Photocopy Engine
Halftone grain, toner clumps and true misregistration on every layer. Not a filter — math with dirt under its nails.
No templates · est. 1994
Print isn't dead.It's just dirty.
SMEAR is the anti-template layout tool for zines, flyers and manifestos — real grain, torn edges, misregistered type and print-ready output. Drag it. Distort it. Xerox it.
Features
Tear-Anything Layout
Rotate, overlap and clip panels to ragged edges. Grids are optional. Gutters are for cowards.
Ship It On Paper
CMYK PDFs at 300 DPI with crop marks, plus riso presets. Apologies not included.
How It Works
Smash The Type
Pick a face, break its kerning, add a misprint ghost. Ugly on purpose is still on purpose.
Stack The Mess
Drag panels over each other until it feels wrong — then one nudge further.
Xerox & Distribute
Export, photocopy, staple, and leave stacks in coffee shops and record stores.
Word On The Street
SMEAR made our gig flyer look like it survived a mosh pit. The show sold out in a week.Dee Marlow — Pitiful Zine #12
I laid out a 40-page anthology over one loud weekend. My designer friends are furious.Ray Kowalski — Nightshift Press
Pricing
Photocopy
$0
For one-off rants.
- 3 projects
- Grain presets
- Watermarked exports
Distributor
$12/mo
For monthly miscreants.
- Unlimited projects
- Riso + CMYK export
- Custom misprints
- Kill the watermark
Press Baron
$29/mo
For small empires.
- Everything above
- 5 team seats
- Priority print queue
Questions
Is this actually print-grade?
Yes. Exports are CMYK at 300 DPI with bleed and registration marks. Your copy shop will stop yelling at you.
Can I import my InDesign files?
No. SMEAR is a recovery program for template victims. Paste your text, bring your images, start over. It's healthier.
Dark mode or light mode?
Both, and neither is the default. The app follows your system; this page follows the toggle up top. Try it.
Join thecopy cult.
Launch date, one free grunge starter pack, and exactly zero corporate newsletters. Unsubscribe by setting the zine on fire.