’ll share my illustrations here as I finish them.

The course encourages choosing a theme that will motivate you to keep working on sketches. I chose places in movies, TV shows, and books. First up is The Candy Bar from Jimmy Neutron.

Here’s the pencil sketch:

A pencil sketch depicts a cityscape with a focus on a Candy Bar building featuring an oversized candy sculpture on its roof.

I chose to go with realistic colors, so I used Posca pen colors that are close to what this location looks like in the show.

Here’s a progress photo, with the larger areas of color done:

A colorful drawing depicts a cityscape with buildings, a dome-shaped cafe, and large candy sculptures on the roof.

And here’s the finished illustration:

A whimsical illustration of a candy-themed shop with colorful lollipops on the roof, surrounded by modern buildings under a blue sky with clouds.

I really enjoyed making this as my first attempt at a Posca pen illustration!