| Open source DTP project releases tech preview |
Jul. 16, 2005
 The Scribus project has released a "technology preview" of the next generation of its open source desktop publishing software. Scribus version 1.3.0 offers enhancements in "performance, accessibility, and workflow" that will benefit both professionals and beginners, according to the project.
(Click for larger screenshot)
What's Scribus?
According to the project's website . . .
Scribus brings award-winning professional DTP to Linux and *nix desktops with a combination of "press-ready" output and new approaches to page layout.
Since its humble beginning in the spring of 2001, Scribus has rapidly developed into one of the premier desktop applications for Linux. Called by Newsforge, "..one of the killer applications for Linux", Scribus 1.2 brings new power and versatile tools for desktop publishing. New features like separation previews, cross-platform python scripting, advanced PDF 1.4 support are just some of the hundreds of improvements large and small in Scribus 1.2.
Underneath the modern and user friendly interface, Scribus supports professional publishing features, such as CMYK color, separations, ICC color management and versatile PDF creation. Scribus was the first DTP application on the planet to directly support PDF/X-3 output, a rigorous ISO standard. Scribus did so by almost a year. Other features include PDF Import, EPS import/export, Unicode text including right to left scripts such as Arabic and Hebrew.
Scribus also has unexpected touches such as: useful vector drawing tools, SVG import/export and support for OpenType Fonts. The Scribus file format is XML based; open and completely documented. Unlike proprietary binary file formats, even damaged documents can be recovered with a simple text editor - sometimes a challenging problem with other page layout programs. There is an easy to use drag and drop scrapbook. Scribus has been translated into more than 25 languages and more are coming in the future.
Enhancements in Version 1.3.0
Key enhancements included in the "very stable and usable" 1.3.0 tech preview releaes, according to the project, include: - A new undo system that includes an undo palette with undo history and object-specific capabilities.
- Revised document and application preferences, with an emphasis on ease-of-use
- Addition of "scratch space," which can be used to store objects partially or fully off the page
- Ability to generate tables-of-contents based on user definable/selectable attributes
- More professional DTP features like adding ciceros for measurement units and support. Scribus now has true facing page support and page objects such as images can span them.
- More extensive support for CMYK images, as well as clipping paths in TIFF files, CMYK-JPEG, and new support for native Photoshop PSD files. Additionally, 16-bit RGB/CMYK TIFF and PSD support will follow soon, and ICC color management of for these image formats is also upgraded.
- New image effect features, including tinting, greyscaling, blurring, colorizing, and sharpening.
- Addition of a "pre-flight verifier" for printing or exporting to PDF, as well as support for PDF 1.5 features including PDF layers.
- Addition of an intermediary file format based on the Scribus 1.2.x format; the new format to finally replace this intermediary format is in design and development stages and its implementation will begin soon.
- Ongoing efforts toward platform independence, with "alpha" builds now available for MS Windows and Mac OS X
Further details on Scribus 1.3.0 are available here. The MacOSX build is available here. Screenshots are available here. The project will will hold competitions for icon sets and splashscreens for future development versions.
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