[Gvsig_english] printing

[Wolfgang Qual]

Hi Marcel and all the others!
First, I would like to thank you for this great discussion. Very interesting.
We have different options to go 

1) gvSIG to become an "eierlegende Wollmilchsau": gvSIG will be able to make everything, even creation of sophisticated pdf-x...-files
2) only enhance the export-function of gvSIG and use another open source program (must be open source, I think) for creating the layout and printfiles. These could be
2.1) export to imagefile (tiff) and do the rest in GIMP, scribus, sk1 or inkscape
2.2) export to eps (pdf, ps) and do the rest in GIMP, scribus, sk1 or inkscape
2.3) export to Vectorformat (svg) and do the rest in scribus, sk1 (?) and inkscape
3) do all layout work in gvSIG and export the final map into export format (like eps). Only use another program to create the final pdf or pdf/x-...-file.

José voted for a "single-piece" solution  (no. 1). I would also prefer this solution if possible. But it would be also ok (to my opinion) to use another software (nr. 3) to create the final printfile. But the layout should be done within gvSIG. The layout function is already quite cool and it should be possible to created here at least good-looking maps for office usage (print maps with your colour printer, plotter in all formats). I think most users need to have to possibility to create such maps quick and in a reliable way. Normally, you will not be willing tho redo the layout again in another app., or? One very important thing about gvSIG's layout function: it allows the user to create templates which again speed up the creation of maps.
Therefore, the layout capabilities of gvSIG should be tested more and possible enhancements should be written to the list.

Of course, there are very nice layout and image manipulation programs out there in the Open Source universe. But do they solve our question *right now*?

* Inkscape is great when creating nice drawings in vector format. You can also impoort existing svg-files (for example, I read that it is possible to export a chart made in OOCalc to OODraw and export it as svg. Then import it in inkscape to create a really nice one). But I do not consider it as a program to create map-layouts. Scribus does not offer a possibility to create printfiles. I can save the drawing as svg or export it as png. SVG-export is (to my knowledge) already implemented in QGIS, but I think it is not finished yet. And Marcel said that you cannot use it for production useage? Why?

* Scribus is a very powerful tool for layout-tasks. It has the ability to apply colour management and all pre-press functionality. It offers you to create pdf/x-3-files which can be given to a professional printer. I use to create small printfiles (flyer), but did not test it for bigger project. Maybe someone else did this?
Once I tried to get a ps- and pdf-output of gvSIG into scribus. But it took ages and (as written before) the quality of gvSIG's filebased output was not sufficient. Ok, the computer that was used for testing was not really powerful; but I do have doubts. We definitely need more testing. And user reports. AFAIK, prepress-functionality is also only availbale in the unstable scribus-ng.

* GIMP: also very powerful, but it is a program for image manipulation not for creating the layout. But I might be wrong. Maybe someone else did already mapwork there (Silvio?)

* SK1: I recently installed the available 0.9 version of sk1 on ubuntu. But as fas as I could see, scribus would be the better option (degree of development).

Hmmm. @Ben: what about that google-doc? Doable?

Best,
Wolfgang


-------- Original-Nachricht --------
> Datum: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:19:21 -0400
> Von: pvmstg <pvmstg at hotmail.com>
> An: Users and Developers mailing list <gvsig_internacional at runas.cap.gva.es>
> Betreff: [Gvsig_english] printing

> Hi all,
> 
> Sure to only have one source to do all is the easy way... But I agree  
> about not redo the weel.  So... export the map in a way other program  
> can manage... it's a way to let developpers concentrate on the gis  
> base...  And exchanges can be done with the development team of these  
> outsides programs to better integrate gv_sig with these softwares and  
> vice-versa.
> 
> Just following some opensource projects and you see a lot of work...  
> done and to be done.
> 
> I read about gimp for bitmap, inscape for vector... Maybe a layout  
> program like scibus should be targeted... Export the map layout in  
> gv_sig and only and other software... for layout the map. include more  
> text, picture, vector data etc...  I wich I can export from gv_sig the  
> symbo use in the map and do what I whan't with it (like in arcmap...  
> convert to graphic and the you can change the label, size of picto etc  
> to meet the index need).
> 
> About svg, I'm not an expert but in the realword, postscript, pdf/X  
> are the standards to be able to send to prepress (mostly postcripts)  
> if needed.  Svg  is great but... not for professionnal use for now.
> 
> One software not mention,, maybe because is only in development is  
> "sk1" .  It's prepress oriented so I think it also could be a good  
> way... to finish maps to go on prepress... (sK1 is an open source  
> vector graphics editor similar to CorelDRAW, Adobe Illustrator, or  
> Freehand. First of all sK1 is oriented for PostScript processing.)
> 
> For me scribus should be targeted since it's what we whant... make map  
> for publishing and only a DPS is versatile enough for serious work.   
> Color separation, color profile, cmyk, standard compliance are all  
> required. But others should also be in the mind...
> 
> Marcel
> 
> 

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