CNET Editors' review
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 1.4 includes advanced options for text and typography, like character styles, optical margins, or glyph extension and features for vector objects, like Boolean path operations, vector effects or a line style editor.
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All versions:
3.0 starsout of 25 votes
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Current version:
1.0 starsout of 1 votes
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My rating:
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"Would not install"
Version: Scribus 1.4
Pros
There are no pros to software that cannot be completely installed.
Cons
Would not install without Ghostscript & link to Ghostscript was outdated, so I could not install Ghostscript unless I wanted to take the time to look for it, and I don't.
Summary
This program is not for mid-level computer users like myself, let alone the low-level users for whom I am testing publishing software.
I could not even get it installed. It would not finish installation without Ghostscript & link to Ghostscript was outdated. The "ReadMe" file--which only opens after you start the installation so you don't know until then you need Ghostscript--had such involved instructions that I didn't want to go further. I know the folks I'm testing this for wouldn't be able to handle it at all.
A pop-up saying I need Ghostscript also appeared on my desktop, but it was nearly unreadable because the window was so small and would not allow me to expand it.
I have downloaded a lot from CNET and this is by far the worst experience I've had. I might not mind going through this for a really great program, but my friends would not be able to handle it at all.
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