How to effectively use templates in Inkscape. Inkscape tutorials for beginners - node management

Inkscape is a very popular tool for creating vector graphics. The image in it is drawn not pixel by pixel, but using various lines and shapes. One of the main advantages of this approach is the ability to scale the image without losing quality, which is impossible to do with raster graphics. In this article we will tell you about the basic techniques for working in Inkscape. In addition, we will analyze the application interface and give some tips.

This material is more aimed at beginner Inkscape users. Therefore, we will only talk about the basic techniques that are used when working with the editor. If after reading the article you have individual questions, you can ask them in the comments.

Program interface

Before we begin describing the editor's capabilities, we would like to tell you a little about how the Inkscape interface works. This will allow you to quickly find certain tools and navigate your workspace in the future. After launch, the editor window looks like this:

In total there are 6 main areas:

Main menu

Here, in the form of sub-items and drop-down menus, the most useful functions that you can use when creating graphics are collected. In the following we will describe some of them. I would especially like to note the very first menu - "File". This is where such popular teams as "Open", "Save", "Create" And "Type".

This is where work begins in most cases. By default, when you launch Inkscape, a workspace of 210x297 millimeters (A4 sheet) is created. If necessary, these parameters can be changed in the subsection "Document Properties". By the way, this is where you can change the background color of the canvas at any time.

By clicking on the indicated line, you will see a new window. You can set the size work area according to common standards or indicate eigenvalue in the appropriate fields. You can also change the orientation of the document, remove the border, and set the background color for the canvas.

We also recommend going to the menu "Edit" and enable display of the action history panel. This will allow you to cancel one or more at any time. recent actions. The specified panel will open on the right side of the editor window.

Toolbar

It is this panel that you will constantly refer to when drawing. All figures and functions are located here. To select the desired element, just click on its icon once with the left mouse button. If you simply hover your cursor over the image of the tool, you will see a pop-up window with the name and description.

Tool properties

Using this group of elements you can configure the settings of the selected tool. These include smoothing, size, radius ratio, tilt angle, number of corners, and more. Each of them has its own set of options.

Snap Options Bar and Command Bar

By default, they are located next to each other in the right area of the application window and look like this:

As the name suggests, the Snap Options panel (this is official name) allows you to choose whether your object will automatically join another object. If yes, then where exactly should this be done - to the center, nodes, guides, and so on. If you wish, you can completely turn off all adhesion. This is done by pressing the corresponding button on the panel.

The command bar, in turn, displays the main menu items "File", and also added the following important functions, such as filling, scale, grouping of objects and others.

Color swatches and status bar

These two areas are also nearby. They are located at the bottom of the window and look like this:

Here you can select the desired color for the shape, fill or stroke. In addition, on the status bar there is a scale slider that will allow you to zoom in or out of the canvas. As practice shows, this is not very convenient to do. It's easier to hold down a key "Ctrl" on the keyboard and roll the mouse wheel up or down.

Workspace

This is the very central part of the application window. This is where your canvas sits. Along the perimeter of the work area you will see sliders that allow you to scroll the window down or up as you change the scale. There are rulers at the top and left. It allows you to determine the size of the figure, as well as set guides if necessary.

In order to set the guides, just move the mouse pointer over the horizontal or vertical ruler, and then hold down left button mouse and drag the line that appears in the desired direction. If you need to remove the guide, then move it back onto the ruler.

These are actually all the interface elements that we wanted to tell you about first. Now let's move directly to practical examples.

Upload an image or create a canvas

If you open it in the editor raster image, you can further process it or manually draw a vector image following the example.

As a result, the selected image will appear on the work area. In this case, the canvas size will automatically be the same as the resolution of the picture. In our case it is 1920x1080 pixels. It can always be changed to something else. As we said at the beginning of the article, the quality of the photo will not change. If you don't want to use any image as a source, then you can simply use the automatically generated canvas.

Cutting out a fragment of the image

Sometimes a situation may arise when for processing you do not need the whole image, but only a specific section of it. In this case, here's what to do:

As a result, only the previously selected area of the canvas will remain. You can move on to the next step.

