Karen Zimmermann's creative practice centers on the production of books and prints. Through her work, she explores various graphic production methods, often merging text and images to address personal issues in her life. Her artistic output includes broadsides, artist books, and visual design communication

She creates her work by blending her experiences in typography, painting, photography, printing, and design. Described as process-based, her practice appreciates the immediacy that comes from working within the limitations of different materials, all of which are influenced by her environment. For her, making art is a means of learning and exploration. She prefers an intuitive approach, which involves collecting materials and thoughtfully processing them, utilizing the juxtaposition of ideas and forms to generate her pieces.

Zimmermann engages with techniques such as letterpress, risography, digital media, and encaustics. Her early experience included working with offset lithography and phototypesetting during her high school years. She continued her education in graphic design and painting at Rutgers, earning an MFA at Virginia Commonwealth University. A significant influence on her work came from living in New York City's East Village during the 1980s, where she gained extensive knowledge from the city's museums and vibrant culture. During this period, she had diverse experiences, including living near Joey Ramone, working at a feminist art gallery, a comics studio, and waitressing. She was also an early adopter of the Macintosh and Adobe Photoshop.

Additionally, she serves as the interim Director in the School of Art and is a Professor in the Illustration, Design, and Animation program. She also directs the Book Arts & Letterpress Lab, connecting her academic role directly to her creative interest in print and book production. Her teaching experience encompasses subjects such as Typography, Information Graphics, Motion Graphics, Design Studios, Visual Narratives, and Letterpress, exploring techniques, practices, theories, histories, and critical issues.

Her engagement with the creative community is evident through her participation in organizing conferences and events for groups such as the Amalgamated Printers Association, the College Book Arts Association, and AIGA Geographics. She has presented her work at various panels and forums. Her writing on design and art has been published in several books and journals, including The Education of a Graphic Designer, JAB (Journal of Artists' Books), and Adobe Magazine. She has received numerous grants and awards for her design and artwork.