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Scribus => Layout Issues => Topic started by: jim7634 on November 11, 2011, 07:24:04 PM

Title: Multi-page teemplates
Post by: jim7634 on November 11, 2011, 07:24:04 PM
I'm new to this forum and scribus so if this is the wrong place to post this I apologize.

I write and print a local newsletter on the doings in my little town.  For reasons outside this discussion I am being force to change my layout from a self printed 8.5x11 to a professionally printed tabloid layout. 

I was using libreOffiece but with the new requirement it can't handle the new format.  I have watched a bunch of tutorials, read the documentation, etc. but I can't find anything that tells me how to create AND SAVE a template with a front page, a left page and a right page.

Obviously I don't want to have to recreate these pages each time I publish my paper, so I would like to know if there is a way to create reusable master pages/templates.
Title: Re: Multi-page teemplates
Post by: John_Jason_Jordan on November 11, 2011, 08:07:17 PM
Quote from: jim7634 on November 11, 2011, 07:24:04 PMObviously I don't want to have to recreate these pages each time I publish my paper, so I would like to know if there is a way to create reusable master pages/templates.

First, you didn't say what version of Scribus you are using or what platform you are using it on. If you are not using 1.4.0 Release Candidate 6, I urge you to move to it. And in the future, it's a good idea to mention version and platform when asking questions in a forum like this because the answers are sometimes different.

Having said that, there are couple things to consider.

1) You can create a plain document with text styles and master pages, and then just import the ones you want into any Scribus document. This document can contain all styles and master pages for any document you might want to create, not just the newsletter.

2) Scribus does support templates, and comes with a few, but you will no doubt want to create your own. A template is basically just a document that you use over and over, saving it under a new name for each subsequent issue so as to maintain the template document unchanged.

A long time ago I had a newsletter that I published every two months. Most of the layout was the same, just the stories and some of the artwork changed for each issue. After I had created the first issue I deleted all the transitory stuff and saved it under a new name as a template. The template contained the masthead, text styles, margin settings, and lots of other things that I wanted to maintain with each issue so as to give a uniform appearance. Each time I created a new issue I opened the template, saved a copy with the a name reflecting the date of the issue, then closed the template.

Note that you don't actually have to create a Scribus template to accomplish this. You could just use a plain document and use "template" or something in the name so you won't accidentally overwrite it with changes.

It will take you a bit of planning and thought to create your template, but it won't take much time and it will save you hours for each new issue.
Title: Re: Multi-page teemplates
Post by: jim7634 on November 11, 2011, 10:31:40 PM
Sorry I wasn't thinking when I wrote my question.  I am using Ubuntu 11.04 and scribus 1.3.3.14.

Thank you for the information.
Title: Re: Multi-page teemplates
Post by: Nermander on November 12, 2011, 07:58:47 AM
A template in Scribus is just a Scribus document saved in the Templates folder. Then you can do "new from template".

I personally did not use that feature because with each issue I made some smaller adjustments to the layout, so it was always easier to make a copy of the last issue and clear out the content (I just removed all pages but 1, 2, 3 and back, removed or cleared the frames on those pages and then added new pages as needed).

But using the Templates folder is a good way to prevent "saving on top of the template by mistake". Another way is of course to write protect the template..