Scribus intermediate tutorial

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Grahf

Hi!

I made a very fast-paced tutorial which should include 80% of the contents used to produce the books of a project called T9A.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t0sauNS3ic



If you are interested, you can find a link to a zip file which contains 4 T9A books (without tables and in low-quality) here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/134kSkM0xDDMKoAxdMyELWCn1YQcW8Frq/view?usp=sharing

Here's a complete, low quality book translated in Italian (with tables produced in LaTeX).

https://www.the-ninth-age.com/community/filebase/index.php?file/1035-elfi-silvani/












If somebody wants to modify, add material, and/or make suggestions to improve this tutorial, please let me know.

I didn't have too much time so I decided to produce a very compact tutorial, without going step by step. The contents I left out from this tutorial will be released later in two very short videos: beginner and advanced.














Here's the complete transcription of the tutorial (EDIT - sorry if the spoiler doesn't work):

[spoiler]
"Scribus is an Open Source program that brings professional page layout to Linux, Mac OS, Windows desktops and more, with a combination of press-ready output and new approaches to page design.

Underneath a modern and user-friendly interface, Scribus supports professional publishing features, such as color separations, CMYK and spot colors, ICC color management, and versatile PDF creation.

This is a compact video, it will be as comprehensive as possible, we are going to dive deep into the topics really quickly, take your time to digest all this information.

For this video we are going to use version 1.5.5 for Mac OS with a file from the Ninth Age project, a community made wargame.


PART 1 - OVERVIEW

In the bottom bar of the Scribus environment, you can find the zoom out, zoom in, and 100% view buttons. You can also select your page and your layers as well. If you are not familiar with layers, you can imagine layers as sheets of stacked paper. The upper ones will cover the contents of the bottom ones, but you can both change the layer's opacity or an object's opacity in order to see the contents below the now partially transparent layer or object. This can be helpful in many ways.

I suggest you to place all the texts within one single layer because otherwise hyphenating your texts will be a little bit cumbersome. In the Arrange pages palette there is a section called Document pages, this will give you a quick overview of your document. You can scroll it up or down to move through your document. From here we can see both the pages's numbers and the Master page applied to each page. If you don't know what a master page is, just envision it as a way to save you some time: each time you need a repetitive object like a page number, a background, or an header other than a foot header in your document, you can create a master page a place it there. Each time you'll need to use these repetitive contents saved in your master pages you will be able to recall them through apply master page or simply dragging the master page you want to apply within the Document pages section.

Remember that you can see a preview of your master pages in the Available master pages list within the arrange pages palette simply by right-clicking it and choosing show page previews.

Another useful thing to remember is to have master pages names begin with a letter or a number, in this way you'll be able to scan very quickly through the master pages applied to the document using the document pages section.

For example if we see a C in the Document pages section, we can infer that the initial letter of the master page applied to this page begins with C, hence in this case it will be the one called "C two line header".

Remember that master pages will be editable only in the manage master pages edit mode, this way you'll avoid mistakes during the document creation process.

If you want to create a master page you can create one using page;convert to master page.
Lately you can recall an already pre-existing master page and build up a new one by ticking the copy applied master page items check box.

Finally you can build a master page from scratch through the manage master pages edit mode accessing through the available master pages list.

In the manage master pages section you can copy, erase, or even import master pages.

Remember that you won't be able to interact with an object if you are not in the object's layer.

Once you desire to apply a master page, select a page with a right-click, notice that it will be red-outlined, then use apply master page. In the drop-down list you'll find the current master page. Select the one you want to apply and the pages you want to modify, selecting one from current page, even or odd pages, etc. and using a page range, if needed.

From now on let's divide this video in two main topics: texts and images. Vectors needs a Special mention, because they are placed through File;import;get vector file. Images are shown within Image frames while Text are shown within Text Frames. Image frames are like a window, you can see their picture through it.



I will try to show you the easiest way to operate within Scribus, remember that sometimes you can achieve the same results using different ways, I'm just showing what I think it is the easiest, without the support of shortcuts.

To interact with any object within Scribus, please remember to check if the object is red-outlined, otherwise you won't be able to interact with it.

