MycroZine

A toolkit for creating print-ready mycro-zines - 8-page mini folded zines that fit on a single 8.5" x 11" sheet.

What is a MycroZine?

A mycro-zine is a tiny, foldable magazine made from a single sheet of paper. When folded correctly, it creates an 8-page booklet perfect for:

• Punk zines and manifestos
• Educational mini-guides
• Event programs
• DIY instructions
• Art projects

Features

• Single-page print layout: All 8 pages arranged on one 8.5" x 11" sheet (2 cols x 4 rows)
• High-resolution output: 300 DPI for crisp printing
• Prompt templates: Ready-to-use prompts for AI content/image generation
• Multiple styles: punk-zine, minimal, collage, retro, academic
• US Letter & A4 support: Works with common paper sizes

Installation

npm install

Usage

CLI - Create Print Layout

# Using example pages
npm run example

# Or specify your own 8 pages
node src/layout.mjs page1.png page2.png page3.png page4.png page5.png page6.png page7.png page8.png

# With custom output path
node src/layout.mjs page1.png ... page8.png --output my_zine_print.png

Programmatic API

import { createPrintLayout } from 'mycro-zine';

// Create print-ready layout from 8 page images
await createPrintLayout({
  pages: [
    'page1.png', 'page2.png', 'page3.png', 'page4.png',
    'page5.png', 'page6.png', 'page7.png', 'page8.png'
  ],
  outputPath: 'my_zine_print.png',
  background: '#ffffff'
});

Prompt Templates (for AI generation)

import { getContentOutlinePrompt, getImagePrompt, STYLES, TONES } from 'mycro-zine/prompts';

// Generate content outline prompt
const outlinePrompt = getContentOutlinePrompt({
  topic: 'The Undernet',
  style: 'punk-zine',
  tone: 'rebellious',
  sourceContent: 'Reference text here...'
});

// Generate image prompt for a page
const imagePrompt = getImagePrompt({
  pageNumber: 1,
  zineTopic: 'The Undernet',
  pageOutline: {
    title: 'THE UNDERNET',
    keyPoints: ['Own your data', 'Run local servers'],
    hashtags: ['#DataSovereignty', '#Mycopunk'],
    imagePrompt: 'Bold cover with mycelial network imagery...'
  },
  style: 'punk-zine'
});

Print Layout

The output is a single PNG image with all 8 pages arranged in reading order:

┌─────────────┬─────────────┐
│   Page 1    │   Page 2    │  Row 1
├─────────────┼─────────────┤
│   Page 3    │   Page 4    │  Row 2
├─────────────┼─────────────┤
│   Page 5    │   Page 6    │  Row 3
├─────────────┼─────────────┤
│   Page 7    │   Page 8    │  Row 4
└─────────────┴─────────────┘

Panel size: 4.25" x 2.75" (~10.8cm x 7cm)
Total: 8.5" x 11" at 300 DPI (2550 x 3300 pixels)

Folding Instructions

After printing, fold your zine:

1. Accordion fold: Fold the paper in half horizontally (hamburger style)
2. Fold again: Fold in half vertically (hotdog style)
3. One more fold: Fold in half again
4. Cut center: Unfold completely, cut a slit along the center fold
5. Push and fold: Push through the center to create the booklet

Examples

See the examples/undernet/ directory for a complete 8-page zine about The Undernet project.

Styles

Style	Description
punk-zine	Xerox texture, high contrast B&W, DIY collage, hand-drawn typography
minimal	Clean lines, white space, modern sans-serif, subtle gradients
collage	Layered imagery, mixed media textures, vintage photographs
retro	1970s aesthetic, earth tones, groovy typography, halftone patterns
academic	Diagram-heavy, annotated illustrations, infographic elements

Integration with Gemini MCP

This library is designed to work with the Gemini MCP Server for AI-powered content and image generation:

1. Use getContentOutlinePrompt() with gemini_generate for zine planning
2. Use getImagePrompt() with gemini_generate_image for page creation
3. Use createPrintLayout() to assemble the final print-ready file

License

MIT