- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows XP, Windows 2000
- Date added: June 05, 2008
- Total Downloads: 11,486
- Downloads last week: 77
- See full specifications
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 5 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: CNET Staff
Scribus offers up a freeware desktop publisher that lacks the polish of more popular, pay-for-use programs. What it lacks in pretty design, though, it more than makes up for with a full complement of useful features that compare very favorably against more expensive competition.
The detailed Web site includes a wealth of documentation, tutorials (some with video), and notes on everything from installation problems to drawing a grid to creating a text frame. We found it an invaluable resource when testing the application. There wasn't much jazz to the interface, but all the major beats were present: buttons were laid out logically and grouped according to function, without any unusual placement.
Scribus does have some oddities, mostly related to the scaling of imported images, but there's something else about it that's far more interesting: it painlessly brings in documents from the OpenOffice.org suite and it uses The GIMP for image editing. By taking advantage of these other freeware apps to boost its own productivity, Scribus enhances its appeal by forming a virtual freeware suite. We highly recommend this app to anyone who needs the power of expensive tools but can't afford them.
Publisher's description
From Scribus :Scribus is an open-source program that brings award-winning professional page layout to Linux/Unix, MacOS X, OS/2 and Windows desktops with a combination of "press-ready" output and new approaches to page layout. Underneath the modern and user friendly interface, Scribus supports professional publishing features, such as CMYK color, separations, ICC color management and versatile PDF creation.
What's new in this version:
Version 1.3.3.11 is a bug fixing release.
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User reviews
- Average user rating: 0 stars Not yet available
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 3 of 3 user reviewsSee all 3 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
Version: Scribus Portable 1.3.3.11
"Not the best thing in the world."
Pros: It is pretty easy to fit a picture into a certain area, and the interface is pretty nice. Also, the customisation options on the front page are really useful. The fact that it is free is also a pro.
Cons: It takes ages to load, and the tools can get quite annoying after a while.
Summary: I personally ended up not using this program again because it was a bit too non-user friendly for my liking. I don't think its that bad for a free program to be honest, but if you need a professional, easy-to-use program I think it's worth buying th... read more >>
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Version: Scribus Portable 1.3.3.11
"Fast, Easy, and Free...the best solution!"
Pros: The pro's start with the fact it is free - seriously, I have used publisher and quark and adobe products for years, but that was before I was a lay religous on a fixed income! The interface is definately another thing, compared toother free stuff
Cons: I do small runs (under 500 copies) and lots of inkjet or lazer in house. Haven't found any cons yet except for an error message about eps files (which I reported of course)
Summary: I had a choice for my 8 page 8.5 x 11 newsletter last quarter. Try to get it together in openoffice writer, use the free no name marketing sofware on the pC, or cobble it together in an old copy of photoshop. Chose photoshop because I had greater ... read more >>
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Version: Scribus Portable 1.3.3.11
"Easily a competitior to Quark and InDesign"
Pros: I produced the layout for a 24 page newspaper in one afternoon; in QuarkXpress or InDesign that could take me roughly two days. More print options.
Cons: Perhaps a better picture/text wrap facility. This gig of placing a blank figure underneath images gets annoying.
Summary: The editor review is mistaken about images in Scribus, like InDesign you have to adjust the image to the frame or vice versa. There is also no question as to "prettiness", it looks as good as any other programme. It seems almost inconceivable that y... read more >>
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