Working with layers

Placing objects on different layers will not only delimit space, but also avoid accidental changes during the drawing process.

In this way, you can create as many layers as you like and transfer the required shape or object to any of them.

Drawing rectangles and squares

In order to draw the above figures, you must use the tool of the same name. The sequence of actions will look like this:

Drawing circles and ovals

Circles in Inkscape are drawn using the same principle as rectangles.

Drawing Stars and Polygons

Polygons can be drawn in Inkscape in just a few seconds. There is a special tool for this that allows you to fine-tune these types of shapes.

Drawing Spirals

This is the last figure that we would like to tell you about in this article. The process of drawing it is practically no different from the previous ones.

Editing nodes and levers

Despite the fact that all the figures are relatively simple, any of them can be changed beyond recognition. It is thanks to this that the results are obtained vector pictures. To edit element nodes, you need to do the following:

This action can be performed not with the entire figure, but only with a selected section of it. By adding new nodes, you can change the shape of the object more and more. To do this, just move the mouse pointer over the desired node, hold down LMB and pull the element in the desired direction. Additionally, you can use of this instrument pull the edge. Thus, the area of the object will be more concave or convex.

Drawing freeform paths

With this function you can draw both smooth straight lines and arbitrary figures. Everything is done very simply.

Please note that lines, like shapes, can be moved around the canvas, their size can be changed and nodes can be edited.

Drawing Bezier curves

This tool will also allow you to work with straight lines. It will be very useful in situations where you need to outline an object using straight lines or draw something.

Using a calligraphy pen

As the name suggests, this tool will allow you to do beautiful inscriptions or image elements. To do this, just select it, adjust the properties (angle, fixation, width, etc.) and you can start drawing.

Adding text

Besides various figures and lines, in the described editor you can also work with text. Distinctive feature this process is that initially the text can be written even in the smallest font. But if you increase it to the maximum, the image quality will not be lost at all. The process of using text in Inkscape is quite simple.

Object Sprayer

There is one in this editor interesting feature. It allows you to fill out everything in just a few seconds working space identical figures. There are many possible uses for this function, so we decided not to ignore it.

First of all, you need to draw any shape or object on the canvas.
Next, select the function "Spray objects".
You will see a circle of a certain radius. Adjust its properties if you find it necessary. These include the radius of the circle, the number of shapes drawn, and so on.
Move the tool to the place on the workspace where you want to create clones of the previously drawn element.
Hold down the LMB and hold it for as long as you see fit.

Your result should look something like this.

Removing items

You will probably agree with the fact that no drawing can be done without an eraser. And Inkscape is no exception. Finally, we would like to talk about how you can remove drawn elements from the canvas.

By default, any object or group of such objects can be selected using the function "Select". If you then press the key on the keyboard "Del" or "Delete", then the entire objects will be deleted. But if you choose a special tool, you can erase only specific parts of a figure or image. This function works on the eraser principle in .

That’s actually all the basic techniques that we would like to talk about in this material. By combining them with each other, you can create vector images. Of course, Inkscape has many more in its arsenal useful functions. But in order to use them, you must already have deeper knowledge. Remember that you can ask your question in the comments to this article at any time. And if, after reading the article, you have doubts about the need for this editor, then we suggest that you familiarize yourself with its analogues. Among them you will find not only vector editors, but also raster ones.

Vector interface graphic editor Inkscape consists of controls and functions designed to make the artist's work simple and convenient. The interface of the vector graphics editor Inkscape consists mainly of a working window in which you can create and manage drawings. The window contains control and information tools, the operation of which is described on this page.

Window Inkscape interface can be divided into nine main areas:

1. Main menu (Main menu at the top of the window)
2. Toolbar
3. Contextual control panel
4. Markings, rulers, guides and grids
5. Control panel
6. Tool window
7. Canvas
8. Palette
9. Status bar

The toolbars and controls available in inkscape described above can take up significant real estate on your monitor screen. To reduce the size of the toolbar, select "File" -> "Customize Inkscape..." from the main menu. Then select the "interface" option. Here you can manually set large or small icons for the command bar, toolbar, etc.

