All you geeks who want to make it big in the online publishing world – one of the best methods to do it is to write a book. And believe me or not, your good ol’ Microsoft Word isn’t enough to write a good book for you. You should instead, check out this open-source cross-platform, desktop publishing software called Scribus.
Scribus is a free desktop publishing application that supports professional features such as color separation, CMYK, and Spot Color support. It also supports ICC color management and includes a versatile PDF creation feature. We can say it is full of features publishing applications for Windows. It supports many image formats including SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) and others.
Scribus desktop publishing software
You can use Scribus to design and produce books, magazines, newsletters, brochures, calendars, etc. In short, anything that requires text to look visually appealing on paper. It also helps in authoring PDF documents and offers advanced features such as forms, buttons, passwords, and more.
If we talk about the features of the application, the list may look endless. To give you an overview, here are some of its important features:
- Support for many image formats
- Professional image setting
- ICC color management
- Built-In scripting engine
- Available in more than 24 Languages
- Level 3 postscript driver
- Unicode Character encoding
- Import option for Open Office
- Save it as a professional PDF file
- Interactive and professional-looking interface.
It also uses some other software to boost its own functionalities. It uses Gimp for editing images and Open Office suite for some document editing features.
Scribus Interface
The interface might look quite very strange to some but it indeed is very powerful. It is a really nice alternative to Microsoft Publisher. The application was originally intended for Linux but was ported to Windows and Mac soon. The interface is a bit complex for the newbies but uninitiated, but once you get your hands wet, you will find that it offers a lot more than you expected.
In the Insert menu, you will find different objects to insert into your project, including Text Frames, Image Frames, Tables, Shapes, etc. Moreover, there is also an option to insert a Barcode. When you select it, a new window will open where you can select the type of Barcode, like Code-128, Code-39, ISBN, etc.
It comes with pre-defined templates which include Brochures, Business cards, Newsletters, Packaging, etc. You can open any of these templates or start your project from scratch. It supports a number of formats. Some of these are ODG, SXD, SVG, EPI, PS, AI, etc. You can export your project in different formats, including Text, EPS, PDF, Image, etc.
Scribus download
This beginner’s tutorial on the use of Scribus for page layout and PDF creation will help you get started. They are also available in PDF formats.
If you think that you can be an author or already are one and want to make your publications look more professional, you might want to check out Scribus.
Can Scribus import PDF files?
Starting with version 1.5, you can import PDFs as vector graphics files. It will be available as collection groups of vector graphics. You can then group elements and images to edit or display them in the document.
How do I install Scribus?
Scribus is easy to install. If you are a Windows user, you have to download its Windows version from the official website. After downloading the file, double-click on it to run the installer. An installation wizard will open on your computer screen. Read the license agreement and accept it (if you agree), then click Next. Now, follow the on-screen instructions to install Scribus.
That’s it.
Read next: Best free Adobe InDesign Alternatives for Windows PC.
