relationship between paper size and page frames and text/image frames

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mdcjsps

Hi..
I'm brand new.
I've been asked to create a newsletter for a group of people I volunteer with.
The 'format' of the newsletter is a single page, 11x17, printed landscape and printed both sides, and folded in the middle.
The layout across the 11x17 page is, reading Left to Right, page 4 and page 1. And on the reverse, page 2 and page 3.
On any single page, text could appear in 1 or 2 or three columns.
On any single page, images can appear across columns with text flowing around them.

My questions are:
1) When starting a new document,  I'm asked what layout I want.  How do I answer?  I know that I'm using custom paper in landscape mode (432 mm X 279 mm).  But do I want 'single page'.

2) Am I correct in assuming that I will be creating 4 page frames that will have frames (such as text, image) within them.    I understand the concept of 'layers'.  Should I make by basic 4 page frame a single layer then add page 1,  page 2, page 3 and page 4 as four separate layers.

3) how do I 'flow' text between pages and between columns in a page

I worked through most of the "Getting started" tutorial and had a glimmer of what is possible but it didn't seem to address the issues I'm facing.

Hope someone can point me in the right direction.
Thank you in advance

Marc


utnik

hi marc

you should select a double sided layout with four pages. (11" high and 8.5" wide)
you can put individual text frames everywhere on the pages and link one to the next – or you may set an automatic text frame at the beginning and change the number of columns on each page individually. ('windows' → 'properties' → 'text' → 'columns & text distances')
for your newsletter i assume, that you can deal with a single layer.

you should at least overlook all menu entries and the 'properties' window – otherwise you'll never work efficiently with scribus...

utnik

John_Jason_Jordan

I disagree with utnik  :), although only because the layout described is so simple that it is easily managed in your head. If you had hundreds of pages to figure out then I would agree with utnik and do it in individual pages, and use pdftools or some other utility that can do the imposition..

You can still do this job in single pages and then assemble them in the proper positions on the 11 x 17 sheets using pdftools or equivalent. But what happens if you want a graphic or a text frame that straddles the fold between pages 2 and 3? You need the layout of pages 2 and 3 to be on one display.

I would set it up as two pages of 11 x 17 (tabloid) in landscape, then set a vertical guide straight down the middle (at 8.5 inches) so I know where the fold is going to be. If I wanted, say, 1/2 inch margins by the fold then I'd make vertical guides at 8 and 9 inches as well.
Linguistics on Linux!

a.l.e

hi john jason,

utnik is correct: the double sided layout takes care of showing you the pages at the correct place: pages 2 and 3 will be side by side.

the way you are suggesting does now work, if he also wants to distribute the PDF of the newsletter on the web.

utnik

hi john jason

just try the double sided layout once and you'll see, that you've underestimated the power of scribus so far...
for the output with your desktop printer, you don't need any complex pdf tools – the adobe reader has a simple booklet printing option.

utnik

Nermander

The double sided layout of Scribus will require the resulting 4 pages to be imposed onto a 2 page sheet for printing, and that task is problematic for most people...

And Scribus can NOT do that part of the job, so some kind of imposition solution is needed.

utnik

hi nermander

as i wrote above, adobe reader can do this job (booklet printing) in an easy way.
but there are lots of more potent (and more complicated) pdf handlers. some of them – like jpdftweak – under gpl...

utnik

John_Jason_Jordan

Utnik,

I am fully aware of what the double-sided layout is for. I started layout with PageMaker 4, went briefly to QuarkXPress 3.1, back to PageMaker, then InDesign, and now Scribus. Trust me when I say that for the job the original poster wants to do, the double-sided layout is extra work and unnecessary.

When I am working on a document I want to see my pages as they will come out of the printer (or press).

I do use double-sided layout when working on a long document that will be imposed later. In such a case my head can't handle the imposition, so double-sided layout is easier. But when your signature is just four pages and you have only one signature, double-sided layout with following imposition is silly.

If you still think that double-sided layout is appropriate for a project such as the original poster asked about, tell me how you will place a graphic that you want to spread across the fold on pages 2-3.
Linguistics on Linux!

Nermander

Quote from: utnik on July 30, 2012, 09:25:29 PM
as i wrote above, adobe reader can do this job (booklet printing) in an easy way.
but there are lots of more potent (and more complicated) pdf handlers. some of them – like jpdftweak – under gpl...

But, how do you get a "Scribus quality" PDF from that solution? You would have to either use Acrobat, or use som free "PDF printer" solution.

Also, as far as I know, the Adobe Reader booklet option unfortunately adds whitespace around the pages.

utnik

hi john jason

Quote from: John_Jason_Jordan on July 31, 2012, 01:50:36 AM...tell me how you will place a graphic that you want to spread across the fold on pages 2-3.

you could spread an image frame across the pages 2 and 3 and insert an image or you may place a vector file (svg) across the pages as you would place it on a single page – i can't see any problems here (i don't have gaps between facing pages...)

@nermander: i almost don't use the booklet function from the adobe reader. but when i remember right, the white space was because of the margins of my printer. for me, the white space was better than cutting off some of the content – so i didn't try to eliminate this margins – there may be a real problem...

utnik

mdcjsps

Hello all.
Thanks very much for your advice about how to solve my problem and get started.
I've tried various solutions to see how things work.  I'm not sure yet how the newsletter will be printed but I believe I will be able to send in a PDF file which I can assemble as required.

Again, thanks for your responses.
Regards,
marc