Creating print artwork with Inkscape and Scribus

Above Bands

To solve this shortcoming, you should first export all elements from Inkscape that Scribus can process as PNG bitmaps of 300-dpi resolution. Inkscape puts partial selections in separate files and keeps track of the associated filenames.

In the CD cover project, the front and back sides were exported in one piece and moved into a full-page graphic frame. Because the software produces low-resolution previews, even large bitmaps of many megabytes are not a problem. Before integrating the RGB bitmaps created in Inkscape, they must be converted to the CMYK color space. Use the convert command-line tool from the ImageMagick package (Listing 1).

$ convert rbg_image.png -intent perceptual -black-point-compensation \
  -profile /usr/share/color/icc/ISOcoated_v2_eci.icc cmyk_image.tiff

Give the convert command the path to the color profile that you used to simulate the printing color in Inkscape. The bitmaps then contain the CMYK color shading that Inkscape simulated on the screen. PNGs don't support CMYK colors, so you should use the TIFF format. You must also set the Rendering Intention and Blackpoint compensation as you did in Inkscape.

The back cover text was omitted when exporting from Inkscape. Because of sharpness factors, the body text is best developed in Scribus. To colorize it according to the design, import the Inkscape SVG files with File | Import | Get Vector File . Ignore all error messages and delete the import when you're done. The colors imported from the Inkscape files stay behind in the Scribus color palette (Figure 6).

Figure 6: Even if the Scribus import filter has its flaws, at least it accepts the colors associated with a color profile from Inkscape.

Be sure that all the colors in the Inkscape document that you want to access in Scribus are associated with the printing color profile, as mentioned earlier. If you want to define more colors in Scribus (Edit | Colors | New ), choose the CMYK color model and disable the Spot Color option, which requires a separate printing plate that can drive up costs unnecessarily.

As with texts, caution should be taken with printing colors in graphic elements. Because the printers don't rasterize, edges in resolutions less than 800 dpi tend to produce jagged effects. For optimal quality, therefore, you should use resolutions of at least 1200 dpi when exporting such objects, or save them as normal SVG . As long as they don't contain effects, Scribus imports such formats without a problem. The PDF export embeds the SVG elements just as Scribus does for texts as vector graphics that can be printed at any resolution.

The same applies to vector shapes that you draw directly. Among them are Bézier curves, polygons, and standard shapes such as circles and ellipses, but also arrows and smileys. The Scribus tools, however, don't have nearly the same scope of functionality as those in Inkscape.

Almost There

In Scribus, access Color Management in File | Document Settings (Figure 7). As before, choose the Monitor and Printer profiles. Use the printer profile for CMYK Images and CMYK Solid Colors . Don't even think of using RGB Images and RGB Solid Colors if you are going for technically correct printing processes.

Figure 7: As in Inkscape, Scribus color management is based on an RGB screen profile (in blue) and a CMYK printer profile (in red). Activate the check boxes at the bottom of the dialog for a simulation of the printer colors.

Next, select the Page Display and paper size via File | Document Setup | Document according to the master template and choose a Double Sided layout. Remember to leave a bleed of about three millimeters. Set the desired number of pages (Page | Insert ). For the front cover, use the frame tool to drag it into a full-page frame. Highlight it after inserting it using the Select tool (the white arrow) and adjust its position with the Properties palette (or F2) as to page size and bleed. Finally, load the Inkscape bitmap with Ctrl+I.