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

Inkscape's XML Editor

One of the features that sets Inkscape apart from other vector graphics programs is the XML Editor. The XML Editor is a code-based version of your canvas, all objects, properties, and more. Within the XML Editor, you can change any aspect of the document and see it immediately reflected on your canvas.

The catch here is you need to learn a bit of SVG code in order to be able to do this fun editing. And, if you learn it, you can do even more within the XML interface than you can through the main Inkscape interface as it stands today. But, again, it takes a bit of learning on your part to learn SVG attributes and how best to edit them for your needs. To start, you can view the W3C web site (http://www.w3.org/) directly from Inkscape at any time to see the SVG specifications. From the main menu, select Help and then SVG 1.1 Specification.

Understanding and using the SVG code allows you to create consistent shadows for objects in your web page design without having...