Main menu

As in most other programs, it contains the basic functions of working with the program: working with files, editing and viewing functions, editor functions for working with text, filters, objects and contours, additions and reference information.

Toolbar

It is located at the top of the working area of the editor screen, right next to the main menu. contains icon icons that call certain commands editor. These commands are also available in the main menu or by keyboard shortcut. The toolbar is designed for more easy access to the most used editor functions. From inkscape toolbars in one click you can open a new or existing document, print it, upload an image, cancel previous commands, zoom, open a dialog box for setting document properties, etc. Each icon displays its function via tooltips when hovered over.

If all icons inkscape toolbars do not fit on the screen, they can be accessed through the button with two arrows on the right edge of the panel. By clicking on them, you will see in the form of a menu all other panel commands whose icons do not fit on the panel. Icons may not fit on the inkscape toolbar due to screen size or monitor resolution.

Tool window

Consists of a vertical row of buttons located on the left side of the editor window. In the picture above, this panel is shown horizontally to save space. - this is the main element for working in the vector editor Inkscape. contains the main set graphic tools to create and edit shapes. IN inkscape tool window there are tools for working with geometric shapes, and free transformation shapes and lines, tools for working with text and color (fill and gradients).

When working with tools, immediately under horizontal panel you may notice inkscape contextual control panel.

Depending on which tool is selected in the inkscape tool window, the appearance of inkscape context panel. The context panel displays the settings and parameters of the active tool. Depending on the situation, changing these settings may immediately affect the selected object, and in some cases, changes to the settings will only take effect when a new object is created or will affect existing and new objects.

Canvas

The inkscape canvas or canvas is the main working area of the program. This is the main part of the interface, since this is where the graphics editor user creates and edits drawings. The canvas is located in the middle of the program window and looks like an image clean slate paper located on a white background. By default, rulers are included in the editor window on the side and on top to determine coordinates in pixels. Default values - ruler visibility and units of measurement can be changed in Document Properties.

Despite the fact that the boundaries of the “sheet” displayed on the canvas determine the boundaries of the image for printing or saving, when drawing, the size of the “sheet” does not at all limit the image area. You can even make the "page" borders and the shadows of those borders shown in the image above invisible. You can set the visibility of page borders in the document properties. Some users prefer to use page borders, others use the entire canvas space to draw.

Markings, rulers, guides and grids in inkscape

Marking rulers

The layout ruler is located at the top and left of the inkscape canvas. The divisions of the marking line define distances in some units, by default in pixels. You can change the unit settings in the document properties in the "file" - "Document properties" menu.

When the mouse pointer is over the canvas, two black triangles appear on the ruler, triangles that display the coordinates of the cursor relative to the lower left corner of the page on the ruler. These X and Y coordinates can be seen in the status bar (in the lower right corner of the program window), next to the Z scale parameter.

Note that the SVG coordinates start at the bottom left corner of the document as is typical for geometry in a Cartesian coordinate system.

Combination CTRL keys+R allows you to hide or show inkscape layout rulers. You can also do this in the main menu "View" - "Show or hide" - "Rulers".

Guides

How to use a grid in inkscape

Use the drop-down list in the Document Properties dialog box (example in the image on the right) to select the type of grid you plan to use, and then click the New button. Under the phrase " User defined grids" (several grids can be defined for one document) will be created new inset with the parameters of the created mesh. Next, determine the units you want to use, determine the horizontal and vertical reference point (X and Y), and the distance between adjacent grid lines. When using an axonometric grid, it appears additional parameter, defining the angle of two grid lines.

Checkbox Enabled. Check it to use this grid in the current document.

The Visible checkbox. This checkbox controls the visibility of the grid on the canvas. When the checkbox is disabled, the grid is invisible. This option sets a default value for each mesh so that even if visibility is turned on in this option, you can still toggle the mesh visibility through the menu or by clicking on the hotkey#. That is, if in the main menu "View" - "Grid" the visibility of the grid is disabled, then the grid will not be displayed on the canvas, even if the "Visible" checkbox is checked.

