text flow around images

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Karela

I have some text that I need to flow around a shape. In this case, text about Venice that flows around a map of the islands.

The map is a tiff with the islands floating on a transparent background. I would like the text to "hug the coastline" as much as possible, but all that I can come up with is getting the text to flow in a square manner around the image box. I did this with shape>text flow around frame and choosing any one of "frame shape", "bounding box" or "contour line". Something tells me what I need to use is "use image clip path" but that is not an option for selection.

utnik

hi karela

'use contour line' is the solution – but you have to edit the contour line ('shape' → 'edit' → 'edit contour line'...)

utnik

Kunda

Utnik, have you seen any useful video tutorials on this ?

Cheers,
/Kunda

utnik

i don't know any video tutorials about scribus – but i wasn't searching for...

utnik

GarryP

Karela, utnik's suggestion is by far the best way of doing what you want the proper way, but there's an alternative.

NOTE: This is a quick and dirty technique and should only be used for "prototyping" to see how things might look before doing it the proper way (or if you really don't like using the contour editor).

1. Create the image frame and add the image. (A)
2. Use the "Insert Bezier Curves" tool - the icon looks like the nib of an old ink cartridge pen - and click round the part of the image you want the text to flow around (B) drawing a line as you go.

Click, don't drag, so you just have straight lines. You don't have to be very accurate and it might be best if you leave a gap around the image but that's down to your own preferences (it's easy to experiment). Also, make sure you "close" the line by getting the start and end points near each other or you might have problems later.

3. Create the text frame and put your text in it. (C) I've used a double-column layout but use what you want.
4. Select the bezier curve and raise it above the text. (Right-click -> Level -> Raise to Top or Raise)
5. Set the colour of the curve to "None".
6. With the curve still selected, go to "Properties / Shape" and select "Use Contour Line".

Your text should now flow around the curve. (D)

Like I said earlier, this isn't the best way to do this but it's good to know more than one way to do something. You never know when it might come in handy. However, I'd really recommend using the contour line as already suggested whenever possible.

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mnawij

Hey, just a quick question.  Can this path/shape be imported?  If so, is the step of making contour path the same? I have quite a few clip paths in both photoshop and illustrator that I need to bring over...

Thanks,

mnawij

GarryP

According to the Scribus manual page for 'Importing Photoshop Files': "Clipping paths in PSD files will be recognized and can be used for text flow.".

I don't know about Illustrator, sorry. You can probably do some experimenting with a few document file types and see if anything works.

To use the clipping path you need to use the "Group" tab of the Properties palette rather than the "Shape" tab.