Adding Hyperlinks to your Scribus PDF document

This article is part of the Tips & Tricks series.

Installation • Usage • PDF issues • Other

Note

If you can't see the PDF Tools in the toolbar, check if you have Windows > PDF Tools menu entry enabled.

Method A

1. go to the PDF toolbar, select Insert Link Annotation and draw with it a rectangle above an element (e.g. a text frame) you wish to become a hyperlink
2. double click on the new rectangle (with the left mouse button)
3. select External Web-Link as annotation type and insert your URL into the Destination field

Method B

1. Click the OK button for Insert PDF fields.
2. Make a box to surround the text and/or graphics from which you want to create a hyperlink.
3. Double click this box, which opens the Field Properties dialogue box.
4. In the Appearance tab, choose "None" for colour of the border (unless you really want a border added).
5. Click on the Action tab.
6. From the Type pull-down menu, choose JavaScript.
7. To the right of the Script box, click Edit.
8. Enter the following: app.launchURL("http://www.scribus.net/", true);
9. Click File > Save and Exit.
10. Click OK.

If you now open that PDF version in a web browser, you will find those text (and/or graphics) areas linkable. The "true" parameter in the JavaScript is important so a new frame (window or tab) is opened for the link. This way your PDF document remains open and available in its original frame.

Variation on Method B

If you want to create a link to an email address, modify the JavaScript above like this:

• app.launchURL("mailto:youraddress@yourISP.com", true);

This is dependent on having the preset link to the appropriate email client.