odt files, but they are incompatible with Scribus.) I used LibreOffice version 5.2 to create this tutorial. You will be using the Writer application to create text files in the OpenDocument Text (.odt) format, which can then be loaded into Scribus. LibreOffice is a suite of programs to create documents.I used version 1.4.6 to create this tutorial other versions may behave somewhat differently. Scribus is the desktop publishing application.
To get started, download and install several applications and files: This tutorial was prepared using a personal computer running Windows 10.Įxercise 1: Download and Install Programs and Files Scribus and the other tools described here run on a wide variety of operating systems.
You can download this Scribus tutorial in PDF format, which is more printer-friendly than the Web version. You'll find a friendly group of folks who enjoy exchanging printed journals, zines, and other publications. If you are looking for an outlet for your publishing efforts, consider joining AAPA. This tutorial is brought to you by the American Amateur Press Association.
(You can explore additional Scribus features once you are comfortable with the basics.)Ĭlick on any of the following links to go to a part of the tutorial: But by using a provided template file to jump-start your publishing, and learning a core subset of commands, you can learn the basics to produce a journal with only a little effort. Scribus is a full-featured program, which means it can be complicated and intimidating.
Publishing Using Scribus by Dave Tribby ( tutorial describes how to create amateur journals using the free open-source desktop publishing application Scribus. Using free software, you can now produce beautiful booklets with ease.A.J. However, the version I have installed, 1.3.3.11, is not yet able to manage this correctly.
Instead of exporting to PDF and printing with Evince, you could try printing the appropriate range directly from Scribus. Click Print, and your booklet will go to your printer.
If your printer driver permits it, enable Two-Sided to print onto both sides of the sheets. Next, go to the Page Setup tab and set Pages Per Side to 2. To get the correct page order for a generic n-paged booklet, where n is a multiple of 4, follow this order: That way, your booklet will be ready without you having to use scissors and glue. You must set “Print Pages” to Range so that the pages print in a particular order. In the General tab, set the number of copies you want, and if it’s not grayed out, check the Collate checkbox. When you’re ready to print your booklet, convert it to PDF format and put it in an easy-to-remember location, because you must open it immediately with Evince, the standard PDF viewing application, and go to File -> Print to open the Print dialog. Don’t forget to put in page numbers if you need them (see the tutorial for details). Next, enter text into your Scribus document. In both cases, the orientation must be vertical. In the US, if you want to prepare a booklet with letter-sized sheets, you must set the Scribus document size to half the letter size - in other words, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches. I’m in Europe, so I generated A5-sized booklets using A4 sheets. Here’s how to do it in Linux Windows users should be able to follow along too.įirst, you need to determine the size of the paper you’re using and the size of the document you want to create. Fortunately, I’ve come across a simple procedure that lets you work around this issue. Scribus, a free, open source desktop publishing application, offers a wide range of page layout features, but one thing it lacks is the ability to print booklets.