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 — creating spiros and swirls

Let's open our previous project of the woman's face and give her some hair. In doing so, we will use the Bezier tool and the spiral object in Inkscape (as shown previously), convert it to a path, and manipulate it to create curls as follows:

  1. Open the woman's face project we've been working on.
  2. Press the shortcut keys: Shift + Ctrl + L to open the Layers dialog.
  3. Create a new layer for the hair object(s). Press the + button in the Layers dialog. Name the layer Hair and click Add.
  4. Select the Bezier tool and create a general shape for her hair, as shown in the following image:
    Time for action — creating spiros and swirls

    A few items to remember here are that you can add nodes, delete them, move and adjust them, so that you get a general hair shape that you like.

  5. Now let's work some more with the nodes on the hair. You can select specific nodes (use Shift + click to select multiple nodes at the same time) and click the make selected nodes smooth icon to smooth the...