true-colors-zine

[true-colors-zine]

Now that our project is underway, it is time to select the beneficiary of our charity fundraiser. Originally this was to be voted on by zine participants only, but our mod team decided to open up voting to everyone!

❤️‍🩹Cast your vote here! ❤️‍🩹

[true-colors-zine]

Creation Guidelines for Merch Items

Keychain:

Size: Min 2 inch square (can be larger)

Color: CMYK

300 min DPI

*Must submit as mirrored image

Mini-prints:

Size: 4.25 x 6.25 inch (includes bleed), with .125 inch margins on all sides

Color: CMYK

300 min DPI

Stickers:

Size: min 2.5 inch square, with 2mm margins on all sides

Color: CMYK

300 min DPI

Patches:

Size: min 500px

Max amount of colors: 15 thread colors, 1 felt base

Colors: RGB

*Single-color border along outside edge not required but is preferred

*.PNG or .PSD save file format preferred (Unless able to work in a vector program and save as .AI or .SVG file format)

Desktop wallpapers:

Size min: 1920 x 1080 pixels

Size max: 3840 x 2160 pixels (size can be custom)

*Landscape orientation

Color: RGB

300 min DPI

Phone wallpapers:

Size min: 1080 x 1920 pixels

*Portrait orientation

Color: RGB

300 min DPI

Coloring pages:

Size: 8.5 x 11 inch, with .5 inch margins on all sides

Color: RGB or CMYK (black/white only)

300 min DPI

[true-colors-zine]

hey! so i noticed the limit for authors is 180 words, is that 180 words per page (like a 2 page spread would be 360) or 180 per story?

Short answer is per page!

Long answer is space on the page is the real limiting factor here so I would recommend using that number as a loose guide, but it’ll be a little different for each person. For example more paragraph breaks means less space for words. If you can, try to set the margins for your word document so that you have about 4x6 inch worth of writing space while you’re working (5x7 final page size with .5 in margins). That should give you a better idea of the max word limit.

[true-colors-zine]

Page Layout Guide and Templates

This post is to further expand on the Creation Guidelines for Page Artists and Page Authors

Creators are encouraged to use the following templates when drafting your page layouts. Each template is the correct size dimensions for 1 page (excluding cover).

Creators assigned 2 pages can assume their pages will be a 2-page spread (they meet in the binding of the book), unless requested otherwise.

If you are working on a 2-page spread you can arrange 2 single-page templates side-by-side but do not cut off the red or blue area on either side. If you do your file will not be the correct size. Expect details in the center blue/red areas to be hidden (red) or harder to see (blue) and design accordingly.

[true-colors-zine]

Hi! As a newb when it comes to computers and stuff, I was hoping for help in how to format a writing page? Google docs doesnt have a 5x7 option (closest is 5 something by 8 something?) And it wont let me download an extension for custom for some reason. Is there another way to go about having the format so we ensure our stuff fits?

Thank you in advance!

Hi! So I tried out this idea and I think it could work!

In Google Docs, set the page size to something a little bigger than desired (I used the 5.5”x8.5” option). Then in Page Setup you can change the margins to custom measurements. For mine I made the top/bottom measurement .75” and left/right .25”. Sorry for the math but the margin(x2)+ the writing space (5 for side-to-side and 7 for top-bottom) = the total size of the page. That will get you the total size of the finished zine page. Each margin will also need to add an additional .5”, as this is the actual margin space of the finished page.

If you have your page sized this way and have your formatting the way you like it (especially for poetry), you can submit it that way when you finish and our mods in charge of formatting the final files will try to recreate it.

The only downside is I don’t know if it’s possible to show a visual guide for margins instead of having just a plain blank page. Hope this helps!

[true-colors-zine]

All emails have been sent!

To everyone who applied, be sure to check your inboxes (and possibly your spam folders) for a message from us! If you still do not see anything from us please reach out and we will resend it or we can deliver your message another way.

[true-colors-zine]

So I know that the due date for the application is closed, but I realized I forgot to check a box that I now want, would it be possible to add that in or is it already too late?

It depends on what the “box” is for. If you want to add another role you’re applying for (artist or merch artist for example), then it is likely too late. Most of our applicants have been sorted and every slot has been filled. If you wanted to check the box for anything else then yes that should be fine. Please message us off anon with the email you applied with and what you would like changed.

[true-colors-zine]

I’m curious, when it comes to selling copyrighted stuff, how do you do it without getting a cease and desist letter? Genuinely curious because I want to sell fanart.

Ok, I want to state off the bat that I’m no lawyer nor do I have experience in copyright law. That said, when I started this project I had a little experience in the fan-merch selling world but I also did as much research as one could short of consulting an actual lawyer. It can be helpful to research on your own about the Fair Use doctrine in copyright law, but long story short, it depends on what you’re selling, how you’re selling it, how much you’re making from it, and who holds the copyright. More explanation under the cut.

1) What you’re selling means if you are selling things that you made yourself, there’s more wiggle room. For example, selling fanart that you drew would be less likely to get you in trouble than if you sold posters with official artwork. If you do not add anything to the original content, like an artistic interpretation or commentary, it’s harder to claim fair use.

