How to Lay Out a Two-Story Zine That Reads from Either Cover
To make a zine with a different story at each end, design two short booklets in normal reading order, then join them into one page sequence: keep the first story upright and place the second story’s pages in reverse order, rotated 180 degrees. Each outside end becomes a front cover. When readers finish one story, they turn the zine upside down and begin the other. This head-to-tail format is called tête-bêche. The key is to check the reading sequence before you impose pages for printing.
Plan the two reading paths first
Start by deciding what a reader sees when they pick up either cover. Give each story its own title page or opening, a clear page-turn sequence, and an ending that lands at the center of the zine. The stories can share a subject or visual style, but each should make sense when read by itself.
Make two small page maps, one for Story A and one for Story B. Number each map in the order a reader would turn the pages, including covers and any intentional blanks. This is your editorial order, not the order the pages will appear in the combined file. Keep the two maps separate while writing and designing; it is easier to catch missing pages when each story has its own sequence. A print practitioner recommends preparing the two titles separately, then combining them after rotating and reversing the second title’s pages. Colecandoo’s guide to tête-bêche artwork
Choose a page count that fits the binding
For a folded, saddle-stitched booklet, the total page count usually needs to be a multiple of four: each folded sheet contributes four pages. This is why a short story may need a blank page or a little more content to fit the chosen signature. Confirm the printer’s requirements if you are using a print service, since paper size, binding and production method can change the setup.
A useful planning example: suppose each story needs eight pages including its cover. The combined zine has 16 pages. If Story A occupies combined pages 1–8, Story B occupies pages 9–16 in the combined file, but its content must be placed in reverse order and rotated. Turning the finished zine upside down then makes that second sequence read from its own cover toward the center. This is a planning model; make a paper dummy to confirm how your particular page count and binding meet at the center.
If the story lengths differ, plan the center before filling the extra space. Add intentional blanks or adjust the layouts so the transition does not strand a half-finished sentence, image, or section. Avoid assuming that the midpoint will automatically fall between two meaningful endings just because the total page count works mathematically.
Keep the working file in reader order
Set each story up at the final trim size as a separate document or clearly separated page range. Keep its pages in ordinary reading order, so Story A runs from its cover to its last page and Story B does the same. This makes editing easier and reduces confusion around page numbers and spreads.
When the stories are ready, make a combined sequence. Keep Story A’s pages in order. For Story B, reverse the page sequence and rotate every page 180 degrees before adding it after Story A. The combined document will look wrong when viewed straight through: the second story will be upside down and backward. That is expected. When the reader turns the zine around, its pages become upright and sequential. Colecandoo describes this same transformation for the second title in a tête-bêche book. Preparing artwork for a tête-bêche book
Give both ends a real front cover
The first page in the combined file is the front cover for Story A. The last page is the front cover for Story B, so it must be oriented for that story’s reading direction when the zine is turned over. Treat both as covers in the design: give each a title, a distinct opening image or visual cue, and enough information to tell the reader which story they are starting.
Keep the center pages deliberate as well. The last page of Story A and the last page of Story B meet at the center boundary. They need not form one continuous image, but they can echo each other through color, a repeated shape, or a shared phrase. Check the page map to ensure a reader reaches an ending on either route rather than an accidental blank or abrupt continuation.
Impose the combined file for printing
Imposition is the arrangement of reader-order pages onto printer sheets so they land in the right order after printing and folding. Keep that job separate from the tête-bêche rotation: first prepare the correct combined reading sequence, then use the print software’s booklet or imposition feature. Adobe explains that booklet imposition creates printer spreads while leaving the document pages in normal reading order. Adobe InDesign: Impose documents for booklet printing
Do not manually rearrange pages into printer spreads and also turn on a booklet setting; that can impose the pages twice. Follow the printer’s instructions on whether they want a reader-order PDF or imposed spreads. For home printing, a pre-imposed zine PDF may instead be printed as ordinary sheets, with the booklet setting off. The correct choice depends on the file you have and the printer’s workflow. Zine Studio’s printing guide
Proof the page sequence with a paper dummy
Before printing a full set, make a low-cost proof. Print or sketch the combined pages at small size, mark each page with its number and a clear top edge, then fold and stack them in the intended binding. Read Story A from its cover. At its ending, turn the whole booklet upside down and read Story B from its cover. Check page order, orientation, covers, center transition and any blank pages on both routes.
For duplex printing, also verify how the printer flips and reloads sheets. A test sheet can show whether the backs are upright and correctly positioned; Adobe recommends a test document to determine the orientation and loading direction for the specific printer. Adobe InDesign booklet printing instructions If the dummy is out of order, fix the combined page sequence before changing print settings. If the sequence is right but the backs are upside down, investigate duplex orientation or paper loading.
Run a final checklist
Before exporting, check that each story has a distinct cover and a complete beginning-to-end path; the second story’s pages are both reversed and rotated in the combined file; the total page count fits the chosen binding; and blanks are intentional. Then proof the imposed or printed version by physically turning the booklet at each cover. A screen preview alone cannot confirm that sheets will fold and stack as intended.