Linux desktop publishing.

[Erik Olson <erik@thekrib.com>]

On Fri, 8 Mar 2002, VanderWall, Dave wrote:

> One other thing of possible note is that I'm also running Linux on a
> couple of boxes now (Linux/XP swappable hard drives on my main machine,
> and then my web/mail server box), so hopefully I can be a little more
> flexible working with Erik on the layout.  Lately I've been playing
> around with GIMP a lot, too.  Erik, are there any Linux programs you
> might suggest for the brochure layout?  I ask because Linux tends to be
> much cheaper and, well, less proprietary.

One thing I've learned since taking on the BB is that the publishing world 
is very Mac-centric.  Windows is scorned upon, and Linux doesn't even 
exist.  And sadly, that's the way it is with applications too.  The Gimp 
is great until you get into printing.  Then you learn that it can't do 
CMYK separation, which shuts it out completely.  I used a standalone unix 
app to do the CMYK separations, and it doesn't even work correctly -- the 
guy who wrote it must have been a mathmatician, not a printer, because the 
files it creates are overloaded with black ink and not nearly enough 
color.

There is a nice vector-graphic program under linux called XFig, but it's
not as functional compared to Illustrator, as the Gimp is vs. photoshop.  
There is NO equivalent publishing program to Pagemaker, Quark XPress or
Indesign under linux.  No good video editing tools.

So it's really very sad.  As big of a Linux advocate as I am, when I am 
working on the BB or editing videos, I find myself booted into XP for days 
on end.  Worse, having to switch back and forth because there's something 
the gimp does better than photoshop on one picture.  Yecch.

David, if you have access to either Pagemaker or InDesign, definitely use
that for doing the posters.  I can help if you end up in a pinch.  Oh hey,
I have a catalog of high quality fonts too (though I suspect we'll
probably stick with MS Trebuchet again for the display font).

  - Erik

-- 
Erik Olson
erik at thekrib dot com

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