a Quick Guide to Inkscape

This is a guide is for artists or hobbyist who are already familiar with one vector drawing application and are looking to try Inkscape. Even if this isn't you, you might still find this guide useful.

It will hopefully be a good quick reference to help users overcome the hurdle of getting to know a different application, reveal some of the differences with other vector drawing applications, and highlight just a few of Inkscape's lesser known or more attractive features. any simplistic and obvious features aren't described at all in this guide. !or a thorough guide to all of Inkscape's features, visit http"##tavmjong.free.fr#I$%&'()E#. In most cases I only list keyboard shortcuts for functions, but many of these functions are also found easily in the menus or on palettes and toolbars.

Contents
*. The Inkscape +indow ,. Illustrator-Inkscape Translation .ictionary /. +orking with )aths *. .rawing a path *. 'reating a path ,. !inish a path /. 'ancel a path ,. Edit a path *. (dd a node ,. .elete a node /. &plit # break a node 0. 'ombine # join nodes 1. 'ontinue # append an open path 2. .elete a segment

0.

1.

2.

3. 5.

=.

3. 4oin nodes with a new segment 5. 'hange node type +orking with objects *. &electing objects ,. &electing an obscured object /. 6esi7ing 8 rotating an object 0. 9rdering objects 1. .uplicating objects 2. 'loning 9bjects +orking with :roups *. :rouping 8 ;ngrouping ,. &electing objects within a group /. (dd objects to a group +orking with 'lips 8 asks *. .efining a 'lip or ask ,. 'lip # ask multiple objects /. Edit objects in a clip # mask 0. (dd objects to a clip # mask 1. Edit the clipping # masking object +orking with <ayers *. oving objects between layers +orking with :radients *. 'reating a gradient ,. (pplying an already defined gradient /. )osition # transform a gradient 0. 6eversing a gradient 1. 6epeating gradient 2. (symmetric radial gradient 'onclusion and copyright

The Inkscape Window

$ote that the Tool Control Bar will display icons specific to the tool you have selected.

Illustrator-Inkscape Translation Dictionary

!or those already familiar with Adobe Illustrator, here's a brief translation of Illustrator terms and tool names to their Inkscape equivalent. Illustrator (nchor @andle (nchor >corner? &election Tool >V? .irect &election Tool >A? )en Tool >P? )encil Tool >N? <ive Trace Inkscape $ode >smooth? @andle $ode >cusp? &elector Tool >S? $ode Tool >N? Ae7ier Tool >B? !reehand Tool >P? Trace Aitmap

Working with paths

Drawing a path
)aths are drawn using either the Ae7ier tool or the !reehand tool graphics tablet you will most likely always use the Ae7ier tool. 'reating a path Tool" . ;nless you have a

<aying a path with the Ae7ier tool involves simply clicking each spot you want a node to appear. ( single-click creates a sharp node whilst mouse-drag creates a smooth node. (s you draw Inkscape shows the segments of the line you've laid in green and the unfinished segment as red. To undo the previous segment, press Backspace or Delete. !inish path" Tool"

&egment finished using double-click

&egment finished using Enter or Right-clicking Double-clicking will finish the path with the unfinished segment >red? whilst pressing Enter or Right-clicking will end the path and discard the unfinished segment. Clicking or mouse-dragging on the starting node will create a closed path. 'ancel path )ress Escape or CtrlBZ to cancel the entire path.

Edit a path
(dd a node"

Tool" Tool 'ontrol"

Double-click or CtrlBAltBClick on a segment to add a node in that spot. .elete a node" Tool" Tool 'ontrol"

Delete attempts to preserve the shape by adjusting the adjacent node handles.

Ctrl B Delete does not preserve the shape. Cou can CtrlBAltBClick a node to delete it, or select the node and press Delete or Backspace. +ith either of these options Inkscape will modify the handles on the remaining nodes to try and preserve the shape of the path. If you don't want this to happen, press CtrlBDelete or CtrlBBackspace instead. &plit # break node" Tool" Tool 'ontrol"

It may not be obvious you've split a node until you move one. &elect the node and press ShiftBB to split or break it into two nodes. 'ombine # join nodes" Tool" Tool 'ontrol"

&elect two end nodes and press ShiftB to combine them into one node. 'ontinue # append an open path"

Tool"

&elect the path and start drawing from one of the end nodes with the )en Tool. .elete a segment" Tool" Tool 'ontrol"

&elect the segment, or the two nodes at either end of the segment, and press the delete it. 4oin nodes with a new segment" Tool" Tool 'ontrol"

button to

&elect the two end nodes and press the 'hange node type" Tool" Tool 'ontrol" , ,

button to create a segment between them.

( smooth node is indicated by a square whilst a cusp node uses a diamond. )ress ShiftBC to make a cusp node. )ress ShiftBS to make a smooth node. )ress Ctrl BDelete to make a smooth node with symmetrical handle lengths. (lternatively you can CtrlBClick the node to toggle through each node type.

Working with

b!ects

!or clarification, an object is a general term to describe all shapes that make up a drawing. TeDt, shapes, paths, anything drawn, is an object. This includes groups of objects.