Grid units. The available grid units are millimeters, feet, and pixels. You can choose the size that best suits your needs. If there are no special needs, then use the default option - pixels.

X and Y reference points. These parameters determine the starting point of the inkscape mesh. The default value is "0" (zero), but sometimes it is convenient to change it, especially to determine the edge point of the sheet.

X and Y spacing. These parameters determine the distance between two grid lines. These intervals may differ for horizontal and vertical lines, so that the grid can consist of rectangles.

Angle in X and Z. These options are only available for the axonometric grid. They define the angles of the grid lines on the X and Z axes.

Grid Line Colors. The default for grid is Blue colour, but this setting can also be changed. There are two types of lines. The most commonly used is the grid line, but when a fine grid with many lines is used, the main grid lines are displayed. They help estimate distances. Other colors can be defined for each line type. The Main Grid Line Every... option determines the frequency of the main grid lines. Typically this parameter is 5 or 10.

Show dots instead of lines This option is only available for the inkscape rectangular grid. Gridlines can sometimes get in the way when working with drawing tools. This option allows you to display the grid as points.

Snap options panel

The Snap Options panel allows you to easily adjust the snap settings of an inkscape object. The functions of this panel are convenient for placing objects correctly and accurately. The snapping options panel is located vertically along the right edge of the window's working area.

Color palette

This fast access to colors, it also allows you to assign colors to inkscape shapes. It is displayed at the bottom of the program window, or can be opened as a separate window. To do this, in the main menu "View" you need to select "Color Swatches" or use the key combination Shift + Ctrl + W

How to use the color picker in inkscape

To find a color you like, simply scroll through the slider at the bottom of the palette and select a color. You can customize the color palette by clicking on the triangle in the right corner of the palette and selecting one of the suggested options.

To apply a color to Fill Color shapes, simply click on the color after selecting one or more shapes.

To apply a color to a path, press the Shift key while selecting a color.

Status bar - located at the very bottom of the window Inkscape programs. It displays (from left to right):

Object fill and stroke color
Opportunity fast work with layers and switching between them
Message area
Mouse pointer coordinate indicator
Scale management

Edit, copy and save.

The tutorial covers techniques for navigating the canvas and working with documents. It gives an initial understanding of shape drawing tools, selection, changing shapes, grouping, setting fill and stroke parameters, aligning and distributing objects. If you are looking for more in-depth knowledge, see other tutorials from the Help menu.

Moving around the canvas

There are many ways to move around the canvas. Try Ctrl+Down Arrow to move the document using the keyboard (Try it now Ctrl+Down Arrow to move the document down). You can also move around the canvas by holding its surface with the middle mouse button or using the sliders (press Ctrl+B (hereinafter all letters in the keyboard shortcuts are Latin) in order to show or hide them). The scroll wheel on the mouse also works for vertical movement. To move horizontally, use Shift along with the wheel.

Changing the scale

The easiest way to change the scale is to press - or + (to zoom in, = works). The option also works: Ctrl+middle mouse button or Ctrl+right mouse button - to increase, Shift+middle or Shift+right - to decrease, or the mouse wheel with Ctrl pressed. Alternatively, you can select the zoom level in the lower left corner of the document window. The value is indicated as a percentage; after typing the desired value, press Enter. In addition, there is a zoom tool (among the tools on the left), which allows you to zoom in only the required selected area.

Inkscape keeps a history of the scales you've used while working. Press the ` key to return to previous state, or Shift+` to move to the next one.

Inkscape Tools

The icon bar on the left side of the window represents Inkscape's drawing and editing tools. At the top of the window, under the menu, there is a control panel with the main command buttons, and just below - the Tool Settings panel, containing parameters specific to each tool. The status bar at the very bottom of the window will show useful tips as you work.

Many actions are available from the keyboard. Complete guide by keys can be accessed through “Help > Keyboard and Mouse”.

