Vector graphics program in Russian. The Right Vector: Free Vector Graphics Tools

Computer graphics is a very broad concept. Someone will think of three-dimensional masterpieces from Pixar and Dreamworks at the mention of this term, others will think about digital photography, others will decide that we are talking about registration computer games... But there will certainly be a lot of those who will associate this phrase with vector graphics. Despite the extraordinary popularity of vector graphics, many users are completely unfamiliar with the feature of vector graphics. What is behind the words "vector graphics" and why is it so in demand?

A common bitmap is an array of points. This array can be rendered with maximum accuracy or approximate. In the first case, the bitmap information is transferred without loss, but it takes up a lot of memory. In the second case, the graphic image can be transmitted with conditional precision. This suggests a direct analogy with sound, which is compressed “without tangible loss” into MP3 format. For graphics, a similar format is JPG. With a moderate and not very high compression ratio, the original array of points is quite guessed. Algorithms for rendering bitmap graphics may differ, but their essence is the same - the picture is rigidly bound to the pixel matrix.

A completely different approach is used to render a vector image. Each vector drawing is created using geometric shapes and curves. The use of mathematics when describing a picture gives a huge advantage: when scaling vector elements, the original picture does not lose any quality. The bitmap image behaves differently when resizing - the lines of objects in the image when enlarged become overgrown with a noticeable "comb". These artifacts are present in the image initially, since a bitmap a priori cannot contain continuous elements - lines, geometric shapes, and so on. All this in a raster looks like a matrix of pixels, which is more noticeable the more the raster image is enlarged.

Vector formats are not without drawbacks. The need to use simple elements to construct a picture often becomes a serious obstacle to the interpretation of a complex picture. For example, it is extremely difficult to convert an ordinary landscape photo into vector format, since there are many objects on it and their geometry is very complex.

In industrial printing, vector formats look equally good for printing images of all sizes - large and small. Raster images, when enlarged, not only turn into a mosaic, but may also contain compression artifacts. In addition, vector formats are convenient to use in programming, since they are easily described by mathematical expressions.

Professional designers use years-proven tools to create vector graphics, such as Adobe illustrator and CorelDraw. But for the hobbyist who needs to quickly create a logo to print on a T-shirt or technical illustration, there is no need to resort to such cumbersome and expensive applications. You can get by with free and sometimes even online tools. With their help, you can convert a raster image into a vector one, make a sketch of a simple design, generate a guilloche pattern, and so on.

⇡ "Google Pictures" is the easiest vector editor to always have at hand

The most famous, simple and affordable online vector editor is Drawings in the Google Drive service. This web application is part of Google's online office and is more focused on joint work and adding graphic elements to office documents other than vector graphics. However, there are still some basic tools for working with it.

Using the Pictures web application, you can create various shapes, arrows, leaders, graphic formulas, add straight lines, curves, polylines, arrows, and scribbles. It is also possible to add text elements, import raster images. Vector images can be imported, but not edited (only preview is available).

⇡ Autotracer - free bitmap to vector converter

When it comes to complex vector drawings, sometimes it is easier not to create them from scratch, but to vectorize a bitmap, that is, convert it to a vector format. This process is also called tracing.

Almost any vector editor has tools to do it, but vectorizing can be made even easier with online tools. You can find more than one web service that offers similar services. For example, the free resource Autotracer is very convenient to use. It can be used to convert PNG, BMP, JPEG and GIF files to vector format and save to SVG, EPS, PDF, DXF format.

The service is completely free, but there is one limitation: the size source file should not exceed one megabyte. Before converting, you can set some settings: determine the number of colors that will be left on the bitmap before vectorization, as well as get rid of noise, specify in which cases the lines will be taken as curves. The process itself is very fast, so if the quality of the final image is not suitable, you can always experiment with the settings and try again.

⇡ Vector Paint is a vector editor in Chrome that can work without a browser

Vector Paint is a web application for Google chromecreated in HTML5, but it can work without a browser. It belongs to a new generation of applications, presented in early September this year. You can run such applications directly from the desktop - open browseras well as access to the Internet, you do not need to use them.

Vector Paint contains a fairly large collection of various preset shapes that can be used in projects: there are clocks, clouds, arrows, animals, notes, and much more. Shapes can also be created manually, using straight and broken lines, a tool for drawing freeform shapes, a rectangle, an ellipse. For each element, you can choose a color, thickness and type of stroke, as well as a fill color, make it partially transparent, add one of the many effects (distortion, shadows, textures, pseudo-3D, etc.). There are also tools for managing elements in the project: they can be moved to the front or brought back. For more accurate placement of elements, there are numerous alignment tools, you can also turn on the display of the ruler.

By default, work is carried out on one layer, but if necessary, you can add the ability to work with several layers. This feature is implemented as an add-on. To install it, you do not need to download anything, you just need to select the plugin in the menu of the same name. Working with layers includes the ability to combine selected layers, hide some of them, transfer selected elements to a separate layer.

Vector Paint provides other add-ons that can be easily added to the application. These are advanced features for working with text (additional fonts, setting spacing, individual elements of inscriptions), adding markers, using images to create repeating patterns on forms. Additional stroke and fill options are also included from the Plugins menu.

Finished projects are saved in SVG format, and can also be exported to PNG and JPEG.

