Get Started With Scribus:10

Get Started With Scribus 2006 Current authors:   Scribus Wiki Authors Original author:   Niyam Bhushan, 2004 Licence:   GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2

Chapter 10

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Introduction

1. What Can You Do With Scribus
2. Scribus And Its Sisters
   • Download A New Version
   • Get Adobe Reader
   • Match Colors That Print
   • Use Your Fonts
   • Sane Workflows
3. Empty, White Spaces
   • New Emptiness
4. Cover Page
   • Insert Picture
   • Soul of Scribus
   • Get Picture
   • Nudge Picture to Left
   • Color Karma
   • Save
   • Masthead Band
   • Add More Bands
   • Create Colors
   • Locked Bands
5. Working With Layers On A Page
   • Why We Need Layers
   • Entering Text in a Text Frame
   • Make Text Look Beautiful
   • Tracking
   • More Text More Frames
   • And While We Are At It
6. Design Multiple Pages
   • Many Unique Page Designs
   • Master Pages
   • Value Entry with Math
     Operators
   • Page Numbers
   • Right Master Page
   • Drag-n-Drop Pages
   • Two Columns Per Page
   • Consistent Paragraph Styles
   • Define Paragraph Styles
   • Flow Your Text
   • Format To Body Text
7. Create Final Page Layouts
   • Space for Photos and
     Headline
   • Insert Picture
   • Resize Picture
   • Typeset Headline
   • Hanging Drop Cap
   • Done!
   • Gradient-Filled Box Story
8. Design With Graphics And
   Freedom
   • Many Unique Page Designs
   • Copy Elements to Template
   • Visual Guidance
   • Shapes for Text
   • Use Scrapbook for Steps
   • Rotated Text
9. Set Fire With SVG Graphics
   • Graphics R Us
   • Ignite
   • From Flame to Flame
   • Colorize
   • Dragged Guides
   • Page Number on Top
   • Text on Path
10. Publishing Demands Freedom.PDF.
    • PDF Form Authoring
    • PDF for Press
    • Choose Your Flavour
    • Color Management
    • Press Inks
    • Scribus File To Press
11. Travel At The Speed Of Scribus
12. Contributors
13. GNU Free Documentation Licence

Publishing Demands Freedom: PDF

PDF Form Authoring

The screenshot shows the GnuLinux version of Adobe Reader. Yes, a free version is available from the Adobe site for Gnu/Linux as well. The document you see inside it, is a scoreboard created from Scribus, the free desktop publishing software. The background is an SVG graphic with a tint, and the fields, check boxes, and even the 'Click to Submit' button has been authored inside Scribus. Yes, the PDF elements contain Javascript embedded from within Scribus.

You guessed it. Scribus is a mature PDF-authoring software. Use it to create PDF forms, PDF documents, and you can even digitally sign your PDF documents with Scribus.

Look carefully. The headline bands are semi-transparant. The flame shows through. Scribus supports PDF 1.4 transparancy too. For your convenience, this is a separate file for download: FyugScoreCard.sla. Also check out its PDF version.

Design The PDF Form Layout

The design looks dramatic, but the layout is quite simple. It has only one column, which contains all the questions, in one text frame, on the left. The half-column on the right contains some information in a text frame. The headline and the Name, Address, etc, are in a text frame that spans the entire width of the page. The colored bands to mark the sections are obviously colored rectangles drawn behind the section sub-heads. The logo in the background is just the flame from the 'inflammable' SVG graphic. This time it is colored to Red at 20% shade. It is kept on another Layer stacked at the back.

Clickable PDF Elements

The real questions are, how are the text fields, number fields, check buttons, and 'submit' button drawn that they work interactively inside Adobe Reader or other PDF viewer programs? Use the special PDF tools in Windows > PDF Tools. Chances are you already have it open on your screen. An almost complete array of PDF elements can be authored in Scribus.

PDF Tools - 1.3.X

Once drawn, use the Properties palette for some cosmetic finishes. Then right-click the PDF element, and choose 'Field Properties.'

You could also double-click the PDF element to configure it for PDF options. All specific PDF form element features will be displayed as a dialog window. You could then for example change the form element type (in Type field), define mouse event actions (in Action tab), format the field as a number, text or date field (in Format tab), define the way the field value should be validated (in Validate tab), or calculated (in Calculate tab)... Enjoy.

PDF for Press

Scribus' greatest feature is that it can create PDF files which can be handed to a publishing house or printing plant for production. Yes, PDF comes in many flavours. One size does not fit all. The flavour for Prepress is called PDF/X-3. It basically signifies a PDF based on the Postscript Language 3, and contains ICC color profiles for handling independent color-managed workflows. Anywhere on the planet.

To create a PDF/X-3, or a more generic flavour of PDF that works for your desktop printer, or for the web, click the PDF icon in the taskbar at the top. One-click PDFs are always cool! The dialog box contains all you need to customize your PDF. Explore.

Choose Your Flavour

In the dialog-box, start by clicking on the 'General' tab, and selecting PDF/X-3 from the drop-down menu for 'Compatibility.' It's a good idea to Downsample images to 300 dpi, at the bottom left here.

Color Management

In the 'Fonts' tab, choose to embed all fonts and 100% of all characters. Then click on the 'Color' tab. Note you can use a source ICC profile for the file, choose its rendering intent, and also choose whether to use the source profile of the Images, or to discard it and choose your own. If you don't understand this, don't worry. It is quite simple.

Head out to littlecms.com and read the documentation available there. Also read the documents on the Scribus website, and check out the links to the excellent reference material on Scribus' page.

Press Inks

Finally, click on the 'PDF/X-3' tab. You have to choose the output profile, which is basically selecting the kind of ink and paper you are printing your magazine on, and giving the job a mandatory 'Info String'. Give the name of your file here. You can also handle some amount of trimming, which is changing an existing paper-size in a document to a slightly smaller size to accommodate a print-job.

Before sending your job to the press, please go to Extras > Print Preview. You can see a soft-preview of your file in the inks of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black, and even simulate a progressive proof on-screen.

Native Scribus File To Press

If you are blessed to have a Scribus-savvy printing plant, and wish to deliver a native Scribus file, go to File > Collect For Output. Select a folder and Scribus will copy your file, as well as put copies of all graphics and images, and even font files, in this directory. Transfer this folder to your press. May I recommend you throw in a copy of Scribus in this folder too. A clueless person can discover the joys of Scribus. Go ahead, this is perfectly legal, thanks to the power of GPL.