Book Image

Inkscape Starter

By : Bethany Hiitola
Book Image

Inkscape Starter

By: Bethany Hiitola

Overview of this book

Inkscape is a free Open Source program that allows you to create vibrant vector graphics in all manner of shapes and sizes. From creating designs for the web or for print, to creating your own personal logo or interfaces, Inkscape gives you the power to shape what people will see when it comes to your personal projects. If you are new to Inkscape this book is the perfect companion for getting you off to a flying start. No previous experience with Inkscape is required as you will be guided through downloading Inkscape and installing it on your system. The amount of things that you can do with Inkscape is overwhelming so this quick start guide will show you how to create your very first vector graphic. The resources in this book will help you to become familiar with the Inkscape community, which is a valuable part of any Open Source project. Finally, you will see how to use seven key features of Inkscape ñusing paths and layers, combining shapes, creating and editing text tools, importing and embedding images, and a list of keyboard shortcuts for text styling - which will give you the knowledge to perform simple tasks and set off on your own.
Table of Contents (9 chapters)

So, what is Inkscape?

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

You not only get a free download under the GNU General Public License (GPL), but can use the program to create items with it and freely distribute them, modify the program itself, and share that modified program with others.

Inkscape uses Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) , a vector-based drawing language that uses some basic principles:

  • A drawing can (and should) be scalable...