Inkscape 0.48 Illustrator's Cookbook

Inkscape 0.48 Illustrator's Cookbook

Overview of this book

Inkscape is an open source vector graphics editor with an intuitive user interface that has enough depth to make quality graphic designs with an attractive layout comparable to what you would make using Illustrator or CorelDraw. But choosing the right tool and the best approach to creating the desired effect can be challenging. Inkscape 0.48 Illustrator's Cookbook makes it super-easy for you to make your own vector-based graphics with the powerful Inkscape editor. Inkscape 0.48 Illustrator's Cookbook provides you with the latest recipes to quickly create scalable vector graphics. Recipes in this book teach you about some of the most useful time-saving features in Inkscape accompanied by a list of keyboard shortcuts that you can easily memorize. In addition to covering use of Inkscape tools and their advanced features, examples from the recipes uncover solutions to common graphics problems. The book starts off with familiarizing you with the tools and techniques in Inkscape that you can use to draw 2D shapes, calligraphic shapes, and 3D boxes easily. It then guides you through the most common color-changing steps performed in Inkscape along with some convenient procedures that can save your time when dealing with colors. It explains drawing using linear and radial gradients, which are irreplaceable, usage of clones to create interesting effects in illustrations, and live-path effects that can help you speed up constructing a shape and make the process more natural. You will learn how to make those tweaks on some of the ready-made filters, and in the final recipe we will create a filter from scratch. This practical book also contains recipes showing how to use Inkscape as a raster editor and how to achieve photo-realistic effects in Inkscape. For each important technique and skill, you'll see some simple recipes, then some more advanced recipes followed by an explanation of how Inkscape works to produce the desired effects in your illustrations. By the end of this book you will be confident enough to create your own vector-based graphics with Inkscape.

Inkscape 0.48 Illustrator's Cookbook

Credits

About the Authors

About the Reviewer

www.PacktPub.com

Preface

Free Chapter

Creating and Editing Objects

Introduction

Creating and editing 2D geometric shapes

Creating freehand and straight lines

Editing paths using the Node tool

Creating paths using the Pen (Bezier) tool

Creating smooth paths with Spiro Spline

Creating calligraphic shapes

Using the Eraser tool

Creating and editing 3D boxes

Creating and editing text

Clipping

Masking

Path operations

Editing Colors

Introduction

Changing fill and stroke color using a palette

Making objects partially transparent

Creating linear gradients

Recreating HAL 9000 using radial gradients

Patterns

Picking and assigning colors with the Dropper tool

Adjusting hue, lightness, saturation, and stroke width using Color Gestures

Different color icon sets using RGB Barrel

Speeding Up Your Workflow

Introduction

Autosaving documents

Designing plate rims using Layers

Geometric illusions using Grids

Creating a simple flashlight using Guides

Creating a stylized flower using Snapping

Leaflet design using Align and Distribute

Creating your own custom color swatches

Creating your own color palette

More time-saving tips

Importing drawings from OpenClipArt

Creating and Editing Clones

Introduction

Drawing clock dial markers using clones

Drawing a colorful grid of tiled clones

Changing icon colors using tiled clones

Drawing clock dial markers using tiled clones

Creating halftones using tiled clones

Creating a bokeh effect using tiled clones

Creating a kaleidoscopic pattern using tiled clones

Drawing a tree with cloned leaves using the Spray tool

Clipping with clones

Live Path Effects

Introduction

Bending paths

Using Pattern Along Path

Using Envelope Deformation

Interpolating sub-paths

Stitching sub-paths

Creating gears

Creating hatches (rough)

