[Scribus] Strange problems printing PDFs in Linux

[Rob Kemp]

Hi. I am using Mandriva 2006 LE, with the distribution-supplied
scribus-1.3.1-4mdk.

I have laid out a double-sided A4 leaflet which I am attempting to print
out on a Samsung colour laser printer. On the front of the leaflet there
is an image frame which is filled with a maroon colour, and into this I
have imported an image that I created in Inkscape. The image is basically
a rectangle with a curved top on a transparent background.

When I try to print the leaflet from the Scribus-created PDF file,
different things happen depending on which program I use to print it.

If I use Acrobat 7 under Windows, the leaflet prints out perfectly -
including the image on the cover. Using Acrobat 7.0.5 under Linux,
however, produces a printout in which the 'shoulders' of the image - i.e.
the transparent bits above either side of the curved top of the image -
appear darker than the background of the image frame.

If I use xpdf, the image prints out as a rectangle - i.e. the curved bit
disappears.

I can see that this is impossible to explain in words so I have uploaded a
copy of the pdf file here:

privatewww.essex.ac.uk/~rpkemp/leafletXXX.pdf

... in case anyone is kind enough to want to have a look.

Another oddity about using xpdf is that the logo that appears near the
bottom of the cover, which ought to be on a transparent background, comes
out as a black rectangle when printed out. Only in xpdf, though.

Sorry if I haven't given enough (or the right) details. As you can
probably tell I'm an amateur.

Thanks in advance.

Rob

-- 
Rob Kemp
rpkemp at ntlworld.com