Adding Hyperlinks to your Scribus PDF document

This article is part of the Tips & Tricks series.

Installation • Usage • PDF issues • Other

Method A

• go to the PDF toolbar, select PDF Annotation > Link, and draw with it a rectangle above an element (e.g. a text frame) you wish to become a hyperlink

• right click on the new rectangle and select PDF Options > Annotation Properties from the context menu

• in the annotation properties dialog, choose External Web-Link as annotation type and insert your URL into the Destination field

• done!

Method B

• Open your Scribus document.
• Click the "OK" button for "Insert PDF fields".
• Make a box to surround the text and/or graphics from which you want to create a hyperlink.
• Double click this box, which opens the Field Properties dialogue box.
• In the Appearance tab, choose "None" for colour of the border (unless you really want a border added).
• Click on the Action tab.
• From the Type pull-down menu, choose JavaScript.
• To the right of the Script box, click Edit.
• Enter the following: app.launchURL("http://www.scribus.net/", true);
• Click File/Save and Exit.
• Click OK.
• Save your .sla document and export it to PDF format.

If you now open that PDF version in a 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.

References

• Javascripting PDF in Scribus - see page 3 on creating a web button link. This solution goes halfway but fails to open the link in a new frame.
• Adobe Acrobat JavaScript Manual - see page 114 on the launchURL function. This allows the added parameter that completes the solution.