Inkscape.org
  1. #1
    pjschleitwilerfcm pjschleitwilerfcm @pjschleitwilerfcm

    Previous threads have discussed difficulties using Inkscape svg files in Scribus. Scribus v1.6.1 will open Inkscape svg directly in an image frame. As it is a vector, adjusting the image to the image frame always produces sharp images. So you can resize the frame as needed with no loss of quality..

  2. #2
    Harry Martin Harry Martin @Harry_Martin
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    I know this was posted months ago, but I will comment that I have successfully published a cartoon book using Scribus. However, I did not use SVG files for my artwork. All my images were JPG or PNG imported into each frame. The raster images resized to fit inside each frame for perfect fit without loss of quality. Easy to scale down and resize the raster images if they start out large to begin with.

    But now I'm curious if Scribus can work with linked files from Inkscape. I may try that out as a test as it could reduce a Scribus book file size.

    Edit: I just installed Scribus version 1.6.2 on my laptop. Was able to import an InkScape SVG file into Scribus without issue. Fonts and kerning looked good. No issues with the image, but it was a small file. I'll play with this some more as I may not have to depend on importing raster images.

    Edit: Just tried again. I see that SVG is not a supported file type to 'GET' into an image frame. I can import an InkScape vector file, but I cannot 'GET' it into an image frame. There is good HELP info from the Scribus documentation that describes these types of problems. Even if you can get it to work, there will be undesirable image side effects. My best bet is to continue to bring in raster images into the image frame. I'm not wasting any more time on this problem based on the Scribus documentation.

  3. #3
    pjschleitwilerfcm pjschleitwilerfcm @pjschleitwilerfcm

    With vector files, you don't need the image frame in Scribus. Just paste the image where you want it. You can select it and move it around. Since it is vector, you can resize it to whatever you want and it will retain its  sharpness, unlike raster images of fixed pixel size.  It doesn't need the image frame because Scribus' native format and svg are both based on XML.

    The svg file is instructions on how to draw the image, not a large collection of pixel descriptions that need additional instructions to display them.

    Try a  sample document with one copy using the svg images and the other with the raster images and export each of them as PDF files. Then compare their:weight:in MBs.

  4. #4
    Harry Martin Harry Martin @Harry_Martin
    pjschleitwilerfcm

    Scribus v1.6.1 will open Inkscape svg directly in an image frame

    Your comment confused me. An image frame is not the same at an imported SVG image, Yes? The SVG file cannot be inserted into a frame, but the SVG file is a scalable object without a frame. It cannot be confined inside a frame. 

    But I agree with your comments as I work to understand how Scribus works with imported InkScape objects. 

  5. #5
    Harry Martin Harry Martin @Harry_Martin
    pjschleitwilerfcm

    Try a  sample document with one copy using the svg images and the other with the raster images and export each of them as PDF files. Then compare their:weight:in MBs

    An interesting experiment. I will have to test one of my full page color cartoons with InkScape and see if it chokes while converting from raster to vector format.

  6. #6
    pjschleitwilerfcm pjschleitwilerfcm @pjschleitwilerfcm

    I erred in my original post. I am sorry to have confused you.

    I suggest manual tracing and typesetting of the page to kee the number of nodes down, In tracing, you can split the image into simpler component shapes, then group them for the final image.

    I produce newsletters with Scribus and I'm always trying to minimize the MBs so  they can be emailed.

  7. #7
    Harry Martin Harry Martin @Harry_Martin

    I will give that a try, thanks!

  8. #8
    pjschleitwilerfcm pjschleitwilerfcm @pjschleitwilerfcm

    Also note  that the vector file is embedded in the Scribus document, not  linked.