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

Chapter 1. Getting Started with Vector Graphics

Inkscape is an open source, free program that creates vector-based graphics that can be used in web and print design, in interface and logo creation, and in material cutting. Its capabilities are similar to those of commercial products such as Adobe Illustrator, Macromedia Freehand, and CorelDraw and can be used for any number of practical purposes—creating vector graphics for use in illustrations, business letterheads, computer and electronic wallpapers, and designing web pages and the elements within them.

This is a beginner's guide to using Inkscape. This means you will learn all the ins and outs of using this software—including all the details about the interface, menus, buttons, as well as how to create graphics. We'll start with the very basic parts of graphics and build up as we continue through the book to more complex graphics projects pointing out how you would use these items in everyday projects.

However, before learning the details on how to use Inkscape, let's take a step back and define vector graphics, how a computer displays them, how vector graphics work together, and why we want to use them in design.

Specifically, this chapter will teach you the following:

  • What vector graphics are
  • Scalable Vector Graphics and Inkscape
  • Reasons for using vector graphics over rasterized images
  • How vector graphics are used in design

Let's get started!