

This article is a quick-start guide to a free/open source desktop publishing package called Scribus. If making posters was shaving, then these would be the equivalent of a butter knife and a surgeon’s scalpel: they might take the hair off, but you will be left thinking that there must be a better way. Two software programs commonly used to make posters are Powerpoint and Adobe Illustrator (or Corel Draw). Other operating systems: The latest Scribus version from 2023 is also available for Mac.When you have the right tools to do a job, it is a lot easier to do it well.Ĭonsider making a poster for a science conference. It comes in both 32-bit and 64-bit downloads. Previous versions of the operating system shouldn't be a problem with Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista having been tested. Scribus can be used on a computer running Windows 11 or Windows 10. What version of Windows can Scribus run on? The source code for Scribus should be freely available and modifications are certainly permitted as well as the option to inspect the software. The license provides the options to freely download, install, run and share this program without any restrictions. Scribus is available for free and released under the open source GPLv2 license on Windows from graphics editors.

Though this application isn't geared towards newbies due to its complex interface, it does get the job done if you know what you're doing and how to do it. It supports vector drawing utilities, text formatting and other publishing tools.

Scribus is useful for a few different documents and publications and includes different built-in templates to get started with. It also creates Adobe PDF documents.Īnd though the interface of Scribus takes some getting used to, it does offer many of the powerful features you would expect in a commercial package such as an Adobe product. Support for CMYK color is included with support for color management.

Desktop publisher tools which actually include powerful features are often rather expensive, but Scribus breaks that mold with its free publishing program with many impressive features and tools.ĭespite being totally free, Scribus offers many power tools for users with the correct know-how.
