[Scribus] Scribus usability

[jwminer at accessvt.com]

Roger wrote:
> 7. E-X-P-E-R-I-M-E-N-T, it works a treat and you will achieve more
> in a
> couple of hours on one page than all the help files ever written.

A good way to learn to use Scribus is to recreate with Scribus a
project you originally produced with another program. Before you do
anything else, look through the menus--every item--so you see what's
available. Explore Properties. One of the first things to do is go
through File menu, Preferences--every one of them. If you can't
figure out how to do something, look first in Help menu, Scribus
Manual. If it's not installed, download it and install it. (I can't
remember if it's automatically included now.) If you still can't
find an answer for your situation, go to the Wiki. Go through the
links under "navigation" under the Scribus logo on the first page of
the Wiki. There is a ton of detailed information there. If questions
remain, ask on this list.

We learn to use programs by *using them*. Tutorials are helpful, but
ultimately we have to work on our own project and that's where we
really learn. Scribus is one of the better-documented open source
programs right now, and this will get even better.

Using computers is NOT intuitive. If it seems so, it's only because
we're used to the way a particular interface works.

I'm not keen on templates and I don't see a reason why a
professional program like Scribus needs templates. If you're a
professional, you don't need a template. You probably won't like one
anyway. Also, you don't want your document to look like someone
else's--why would your client need a designer in the first place if
a template would do the job? If you're an amateur, choosing to use
Scribus means you want your work to be on a higher level. In that
case, develop the design skills you need before you dabble in DTP.
There are no shortcuts to knowing what you're doing.

It is amazing and thrilling to see what Scribus is becoming.
--Judy Miner

Registered Linux User #397786