Portland Man Accidentally Creates One of the Hottest Graffiti Magazines Online
At PrintingCenterUSA, we love seeing creators use print to preserve culture, highlight overlooked stories, and share their work with communities near and far. Few projects capture that spirit like PaintspottingPDX, a graffiti photography magazine created by Portland artist and documentarian Philip Nemeth.
What began as an attempt to document graffiti during the early months of the pandemic has grown into a multi issue publication that reaches readers around the world.
About PaintspottingPDX
During the early days of the pandemic, Philip noticed something changing in Portland. Graffiti was appearing again in a big way, especially along the freeways. Wanting to preserve the visual energy and history of this work before it was painted over, he grabbed his camera and started documenting.
At first, he photographed graffiti on city streets. But over time he found himself drawn to trains. Growing up in small town Illinois, Philip’s only access to graffiti culture came from magazines that featured work from New York, Germany, and Australia. Train yards offered the same magic. A living gallery full of color, movement, and changing letter forms that traveled across the entire country.
He continued taking photos and sharing them online, but the more he shot, the more he felt pulled toward print. Social media is fast and fleeting. Hardcopy lasts. He still had his old graffiti magazines from the nineties and knew how powerful it felt to hold artwork in your hands.
So, he decided to create his own magazine. PaintspottingPDX was born.
I have always been fascinated by graffiti, letter forms, sign painting, and fonts in general, Philip shared. Trains provide an always changing gallery and I wanted to capture that in a way that lasts.
Since then, he has published five full issues, shipped copies around the world, and built a growing audience of graffiti fans, artists, and collectors. Even during a short break to focus on life and work, he continued taking photos. He now has two more issues in progress.
The Challenge
Independent creators face a unique set of challenges when producing print magazines.
Philip needed a printing partner who could help him create a magazine that felt durable and professional, preserve the color and detail in hundreds of graffiti photos, maintain consistency from issue to issue, keep the project affordable for an indie zine style publication, and handle perfect binding and premium finishes with care.
He wanted the magazine to look and feel like the graffiti publications he grew up with. Something bold. Something tangible. Something that could sit on a shelf for decades!
The Printing Solution
Philip partnered with PrintingCenterUSA to print the fifth issue of PaintspottingPDX, a 60-page full color magazine featuring train cars, tags, freight designs, and the ever-changing graffiti culture of the Pacific Northwest.
Our team worked closely with him to ensure vibrant color reproduction, high clarity, and a soft touch finish that gives the magazine a polished feel.
Magazine Print Specs
Size: 8.5 x 11 inches
Quantity: 130
Pages: 60
Binding: Perfect Bind
Cover Ink: Full color
Inside Ink: Full color
Cover Paper: 100 pound gloss cover
Inside Paper: 80 pound gloss text
Cover Finish: Soft touch lamination
The soft touch cover gives the magazine a smooth, premium feel while the gloss interior pages enhance the color and detail of each photograph. Perfect binding provides a finished, bookstore ready spine that collectors can proudly display.
The Impact
PaintspottingPDX has grown far beyond a personal project. The magazine is now purchased by readers across the world who appreciate graffiti culture, train photography, typography, and the visual history of street art.
Each issue preserves a slice of Portland and American freight culture that would otherwise disappear as trains move and murals are painted over.
Print gave Philip exactly what he hoped for, providing a permanent way to document a fleeting art form, a global audience for his work, a collectible magazine fans return to again and again for, and a high-quality format that honors the graffiti community.
Thanks for checking it out, Philip said. I never expected the magazine to reach people outside my own circle, let alone across the world.
How to Create Your Own Magazine
Thinking about publishing your own zine or art magazine? Here is how to get started!
- Get a cam and take your graffiti photos around your location, or anything you want a collection of photos of
Explore walls, alleys, bridges, train yards, neighborhoods, or any environment that fits your theme. Capture wide shots, close details, textures, and changing scenes over time. - Build a strong photo collection
Keep shooting so you have variety. Aim for different colors, styles, moods, and locations so your magazine feels dynamic and visually rich. - Organize and curate your images
Sort your photos by theme, color, location, or style. Pick only your best shots and plan a flow that feels like a visual story from beginning to end. - Design your layout
Use a clean layout that lets the art shine. Avoid clutter, use minimal text, and experiment with full page photos, collages, or sequences that highlight movement and detail. - Choose your print specs
Gloss paper brings out vibrant color and detail, while perfect binding gives your magazine a professional, collectible feel. Pick a size that matches the vibe you want. - Print and share your magazine
Print in bulk to keep your cost per copy low. Share or sell through Instagram, local shops, galleries, art markets, record stores, online platforms, or anywhere people appreciate visual art.
Ready to bring your own photo magazine to life? Start your project with PrintingCenterUSA and turn your images into a professional publication you can share with the world.
Looking Ahead
Philip continues to shoot graffiti across Portland, train yards, and the Pacific Northwest. With two new issues already in progress, PaintspottingPDX continues to grow as a visual archive of a culture that changes every day.
Explore more from PaintspottingPDX on Instagram.
At PrintingCenterUSA, we are proud to help creators like Philip Nemeth bring their work to life through print that lasts. Start your custom magazine today at PrintingCenterUSA.
