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

Time for action — using the XML Editor to change object characteristics

Here's how you would use the XML Editor to change heading text to a specific web color:

  1. Open up the XML Editor (or an SVG authoring tool) and open your website file.
  2. Find the headings you want to change. To do this, find text objects that match what you are looking for. Programmers may have named all of these HeadingXX, where XX is a number to identify each of them.
    Time for action — using the XML Editor to change object characteristics
  3. Expand the object and find the style attribute.
    Time for action — using the XML Editor to change object characteristics
  4. Then look for the fill information and change that web color to the new gray one: 4d4d4d.
    Time for action — using the XML Editor to change object characteristics
  5. Click on Set.

What just happened?

You changed the heading text characteristics so that it is now gray in color, as seen in the following screenshot:

What just happened?

You can even write scripts that are able to automatically search and find all heading IDs (as described in step number 2) and change them! Work with your programming team if you want to learn how to do this. Lots of tools can help you learn the XML/SVG code side of this...