[scribus] Using Scribus for a newsletter

[Mike Morris]

My words that follow are a response to Joe Ward's questions in his message
of earlier today that started with " I think I'm as confused as ever."

As I viewed the various responses to the question on the difference between
master pages and templates, I decided to add my own thoughts.  Hopefully,
those thoughts will provide some additional clarity, and will not add to the
confusion.

I publish a 12 page newsletter on a monthly basis (not, at present, using
Scribus, but the concepts apply).  In that newsletter, I have several master
pages.  One of those master pages, which I call Title master page, contains
a logo, the name of the newsletter, and some text (volume no., etc.).  I
have other master pages that I use for the newsletter that contain only the
name of the publication, the date, and the page number--think of this info
as a "footer."  Another way to think of the master page is as a background
that is always part of the newsletter.  A background may appear on one page,
multiple pages, or all pages.  You can also think of a master page as a
partial pattern for a page (or multiple pages).

A template, however, is more than just a master page (or more than master
pages).  A template contains (or can contain) many other elements; e.g.,
formatting commands (including Styles) and master pages.  In other words, a
template is (or can be) a pattern for a complete document.  A master page is
a pattern for a page (or pages) within a document.

I could save a version of my newsletter without the articles, but with the
master pages, as a template.  That way, for each new newsletter, the common
elements will always be in the correct place: on the pages(s) and in the
document.  I then need only add the articles appropriate for the new month's
issue.

Could you create a newsletter template without any master pages?  Yes, you
could.  But then you are not making use of a very important feature of any
true DTP application:  keeping common elements precisely positioned with
every new issue.  I suggest to you, that once you learn how to use master
pages, you will realize just how effective this feature is.  Perhaps the use
of a well-known advertising phrase will drive home the message:  "Don't
leave home (your document) without it (master pages)."  Oh, well, a feeble
attempt at humor.

Could you create a newsletter with master pages, but not create a template?
Yes, you could.  Provided, when you start a new issue, and you open last
month's newsletter to create this month's newsletter, that you remember to
save the newly opened document immediately, with a NEW FILE NAME before you
make ANY changes.  That is assuming, of course, that you want to keep copies
of previous issues.

That is the concept (or my understanding of it), and my version of the
explanation provided by Christoph Schafer on September 15th.  I hope my
added words provide some insight beyond the simple definitions of template
and master page.  I must leave the explanation of the mechanics of creating
and using master pages to those who are more familiar with Scribus than I
am.

Regarding your question on how to prepare the newsletter for a printer:  am
I correct in concluding that you want a "booklet" format?  By this I
mean--using a 4 page newsletter as an example--pages 1 and 4 on the
"outside," and pages 2 and 3 on the "inside," with the newsletter folded to
8.5 x 11 (and therefore the actual printed sheet size is 11 x 17)?

If you want a booklet format, Scribus, at present, needs an additional
utility to accomplish this process, called imposition.  You can find
information on several alternative imposition utilities (and how to use
them) at those links provided by Louis Desjardins in his response of
September 13, repeated here for convenience:

http://wiki.scribus.net/index.php/Imposition_tools
http://wiki.scribus.net/index.php/How_to_make_a_booklet



On Fri, Sep 19, 2008 at 1:12 PM, Gregory Pittman <gpittman at iglou.com> wrote:

> Joe Ward wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>  Gregory Pittman wrote:
>>> I think now I may understand where you're conceptualizing this
>>> incorrectly.
>>> When you get the next template, you are starting a new document, so then
>>> when you convert to a master page, it applies to that new document.
>>>
>>> Master pages cannot exist outside of the context of a document, so if you
>>> close the document, you have closed the master pages associated with it.
>>> What you can do is to click Edit > Master Pages... and then import a
>>> Master Page from another document, so you can easily make use of Master
>>> Pages from elsewhere.
>>>
>>> Just because you have created or imported Master Pages doesn't mean you
>>> are necessarily using them. They must be applied to your Document page. A
>>> new document by default will have the 'Normal' Master Page (blank), which
>>> you can then switch to one of your choice (you cannot rename this Normal
>>> page, and you cannot name one of your custom Master Pages as 'Normal'). A
>>> given document page can only have one kind of Master Page associated with
>>> it.
>>>
>>> Greg
>>>
>>>
>>       "Conceptualizing incorrectly." That's a kind way to put. But it sure
>> is true.
>>
>>       So, are you telling me I have to start the newsletter with a normal
>> template, and then import the template I want, to replace it -- and keep
>> doing that with each of the pages?
>>
> In many, perhaps most cases, you will want to design your own template, in
> other words, create a new document layout with all the fixed content, like
> headers, maybe Styles, etc., then save it as a template you can use later.
> The sample templates are available largely for ideas, and for most people
> will require editing, removal of a lot of arbitrary content, so is this
> worth all that effort?
>
> You can import pages from other documents: Page > Import, which may be some
> use to you. As stated above, you can import Master Pages as well.
>
> Greg
>
>
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