Inkscape - Free, cross-platform design software

What is Inkscape?

Inkscape is a free graphics editor that you can use for both personal and professional purposes. Inkscape has a full design toolset that allows you to work with scalable vector graphics called SVG . It also allows you to work with raster images.

Is Inkscape free?

Inkscape is open source and free. If you want to become an Inkscape contributor, you can contribute to the source code with new developments or donate money to the team. Inkscape is available for download on Apple macOS, Linux, and Microsoft Windows PC, however, Inkscape warns that the user experience on Mac is not the best.

Is Inkscape good for beginners?

Inkscape is ideal for beginners because of its clean and easy-to-use user interface. In case you want step-by-step instructions instead of experimenting, you can find tutorials on YouTube, along with written content in the FAQ and forums.

The user interface is interactive as the main menu changes depending on the tool you select from the vertical toolbar on the left. Color is important to the design process, which Inkscape respects by keeping a color palette always available for use at the bottom of the screen.

The Fill and Stroke tools allow you to enter HEX codes to select specific color tones for your design. The gradient option allows you to fill objects on the virtual canvas with a color transition that fades two or more colors into each other. The selection tool is represented by a cursor icon on the toolbar and is probably the option you will use most often.

The mouse tool lets you select a single item by simply touching the element, or multiple objects by dragging and dropping a marquee around the pieces. You can move, rotate, scale, and chain elements by dragging edges and nodes around on the canvas. The button below the selection tool lets you edit paths to change the appearance of the shape.

Objects will have coordinates called nodes that you can slide around the screen to change the structure of the shapes. You can add and remove nodes to further transform the design. Nodes will have handles attached to them. You can use them with your cursor to fine-tune the adjustments.

Is Inkscape difficult to get used to?

Whether you want to learn by trial and error or follow a tutorial, Inkscape is easy to use. A range of shape tools are available in the toolbar to let you quickly create squares, rectangles, circles, ellipses, stars and polygons, along with abstract shapes like 3D boxes and even spirals.

Inkscape includes a Bezier pen that allows you to draw custom shapes and lines. The work you do with the Bezier pen will consist of nodes and lines that you can go back to for further adjustments. In cases where you want more structure, the Bezier pen allows you to force parallel lines, curved edges, etc.

The Freehand tool allows you to draw continuous lines without nodes. Inkscape will automatically smooth out your drawing after you finish using the Freehand pen. You can create classic brushstrokes with calligraphy pens that range from thicker to thinner. Inkscape even has an impressive text tool that lets you write and manipulate vector text.

The color picker tool allows you to sample colors from a vector or raster image. You can click and drag across the image to create intermediate colors of the colors in the selected area. A small preview of the current color you are creating in the color picker will appear next to the cursor. The fill tool allows you to fill in closed areas.

If you want to work on multiple areas at once, you can use the refine tool to perform different operations on your selections. You can move the objects you touch with your cursor as you mark the area you want to work on with the refine tool. Additional actions you can perform with the refine tool include blurring, duplicating, recoloring, rotating, and scaling the affected items.

Other features

A tool that lets you imagine you have a spray can in your hand and instantly place a pre-selected shape on the canvas. This tool can create multiple objects at once. The eraser tool works like a drawing tool because the line you draw with the eraser tool is erased. While you can cut through vector graphics with the eraser tool, you cannot erase text with this tool.

The zoom tool is a handy feature that allows you to drag and drop a selection over your vector image to get a higher level of detail. You can zoom in on your vector image as much as you want without compromising the image resolution quality.

Comprehensive vector graphics editing software

Vector images are created from a series of equations that define properties, unlike raster images which are created from pixels. Inkscape is primarily designed for use with vector images, but you can still work with raster images within the software. It is a powerful application for creating logos as you have a full suite of basic and advanced tools.

The software is updated consistently and regularly by the developer community. You can visit the official website to read about the latest software updates.

Advantage

1. Easy to use
2. Open source
3. Cross-platform
4. Clean user interface
5. Complete toolkit

Disadvantages

1. Mac version is not the best choice

Lesley Montoya

Update 17 June 2025