[Scribus] Layout issues ...

[Chris Bergstresser]

Hi --

   I'm trying to create a set of reference cards.  Each would be about
the size of an index card, front and back.  I've run into a few
issues, and was hoping to get some suggestions.

   First, I was thinking I could create a bunch of individual Scribus
documents, each consisting of a single index card.  But I wasn't sure
there would be an easy way to combine all these individual documents
into a single one for printing.  That is, once I have 300+ files, I
would need to combine them into larger aggregates (4 to a sheet for
8.5x11 paper, more for a poster).  I could just create a 6x10 document
with four of them on it, but then I couldn't easily change it for
larger sizes.  Is there a better way of doing this?

   Second, I can't seem to get the text to flow properly.  My layout
looks something like this:

   SHORT TITLE
   List 1a  List 2a
   List 1b  List 2b
               List 2c
   Body text Body text
   Body text Body text


   Which is easy.  But sometimes the number of items in the lists
varies, and sometimes the headlines are longer, like this:

   LONGER TITLE
       LIKE THIS
   List 1a  List 2a
   List 1b
   Body text Body text
   Body text Body text

   I can get the body text to wrap around the headline, but it wraps
to the outside of the bounding box for the text -- meaning if the box
is long enough to display all the text, it's going to be too long for
most of the titles.  Ditto for the lists.
   Additionally, the bounding boxes seem to be buggy.  If I type a
headline in 36pt type it takes up less than 0.5" of vertical space --
but Scribus won't display it unless the box has more than 0.8" of
vertical space available.

   Any suggestions?

-- Chris