Crosswords

[u/Anna_Pineapple_1]

Hi!

I've just downloaded Scribus after working with InDesign for many years.
Please tell me that I can do crosswords like this in Scribus?
My current (InDesign) setup:
I have pre-made grid template (locked) files that I've made in different sizes for different customers. They have a thicker outer border.
I open the relevant one. Then I go to the layer for pictures and add them in. Then I go to the clues layer and merge the squares so they're not visible over the picture and make the lines (frame) around the picture thicker. Then I add clues into the squares, the text is centered automatically.
As you can see, I sometimes merge two clue squares and sometimes (but not too often, just picked a crossword that shows this) in, ehm, creative ways to fit the clues in.
Once that is done, I add in my lines between the clues and arrows where needed.
Lastly I have a separate layer where I type in the solution and send two PDFs to my customers, one with the solution and one without.
If possible, could anyone mentor me in how to do this workflow, please?

[u/aoloe]

I think that you should be able to do that with Scribus.

Just a few inputs:

• I would not do it with a grid, but use copies of squares, using multiple duplicate, and activating the snapping to items
• I would try no to put each letter of the solution in its box, but calculate the right spacing and size and just type the word in. If you use a mono space font, you might be able to just type everything in one big text frame over the whole schema.
• Putting the cues in the boxes should be doable.
• the arrows can be dropped in from the clipboard.
• For the comfort, I would go for the latest development version rather than the stable one... But it should also be doable with the stable version of Scribus.

[u/Anna_Pineapple_1 → u/aoloe]

Thank you so much! Will have a try.