Inkscape canrender primitive vector shapes (e.g.rectangles,ellipses,polygons, arcs,spirals, stars and 3D boxes) and text. These objects may be filled with solid colors, patterns, and radial or linearcolor gradients, and their borders may be stroked, both with adjustable transparency. Embedding and optionaltracing ofraster graphics is also supported, enabling the editor to create vector graphics from photos and other raster sources. Created shapes can be further manipulated withgeometric transformations, such as moving, rotating, scaling, and skewing.
Four former Sodipodidevelopers—Ted Gould, Bryce Harrington, Nathan Hurst, andMenTaLguY—led the fork, citing differences over project objectives, openness to third-party contributions, and technical disagreements. They said that Inkscape would focus development on implementing the complete SVG standard, whereas Sodipodi development emphasized developing a general-purpose vector graphics editor, possibly at the expense of SVG.[8]
Following the fork, Inkscape's developers changed the programming language fromC toC++; adopted theGTK toolkit C++ bindings (gtkmm); redesigned itsuser interface, and added a number of new features.[9] Inkscape fully implemented[10]SVG 1.1 standard in version 0.91. And it continues with implementation of still unfinished SVG 1.2 and SVG 2.0 standard features like Mesh Gradients. It also supports theCascading Style Sheets (CSS) standard and extends the format with its own features like node-types and live path effects.
Inkscape 0.48.2, showing a rectangle (selected with the select tool), an ellipse, a star and two text objects
Inkscape workflow is based on vector objects. Tools allow manipulating primitive vector shapes: simple ones like rectangles, ellipses, and arcs, and more complex ones like 3D boxes with adjustable perspectives, stars, polygons, and spirals. Rendering feature that can create objects likebarcodes, calendars, grids,gears, androulette curves (using thespirograph tool). These objects may be filled with solid colors, patterns, radial or linearcolor gradients and their borders may be stroked, both with adjustable transparency. All of those can be further edited by transformations, such as moving, rotating, scaling, and skewing, or by editing paths.
Other tools allow creatingBézier curves, freehand drawing of lines (pencil), or calligraphic (brush-like) strokes which support agraphics tablet.[14]
Inkscape can write and edit text with tools available for changing font, spacing, kerning, rotation, flowing along the path or into a shape. Text can be converted to paths for further editing. The program also has layers (and objects) feature that allows organizing objects in a preferred stacking order in the canvas. Objects can be made visible or invisible, and locked or unlocked, via these features.
Inkscape supportsimage tracing, the process of extracting vector graphics from raster sources.
Clones are child objects of an original parent object. Different transformations can be applied to them, such as: size, position, rotation, blur,opacity, color, and symmetry. Clones are updated live whenever the parent object changes.
Every object in the drawing can be subjected to arbitraryaffine transformations: moving, rotating, scaling, skewing, and a configurable matrix.[clarification needed] Transformation parameters can be specified numerically. Transformations can snap to angles, grids, guidelines and nodes of other objects, or be aligned in specified direction, spaced equally, scattered at random.
Objects can be grouped. Groups of objects behave similarly to objects. Objects in a group can be edited without having to ungroup them first.
TheZ-order determines the order in which objects are drawn on the canvas. Objects with a high Z-order are drawn on top of objects lower in the Z-order. Order of objects can be managed either using layers, or by manually moving the object up and down in the Z-order. Layers can be locked or hidden, preventing modification and accidental selection.
TheCreate Tiled Clones tool allows symmetrical or grid-like drawings using variousplane symmetries.
Appearance of objects can be further changed by usingmasks andclipping paths, which can be created from arbitrary objects, including groups.
The style attributes are 'attached' to the source object, so after cutting/copying an object onto the clipboard, the style's attributes can be pasted to another object.
Objects can also be moved by manually entering the location coordinates in the top toolbar. Even additions and subtractions can be done this way.
Inkscape has a comprehensive tool set to edit paths (as they are the basic element of a vector file):
Edit Path by Node tool: allows for the editing of single or multiple paths and or their associated node(s). There are four types of path nodes; Cusp (corner), Smooth, Symmetric, and Auto-Smooth. Editing is available for the positioning of nodes and their associated handles (angle and length) for Linear andBézier paths orSpiro curves. A path segment can also be adjusted. When multiple nodes are selected, they can be moved, scaled and rotated usingkeyboard shortcut or mouse controls.[16] More nodes can be inserted into paths at arbitrary or even placements, and an effect can be used to insert nodes at predefined intervals. When nodes are deleted, the handles on remaining ones are adjusted to preserve the original shape as closely as possible.