PART 2 - TEXT


We are going to see how to place a text in a Scribus document, you will see that is very similar to the image placement. Click on the Text Frame button, click-and-hold-down the mouse button, then drag it on the page.

You can play around with a lot of features while your text is selected, you can change its properties, like its position within the document or its width, height, and level. Remember that the objects with higher level are shown above the objects with a lower level within the same layer.


You can change your text frame dimension using a base point, which is a pivot point that will allow you to modify the selected frame without moving the aforementioned point.


You can add columns to your text, through "columns and texts distances" within the text properties palette, you can also add a gap between each column, known also as gutter, or other names as well.



Remember that if you modify your text with the story editor mode you can undo your action with a right click. Otherwise, if you don't use the story editor mode, you can use the undo button to unmade your last action, like almost any other action performed within Scribus.

In the story editor mode we can change our styles.

Styles are meant to save your time. If you are not familiar with styles, as we are using Scribus 1.5.5, and all the other styles seems to be underdeveloped at the moment, we are going to use only paragraph styles as they are of an absolute importance. You can create a set of text properties and apply them all at once, simply put, this is what describes a paragraph style.

You can set your desired typeface or font, a specific size, a line spacing or a baseline grid alignment, a colour, etc. through edit;styles and the drop-down list new;paragraph style

Once you create your paragraph style, remember that you can build up a new one, using the "based on" drop-down list and borrowing some of its features.

We can change the shape of the text frame, adding some nodes or modifying its control points through the properties palette function named shape and the edit button.


Other features, as tracking and kerning, can be applied once you have selected your text. Tracking can decrease or increase the overall distance between characters, while kerning decreases or increases the distance between a specific pair of characters, named kerning pair.

To create a curved text use the bezier curve instrument to draw the desired path you need to be followed by the text and press esc. Now select both the text frame and the bezier curve button and click items;path tools;attach text to path. From now on, in order to modify this curved text you must use the Story mode.


To outline a text, right-click on the text frame you want to outline and select convert to;outlines


If your texts need to flow around an object you can select an object on a higher level or layer and set it on use the "text around frame shape, bounding box, or countour line" within the properties palette function named shape. The Shape and the contour line can be modified within the properties palette function named shape, using the edit icon.

You can create an invisible object to make your text flow around it through the bezier curve icon, then draw the object and press esc. Lastly you can set the object to use its contour line within the properties palette function named shape. Remember that this object must be above your text level or layer and probably be invisible, so you will place this object within a print-disabled layer through Windows;Layers and uncheck the print icon or if you prefer you can just set the object's transparency to zero within the properties palette function named transparency.


You can link multiple text frames, which means that once the first text frame will be full the text will flow to the second one and so on, like it happens naturally between each page of a traditional word processor as open office. Just select all the frames you need to link and use the link text frames button.

To insert a text within a text frame use content;get text or you can type directly within a Scribus text frame, either using the story mode or without it, just remember to activate auto hyphenation through file;document setup;hyphenator and check "automatic hyphenate text automatically". In the document setup you will find a way to increase the gap between each page in Display;Scratch space;gap between pages;vertical.


If you need to insert a sample text right click your text frame and use content; sample text


If you need to hyphenate the whole document choose the layer which contains the texts in the lower bar, then through edit;advanced select all and checking "current layer", finally using extras;hyphenate text

Extras; colour wheel can be an useful instrument in the hands of document designers


PART 3 - IMAGES


We are going to see how to place an image in your Scribus document. Click on the Image Frame button, click-and-hold-down the mouse button, then drag it on the page. Finally choose the image with a double click of your mouse and select your image, otherwise right-click the image frame and use content;get image, this last bit will be useful once you want to change a preexisting image within a frame.

You can play around with a lot of features while you image is selected, you can change its properties, like its position within the document or its width, height, and level. Remember that the objects with an higher level are shown above the objects with a lower level within the same layer.

You can change your image frame dimension using a base point, which is a pivot point that will allow you to modify the selected frame without moving the aforementioned point.



As an image frame it's like a window, you can move the frame's content without changing the image frame position or characteristics. Go to the properties palette function named image and move the image within the frame with your mouse or select its position within the horizontal or vertical axis of its frame.

