8.22.2008

q|a: what is scribus?

Since I just posted a template for the program, I should probably answer this question ASAP. Scribus is an open-source desktop publishing program. You can learn more and download the program on their website, www.scribus.net. Scribus is similar to InDesign in a lot of ways, allowing you to flow text between text boxes, insert images inside frames, create style sheets, etc. The only place I have noticed where it was lacking was in the bleed settings. Namely, the fact that it doesn't have them. As I mentioned in my prior post though, you can easily get around this by setting your margins to the bleed settings and your page to 8.5"x11". If you keep the margins visible when working in Scribus, they are actually very easy to work within. I wouldn't recommend the program for those who are not computer savvy, and it particularly helps to have some knowledge of InDesign prior to using it. With that said, if you are interested in an InDesign-esque program without the InDesign price, this is a great option.

2 comments:

Michael Day said...

I tried opening your template in the current Scribus, version 1.3.3.12, and got the message that you template was "not in an acceptable format".

Unknown said...

My apologies Michael - the file posted was for Scribus 1.3.5. I've since posted a version that should work for Scribus 1.3.3.12 and earlier versions. For more MagCloud design resources, please see http://magcloud.com/blog/post/view/16.