Close
Enter your
text here
Inkscape tools and uses

All 21 Inkscape Tools and Uses Explained

All 21 Inkscape Tools and Uses Explained 800 470 Nick Saporito

In this post I’ll be explaining all 21 Inkscape tools and uses, along with a brief demonstration of how they work. Inkscape is an open source vector graphics application similar to Adobe Illustrator. It has much more to offer than just the 21 tools located in its toolbar, but this guide should serve as a good starting point for understanding the basics of Inkscape if you’re new to the software.

Inkscape Tools and Uses
Select and Transform

The Select tool allows you to activate, move, rotate, shear, and scale single or multiple objects at a time.

Edit Paths By Nodes

The Edit Paths By Nodes tool allows you to alter the properties of a vector object relative to its coordinates on the X and Y axis. Editable properties include nodes (or coordinate points of an object) and lines.

Tweak Objects

The Tweak Objects tool allows you to make compound alterations to multiple objects, paths, and colors at a time. Alterations include moving multiple objects at once, shrinking, rotating, or duplicating them. It also allows you to make adjustments based on colors and blurs.

Zoom

The Zoom tool allows you to increase or decrease your view of the canvas. You can zoom in to see fine details, zoom out to get a more complete view of the canvas, or set the view ratio to 1:1 in order to see how the canvas looks at full size.

Measurement

The Measurement tool allows you to assess the length, width, height, radius, or diameter of specific objects in the following units of measurement: px, mm, pc, pt, in, cm.

Squares and Rectangles

The Squares and Rectangles tool is used to create 4-sided vector objects, including squares and rectangles. The tool allows you to create rectangles with either perfect right angle corners or rounded corners to varying degrees.

3D Boxes

The 3D Boxes tool allows you to quickly create three-sided vector boxes that appear as if they’re three-dimensional. The X, Y, and Z axis can be adjusted indepently in order to determine the box’s width, height, and depth.

Circles, Ellipses, and Arcs

The Circles, Ellipses, and Arcs tool can be used to create vector objects with curved edges, including circles and ellipses. The tool also allows you to create partial ellipses in pie chart style.

Stars and Polygons

The Stars and Polygons tool allows you to create both stars and polygons. When creating stars, you’ll be able to determine the number of corners the star has, the spoke ratio between each star, and you can choose to give your star rounded corners as well. When creating polygons, you’ll be able to determine the number of sides/corners and you can choose to make them rounded if you’d like.

Spirals

The Spirals tool is used to create vector paths that follow a spiral trajectory. The tool allows you to adjust the number of turns the spiral has as well as its divergence from its center point.

Draw Freehand Lines

The Draw Freehand Lines tool is used to draw vector paths that follow the trajectory of your hand movement.

Bezier Pen

The Bezier Pen is used to create vector paths by creating a series of individual points known as nodes. The paths can have straight edges or curved edges.

Draw Calligraphic or Brush Strokes

The Draw Calligraphic or Brush Strokes tool allows you to create freehand vector objects using a classic brush stroke and shape of your choosing.

Text Objects

The Text Objects tool is used to create vector text and wording of your choosing. It allows you to flow your text into a bounding box, or simply generate it all on one line. You can also adjust the font, size, orientation, spacing between letters and words, as well as various other adjustments.

Spray Objects

The Spray Objects tool allows you to generate vector objects by spraying them onto the canvas based on a shape of your choosing.

Erase Existing Paths

The Erase tool is used to delete segments of vector paths in a freestyle technique that is based on the trajectory of your hand movement.

Fill Bounded Areas

The Fill Bounded Areas tool, commonly known as the bucket fill tool, allows you to fill empty spaces with a predetermined fill color. In order for the tool to work, the area you’re filling in must be completely surrounded by a closed path. It will not work on empty spaces that bleed out into the open canvas.

Create and Edit Gradients

The Create and Edit Gradients tool allows you to give vector objects multiple colors that fade into each other, otherwise known as gradients. The tool also allows you to edit the gradients based on colors used, number of colors, and the position of the colors relative to the object the gradient is being applied to. The gradients can follow either a linear (straight) or radial (rounded) path.

Meshes

The Meshes tool is used to give vector objects a gradient that follows a grid (mesh) or a cone shape (conical).

Pick Colors From Image

The Pick Colors From Image tool, commonly referred to as the dropper, allows you to set an object’s fill and stroke color based on another object’s color. The tool allows you to sample colors from both vector and raster images.

Diagram Connectors

The Diagram Connectors tool allows you to create diagrams by generating paths and boxes that link objects together.

The Select Tool

Watch the video below for a more in-dept explanation of the Select Tool, which is probably the tool you’ll be using more frequently than any other.

The video above is from my Inkscape Master Class — a series of 50+ videos where I go over every tool and feature in Inkscape and explain what it is and demonstrate how it works. If you’re looking for a more in-depth explanation of all Inkscape tools and uses, including every other feature and function Inkscape has to offer, then feel free to check it out! I’ll be there to help if you have any questions.

Nick Saporito

Hi, I'm Nickβ€” a Philadelphia-based graphic designer with over 10 years of experience. Each year millions of users learn how to use design software to express their creativity using my tutorials here and on YouTube.

All stories by: Nick Saporito
You might also like
29 comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.