Magic minis! 8 creative ways to use a mini newspaper

From eye-catching event programs to memorable brand portfolios, these mini newspapers are proving to be a game-changer.  Dive into the creative ways our community is using mini newspapers to captivate audiences and elevate their messages. Discover how you can harness the charm and effectiveness of mini newspapers to make a lasting impression.

 

Below, see 8 innovative ways our customers use mini newspapers, from photo-books to trade show handouts.

The portfolio

My Sunbeam is an illustration brand by London-based designer Taylor Dasbach. Crafted on our digital minis, Nice Things was born as a lookbook and physical portfolio to show to clients. The zine is composed of some of Taylor's favourite illustrations from the past year.

Opting for a newspaper was an easy decision. "I choose the format because of the classic feel of the paper and the portability," Taylor says. "It's easy to have on a coffee table and it looks great too!".

As primarily an 'Instagram Illustrator', the process of creating a physical zine was incredibly rewarding for Taylor. "Everybody I show it to loves it!" she says. "I think people have valued being able to see my artwork in a physical format for the first time, in such an easily consumable way".

The print has also been used as a 'thank you' gift for clients. "I've been dropping off a copy to clients after I finish a project with them. It's a nice way to say thank you and also a great way to help keep my designs at the top of their mind!".

The subscription freebie

Metric Coffee is an independently owned and operated Chicago-based coffee roaster and retailer located in the historic industrial corridor of West Fulton Market, and a certified B Corp company.

Designed in collaboration with Chris Dazzo and Luka Lumovic, they created The Home Brewing Guide in response to their most frequently asked questions about coffee brewing, providing a unique insight into how to get the most out of their Metric Coffee beans at home.

Included with each coffee subscription purchased, the brand chose to go with a size that was "easy to ship and weighs practically nothing so it doesn't add to shipping costs". Our traditional minis on salmon newsprint were the perfect solution!

The event programme

The Oska Bright Film Festival, the world's largest film festival showcasing the works of individuals with learning disabilities and autism, recently celebrated their biggest year yet with films showcased at various locations in Brighton, Sussex and throughout the UK.

The accompanying programme, printed in a compact 'retro' style using our digital minis, features film stills from Oska Bright submissions as backgrounds, providing a sneak peek into the films alongside their synopses.

''We hosted a programme launch and everyone loved the format of the newspaper. It got people excited to see how many amazing films will be shown at the festival this year.''

The photobook

British photographer and director Nick Rees loves to create images and films which show products as heroes within their own world. In line with his biannual tradition, this digital mini showcases new work from the past 6 months.

Nick favours the newspaper format for its consumable nature, providing "a short update that most people have time for".

The trade show hand out

Home decor studio Lateral Objects compiled all their products into a catalogue for a recent trade show using our digital minis. The goal was to create a tangible and straightforward print, encouraging customers to tear out pages of interest, peruse and recycle it.

The zine received positive feedback, with many attendees at the trade show opting for the physical copy over the digital version.

''We loved every step of designing our newspaper! The templates worked well, the ordering was easy and it came early!''

The brand guide

Feast your eyes on the tenth edition of The Spectacle, published in the tenth year of Cubitts! The digital mini is a deep dive into hidden messages and Easter eggs planted in the eyewear brand’s history, which includes the momentous launch of The Spectacle in 2018.

Within the print, the brand held a fun competition for a reader to piece together the clues and be in for a chance to win a prize!

The wedding zine

This charming illustrated wedding zine was designed by Pim Kang for her wedding. Pim is from Bangkok and her husband, Cullen, is from Michigan so they wanted to make sure relatives and friends who hadn’t met would all be on the same page (quite literally) at the celebration.

"Everyone loves it. Even people who don’t know us have asked for a copy. And I’ve had two friends ask me to make a magazine for their weddings!"

The 24-page digital mini covers everything. There’s the practical info, like an order of service (written in both English and Thai) and a packing list, but Pim admits she's a bit “extra.” So there are also details about the floral arrangements and wedding cake, interviews with her and Cullen’s parents and grandparents, photos from the couple’s travels – in the style of a heavy metal band’s “world tour” poster – and a personalised crossword.

The hotel guide

Cuyama Buckhown is a restored roadside hotel in Cuyama Valley, a nearly 2-million-acre wilderness north of Santa Barbara, California. With so much to explore, they teamed up with Los Padres ForestWatch to produce this 56-page guide to the area for guests to purchase.

"We’re selling the newspapers at the hotel and we’ve never had a product fly off the shelf like this before!"

The digital mini features detailed trail guides (with QR codes linking to geolocations), points of interest, local resources and a packing list for day-trippers. It’s the perfect size for rolling up and sticking in a rucksack to consult on the go.

Make your own mini newspaper with Newspaper Club. Print runs start at 1 copy!

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