&electing objects" Tool"

;nlike applications like Adobe Illustrator and some other graphics applications, Inkscape does not provide a view of how all your objects are stacked in a drawing. Cou can only select objects from within the canvas area with the &elector tool. &electing an obscured object" Tool"

&ometimes you can't select an object because another object is above it. Cou can cycle through the selection of objects by pressing !ab or you can AltBClick to cycle through selecting just the objects below the mouse cursor. 6esi7ing 8 rotating an object" Tool"

&elect an object to show its transform handles. Click the object again to toggle rotation handles for the object. 9rdering 9bjects" Tool"

To raise or lower an objects order press Page"#p or Page"Do$n respectively. To raise or lower an object to the very top or very bottom press %ome or End respectively. .uplicating 9bjects" Tool"

)ress Ctrl B D to duplicate an object. This is similar to copying and pasting an object eDcept it's position is the same as the original. 'loning 9bjects" Tool"

To clone a object press Alt B D. 'loning is similar to duplicating eDcept the clone maintains a link to the original so when you edit the original object the changes will be reflected in clone#s also. To select the original object whilst a clone is selected press Shift B D. Cou can unlink a clone from the original by pressing Shift B Alt B D whilst the clone is selected.

Working with Groups

:roups are a way of grouping multiple objects into a new object that can be treated the same as a regular object. Even after grouping, individual objects within the group can still be edited. :rouping 8 ;ngrouping" Tool"

To group multiple objects press Ctrl B & and press Ctrl B # to ungroup. &electing objects within a group" Tool"

To select an object within a group CtrlBClick. ;se CtrlBAltBClick to select obscured objects in a group. This is true for clips and masks as well. (lternatively, you can enter a group by pressing CtrlBEnter or double-clicking and then select the objects

as normal. To break out of the group, press CtrlBBackspace or select an object outside of the group. (dd objects to a group" Tool"

)ress Ctrl B Enter or double-click to enter the group then draw or paste the new object to include.

Working with Clips " #asks

'lips and asks are used to restrict what parts of an object are visible. The shape of the object used as a clip defines the area that is visible whilst the transparency or lightness of an object used as a mask determines the area that is visible. .efining a 'lip or Tool" ask"

&elect two object and make sure the top most object is the object you want to use as the clip#mask. &elect Set for either Clip or 'ask under the (b)ect menu. 'lip # ask multiple objects" Tool"

If you select three objects and set a clip # mask where the top object is used as the clipping # masking object you'll end up with two separate clipped # masked objects. If you want to clip # mask multiple object, group the objects first. Edit objects in a clip # mask" Tool"

Double-click a clip # mask to enter it and you will then be able to select and edit the objects in it. If you are clipping # masking a group you will also be able to use Ctrl B Enter. (dd objects to a clip # mask" Tool"

Cou will only be able to add objects to a clip # mask if you are clipping # masking a group. Double-click or Ctrl B Enter to enter the clipped # masked group then draw or paste the new object to include. Edit the clipping # masking object" Tool"

To edit a clipping or masking object you will need to release the mask >(b)ect E Clip or 'ask E Release?. The only way to edit a clipping # masking object without releasing it is if the clipping # masking object is a cloned object and you edit the original.

Working with $ayers

<ayers work much the same as layers on other applications and the can be re-ordered, visibility toggled and locked from editing using the Layers palette or the Layer Information in the Status Bar. oving objects between layers" Tool" To move an object to the layer above or below press Shift B Page"#p or Shift B Page" Do$n respectively.

Working with Gradients

'reating a gradient" Tool"

.efining a gradient is pretty straight forward. &imply select an object, use the :radient Tool to lay a new gradient then click the Edit button on the Tool Control bar to open the Gradient Editor where you can edit the gradient. (pplying an already defined gradient" Tool"

Inkscape encourages you to re-use the same gradient on multiple objects. To apply a gradient already used by another object, select the object then the :radient Tool and select the gradient from the drop-down list on the Tool Control bar. (lternative, copy an object that uses the gradient >Ctrl B C? then paste the style on the target object >Ctrl B Shift B Z?, but note this will copy all styles associated with the source object including the position of the gradient. %ote& +hen you edit a gradient the changes will be reflected in all objects that use it. Cou can duplicate a gradient to make subtle changes for a specific object. )osition # transform a gradient" Tool" or

;sing either the :radient Tool or the $ode Tool you can easily position and transform a linear and radial gradient by grabbing its handles on the Inkscape canvas. 6eversing a gradient" Tool"

)ress Shift B R to reverse a gradient. $ote that if the gradient is used on other objects it will be duplicated so it doesn't effect those objects. 6epeating gradient"

9n the Fill and Stroke palette, select the repeat mode >reflected or direct? for the gradient on the selected object from the drop-down list. (symmetric radial gradient" Tool" or

Cou can modify the centre position of a radial gradient to make it asymmetric by Shift B drag the centre handle.

Conclusion and Copyright

I hope you found this this guide useful. $ote that the images of the ladies were digitally inked and coloured by myself using Inkscape, based off pencils provided by 'ing-Cheetah >http"##king-cheetah.deviantart.com#? and renecordo(a >http"##renecordova.deviantart.com#? respectively.