[scribus] I would like to learn your views on what I've done with Scribus for a scholarly journal

[ZASKE Martin]

On 09.08.2015 13:41, Editor, JTCS wrote:
> Greetings,
> I have tried to learn and use Scribus for a time, and the latest result
> is like what you can see on, say,
> http://dergipark.ulakbim.gov.tr/jotcsa/article/view/5000082880/5000101113 for
> example. As I am a chemist and not a designer, I would like to learn
> what I can do in order to get a better result. I am especially wondering
> if I am doing something wrong and would be glad if I can learn how to do
> better.
> Thanks for your ideas,
> Barbaros
> Istanbul, Turkey
> 
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Dear Barbaros,

good job and thank you for your question.

What is reasonable effort and will improve your next document is the
concept of a grid. Scribus is offering "Guides" and the "Snap to Guides"
feature to help you with that. You can even design your own grid and
then make it clone to all pages of your document.

You get the basics here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grid_(graphic_design)


All your pages (possibly except the title page) should follow the same
grid (or use a special page-template if you have special needs, like a
full-page graph with caption).

And please use the grid for all regular elements on your page: e.g.
header-line (yes, no hanging-out sideways), logo-alignment, title,
abstract, submitted-line, keywords, horizontal lines, headings (use the
colour square to align), copy (main text). Centering certain elements
(like the main title) is a matter of taste and is fine, as long as the
title does not hang outside your personal grid.

The grid-lines for your outside margins (defining the white space all
around your pages) are most obvious and should be respected most
strictly. What you do inside your "working area" is somewhat more free,
but JLuc is right about the gutter (that is the white space between your
two columns of main text).

You want to SEE what JLuc and I am talking about: Print your Copper
Octoate document on paper (first three pages) and use a pencil and a
clear ruler and draw lines along the main-text-boxes and see which
elements align and which are "floating" freely.


A second detail to consider: Your margins (esp at the top of the page)
are very thin. Since this is a working paper, people might want to print
it, and work with it, namely highlight parts or write notes. But many
printers will not be able to put your document on paper and will either
cut or resize or will give an error message.

Hope this helps, please keep using Scribus, and don't burn too much time
with the layout, if you are publishing for amazing people who can read
all that detail about cyclohexene...   :)


Greetings,

Martin


-- 
ZASKE Martin
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