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

5 star

4 star

3 star

2 star

1 star

Creating and editing text

Inkscape is often used to produce leaflets, brochures, and User Interface themes, so a tool for creating text objects is obviously necessary. In this recipe we will explore what the Text tool has to offer.

How to do it...

The following steps will show you how to use the Text tool:

1. Select the Text tool (F8 or T) and create a text object by clicking on canvas (without dragging). Type "FUNstack" but place the "stack" on the next line.
2. Select your favorite font family from the drop-down list in the Text toolbar. The example in this book uses 'Doulos SIL'.
3. Increase the text size to 144 by selecting it from the Font size (px) drop-down box.
4. Make the text bold by clicking on the Bold button. This will work only if the bold variant of the font exists.
5. Center the text using the center toolbar button.
6. Reduce the spacing between lines (line-height or leading) by using the toolbar button or Alt + Up Arrow when the text cursor is positioned before the letter "s".
7. Select the letters "FUN" dragging with the Text tool across them and increase the spacing between letters by using Alt +> or the toolbar box.
8. Select the "t" letter and shift it upwards by using the vertical shift box or Alt + Up Arrow.
9. Rotate the "t" letter by using Alt + [ or by using the toolbar button.
10. Select the letter "a" and move it to the left by using the Alt + Left Arrow or the toolbar button.

How it works...

Clicking on the Canvas with the Text tool creates a normal text object. The alternative is to click and drag to create a frame into which text will be written (a flowed text frame). Not all formatting options are available in flowed text frames (kerning for example) so we might use it to enter text into a predefined rectangle area and then convert it to a normal text object using the Convert to text option from the Text menu.

There's more...

The Text and Font dialogue (Shift + Ctrl + T) can be used to preview any font changes before applying them, and it is also possible to choose the default settings for some of the text editing options.

Flow text into frame

A flowed text frame can be used when we need to have our text fit a rectangle shape, but if we need it to fill something more exotic we need to use the Flow into Frame option (Alt + W). Both the text object and the shape need to be selected before calling this option.

Text on a path

Putting text on paths is commonly used when we need to put text on a circle or some other shape. The direction of the path is important because it determines the text direction. Shift + R changes the path direction. You can visualize the path direction by enabling it in Inkscape Preferences (Shift + Ctrl + P) under Tools | Node and turning on the path outline using the button on the Node toolbar. To place the text on the shape, select both objects and then choose Text | Put on Path from the menu.

Inkscape 0.48 Illustrator's Cookbook

Inkscape 0.48 Illustrator's Cookbook

Overview of this book

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Current Title:

Inkscape 0.48 Illustrator's Cookbook

Creating and editing text

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Flow text into frame

Text on a path