Introduction to Inkscape

Step 01

Inkscape is one of the few great free vector programs that has truly matured over the past few years. Although its export capabilities are somewhat less to be desired we can only hope in the next few years svg takes of as a format. Opening inkscape should look like this. We will be making a basic pagoda logo.

Step 02

Select the draw freehand tool in the left hand side of the screen. Draw a line and make a shape. Make sure the end part of the line connects with the beginning. If they are connected then the square at the beginning of the line will turn red.

Step 03

Now the line is a complete shape.

Step 04

The shape should have a square made up of dotted lines surrounding it. Select the edit path nodes tool. It is the second icon down from the left side. Now the nodes and control handles should appear. The squares are nodes and the lines with circles on the end are control handles.

Step 05

Select a node by left clicking the mouse on it.

Step 06

Move the control bars by holding the left mouse button on one of the circles and moving it. NOtice the shape changes based on how you move the control bar.

Step 07

Select nodes and adjust control bars until the shape looks the way you want it to look.

Step 08

Change back to the select tool(the top left tool) and make sure the shape is selected. If it is selected there will be a box surrounding the shape. Go to the menu bar and select Edit>Copy. Then go back to the menu bar again and select Edit>Paste.

Step 09

This will make a copy of the shape.

Step 10

Move the shape by holding the left mouse button on the shape and moving the mouse.

Step 11

Adjust the shape by moving(and possibly deleting) nodes and moving control bars. Move the shape over the other shape.

Step 12

Ajust the shape better if necessary. Select the Bezier drawing tool(below the freehand drawing tool)

Step 13

Zoom in by pressing plus(zoom out by pressing minus). Move the view by holding down the middle mouse button and move the mouse.

Step 14

Left click the mouse to start the line. Right now the line will be straight.

Step 15

Left click the mouse button again but keep the mouse button held down and move the mouse. This will make a control bar appear and allow you to manipulate the curve of the line.

Step 16

Repeat the process as done in the previous step.

Step 17

Notice how the curves of the line are changing according to how the previous curved line was made.

Step 18

Draw more lines as necessary.

Step 19

Like before with the freehand tool, connect the shape by moving the end line over the beginning node so that the node is highlighted once again.

Step 20

Now there shoudl be another shape.

Step 21

Sometime a dialog box will appear noting an error or some such thing. NEVER close this! If you do, the program and all you artwork will close with it. Just minimize the dialog box. It won't hurt anything having it minimized.

Step 22

Go back to inkscape.

Step 23

With the select tool click on the shape. Move the arrows surrounding the box to adjust the width, length, and size of the shape.

Step 24

Go to the node selection tool and click on the shape if it isn't already selected.

Step 25

Zoom out if necessary.

Step 26

With the click left mouse button and hold it down while dragging will cause a selection rectangle to appear. Drag the selection rectangle over some nodes.

Step 27

Move you mouse cursor over one of those selected notes hold the left mouse button and drag the node to a desired place. Notice all the nodes selected move with the selected node.

Step 28

Select File>Save As.

Step 29

Select the drive on the righthand side and then select the desired folder.

Step 30

Write the desired name and make sure you are saving the file as an Inkscape SVG file. select OK.

Step 31

Now the file will be saved as the name given.

Step 32

Select the shape. Click on the Fill and Stroke icon. The circular shape to the left of the 'A' icon. Near the top right of the screen.

Step 33

Now a Fill and Stroke dialog box will appear. The fill tab wil be the first option available.

Step 34

Select the flat color square icon(next to the X) in the Fill and Stroke Dialog box. Notice the shape's inside color has changed and the Fill tab has color sliders available.

Step 35

Move the upper three sliders(R, G, and B) to adjust the color. The A is for adjusting the opacity.

Step 36

The next icon to the right of the square is the linear gradient icon.

Step 37

To the right of the linear gradient icon is the radial gradient icon.

Step 38

Allow the color of the fill shape to be the same as it was before the changes were made. Select the Stroke Paint tab(the one to the right of the fill tab). Select the flat color square icon(next to the X).

Step 39

Change the color of the line(or stroke) by using the slider bars. Notice the options are identical the fill options.

Step 40

The linear gradient tool chanes the line as shown.

Step 41

The radial gradient tool chanes the line as shown.

Step 42

Allow the color of the line to be the same as it was before the changes were made. Select the Stroke Styel tab(the one to the right of the fill tab). Go to the area that is called Width.

Step 43

Change the width value from 1.00 to 5.00. Click on dashes the dropdown option.

Step 44

Select a different set of dashes.

Step 45

Now the line has changed from being just clean line to a broken or dashed line.

Step 46

Different dash patterns will give the line a different look.

Step 47

Once again changed the shape's fill color. I used the wheel tab instead of the RGB slider bars.

Step 48

Copy and paste the shape. Move it over. Select the flip selection horizontally icon from the upper left part of the menu. The icon looks like two upright rectangles.