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 — basic design

For this example, let's look at the design elements and determine how we would put them together in a design:

  1. Determine the exact size of the brochure. For our example, we'll focus on creating the outside of an 8.5 x 11 tri-fold brochure. Specifically, the cover design of this brochure is as follows:
    Time for action — basic design
  2. Design a basic front cover layout. We'll use the following one for the cover:
    Time for action — basic design
  3. Decide on the elements we will use for the design. For ours, we'll have a photograph, company logo, brochure title, and some additional copy.

What just happened?

We just did the basic planning required to create a brochure in any graphics program. We determined the physical size of the document, the basic layout, as well as the elements we have available for use in the design.