Scribus 1.6.0 Major Update introduces Revamped UI, New Features and Enhanced Compatibility

The open-source desktop publishing software, Scribus, has launched a major update, version 1.6.0, featuring thousands of enhancements and fixes. This release introduces a revamped user interface with light and dark modes, new icons, and a HiDPI-aware canvas rendering. It also includes a new PDF-based output preview and a Resource Manager for accessing online resources like dictionaries.

Further additions involve new features such as the "Weld" for combining and moving objects without being grouped, a "Symbol"/clone function similar to Adobe Illustrator's, and a "Picture Browser" plugin for graphics files asset management. The software now supports all advanced gradient types from Adobe Illustrator and XARA Designer, drop shadows, and a configurable image cache for large bitmap images.

The update also improves compatibility, allowing for the opening and import of files from other desktop publishing programs such as Adobe InDesign, Apple iWorks Pages, Microsoft Publisher and more. Additionally, XeLaTeX support has been added to the Render Frames feature, and bitmap images can now be stored within its native Scribus file format.