Work with documents

To create a new one blank document use File > New or press Ctrl+N. To open an existing SVG document, use File > Open (Ctrl+O). To save, use “File > Save” (Ctrl+S) or “Save As...” (Shift+Ctrl+S) to save the file under a different name. (Inkscape may still be unstable, so be aware important rule- SAVE MORE OFTEN!!!)

Inkscape uses the SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) format for its files. SVG is an open standard and is widely used in graphics packages. SVG files are based on XML and can be edited with any text or XML editor (other than Inkscape). In addition to SVG, Inkscape can work with other formats (EPS, PNG).

Inkscape opens a new window for each document. You can switch between them different ways depending on the window manager (for example, pressing Alt+Tab to switch between documents in a circle). Try creating a few new documents now and switching between them to practice.

Creating Shapes

It's time for figures! Select the blue rectangle in the strip on the left (or press F4). Hover the mouse cursor over the document (right there or in a new window created), press the mouse button and move the cursor to the side - you will get a rectangle:

As you can see, by default the rectangle is filled with blue, has a black outline and is partially transparent. Below you will see how to change these settings. You can also create ovals, stars and spirals with other tools:

The tools discussed are called shape tools. Each created shape has one or more white control rectangles (handles); try dragging them back and forth and pay attention to the change in shape (the white dots are visible only when one of the four tools is selected: blue square, brown circle, yellow star or spiral). The tool settings panel has its own way of customizing the shape. The controls in it affect those selected in currently objects (i.e. those whose handles are visible), and determine the parameters of new figures.

To undo the last action, use the Ctrl+Z combination. (If you have changed your mind, you can undo the undone action using Shift+Ctrl+Z.)

Move, resize and rotate

The most popular tool in Inkscape is the Selector. You can select it by clicking on black arrow(or by pressing F1 or Spacebar. With this tool you can select any object on the canvas. Click the square shown in the illustration below:

You will see eight arrows around the object. Now you can:

Move an object (with Ctrl pressed, movements are limited to two axes: horizontal and vertical).
Change the size of the object by dragging any of the arrows (changing the size with Ctrl pressed, you will maintain the proportions of the original).

Click on the rectangle again. The direction of the arrows will change. Now you can:

Rotate an object by dragging the corner arrows. (holding Ctrl will rotate the object in 15 degree steps. By moving the cross, you will shift the center of rotation.)
Warp (tilt) the object by moving the non-corner arrows. (with Ctrl pressed, the warping will be done in 15-degree increments.)

In this mode (object selection mode) you can also change the size and location of the selection on the canvas using the fields at the top.

Inkscape is a very popular open source vector graphics editor that can work in both operating system Linux, as well as Windows and MacOS. The difference between a vector graphics editor and a raster one is that drawing is done not using pixels, but using various shapes and formulas. This provides certain advantages, for example, the image can be scaled without losing quality.

In this article we will look at how to use Inkscape for drawing and image manipulation. Let's talk about installing the program itself and using the figures.

This is enough popular program, so you can install it very easily. IN Linux distributions, vector editor Inkscape is available from official repositories, for example, to install on Ubuntu you need to run the command:

sudo apt install inkscape

To install on Red Hat and CentOS systems:

sudo yum install inkscape

If you want to install the program on Windows, then installation file can be downloaded from the official website. In addition to the version for Linux, Windows and MacOS, you can download source and assemble the program yourself. When the installation is complete, you can find the program in the main menu:

How to use Inkscape?

Now let's look in more detail at how to use the utility. But you need to start by analyzing the utility interface.

1. Program interface

Immediately after starting the program you will see the following main window:

The program interface is quite simple and looks much clearer than in Gimp. It can be divided into several areas:

Menu- located at the very top of the window, with its help you can select various options and parameters for the program;
Toolbar- located immediately below the menu, here are frequently used tools that you need to be able to easily access;
Drawing Tools- the panel with drawing tools is located on the left side of the window and is located vertically;
Workspace- canvas for drawing, located in the center of the window;
Action Tools- the action toolbar is located to the right of the work area;
Bottom panel and palette- at the very bottom of the window there is a panel with several tools for adjusting shape parameters and a color palette.