Tweak tool (sculpting/painting): provides whole object(s) or node editing regions (parts) of an object. It can push, repel/attract, randomize positioning, shrink/enlarge, rotate, copy/delete selected whole objects. With parts of a path you can push, shrink/enlarge, repel/attract, roughen edges, blur and color. Nodes are dynamically created and deleted when needed while using this tool, so it can also be used on simple paths without pre-processing.
Path-Offsets; Outset, Inset, Linked or Dynamic: can create a Linked or Dynamic (unlinked) Inset and or an Outset of an existing path which can then be fine tuned using the given Shape or Node tool. Creating a Linked Offset of a path will update whenever the original is modified. Making symmetrical (i.e., picture frame) graphics easier to edit.
Path-Conversion; Object to Path: conversions of Objects; Shapes (square, circle, etc.) or Text into paths.
Path-Conversion; Stroke to Path: conversions of the Stroke of a shape to a path.
Path-Simplify: a given path's node count will reduce while preserving the shape.
Path-Operations (Boolean operations): use of multiple objects to Union, Difference, Intersection, Exclusion, Division, and Cut Path.
Inkscape includes a feature calledLive Path Effects (LPE), which can apply various modifiers to a path. Envelope Deformation is available via the Path Effects and provides a perspective effect. There are more than a dozen of these live path effects. LPE can be stacked onto a single object and have interactive live on canvas and menu-based editing of the effects.
This article needs to beupdated. The reason given is: Inkscape supports more formats. Please help update this section to reflect recent events or newly available information.(January 2020)
Inkscape's primary format isSVG 1.1, meaning that it can create and edit with the abilities and within the constraints of this format. Any other format must either be imported (converted to SVG) or exported (converted from SVG). The SVG format is using the CSS standard internally. Inkscape's implementation of SVG and CSS standards is incomplete. Most notably, it does not supportanimation natively.[17] Inkscape has multilingual support, particularly forcomplex scripts. Formats that used the UniConvertor library are not supported beyond the 1.0 release. A workaround is to have a parallel installation of version 0.92.x.[18]
Command-line interface, exposes format conversion functions and full-featured GUI scripting
More than sixty interface languages
Extensible to new file formats, effects and other features
Mathematical diagramming, with various uses ofLaTeX[22]
Experimental support for scripting
lib2Geom is now also external usable. 2Geom is a computational geometry library, originally developed for Inkscape. While developed for Inkscape, it is a library that can be used from any application. It provides support for basic geometric algebra, paths, distortions, Boolean operations, plotting implicit functions,non-uniform rational B-spline (NURBS) and more. 2Geom is free software released under LGPL 2.1 or MPL 1.1.[23][24]
Ink/Stitch is an addon designed to add stitching tools formachine embroidery into Inkscape. Its available as an installable extension, but also as a custom Inkscape package.[25]
The latest version of Inkscape 1.0.x (and older line 0.92.x) is available forLinux,Windows 7+, andmacOS 10.11–10.15 platforms.[27] Inkscape is packaged with AppImage, Flatpak, PPA, Snap and source by all majorLinux distributions (includingDebian,Ubuntu,Fedora,OpenSUSE) with GTK+ 3.24+ (0.92.x with GTK+ 2.20+ for older Linux).[28][29]
As of 2017[update], Wacom tablet support for GTK 3 is in a reviving project. Version 1.0.x includes GTK 3 and Wacom support depending on the necessary Wacom Linux or Unix driver.[30][needs update]
An issue had affected all GTK3-based apps onmacOS Ventura (macOS 13), making the app unresponsive to certain mouse events.GTK is used by many different programs. GTK is afree and open-sourcecross-platform softwarewidget toolkit for creatinggraphical user interfaces (GUIs).[31] Inkscape 1.2.2 was also affected and the web site of Inkscape recommended not to install it on Ventura as long as a stable solution was not available.[32] These issues were fixed from version 1.3.