Generating VonKoch fractals

Extensions

Introduction

Setting Color Markers to Match Stroke

Using Whirl

Rendering 3D polyhedrons and wireframe spheres

Rendering barcodes

Rendering calendars

Using Render Grid, Cartesian Grid, and Polar Grid

Rendering spirographs

Rendering L-systems

Rendering functions and parametric curves

Rendering printing marks

Playing "connect the dots" with Number Nodes

Creating irregular edges

SVG Filters

Introduction

Blurring

Creating irregular edges using filters

Using lighting effects

Creating a red wax seal

Creating a brushed steel effect

Creating a water surface effect

Filtering all objects in a layer

Creating your own filter from scratch

Putting it All Together

Introduction

Creating a wallpaper

Exporting a wallpaper in different formats

Hatching over a photo using the Calligraphy tool

Creating a coloring book using the Paint Bucket tool

Rail sleepers using markers

Creating a woven straw mat

Assembling a modern chair using the 3D Box tool

Creating a flow chart using connectors

Raster and Almost Raster

Introduction

Exporting to PNG with different dpi

Importing raster images of different dpi

Isolating part of a raster image

Using raster extensions

Creating gradient meshes

Painting a mosaic using the Tweak tool

Tracing bitmaps

Manually tracing a red wax seal

Creating a photorealistic mobile phone

Web Graphics Preparation

Introduction

Creating "Aqua" style buttons

Creating a reflection effect

Creating curled stickers

Creating a golden award with a ribbon

Repeating backgrounds using Tiled Clones

Creating a button to use with the CSS Sliding Doors technique

Creating rollover images

Creating small icons and favicons

Creating a 960 Grid System template

Creating a web page mockup

Slicing a web page mockup for website use

SVG in Websites

Introduction

Creating an interactive map for a web game

Creating an editable business chart

Creating a navigation menu

Creating an interactive physics simulation

Creating a slideshow presentation with JessyInk

Draw Freely

Introduction

Compiling the document metadata

Command-line interface (CLI)

Compiling development builds on Linux

Modifying an existing extension - Darker extended

Creating an extension - object guides

Customer Reviews

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Path operations

Inkscape comes with several useful path operations that enable us to assemble complex objects from simpler ones, thus speeding up the process of creating elaborate drawings.

How to do it...

The following steps outline some useful path operations:

1. Create a rectangle using the Rectangle tool (F4 or R) and a star using the Star tool (Shift + F9 or *). Position the star over the top rectangle edge so it partially overlaps the rectangle.
2. Select both objects (Ctrl + A) and perform a union on them using the Path | Union option or Ctrl + +. Notice how we now have only one object with the same outline as the previous objects combined:
3. Create a circle with the Ellipse tool (F5 or E) and position it over the object we got in the previous step.
4. Select both objects (Ctrl + A) and perform a difference using the Path | Difference option or Ctrl + -. Notice that we now have only one object that was made by subtracting the top from the bottom one:
5. Create an ellipse using the Ellipse tool (F5 or E) that is a bit wider than the object from the previous step and position it over the upper half of that object (I also lowered the opacity a bit so it's easier to see what we're doing.)
6. Select both objects (Ctrl + A) and perform an intersection using the Path | Intersection option or Ctrl + *. This option is the same as Clipping, only destructive, since we can't get the original shape back:
7. Create a rectangle using the Rectangle tool (F4 or R) that is larger than the object from the previous step, and center it over that object (I also lowered the opacity a bit so it's easier to see what we're doing.)
8. Select both objects (Ctrl + A) and perform an exclusion using the Path | Exclusion option or Ctrl + ^. This operation is like a reverse Difference:
9. Create a rectangle using the Rectangle tool (F4 or R) that is approximately half the size of the object from the previous step, and position it over the bottom area of that object (I also lowered the opacity a bit so it's easier to see what we're doing.)
10. Select both objects (Ctrl + A), duplicate them (Ctrl + D), and move away the selection (duplicated objects). We will use them in a later step.
11. Select the original two objects using a rubber band selection or by clicking on one and using Shift while clicking on the other to add it to the selection. Then perform a division using the Path | Division option or Ctrl + /.
12. Deselect using the Esc key and then select each of the resulting objects and move them away so that each subpath of the original object is divided separately.
13. Select the objects we had previously duplicated and set aside, and cut the paths using the Path | Cut Path option or Ctrl + Alt + /.
14. Deselect using the Esc key and then select each of the resulting objects and move them away to see how all the sub-paths of the original object were cut independently. Paths that are generated with the Cut Path operation are open so their fill is removed to make it more clear.

There's more...

We only used two objects at a time to demonstrate different path operations but more than two paths can be used to perform Union, Intersection, and Exclusion.

If we use Open Paths with path operations they will be closed in the process by connecting its end points with a straight line. If we use shape objects (rectangle, ellipse, or stars) they will automatically be converted to paths.

Inset and Outset

Inset and Outset aren't path operations but what they do is similar enough to include them in this recipe. Inset (Ctrl + ( ) and Outset (Ctrl + ) ) moves the path edge towards the center or away from the object center by an equal amount. Here are some examples:

Dynamic Offset

Dynamic Offset moves the path edge towards or away from the object center using a square handle that appears when this option is selected. The end result is not an editable path, and if we want to edit it further we have to convert it to a path (Shift + Ctrl + C). This effect isn't destructive like the Inset and Offset options. Here are some examples:

Linked Offset

Linked Offset duplicates the object before modifying it so we end up with two objects, the original one and the one with the offset. The offset is linked to the object and will be updated as we modify the original object. Here is an example:

Inkscape 0.48 Illustrator's Cookbook

Inkscape 0.48 Illustrator's Cookbook

Overview of this book

Related Content you might be interested in

Current Title:

Inkscape 0.48 Illustrator's Cookbook

Path operations

How to do it...

There's more...

Inset and Outset

Dynamic Offset

Linked Offset

See also