2) How you’re selling can refer to what you call it in the actual listing. If you’ve ever seen a fandom pin or something sold titled like “Pink Magical Girl Pin” instead of the character’s name, part of that is because the seller wants to lay low and not draw attention to themselves. The other part is people/brands can buy the right to use an IP, in that case the copyright holder is being paid and had the opportunity to agree or decline to the deal. If you never paid the holder to use their IP or get permission, you have to be careful.

3) How much you’re making from selling the item is very simply asking the questions “Are you cutting into the profits of the copyright holder by selling this thing?/Are you making more money than they are?” If the answer is yes, then they are more likely to take notice and have something to say. If it’s a huge company that makes millions and you’re making a few dollars here or there, they’re less likely to care.

4) The last point ties into the previous one, but who owns the copyright? Sometimes copyright holders like when people sell fan-made items to each other, it’s like free publicity and helps create more fans, so everyone wins. Others are very strict and some have been known to take fans to court over it. It’s good to know, especially when dealing with IPs from small or indy projects (like indy game developers or web-comic artists).

[true-colors-zine]

Hi, will the zine be available to those who can’t afford to pay anything?

Hello! Unfortunately no, not in the zine/book format and not for a while.

Our project is a fundraiser, so the profits we earn from selling the zine and other merch extras will be donated to a charity. The zine and other products will only be available for sale. However much later when all orders have been shipped and our donations have been made, our creators will be allowed to post the artwork or writing they contributed to the zine on their own socials. So you will likely still get to see the content of the zine, just not in one book/pdf file.

Of course we appreciate everyone who is interested in our project! When the time comes for content to be posted, we will reblog as many as we can find to our blog here for easy viewing.

[true-colors-zine]

Hello! I can't quite imagine what zine might look like. Do you have any examples of what it might look like in the end? At least in terms of format, hardcover or softcover, or something else.

Hello! I’ll do my best to describe what we know so far!

We are planning for a softcover book, perfect bound, about 48 pages (22 interior sheets + front and back covers). The dimensions will be 5x7 inches, tall. The best way to describe the zine is a picture book or art book. Each page will be an illustration, although some of them will also have text (as in a poem or short story).

If you are interested in seeing what our zine could look like I encourage you to check out our previous project, the Sing It Together Zine. That one wasn’t published, but it hopefully helps you see our vision for True Colors! The download link is listed on the pinned post at the top of our page.

[true-colors-zine]

Can I ask what the digital extras are for the zine please? I'm in the middle of filling out the survey, so that's why I'm asking.

Our digital extras include wallpapers (for phone and desktop) and printable coloring pages! The final numbers aren’t set yet but we’re thinking at least 4 or 5 of each.

[true-colors-zine]

Applications are now closed!

Over the next few days our team of mods will review all the applications we received. We appreciate everyone’s patience while we make some tough decisions and will try to send out emails as soon as possible. As a reminder, every applicant will hear from us one way or another so keep an eye on your inbox.

Thank you to everyone who applied, and a special thanks to everyone who helped to spread the word! We simply cannot make this project without you ❤️‍🩹✨

[true-colors-zine]

hi, can I cancel my application?

Of course, please message us privately your email address you applied with and your application will be removed from the list.

[true-colors-zine]

Today is the last day!

Only 9 days left!

If you would like to join our team as either a Page Artist, Author, or Merch Artist, applications are due by March 31st, 11pm EST.

🌈Apply Here!🌈

[true-colors-zine]

Are writer applications still open? If so, do works linked for examples need to be the most recent or simply fit the style of the author? :]

Yes, at this time (all) applications are still open! And samples only need to show your style of writing, they don’t necessarily have to be recent. For some people, however, they may prefer to use more recent examples especially if they highlight current skill level.

[true-colors-zine]

Hello ! I want to apply for the zine but I realised that my program doesn't even have a cmyk mode. I wanted to know if this was possible to work on a rgb piece on one program and convert it to cmyk on another ?

Hello! I believe this is possible, yes, although it may be a bit of a hassle going between programs if anything needs changing. Depending on what program you’re starting from, I think programs like Photoshop or Procreate can do conversions (or possibly others, my knowledge in this particular topic is limited without details to look it up).

So yes it’s do-able! Another option for you, if you prefer to only work in RGB, is to apply for a Merch Artist role to make wallpapers or coloring pages. Wallpapers won’t be printed so there’s no need for CMYK. And coloring pages, well no color = no problem!

[true-colors-zine]

Will there be delivery restrictions? If so, which countries will you not ship to?

Unfortunately, yes. We will be unable to deliver to countries experiencing a postal service disruption (find more information and a list of countries here: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/ )

For other international locations it depends on what the import laws and fees are, as well as what the postage would be. For example, the UK (excluding Northern Ireland) has a complicated import tax situation that at this time we are unable to comply with. When it comes to postage, we don’t expect anyone would want to pay the same amount of their item on shipping. For now we aren’t including locations with exceptionally high postage as somewhere we will ship to. (Think 20-30$USD for postage to ship a similarly priced bundle. Yuck!)

However, as long as your location is not experiencing shipping disruptions and we are able to ship while following your country’s import rules, and you are willing to pay postage, we will gladly look into shipping to your location, even if it is not immediately available when our shop opens. If you are curious about a specific country, please message us off-anon so that we can reply privately.

As a reminder, we will also have a fully digital bundle available for those who are unable to receive a physical item for any reason.