4.55

Inkscape - Draw Freely: a free and open-source vector graphics editor for SVG graphics

Whether you are an illustrator, designer, web designer or just someone who needs to create some vector imagery, Inkscape is for you ! Features highlight: flexible drawing tools, broad file format compatibility, powerful text tool, bezier and spiro curves. The full featured SVG editor supports mostly all SVG features and formats.

Category: software, open source, free, drawing, vector editing, graphics

Stable Version: Inkscape 1.2.2

Release Date:

Runs on: windows, mac, linux, openbsd, netbsd, freebsd, bsd

windows mac linux openbsd netbsd freebsd bsd

 Download Inkscape / Install Binaries: Links on the Official Website
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  Get the Source Code of Inkscape / Software Source Code Download

Specifications:

  • Project Developer: The Inkscape Project and Contributors
  • License: GNU General Public License (GPL) v2
  • OpenSource, Free: Yes
  • Written in: C++
Building from Source: dependencies
  • Boost, Boehm GC, GSL, SigC
  • Lib2Geom, ImageMagick, LCMS2, PNG
  • Poppler, Poppler-Glib
  • Enchant, PoTrace, GSpell
  • LibXSLT, LibXML2, LibSoup
  • Glib2, Glibmm, Pango, Pangomm, Cairo, Cairomm, PangoCairo, PangoFt2
  • GTK+3, GTK3mm, Gdkmm
  • GetText Tools, Iconv, Freetype2, Harfbuzz
  • Liberation Fonts
  • Python, Python NumPy, Python LXML
  • CMake, Ruby
  • LLVM or GCC compiler

Review

0 5 4.7
Inkscape is an open-source vector graphics editor similar to Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, Freehand, or Xara X. What sets this software application apart is its use of Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), an open XML-based W3C standard, as the native format.
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is an open, industry-standard XML-based format for vector graphics developed by the W3C. Most, if not all, vector editors can import and export SVG, and all modern browsers can display it directly, without requiring any plugins.

Pros +
  • the project is open source and supports the majoritu of available operating systems
  • supports opening SVG, SVGZ (gzipped SVG), PDF, EPS, and AI (Adobe Illustrator) formats ; in latest versions supports also CDR (CorelDraw) and VSD (Visio) natively
  • can import most raster formats (JPEG, PNG, GIF, etc.) as bitmap images
  • can export SVG (including plain SVG) as vector
  • can export PNG as raster
  • supports 3D boxes with manipulative dimensions
  • has a powerful command line interface and can be used in scripts for a variety of tasks
Cons -
  • it does not support SVG animations
  • it is missing a feature to save pretty-formatted minified SVGs
  • there are still several unresolved bugs with 3D boxes and some crashes

About

Inkscape is a free and open-source vector graphics editor used to create vector images, primarily in Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) format. This software is a free alternative to Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw.

Features


Object creation and manipulation
  • Drawing: pencil tool (freehand drawing with simple paths), pen tool (creating Bézier curves and straight lines), calligraphy tool (freehand drawing using filled paths representing calligraphic strokes)
  • Shape tools: rectangles (may have rounded corners), ellipses (includes circles, arcs, segments), stars/polygons (can be rounded and/or randomized), spirals
  • Text tool (multi-line text, full on-canvas editing)
  • Embedded bitmaps (with a command to create and embed bitmaps of selected objects)
  • Clones ("live" linked copies of objects), including a tool to create patterns and arrangements of clones
  • Transformations (moving, scaling, rotating, skewing), both interactively and by specifying exact numeric values
  • Z-order operations (raising and lowering)
  • Grouping objects ("select in group" without ungrouping, or "enter the group" making it a temporary layer)
  • Layers (lock and/or hide individual layers, rearrange them, etc; layers can form a hierarchical tree)
  • Alignment and distribution commands

Text support
  • Multi-line text
  • Uses any installed outline fonts, including right-to-left scripts
  • Kerning, letterspacing, linespacing adjustments
  • Text on path (both text and path remain editable)
  • Text in shape (fill shape following stroke)

Operations on paths
  • Node editing: moving nodes and Bezier handles, node alignment and distribution, etc.
  • Converting to path (for text objects or shapes), including converting stroke to path
  • Boolean operations
  • Path simplification, with variable threshold
  • Path insetting and outsetting, including dynamic and linked offset objects
  • Bitmap tracing (both color and monochrome paths)

Fill and stroke
  • Color selector (RGB, HSL, CMYK, color wheel, CMS)
  • Color picker tool
  • Copy/paste style
  • A gradient editor capable of multi-stop gradients
  • Pattern fills (bitmap/vectors)
  • Dashed strokes, with many predefined dash patterns
  • Path markers (ending, middle and/or beginning marks, e.g. arrowheads)

Rendering Text and Objects
  • Fully anti-aliased display
  • Alpha transparency support for display and PNG export
  • Complete "as you drag" rendering of objects during interactive transformations

File formats supported
  • Perfectly compliant SVG format file generation and editing
  • Live watching and editing the document tree in the XML editor
  • PNG, OpenDocument Drawing, DXF, SK1, PDF, EPS and PostScript export formats and more
  • Command line options for export and conversions

