Importing Multiple pages from a PDF (in 1.5.4)

[IDN101]

Just installed 1.5.4 as I need to be able to import a PDF document and add my own content over the top. I don't need to edit the original document at all- just to be able to stick it on it's own layer and then add text and image frames over the top, where my content needs to be.

When I go to Import the PDF Document, I only have the option to choose a single page- even though the source document is multi-page. Other radio button options are greyed out. Is this expected behaviour?

Do I need to use the Import function for every single page- one at a time?

Many thanks

[utnik]

you're right, with 'file' → 'import' you just have one single page of the .pdf file.
unfortunately you need to select 'file' → 'open' to get the whole file. (which is a bit confusing and makes people think scribus would be a .pdf editor...)

utnik

[Mike_Scribus]

Hi there,

Why is 1.5.4 required if you "need to be able to import a PDF document" and add your own content over the top?

Mike.

[a.l.e]

scribus 1.4 cannot import a pdf.

but scribus 1.4 can load a PDF in an image frame.
and it even has an experimental feature for keeping the original PDF in the resulting PDF (without rasterizing it)

scribus 1.5 can load a PDF in an image frame (as scribus 1.4 can) and, on top of it, can (try to) import a PDF as native objects (warning: it outlies your text...)

so, if you want to simply add your content on top of a pdf, you don't technically need 1.5.

[utnik]

but scribus 1.4 can load a PDF in an image frame.
and it even has an experimental feature for keeping the original PDF in the resulting PDF (without rasterizing it)

if you're on mac os, this feature is broken in scribus 1.4.5 and newer versions. (you'll need scribus 1.4.4 or 1.5.x...)

utnik

[scriber]

Excuse me for appending my message to this really old discussion.

I'm using Scribus 1.5.8.

Let's consider a Scribus document containing some pages of text, then we want to add a multipages PDF.

As written above, if you select "File > Import > Load vector file", the dialog allows to load just one single page of the PDF.

I use a workarond:
- File > Open
- Select PDF file to load
- then in a new scribus window we will have our PDF
- here I select all pages of this document and press Ctrl+C to copy them
- finally return on the previous scribus window and press Ctrl+V to paste the "vector pages"

My question:
- is there a easier way to achieve that?

I would expect that File > Import > Load vector file can directly import also multi pages PDF, not just one page at a time. Likely implementing this feature in Scribus is not as easy as it seems...

[a.l.e]

my first reaction was: open the pdf, save it as a scribus document, import the pages in your own document.

this is how i would do it... can scribus do it?

i clicked around a bit and in the "page" menu there is an "import" menu that should do it : - )

while, being able to import multiple pages through "load vector file" sounds like a good idea, since scribus is not a tool for tweaking pdfs but a page layout software, i'm fine with the current situation (except that the scripter should be able to import pages from a vector page without any prompt being shown to the user... but that's a WIP)

[RodneyLee]

I'd load the .PDF into GIMP and export as Images then use them in a background layer

[scriber]

When you export as PDF pages as images, vector elements will be degraded, maybe just a bit.
Anyway in the same time you open gimp and load PDF file, I directly load PDF in a new Scribus window and drag it within the main Scribus document.
I could also make my Scribus document, export to PDF and then add the other PDF file by using pdftk, for instance:

Code Select Expand

pdftk maindoc.pdf add.pdf cat output finaldoc.pdf

The above will append the PDF to main document. It could be also prepended or even inserted after a specified page...

Anyway would be useful a feature to add a whole multipage PDF within an other Scribus document, without needing to invent any workaround.

[scriber]

I tried a.l.e procedure:
- let's say we are working on a scribus document "main.sla"
- want to add the "add.pdf" -> file open and select our pdf file "add.pdf"
- within scribus a new "window" is opened now we are editing add.pdf imported in scribus
- here we will save it as "add.sla" and we can also close it to go back to previous document "main.sla"
- here it is possible to import pages: page - import and select "add.sla" file, we can also choose all pages or just the ones we need.
- finally we can also delete "add.sla" if we don't need it anymore

Now, ok it's a better solution compared to my first attempt, in that case I had also to create new pages for pasted pdf pages. This said, also this procedure seems just a workaround to buffer a useful missed feature...

Wouldn't it a good feature to be considered for next Scribus versions?
Where can it be requested?

[AlvesR]

Hi. In development / feature.  ...recently the multipage feature was implemented in inkscape. It doesn't make sense to me. Resource type for desktop publishing programs. Example: Scribus.

[AdmFubar]

When I go to Import the PDF Document, I only have the option to choose a single page- even though the source document is multi-page. Other radio button options are greyed out. Is this expected behaviour?

What version of scribus are you using? In 1.5.8 i get to select all pages, single page, or a range of pages.