Most of the compatibility issues withApple silicon processors (M1, M2 and M3 families) appear to have also been resolved from version 1.3 and the macOS download site for Inkscape offers two options: the Intel version and the arm64 corresponding to the Apple Silicon M family.[33]
Docking user interface, Paint Bucket, Tweak and 3D Box tools, Live Path Effects, support for most SVG filters, the ability to open PDF files, import from theOpen Clip Art Library, and OpenType/PostScript and Type1 font support[49]
Unsupported: 0.47
24 November 2009
Eraser tool (can slice paths), timed autosave, spiro splines interface for paths, auto-smooth nodes for paths, spellchecker for the text tool, new path effects like "sketch" and "hatches", new Python extensions like "alphabet soup" and "convert toBraille", basic support forSVG fonts[50]
Unsupported: 0.48.x
23 August 2010; July 2014
Multipath node editing, improved text tool: subscript, superscript, numerical and preset inputs for text kerning, tracking and more text enhancements, new Airbrush (Spray) tool, LaTeX export with PDF, PS,EPS, JessyInk extension for creating presentations viewable in SVG-enabled web browsers[51][52][53][54][55][56]
Switched from libnr toCairo rendering library, which significantly improved rendering speed.[58] Refactoring; Measure tool, new import/export formats, grayscale mode, alignment modes, Symbol library and support for Visio stencils, Guides can have labels, variable width strokes (PowerStroke).[59][60]
Infrastructure Focus; Mesh gradients, new path effects, default resolution changed from 90 dpi to 96 dpi to match the CSS standard, options for switching OpenType font features,[62][63][64][65] last release 0.92.5, windows 7 Minimum for Windows since 0.92.4, 0.92.3 Vista and XP last version
Transition to GTK3 and Python 3, customizable themes, better HiDPI screen support, controllable width of PowerStroke with pressure sensitive graphics tablet, new PNG export options,variable font support.[67][68][69][70][71][72] Native support for MacOS 10.10–10.15 Catalina.[73][74] Experimental color-managed PDF export,[75] last release 1.0.2
Unsupported: 1.1.x
24 May 2021
Significant changes in core and GUI, only Python 3 extensions supported, improved live path effects (LPE),[76][77][78] last release 1.1.2
Unsupported: 1.2
16 May 2022
New Page tool for multiple pages, Layers and Objects dialog merged, improved gradient editor, ability to export to multiple formats, improved SVG Font Editor, new 'Tiling' Live Path effect, improved performance, bugfix and some changes in GUI, improved macOS integration.[79][80][81]
Maintenance and critical bug fix.[83] Last version to support Windows 7 and 8.
Unsupported: 1.3
23 July 2023
New tools for shape building, pattern editor, document resources, page margin and bleed; return of Search, opacity & blend modes in Layers & Objects dialog and of an optional persistent snap bar; improved canvas editing, XML Editor, welcome dialog, LPE, PDF import,[84] public beta available[85][86]
Unsupported: 1.3.1
18 November 2023
Maintenance and bugfix to dedicate to its 20th anniversary[87][88]
Unsupported: 1.3.2
26 November 2023
Fix data loss bugs from previous release, which affect saving stars, polygons, spirals and 3D boxes in SVG[89]
Unsupported: 1.4
13 October 2024
Filter gallery, modular grids, improvements to swatches dialog and palette file handling, unified font browser preview[90][91]
Unsupported: 1.4.1
Planned but not released due to significant late‑breaking bug with new features later folded into version1.4.2 [92][93]
Latest version:1.4.2
12 May 2025
Maintenance and bugfix release with some new minor features [92][94]
In its 2012 Best of Open Source Software Awards,InfoWorld gave Inkscape an award for being one of the best open-source desktop applications, commending its typographic controls and ability to directly edit the XML text of its documents.[95]
PC Magazine's February 2019 review gave the application three out of five stars; criticizing the interface graphics, the lack of optimization for stylus support, the application's poor interoperability with other graphics editors, unwieldy text formatting controls, and the quality of theMacOS version. However, the review did praise the ability to add custom filters, extensions, and the Inkscape community's passion for creating and sharing them. Further, the precision of both the path and placement tools was regarded positively. The review concluded that while Inkscape "boasts outstanding features and a passionate user base for a free program ... it's not suitable for busy professionals."[96]
In January 2020,TechRadar gave Inkscape a positive rating of four stars out of five. It lauded the wide range of editing tools and support for many file formats, but noted that the application's processing can be slow. It considered Inkscape to be a good free alternative to proprietary graphics editors such asAdobe Illustrator.[97] Similarly in July 2023, the Linux weekly newsletterIt's FOSS stated Inkscape has become a direct competitor to Adobe Illustrator after the 1.3 version release of Inkscape, which sought to improve efficiency through overhauled user workflows.[98]
^ab"FAQ".Inkscape.org. Retrieved5 May 2020.How did Inkscape start? […] Inkscape was started as a fork of Sodipodi, in late 2003, by four Sodipodi developers: Bryce Harrington, MenTaLguY, Nathan Hurst, and Ted Gould. Our mission was creating a fully compliant Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) drawing tool written in C++ with a new, more user friendly (GNOME Human Interface Guidelines (HIG) compliant) interface and an open, community-oriented development process.
Kirsanov, Dmitry (29 September 2009).The Book of Inkscape: The Definitive Guide to the Free Graphics Editor (1st ed.).No Starch Press. p. 476.ISBN978-1-59327-181-7.