Screenshot: Main Screen
Inkscape - Main Screen



Changelog Highlights

2022-12-05 : version 1.2.2

notable changes

  • A release that includes many stability, performance and bug fixes
  • Inkscape no longer freezes the whole desktop when rotating objects with snapping activated under certain conditions
  • Converting an object with a stroke set as 'unset' / 'none', but with markers on the non-existing stroke, no longer leads to a crash
  • Symbols that contain a clipping path or mask no longer cause the Symbols dialog to create a high processor load
  • Raster images that are opened with Inkscape now end up in the page area even when the document origin is set to the bottom left corner
  • Dithering (for smooth gradients) is now disabled by default (even if it was enabled before you update to 1.2.2), because it was causing a loss of performance while drawing
  • The TIFF export now supports transparency ; DPI attribute is preserved for JPG and TIFF raster export ; PNG files now use the correct file permissions on Linux
  • Saving markers that are compatible to SVG 1.1 now works for both marker direction and marker color at once
  • The Measure tool now indicates correct positions and sizes for shapes (stars, spirals, rectangles)
  • If a malformed SVG document is fed into an extension, the user is warned about it instead of causing an extension crash
  • Trailing or duplicate semicolons no longer cause an action list command to fail
2022-07-14 : version 1.2.1

notable changes

  • Mostly a bug fix release, add fixes for data loss and crash issues introduced with the previous version
  • Drawing data about filters, markers, gradients and more now saves to file after performing a simple sequence of copy-paste-undo with the Export dialog open
  • Startup is smoother when many fonts are installed
  • Rasterized (filtered) objects now show up on any page of a multipage document exported to PDF
  • Brings back the built-in ability to open PostScript/Encapsulated PostScript (.ps / .eps) files with Inkscape on macOS
  • Linux users using the snap packaging format will once again be able to import and export images
  • Windows users will now see the correct Inkscape version image on install
2022-05-16 : version 1.2.0

notable changes

  • Inkscape documents can now hold multiple pages, which are managed by the new Page tool
  • Editable markers and dash patterns ; Layers and objects dialog merged
  • On-canvas alignment snapping and Snap settings redesign
  • New 'Tiling' Live Path Effect
  • Redesigned Export dialog with preview and ability to select objects/layers/pages and even multiple file formats to export to
  • Import SVG images from Open Clipart, Wikimedia Commons and other online sources
  • Selectable object origin for numerical scaling and moving
  • All alignment options in a single dialog
  • Gradient editing in the Fill and Stroke dialog ; Gradient dithering
  • SVG Font Editor updated
  • Flowing text around shapes and text padding
  • Convenience Boolean operation for splitting paths
  • Configurable Tool bar, continuous icon scaling and many more new customization options
  • Performance gains for many parts of the interface and many different functions
  • Lots of improvements to the user interface
  • Numerous crash & bug fixes
2021-05-24 : version 1.1

notable changes

  • A Welcome dialog, where the look of Inkscape can be selected, and some choices for the new document's size or file to open are available
  • A Command palette that opens when the ? key is pressed and that allows to search and use many functions without having to use a keyboard shortcut or going through the menus
  • It is now possible to copy, cut and paste parts of paths with the Node tool
  • The dialog docking system has been rewritten, which resolves many issues with Inkscape's docked dialogs and allows you to dock dialogs on either side of the screen
  • New Outline Overlay mode that displays object outlines while also showing their real colors
  • Preferences options are now easier to find by using the new search field
  • It is no longer necessary to remember to click on 'Export' in the PNG Export dialog, as the exporting will already happen after the click on 'Save' in the file selection dialog
  • Export as JPG, TIFF, optimized PNG and WebP directly from Inkscape
  • When pasting a copied object, Inkscape now pastes it directly on top of the currently selected object by default
  • An extension for updating extensions and installing additional extensions, called the Extension Manager (currently in beta stage)
2020-05-01 : version 1.0

notable changes

  • Theming support and more new customization options
  • Better HiDPI (high resolution) screen support
  • Native support for macOS with a signed and notarized .dmg file
  • Coordinate origin in top left corner by default
  • Canvas rotation and mirroring ; On-Canvas alignment of objects ; Split view and X-Ray modes
  • PowerPencil for drawing editable, variable width strokes with a pressure sensitive graphics tablet
  • New PNG export options
  • Integrated centerline tracing for vectorizing line drawings
  • Searchable Symbols dialog
  • New Live Path Effect (LPE) selection dialog
  • New Corners (Fillet/chamfer) LPE, (lossless) Boolean Operation LPE (experimental), Offset LPE and Measure Segments LPE
  • Path operations, deselection of a large number of paths as well as grouping/ungrouping are much faster now
  • Much improved text line-height settings
  • Variable fonts support (requires pango library version >= 1.41.1)
  • Browser-compatible flowed text
  • Extensions programming interface updated, with many new options
  • Python 3 support for extensions
2017-01-01 : version 0.92

notable changes

  • Mesh Gradients are now supported
  • Many SVG2 and CSS3 properties are now supported (e.g. paint-order, mix-blend-mode) ; not all are available from the GUI
  • The new Object dialog allows to select, label, hide and lock any object in the drawing from a dialog that lists them all
  • Selection sets make it possible to 'group' objects together regardless of document structure
  • Guides can now be locked to avoid accidental movement
  • Several new path effects have been added, among them Envelope/Perspective, Lattice Deformation, Mirror and Rotate Copies
  • There are several new extensions (e.g. a seamless pattern extension) and a new filter (colorblindness simulation) included in the release, many old extensions have been updated or got new features
  • Spray tool and measure tool received a set of nifty new features
  • Interactive smoothing for lines created with the Pencil tool
  • BSplines (and more) are available for the Pen tool
  • Checkerboard background can be used to more easily see object transparencies
2010-08-23 : version 0.48

notable changes

  • Multipath editing
  • New Spray tool
  • LaTeX export with PDF/PS/EPS
  • JessyInk extension to create presentations