You will also often need to use various hotkeys to navigate the document and select certain functions. Here are the main ones:

Ctrl+arrow- to move around the sheet. You can also move using the mouse wheel vertically and holding down the Shift button horizontally;
Keys + And - used to scale the document;
Ctrl+Z And Ctrl+Shift+Z used to undo and redo the last actions, respectively;
Shift- select several figures.

The black rectangle in the center of your canvas is the drawing area, you can resize it through the menu "File" ->"Document Properties".

2. Creating Shapes

As I already said, all the actions of drawing an image are performed using various shapes. Select one of the available shapes in the left panel and click on the area of the workspace where you want to insert the shape. To change its size, drag the mouse pointer in the desired direction.

Each figure has two parameters that affect its design. This is fill and stroke. The fill determines the base color of the shape, and the stroke determines the outline color. Stroke and fill are configured in a window that can be opened in the toolbar:

In the Inkscape palette, you can select an overall color for the shape, and in the Fill settings window, you can select a separate color for the fill and stroke. In addition to a uniform color, you can use gradines.

3. Grouping objects

For ease of movement and application of objects, vector Inkscape editor supports grouping them. To do this, mark several objects using Shift buttons and in the menu "An object" select "Group". Now all the selected objects are in one group, you can move them and apply operations to all of them at once. You can also use a keyboard shortcut to group Ctrl+G.

To ungroup, use the Ungroup item. Or press the key several times Ctrl+U. In the question of how to use Inkscape, working with the shapes and colors of shapes is more important, let's look at this in more detail.

4. Actions on figures

To move the shape you need to use the tool "Arrow". Also when the shape tool is activated, e.g. "Rectangle", you can change its size, angles and outline using the white squares. Just drag them in the right direction.

Using a tool "Arrow" You can not only change the size, but also switch the foreground and background, reflect objects and fine-tune their coordinates. Note that when you change a drawing tool, the toolbar changes to display the capabilities of that tool:

Tool "Edit corners" allows in various ways change the angles and outlines of an object:

Tool "Adjust objects by painting or sculpting" allows you to change the color and shape of objects, for example, you can make them concave, move them in different directions, make them smaller and larger, rotate them, and even duplicate objects. To apply actions, the object must be selected.

Tool "Meter" allows you to change the lengths and angles of various geometric objects:

5. Filters

Using filters, you can apply various effects to objects. All available effects are sorted into categories and accessible from the menu "Filters". The effects include different textures, design changes, and much more:

6. Saving the result

Since in this article we set ourselves the task of talking about Inkscape for beginners, we will look at how to save an image. Since these are vector images, we will use special format- svg. To save finished image open the menu "File" and select "Save", then select the file location:

A few words about vector graphics Inkscape is a vector graphics editor.

In vector graphics, images are created using the mathematical laws of constructing straight and curved lines from which the image is constructed. Registration is carried out on XML language, so these cards are actually text files.

Since the mathematical laws of constructing an image do not depend on its size, it becomes possible to scale vector images within enormous limits without the slightest loss of quality.

Vector graphics have been around for a long time, but their heyday is ahead. With the onset of a new, sensory stage of development computer equipment, the first representatives of which are tablets and communicators, there is an urgent need for scalable and light-weight graphic files.

Inkscape, being a free and open source editor, works with a free format vector files- SVG (scalable Vector graphics). Nowadays, almost all gadgets and web browsers support the SVG format, and with the advent of HTML 5, placement SVG files in web content it will become no more difficult than it is now to place raster graphics files.

Mastering Inkscape today is an intellectual investment in tomorrow.

About Inkscape versions and releases

When these lines are written, newest release Inkscape programs are 0.48. It is available for Windows and for those craftsmen who are able to install it on Linux from source. New news is also the 0.47 release available in Ubuntu. The currently stable Debian Lenny has Inkscape 0.46 installed.

