Microsoft Publisher Replacement - Scribus

[JimShortz]

For some people a big problem with switching to Linux is the loss of MS Publisher. To be honest it isn't a great programme (a kids toy really), but is very very easy to use. There is no other programme that can read Publisher documents so unfortunately it is goodbye to those documents when you switch to Linux, or you need to have a way that you can open them in a Windows environment.

For those of us embracing Open Source software Scribus is a fantastic alternative (the only viable alternative). This really is professional standard Desktop Publishing software, and also very straightforward to use if you are willing to put in an hour or two to start with to grasp the basics of how it works. Its downfall is that when you first open it up you look at the interface and probably decide it looks confusing and shut it again... This is a great shame as actually it's not too complicated at all and with minimal effort you will soon be right at home - and appreciating the power that Scribus offers.

In the school where I work MS Publisher has been seriously lamented by many teachers since we switched to Ubuntu. To try and help them out I have created a series of video tutorials and put them up on our school Moodle (Virtual Learning Environment). I can't give you guys access to the Moodle, but I have also put these tutorials up on YouTube. This is a bit of a blatant plug for my screencasts, but I hope at least some of you will find them useful and become as a big a fan of Scribus as I am!

You can find them at http://www.youtube.c...07?blend=3&ob=5

If you find them useful (or not!) please leave a comment - constructive or otherwise!

[Crushdepth]

Interesting. But what kind of reaction do you get when you take your layout to a print shop? Are they familiar with Scribus?

[Rsvdude]

Thanks for that. This will help me to get started with Scribus. I hate how MSPub cant be opened by anything else.

I've bookmarked the Youtube page so if you add some more I can keep going back. Thanks.

[JimShortz]

Interesting. But what kind of reaction do you get when you take your layout to a print shop? Are they familiar with Scribus?

I don't know how many publishers in Thailand will be enlightened enough to accept Scribus files, but to be honest this is not really an issue for me as I'm usually printing what I create on a desktop laser. I do know, however, that lots of people are using Scribus to create files for sending to the the printer (see http://wiki.scribus....de_with_Scribus). It is certainly designed primarily for producing full quality CMYK publications, something that is not true of MS Publisher. Scribus has a high quality PDF output facility, with a massive range of options. This seems to be how you output documents for the printer, even if your printer doesn't accept Scribus files.

I can't find the articles at the moment but I have only read positive accounts of the high quality of printing possible after having exported as a CMYK PDF and had printed professionally. Actually, the final product of my work in Scribus is always a PDF anyway, because then I can email it, print it easily on any printer, and not have to send the whole folder containing images etc. as I would if sending my Scribus file to anyone.

Thanks for that. This will help me to get started with Scribus. I hate how MSPub cant be opened by anything else.

I've bookmarked the Youtube page so if you add some more I can keep going back. Thanks.

I have just added the second of three tutorials on making a 3 fold brochure/leaflet in Scribus. If you want to be kept up to date as I post more in the coming weeks please subscribe to my YouTube Channel and then you will get an email when I update - no need to remember to check back!

[Richard-BKK]

Sure most printers/publishers in Thailand will never have heard of Scribus, but if you come to a professional printer and they cannot deal with EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) files you should better go looking for another printer... because PostScript is somewhat the standard in the printing world.

[JimShortz]

I've managed to host my Scribus lessons within a complete Moodle Course with gnomio, a free Moodle hosting service. Being free it is of course littered with adverts, but at least this way you can check out the complete course and get access to the files needed to complete the tutorials, rather than just see the videos.

Hosted Scribus Moodle:http://humpymoodle.mdl.gnomio.com/login/index.php (click"login as guest")

Download the course: http://rapidshare.com/files/450224013/backup-scribus_dtp_-_intro-20110228-1539.zip

There are now 8 parts to this basic tutorial and all of the videos are also available on my YouTube Channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/HumpyCreature007) If you find this course useful you might want to click the link above and head over to YouTube and subscribe to my Channel - that way you will be notified as I add more videos to the series.

[MeInThai]

Thank you all for the information and guides... I just started to use Scribus and we are about to make an Annual Report and newsletter.... so approaching printers in Thailand was my next worry. Any of you recommend any printers here in Bangkok?

[Crushdepth]

Scandmedia are a medium-budget medium-quality company.

[Gaccha]

Jim,

How do I get Thai script on Scribus. Currently it drops the complex script items (the dots and dashes on top and below). I've looked around and see there is a Linux fix, but what about for a PC?

Thanks in advance.

[JimShortz]

Jim,

How do I get Thai script on Scribus. Currently it drops the complex script items (the dots and dashes on top and below). I've looked around and see there is a Linux fix, but what about for a PC?

Thanks in advance.

Sorry Gaccha, I can't help you with that one. I only use Linux - I don't even have a Windows or Mac machine to try and solve it on...

[Gaccha]

Jim,

How do I get Thai script on Scribus. Currently it drops the complex script items (the dots and dashes on top and below). I've looked around and see there is a Linux fix, but what about for a PC?

Thanks in advance.

Sorry Gaccha, I can't help you with that one. I only use Linux - I don't even have a Windows or Mac machine to try and solve it on...

Okay Jim, no worries. I've pulled the text in as an image and then drawn the changes I wanted. A poor fix, while the world resolves this.

Thanks.