[scribus] Scribus PDF not playing well with my publisher (corrected)

[Gregory Pittman]

On 04/17/2010 09:34 PM, LeDuc, Richard wrote:
> From: scribus-bounces at lists.scribus.net [scribus-bounces at lists.scribus.net] On Behalf Of Gregory Pittman [gregp_ky at yahoo.com]
> Sent: Saturday, April 17, 2010 8:55 AM
> To: Scribus User Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [scribus] Scribus PDF not playing well with my publisher   (corrected)
>
> On 04/16/2010 10:15 PM, LeDuc, Richard wrote:
>> Hello,
>> I have recently completed my first book (about 130
>> pages – 8.5 by 11) with, I would say, moderately complex
>> layout – multiple columns, with either art or text boxes on
>> most pages.  My publisher uses Adobe, but I did the layout
>> with Scribus.  Once I had finished the document I exported
>> a PDF – sent it on – while the publisher added a cover,
>> watermark and a few other such details and then put the
>> PDF for sale on their website. Then someone bought it
>> (and even said really nice things about the content), but this
>> adventuresome customer noticed that there were major
>> problems with the layout. Text had shifted when the
>> changes were made with Adobe, and several text boxes
>> had shifted off the page and into oblivion (tentatively I
>> think it is text layered on images – but I am not sure of this).
>
>    From what you're saying, it sounds like the file was messed up by Adobe
> (Distiller?). As we know, people tend to get defensive when such things
> are brought up about their work.
>
> Perhaps a starting point might be to try to get the publisher to look at
> your component, made with Scribus, and compare that to the end result,
> made with Distiller. They may still want to blame the problem on Scribus
> even though that wouldn't seem to make sense.
>
> Greg
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>
> Hello,
>
> I fully accept that the problem lies outside the core functionality of Scribus, but (unfortunately) that doesn't do me any good.  If I can't get the output of the software to work with my publisher, then I have to abandon the software -- and I like Scribus too much to do that without a fight.
>
> I don't know anything about Adobe or its working, could anyone suggest some Distiller settings that I could recommend the publisher look at? Or even good websites for learning about Distiller and its workings?
>
> Also, I have another newb question -- I am running Scribus version 1.3.3.12 and when I go to Export PDF I get the options to export PDF 1.3, 1.4 and 1.5 but not 1.6 or 1.7 which are mentioned in the documentation.  Any idea why I don't get those latter two options?
>
When you ask a question the way you did, the answer can only come in a 
stepwise fashion -- I think it's obvious we have no idea what went wrong.

If you can get your publisher to acknowledge there is a problem, then 
perhaps you can get him to send you the PDF of the cover and you can use 
something like pdftk to merge the PDFs yourself.

You should probably consider using PDF 1.4 if you have any transparency 
anywhere. Also, you could try getting Scribus 1.3.6, loading your file, 
and making a PDF with it.

As far as your disgruntled buyer, why not send him a copy of your PDF 
since presumably he's more interested in the content that the cover anyway?

It would seem to be an odd publisher who doesn't have any interest in 
proofing their own work, even when it's pointed out that they messed it 
up. Perhaps they wish to punish you for using Scribus -- not a very 
professional attitude.

Greg