There is no need to dramatize this slight lag. All three listed versions of the program are almost identical in functionality, only a few very special effects, and it still appeared new panel Adhesion, which rather interferes, narrowing the already small window. There is nothing revolutionary in the new releases. But there are new bugs (for example, 0.48 under Vista does not obey some hotkeys). So, calmly work on the version that is at your disposal; with the next upgrade you will not lag behind life at all.

Structure of the Inkscape 0.46 program window

When you launch Inkscape for the first time, you will see a single window in front of you. But there is so much crammed into the frame of this window that it can take a long time to sort it out. Figure 1 will help with this.

Rice. 1. Structure of the program window.

Let's start in numerical order:

1. Menu bar As in any program, everything is clear here.

2. Command bar. All commands in this panel are available from various menus. So this panel can be safely removed if you need a larger window.

3. Current tool settings panel. When a certain tool is selected (in Figure 1 this is the tool Selecting and transforming objects(arrow), then on Current tool settings panels its settings appear. At the end of the panel there is a black triangle, which means that not all settings fit in the window. By clicking on it, you can view the missing settings.

4. Toolbar. Contains thumbnails of 17 tools with which vector graphics are created. Any tool can also be called by pressing hot keys. A tooltip appears when you hover the mouse pointer. Right-clicking on an instrument opens its global settings window.

Panels 2,3 and 4 can be dragged with the mouse using the stripes, which I colored blue in Figure 1.

5. Palette. The color can be dragged with the mouse Palettes on an object, changing it Filling. To change color Stroke, you need to hold down the key while dragging SHIFT. The current color of some instruments can be set by clicking on the corresponding color Palettes. At the right end of the palette there is a small triangular switch (it was not included in the screenshot). When you click on it, the palette settings menu opens. Can be customized appearance palettes, and choose from a variety of preset palettes. If all the colors do not fit in the window, then under Palette A scroll bar appears.

6. Status bar. Contains five areas :

7. Fill and Stroke indicator of the selected object. When there is a selected object in the window, Indicator is painted in the colors of its fill and stroke. Left clicking on a color opens a window Fill and Stroke, which is used to configure these parameters. When you right click, a menu appears with useful options, allowing you to sometimes do without opening a window Fill and Stroke.

8. Layer information section. If there are few layers, then you can get by with this section without opening a special window Layers.

9. Notification section. Issues useful messages about current actions. You need to get into the habit of looking at this section, especially when using an unfamiliar tool or something is not working. If the entire message does not fit in the sections, then when you hover the mouse pointer, the entire text appears.

10. Mouse pointer coordinates.

11. Current scale indicator. You can enter the desired scale by hand and press ENTER, or you can use the arrows.

The working area of the Inkscape program window is called Canvas. There are rulers at the top and left of the canvas. When you hover your mouse over the ruler, a hint pops up indicating in what units it is graduated (by default - in pixels). Rulers can be dragged with the mouse to form Guides.

In the middle of the canvas you can see the frame of the new Documenta. Sometimes Document also called Page. If the linear dimensions of the document need to be changed, then you should go to the menu File -> Document Properties.

You can draw anywhere on the canvas, even outside the document frame.

Dialog boxes

Some menus open dialog boxes, e.g. Fill and Stroke, Layers, Transformations and others. In Inkscape 0.46, these windows are docked to the right "frame" of the program window by default. In addition, they can be fastened together. This can be inconvenient, as it greatly reduces the size of the window's working area. You can move these windows with the mouse and move them outside the program window. To globally disable the pinning feature dialog boxes, you need to go to the menu File -> Customize Inkscape -> Windows -> Dialog Behavior.

Features of version 0.48

IN new version the most noticeable difference is the additional Sticky Panel, which is mounted in the right “frame” of the program window (Figure 2).

Rice. 2. Adhesion panel (shown by arrow).

In version 0.46 Adhesion regulated by settings in Document Properties.

Having become familiar with the structure and parts of the workspace, we will begin to use them in the next chapter. In this case, we will use the “immersion” method, that is, we will immediately begin creating vector images.