File formats that should be supported by Scribus (wish list)

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Below is a list of file formats users think should be supported by Scribus. This doesn't mean that they will be actually supported, but the list will save numerous bug reports/RFEs. Feel free to add your suggestions. Please also see the Scribus FAQ on propietary imports

Note: Some of these formats may impossible to support for patent (in the U.S) and/or other practical reasons. Notably, no public documentation or mis-matches where a program X has a feature or vice versa. I have added some comments with * to indicate status or existing request --mrdocs 00:24, 17 March 2007 (CET)

Import

DTP

Text

Bitmap

  • Corel Photopaint – CPT files are based on TIFF, so that an import filter shouldn't be hard to write, according to Boudewijn Rempt.
  • GIMP - The GIMP developers have specifically recommended against using XCF as an interchange or import as some of the format relies on GIMP internals. Export TIFF or PNG.
  • IMG/IMG GEM (still used by Corel Ventura Publisher)
  • Kodak Photo CD See here.
  • Krita: According to Boudewijn Rempt from Krita, "the pixel data is 64x64 blocks of as many bytes as needed for a pixel, and the rest is xml and self-explanatory."
  • Mac Pict PICT tech doc from Apple. XaraLX has a PICT import filter.
  • PaintBrush Image (PCX) (See: http://www.qzx.com/pc-gpe/pcx.txt)
  • PaintShop Pro (GIMP has an import filter), See here, here and here.
  • Photoline
  • Picture Publisher
  • Sun Rasterfile File Format Doc ImageMagick can convert it
  • Truevision Targa (TGA/VDA/ICB/VST) – TGA v1 specification, TGA v2 specification
  • Windows Bitmap (BMP, RLE)

Vector

A closer look at ai2svg, an Illustrator to SVG converter written in Python might be useful. Moreover, skencil and sK1 have native ai support.

Other

The difficulty with presentation file formats is they often have embedded objects beyond the native graphics.

Export

  • XPS
  • PDF/X-4