How to Create desktop publishing documents

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Brochure, newsletter associations, business card, menu, brochure or greeting card, whatever the type of publication you want to achieve, it is always properly dispose of texts and images in pages. Even if it is full of possibilities, Word, for example, remains primarily a tool to ... write. The advanced layout, images by wrapping the text, initials or management of color printing professional quality remained until now the preserve of professional software DTP (desktop publishing) costing thousands of dollars ...

But there is a free solution called Scribus. Developed at the base for Linux, free software currently operating on Windows. If it is not as advanced and practical than its commercial competitors, it will allow you to format your documents so elegant in completely, print in full conformity with the colors or make them available in PDF format.

Ghostscript Installation:

Before installing Scribus, you must install the software called Ghostscript. This free application is required to work with certain types of images. To install it properly, just follow these steps:

• Download and save Ghostscript somewhere on your drive.
  
• Once the download is complete, click the Run button.
  
  
• Confirm the launch of the Ghostscript installation wizard by clicking Run.
  
  
• Then click the Setup button.
  
  
• In the window that opens, then click the Install button.
  
  
• After a few seconds, Ghostscript is installed. You can close the window containing shortcuts which has been opened.

Scribus installation:

Once installed Ghostscript, you can finally download and install Scribus.

• Click this download link and save it on your hard drive.
  
• Now run the executable file.
• In the window that opens, select English, then click OK.
• The installation wizard will appear Scribus. Click the Next button.
  
• Select I accept the terms of the license and click Next.
  
• Choose an installation type Full and double click on Next.
  
• Then click the Install button.
  
• Scribus Once installed, click Close. Scribus is executed.

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Creating a document:

Once the Scribus is installed, you'll be able to get into the production of brochures, greeting cards, etc. Here is how to do that:

• Scribus Start by double clicking on its icon on the desktop.
  
• Click the File menu and click New.
  
• In the Document Layout list, select the model layouts of pages you want to adopt a simple page for example.
  
• Then set the size of the format of your paper, for example an A4 sheet and its orientation.
  
• In the list option, scroll down the list and choose the default unit option Millimeters. All values are thus expressed in millimeters (mm) instead of points (pt).
  
• Then click the OK button. In the main window, a blank page appears, clearly delineated by a red border, and whose margins are as blue lines.

Add Text:

• To insert a text block, click on the tool insert a text frame.
  
• On the page, draw a rectangle.
  
• Double click on this frame and enter your text inside.
  
• For entry easier, you can also use the word processor. To activate, click the Edit text with the internal editor in a block of text.
  
• Then enter your text and format it according to your needs. You can customize the font, style and color of your text.
  
• Note the internal editor displays only the text. To view your changes and formatting in your document, you must click on the Update button under text.
  
• Then click the Refresh button the text box and close when finished.
  
• Note that you can retrieve text from another document with a simple copy and paste or insert the entire contents of a text file, a Word or OpenOffice by clicking the right mouse button on a text frame and choosing the Add a text. All you then have to select the document on your computer and click Open.

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Linking text blocks:

If an article is a bit long, you can divide it into several pieces spread over one or more pages. To do so:

• Create it for several blocks of text with the tool insert a text frame.
  
• Click on the first block, then the tool Link text frames.
  
• Then click on the text block in which your item should be continued. If found on another page, then click the last post on the block.
  
• The two blocks are now linked. The text that goes beyond the first block will appear automatically in the latter.
  
• Repeat this step for binding the second block to a third and so on.

Drawing patterns:

To increase the visual impact of your document, you can add frames and patterns. A colored rectangle behind your title, for example, will the best value.

• Click on the small arrow to the right of the Insert Shape tool and choose a pattern from the list.
  
• Draw then this pattern on your page with the mouse.
  
• Then press F2 to access the properties of the ground. Scroll down and select the Color color of the border and inside your form. You can even define drop-down list degraded Normal.
  
• Close the window when you're done.

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Insert illustrations:

• You can add images to your document by using the tool insert a picture frame of the toolbar.
  
• Move and scale this frame to the mouse.
  
• Then insert in the desired image by clicking the right mouse button on the frame and select the Import an image.
  
• Choose an image from your hard disk and click OK.
  
• The image appears in the frame. To adjust the frame to the image, you must edit the properties of the image by pressing the F2 key.
  
• Click the Picture tab and select the option to put the image dimensions of the frame.
  
• The Colors tab in turn will allow you to define a color edge of the image. Close the window.
  
• You can apply different settings (brightness, contrast, blur, ...) to an image by clicking the right mouse button and select Control Effects.

Position components:

The entire layout is done well, by placing or you like and juxtaposing text and graphic elements. To avoid getting lost, the easiest way is to prepare a paper model of what you want to achieve.

• The collection of blocks, ie the notion of foreground and background is of course also essential. A function available via the right click on an object, then drop the Layout option.
  
• You can then choose to place one element above all others by choosing to put it.
  
• Conversely, choose from top to bottom to place the selected item behind all those who have been previously created.
  
• Place orders above and below Place allow you to move the object of a single row.
  
• Note that at any time, you can freely change the shape of different frames: the content automatically adapts to the new form.

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Export the document:

After entering your text and put various objects, your document is ready to be printed or exported to a printer or a digital broadcast.

• Click the File menu and then click Print Preview to preview.
  
• Click the Print button, change the settings of your printer and start printing by clicking Print.
  
• To save your document in PDF format, click the Save button in the PDF toolbar.
  
• In the dialog that appears, specify the location and name of your future in the field PDF output to a file.
  
• You can customize the options of the PDF file that will be generated, such as creating thumbnail or text frame to facilitate navigation of your document.
  
• Open the Color tab and choose the destination of your document, such as printer and then change the options according to the needs of your printer.
  
• Then click the Save button. Your document is then to PDF.