Scribus /ˈskraɪbəs/ is a desktop publishing (DTP) application written in Qt and released under the GNU General Public License as free software. There are native versions available for Unix, Linux, BSD, macOS, Haiku, Microsoft Windows, OS/2 and eComStation operating systems. Many free programs are included in this DTP package.^[3]

Scribus is designed for layout, typesetting, and preparation of files for professional-quality image-setting equipment. It can also create animated and interactive PDF presentations and forms. Example uses include writing newspapers, brochures, newsletters, posters, and books.

Books about Scribus are available in several languages,^[4] including an official manual for v1.3, published through FLES Books in 2009.^[5]

Scribus supports most major bitmap formats, including TIFF, JPEG, and Adobe Photoshop. Vector drawings can be imported or directly opened for editing. The long list of supported formats includes Encapsulated PostScript, SVG, Adobe Illustrator, and Xfig. Professional type/image-setting features include CMYK colors and ICC color management. It has a built-in scripting engine using Python (actual 2.7.13 in 1.5.4). It is available in 60 languages.

High-level printing is achieved using its own internal level 3 PostScript driver, including support for font embedding and sub-setting with TrueType, Type 1, and OpenType fonts. The internal driver supports full Level 2 PostScript constructs and a large subset of Level 3 constructs.

PDF support includes transparency, encryption, and a large set of the PDF 1.5 specification including layers (OCG), as well as PDF/X-3 and PDF/X-4 (since 1.5.1),^[6] including interactive PDFs form fields, annotations, and bookmarks.^[7][8]

The current file format, called SLA, is XML. Old versions of SLA were based on XML. Text can be imported from OpenDocument (ODT) text documents, OpenOffice.org Writer, Microsoft Word, PDB, and HTML formats (although some limitations apply). ODT files can typically be imported along with their paragraph styles, which are then created in Scribus. HTML tags which modify text, such as bold and italic, are supported. Word and PDB documents are only imported as plain text.^[9]

Initially, Scribus did not properly support complex script rendering and so could not be used with Unicode text for languages written in Arabic, Hebrew, Indic, and South East Asian writing systems, even though it supported Unicode character encoding.^[10][11] In August 2012, it was announced that a third party had developed a system to support complex Indic scripts.^[12][13][14] In May 2015 it was announced that the ScribusCTL project had started to improve complex layout by integrating the OpenType text-shaping engine HarfBuzz into the official Scribus 1.5.1svn branch.^[15] In July 2016 it was announced that the text layout engine had been rewritten from scratch in preparation for support of complex scripts coming in Scribus 1.5.3 and later.^[16] In December 2016 Scribus announced they got support for OpenType advanced feature in 1.5.3svn, as well as complex script and RTL direction.^[17] In 22 May 2017, Scribus announced version 1.5.3 released.^[18]

As of June 2018 Scribus stable release 1.4.7 did not have OpenType alternative glyph support, so ligatures, for example, aren't inserted automatically.^[19] This is available with 1.5.3+.

Actual Version 1.5.4 have a rebuild of the Palette system with new ISO-Standard CxF3 and many bugfixes in PDF. QT 5.6 with LTS will be necessary for Compile process.^[20]

Next Version 1.5.5 will have many bugfixes in Undo-Redo before Milestone 1.6.

The 1.6.0 as first stable version of 1.5.x is expected to provide a better table implementation and support for PDF/X-1a, PDF/X-4, and PDF/E. Footnotes, marginal notes, and ePub exporter are under development.^[21][22]

Scribus cannot read or write the native file formats of other DTP programs such as QuarkXPress or InDesign; the developers consider that reverse engineering those file formats would be prohibitively complex and could risk legal action from the makers of those programs.^[23] Support for importing Microsoft Publisher is incorporated into version 1.5,^[24] and QuarkXPress Tag files, InDesign's IDML, as well as InCopy's ICML formats were added to the development branch.^[25]

Due to licensing issues, the software package does not include support for the Pantone color matching system (PMS), which is included in some commercial DTP applications. Pantone colors can be obtained and incorporated within Scribus without licensing issues.^[26] Scribus is shipped with more than 100 color palettes (more than 300 since 1.5.3) most donated by various commercial color vendors, but also including scientific, national, and government color standards.

German Organisation freieFarbe e.V. built last HLC Colour Atlas for real colours based on CIELAB. This free Colour Palette is also available in Scribus 1.5.4.^[27]