[scribus] Tutorial

[john Culleton]

On Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:29:06 -0500
Dale Erwin <dale at casaerwin.org> wrote:

> On 9/15/2011 11:36 AM, john Culleton wrote:
> > On Wed, 14 Sep 2011 22:06:09 -0500
> > Dale Erwin<dale at casaerwin.org>  wrote:
> >
> >> On 9/14/2011 8:21 AM, john Culleton wrote:
> >>> On Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:34:36 -0500
> >>> Dale Erwin<dale at casaerwin.org>   wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> I am brand new to Scribus (ver. 1.3.3.14 under WinXP SP2) and
> >>>> have been trying to go thru the tutorial for beginners to
> >>>> acquaint myself with the program.
> >>>>
> >>>> I didn't get too far before a problem arose.  I defined the first
> >>>> page according to the instructions OK, but when trying to insert
> >>>> the image frame for the cover photo, in the properties box, I
> >>>> enter X-Pos: 0.000 mm, Y-Pos: 0.000 mm, Width: 210.000 mm, and
> >>>> all is well, then when I enter Height: 280.000 mm and when I tab
> >>>> out of this field the Width is changed by the program to 208.855
> >>>> mm.
> >>>>
> >>>> There is no mention of this in the tutorial and subsequent images
> >>>> in the tutorial continue to show that Properties box with the
> >>>> 210.000 and 280.000 dimensions.
> >>>>
> >>>> Thinking I may have done something wrong and not being very far
> >>>> into the tutorial, I deleted the entire thing and started anew
> >>>> with the same results.  What have I done wrong?
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>> Can't address this problem directly. But the so-called "stable"
> >>> version you are using is years obsolete and no one is working on
> >>> it. Any defects it has it has forever. The version 1.4.0rc5 is
> >>> what most of us are using. Some users still prefer earlier
> >>> developmental versions in the series 1.3.5 through 1.3.9.
> >>>
> >>> Here is a quote from the Scribus download web page:
> >>> --------------------------------------
> >>> Current developmental version is 1.4.0 RC5. This is the fifth
> >>> release candidate for the 1.4.0 version. It's sufficiently stable
> >>> for many people to run in production environments, but beware of
> >>> bugs that might still be there. Report any problems in our bug
> >>> tracking system. -------------------------------
> >>> It is in fact the new stable in everything but name. I suggest you
> >>> move up to it. Then if a problem occurs someone can assist you
> >>> better.
> >>>
> >>> I use two versions: 1.4.0RC 5 and 1.5.0. The latter has one
> >>> feature I must have for my work, the output of a document in PDF
> >>> X/1-a:2001 format. I develop in 1.4.0 RC5 and then load the sla
> >>> file in 1.5.0 for the final file creation.
> >>>
> >>
> >> Thanks, that's a very good suggestion because I am going to need
> >> that PDF X/1-a myself.  So then, I take it 1.4.0RC5 as well as all
> >> previous releases cannot do the PDF X/1-a export.
> >>
> >
> > Right on. But if you get to the point where you need X/1-a and the
> > document is 100% otherwise ship me the whole kaboodle via the
> > Collect for Output function and I will try to  convert it for you.
> > Don't forget to check fonts in the Collect for Output function.
> >
> > If you are doing a cover and don't want to ship me the cover then
> > just save it as tiff. LSI will accept that also.
> >
> > To recap:
> > LSI requires X/1-a format for:
> > All covers
> > Interiors which have color pages.
> >
> > It is NOT required for B/W interiors.
> >
> 
> I don't know what LSI is (unless it's Large Scale Integration), but
> Lulu Press requires PDF with embedded fonts for everything, even B/W.
> 
> I designed my last cover on Lulu's web site and I was happy with it,
> so I will probably do the same with this one.
> 

LSI is the POD printer and distributor that many of us use. In fact
subsidy publisher Lulu uses LSI for printing when distribution is also
needed. It is without doubt the largest digital printer on the planet.

LSI stands for Lightning Source Inc.

Lulu farms out their printing. Like most subsidies they don't own a
print shop.

PDF w/embedded fonts is not the same requirement as pdf x/1-a:2001.
Both are important. 

In general you will  pay twice as much  per copy publishing via Lulu as
printing via LSI or Createspace. So I prefer to do without the
handholding and go direct to LSI, bypassing Lulu. But you have to get
a block of ISBNs from Bowker, do your own cover design and do the
interior layout. 

I design my covers via Scribus. My e-book listed below tells how I do
it. See the book "Death Wore Black" for an example or visit
http://wexfordpress.net/illos.html
for a gallery of examples.  

-- 
John Culleton
Wexford Press
"Create Book Covers with Scribus"
http://www.booklocker.com/books/4055.html