Within the properties palette function named image, we can change the scale of our image either keeping its proportions or changing them.

Let's see other ways to manipulate our pictures. You can fit the frame to the image through Image;adjust frame to image, remember that an image frame it's like a window. We can change its blending with other objects through the blend mode drop-down list within the properties palette function named transparency, and off course we can change the image transparency too.

We can change the shape of the Image frame, adding some nodes or modifying its control points through the properties palette function named shape and the edit button.

We can also give to our frame a predefined shape through this icon in the properties palette function named shape.

In addirtionm, we can also change the dots per inch.

Remember that Image frames, like other types of frames can be used to determine the text flow. Just use the text around frame shape, bounding box, and countour line within the properties palette function named shape. The Shape and the contour line can be modified within the properties palette function named shape, using the edit icon.

If you need to insert shapes of any kind you can use Insert;shape or polygon. Remember that you can transform a shape into a text frame.

Furthermore we can change the image size to fit within its frame. For example we can increase the frame dimension first, then choose image;adjust image to frame.


PART 4 -EXTRAS


To rotate an object use the rotate item icon or you can also rotate an object using a pivot through the x,y,z section in the properties palette, for example we can use its lower-right corner as its pivot point. In this case, I choose to rotate all the frame except for its lower-right base point, but you can choose to pivot around the other corners selecting any other base point.

We can group our objects clicking-and-holding-down the mouse button and pressing the group button within the properties palette, the object will be red-outlined, but notice how this time our selected object it's the group itself, not the single image, hence our red edge will cover all the grouped objects.

We can change the objects's dimension dragging their outline and if you want to keep the same size remember to press shift while you drag your mouse.

To ungroup our objects just click the ungroup button on the properties palette.

In the properties palette you can find the buttons that will allow you to mirror an object horizontally or vertically, as well the buttons to lock the object's position and/or size.

Within the properties palette function named image you can find some basic image effects, for example you can add a posterise. Choose posterise from the available effects list. To remove any effect, just click the image frame, then click on the effect you want to remove on the applied effects list.
 

Let's see the Align and distribute palette.

Firstly, we check to what our objects will be aligned to. Click on the drop-down list named "Relative to" and change it to whatever you need. It can be the first selected object, the last one, the page, a guide, etc..

Let's see some examples.

We can create a guide either dragging our mouse from one of the rulers or by clicking Page;manage guides.

Once we have created a guide. We can choose guide in the relative drop-down list. Then select our guide by left-clicking it, select our objects and click on one of the align icons.

Maybe one that you are going to use the most is the specified distance one. Insert a distance, select your objects and click on this icon. You can achieve the same result on the vertical axis by clicking on this icon instead.

Another type of distribution can occur when you have to distribute all your objects horizontally, based on your leftmost and rightmost selected objects, which means that these two objects at the extremes will be locked, while all the other objects in between will be placed at equal distances.

Or when you have to distribute all your objects vertically, based on your uppermost and lowermost selected objects.

Finally you can swap objects through the swap buttons. Select your objects and use these icons. They can be either two objects or multiple objects and each time you will press the swap icons their position will change by one unit.

If you need to create multiple guides to build your page, like a twelve column guide with 2 mm gap between each column, you can find the guide manager in page;manage guides, set the number of vertical columns to 11 and then set the column gap to 2,000 mm. Leave it to refer option to page or use margins if you prefer. If you need to delete guides go to the miscellaneous of the guide manager.

If you want to increase the Scribus loading performances just disable all image links. In order to do so place all you images in a single folder and just change its name before loading the document.

If you need to create a new layer use windows;layers;+

If you need to use the same tool over and over, and you want to inhibit Scribus from switching back to the item selection tool each time, check Insert;sticky tools


If you need to add page;insert, choose how may pages you want to insert and where you want them to be fromthe drop-down list. Remember that if you set your document to automatic text frames generation, for each added page a new text frame will be created.


Remember that you can have an easier workflow through Page;snap to grid, guide, and items



I hope you have enjoyed this video. Kudos to the Scribus Team and its community."
[/spoiler]

AdmFubar

Was immediately turned off by robotic voice narration..
Using Scribus 1.6.1, openSUSE 15.5
Advanced hobbyist