Scribus is much more than a simple word editor and users that want increased functionality from the application should install this tool. The project is open source and there are a lot of users who actively contribute to the latest plugins that are available for the app. A comprehensive plugin library is available for the program and users can view it using a built-in option of the application. However, the base functions of the app are already powerful enough to help a user create a magazine directly on his computer screen and forward it to other people.

The text editor tool can designate multiple columns that will be used in order to format text that appears on a page. Multiple fonts, colors and effects are available, depending on the needs of the user. Page backgrounds can be selected and they can be either solid colors or images can be imported. The tool will scan the colors of the image and then it will suggest a color that can be used for an easy-to-read text. Text can be added on images, too, in order to create captions, and users can add images onto a single column or freely on the page.

Page numbering can be done with ease and multiple options are available, thus the user is able to edit the position of the page numbers and also various effects and textures that might accompany the number itself. The application provides documents in its native format but also features multiple PDF options. Each document of this type is RIP-ready and its manipulation will be easy. Styles can be saved for further use and this feature allows people to easily edit multiple numbers of a magazine, each of them being based on the same structure while having different colors or texts.