Scribus is a free, open-source desktop publishing application that produces professional page layouts for print and digital distribution. Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, Scribus provides the tools needed for magazines, newsletters, brochures, and other publications.
The WYSIWYG interface displays pages exactly as they will print or export. Master pages define common elements like headers and page numbers that repeat throughout documents. Flexible layout options accommodate multiple page sizes and orientations within single documents.
Text frames flow content across multiple columns and pages automatically. Style sheets ensure consistent typography throughout documents. Support for OpenType features enables advanced typography including ligatures, small caps, and stylistic alternates. Hyphenation and justification controls produce professional text layout.
Image frames place graphics with cropping, scaling, and rotation controls. Vector drawing tools create shapes directly within layouts. Transparency and blend modes combine elements visually. Color management with ICC profiles ensures accurate color reproduction.
PDF export creates press-quality output with bleed marks, color bars, and registration marks. PDF/X standards compliance meets commercial printing requirements. Pre-flight checking identifies potential printing problems before export.
Scribus handles long documents with chapters, sections, and automatic page numbering. Table of contents and indexes generate automatically from document content. Cross-references link between sections. Importing handles ODT, DOCX, and other formats for text content.