Book Image

Inkscape Beginner's Guide

By : Bethany Hiitola
Book Image

Inkscape Beginner's Guide

By: Bethany Hiitola

Overview of this book

Learning to use Inkscape, an exciting open-source vector graphics program, broadens your software toolkit as a graphic designer. Using practical, real-world examples, you'll learn everything about the software and its capabilities so you'll be able to design anything from logos to websites.Inkscape Beginner's Guide is a practical step-by-step guide for learning this exciting vector graphics software. Not only will it take you through each menu item and toolbar, but you will also learn about creating complex shapes, text styling, filters, working with images, extensions, and the XML editoróall using real world examples.The book starts with an overview of vector graphics and how best to use them when designing for digital and print mediums. Then we install Inkscape and start learning all the ins and outs of the software. You'll build your first vector graphic while learning best practices for using layers, and build simple and complex objects with shapes and paths that will ultimately become exciting graphics to be used in your designs. Beyond designing sample logos and brochures while learning the software, you'll also learn how to use filters, install and use extensions, and the ins-and-outs of SVG and the XML Editor in Inkscape.
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
14
B. Keyboard Shortcuts
15
C. Glossary of Terms
17
Index

Transforming objects into paths

In Inkscape, any shape, text, or object that you created can be converted to a shape. Don't be fooled when it doesn't look like anything has happened because any capabilities that you had before (dragging corner nodes to scale larger, editing text, rounding corners on a square) can be lost, but now, you would be able to edit the object's nodes just like any other path (such as in our previous example).

Stroke to paths

You can convert the outline or stroke of any object and convert that to a path. Select an object with a stroke set—then from the main menu, select Path | Stroke to Path.

Again, the overall appearance on the canvas does not change, but how you can manipulate the object. Take a look at the number of nodes before this spiro was converted into a path, versus after:

Stroke to paths