Hello,
I've been using / trying to use Scribus for two months now. I'm trying to make a 'newspaper' for our village; it's a printed paper of about 36-40 pages, with lots of images.
I've been mailing back and forth with our publisher, but there are some things I can't fix.
1) The publisher tells me to convert all text to 'black' color, so that it's not printed in 4 colors but as only 'black'. I managed to change the text to 'black' color, but had to do this manually for all text-blocks.
-> Is there a quicker way to do this?
2) The publisher tells me to convert all images to CMYK. I have been searching how to do this, but I didn't succeed in changing the images to CMYK while uploaded in Scribus. (I get around 80 images in different formats; JPEG, JPG, PNG, ...)
-> Do I have to (manually?!) convert all images to CMYK before uploading them into Scribus? I've tried some online tools, but the image size increases. Or is there a possibility to convert RMBto CMYK in Scribus.
3) The publisher says that the document sent to him in PDF is way too big; it should be around 30MB for 36 pages, whilst my test-version of 8 pages is already 44MB. I already limited the images to 300dpi, but what else can I do?
-> How to create a PDF which isn't this big?
hi cathyzora
wat are your export settings?
when i export normal black text to a cmyk file, my text is in 100% black and if i export it as a .pdf/x-1a, the images are converted to cmyk.
for the file size you may play with the resolution and compression settings – and clip the images if you only need a part of them. (scribus keeps the full image in the file even if the bigger part of it is outside of the frame...)
but scribus is known to generate rather big files.
untik
Inkscape always exports in RGB so you gotta replace RGB colors with CMYK if you import Inkscape SVG. Same with the text. Images you can convert to CMYK in Krita.
Useful commands:
Edit-Colors and Fills
Edit-Replace Colors
Overprint black
Convert text to outlines
PDF Export to printer (not Screen/Web)
Output preview
Always keep saved version with live text - not converted to outlines
@utnik
I exported the document as pdf/x-4 (as requested by the publisher). But I could of course try and see what effect saving as pdf/x-1a will have. I've just read (https://wiki.scribus.net/canvas/Color_Management_setup) the difference between them.
I'll have a go at clipping the image-parts.
@Aleks100 I don't know about Inkscape, but have a look at Krita. But for Krita, I seem to need the specific CMYK setup from the printer used by the publisher?
I'm familiar with most of the commands :)
Check File-Output Preview-PDF
Select CMYK, then select everything but black (K) - all text should disappear. This means that all text is just black and that overprint is set properly
hi cathyzora
Quote from: CathyZora on January 04, 2026, 07:42:45 PM...I exported the document as pdf/x-4 (as requested by the publisher). But I could of course try and see what effect saving as pdf/x-1a will have.
if a printshop requests .pdf/x-4, they should accept content in different color spaces as it is one of the primary ideas of ...x-4 to convert the colors later in the process. (but unfortunately a couple of printshops request .pdf/x-4 and can't handle them by the official specifications...)
i would ask if they accept .pdf/x-1a.
utnik