⇡ SVG-Edit - online vector editor

SVG-Edit is a JavaScript-based vector editor that can run in any browser. It can be used as an online service (in this case, the demo address is used for access), as well as a web application (in this case, you need to download the archive with SVG-Edit files, unpack it and run the application file in any browser).

SVG-Edit fully works with SVG files, making it possible to both save projects in this format, and open such files and make changes to them. In addition, the SVG file can be imported into the project as a separate element.

To create vector graphics elements in SVG-Edit, you can use broken lines, rectangles, squares, ellipses, circles, polygons, outlines, text. It is possible to fill elements with color, as well as use gradients, including radial ones. Supports working with layers, displaying a grid and displaying elements in a wireframe. There are tools for changing the arrangement of elements (above, below), for quickly cloning selected vector shapes, for grouping them. Many commands are available from the context menu (as in conventional desktop editors). A lot of attention has been paid to the tools for aligning on the canvas: you can align elements in relation to the selected objects, to the largest or to the smallest object.

The program has a large library of ready-made shapes (the same one used in Vector Paint), but, in addition, access to a huge free library IAN Image Library vector graphics elements. Registration is required to work with it, but then you can view collections of vector graphics samples directly from the editor and immediately add them to the current or new project.

⇡ Chittram - simple online editor

Chittram is another vector editor that can work like a web application. Unlike SVG-Edit, it is implemented as a full-fledged online service with the ability to save projects on the server. To view and edit previously created projects, use account Google.

Chittram's capabilities are more modest than SVG-Edit, but this editor will certainly seem more friendly for novice users. The application has the ability to use a bitmap as a background, but select a picture with hard disk it is impossible - just provide a link to the file. There is no import of local vector images either, but you can add files from the gallery of web service users to the project and edit them. The site has implemented a search in the gallery by keywordsand also by labels.

To create your own projects, you can use the standard set of tools: straight lines, curves, Bezier curves, polygons, circles, ovals, rectangles and squares. Text creation is also available. For each element it is possible to set the size of the stroke, fill color, color and direction of the gradient, percentage of transparency. For more accurate drawing, you can use a grid for which the size of the cell is adjusted. You can also control the canvas size and orientation.

If the project uses several forms, it is convenient to display a panel that contains a list of all elements. It serves to rename and fast selection objects. The same panel is used for working with layers.

⇡ Inkscape is a complete alternative to commercial packages

Inkscape vector editor has a lot of advantages. First, it is cross-platform (it can run on Windows, Linux, Mac). Second, it supports a wide variety of popular vector formats, including SVG, SVGZ, EMF, DXF, EPS, PostScript, WMF, and more.

The editor also has standard tools for any vector editor for creating graphics: shapes, curves, text, fill, full support for layers. Inkscape gives you the ability to perform various actions with paths, make strokes, and apply boolean operations (combine, intersect, exclude one from the other, and so on). The user has a large library of filters and a special editor, with which you can create your own effects. The program provides support graphic tablets, thanks to which you can draw manually in it, controlling the tilt and pressure of the pen.

It is worth paying attention to the built-in tools for vectorizing raster images. To ensure that important objects in the foreground are taken into account when tracing photographs, the SIOX (Simple Interactive Object Extraction) algorithm is used to help determine such objects automatically.

⇡ ZebraTRACE - free guilloche creation

Any banknotes, as well as documents of state importance (diplomas, certificates, certificates, etc.) are easy to recognize at a glance. Subtle repeating patterns that run throughout the main drawing give this “recognizability” to the document design. Such lines are called guilloche.

Guilloches can be drawn by hand in a vector editor, but without special additions and skills in creating such patterns, this process can be delayed. The free ZebraTRACE utility helps you with these tasks.

This program traces the images and aligns them with the guilloche pattern. ZebraTRACE uses parametric guilloche generation. Each type of pattern that you can create with the application is determined by a mathematical formula. So if there is a desire and free time for experiments, the user can get unique drawings.

It is very easy to create new guilloches. Try to make minor changes to the pattern generation formula, for example changing the coefficient from 2 to 3, and the pattern will change. For those who do not want to be creative with ZebraTRACE, the program includes a dozen presets with formulas that allow you to get the most common guilloches.

⇡ Conclusion

Free vector graphics tools aren't as common as you'd like, but they are. I am glad that with the development of the HTML5 standard and other web technologies, it has become possible use browser as a vector graphics editor - previously one could only dream of this. For simple projects, such tools save a lot of time, and if you use Inkscape, you can generally refuse to purchase a vector editor for design needs.

The most advanced graphics editors like Adobe's tools cost a lot of money. But there are free and quite decent alternatives, the capabilities of which will be enough for most. Creative Bloq's edition for photographers and designers has chosen The best free graphic design software the best among similar programs and services.

Free vector editors

Designed for creating and editing logos, interfaces and other scalable graphics.

Gravit Designer - formerly known as Gravit - is a fully featured vector editor. It is suitable for everything from interface and icon design to presentations, illustrations and animation.

The neat intuitive interface of Gravit Designer is customizable. The editor contains tons of tools for creating beautifully detailed vector images. These include non-destructive (undoable) Boolean functions, Knife and Path Graph tools, plus many fill and blend modes, and a powerful text engine.

If you need to access work on the go, the Gravit Cloud lets you return to your project on any device.

2. Vectr

• Platforms: web, Windows, macOS, Linux.

Vectr offers all the features you need to create vector graphics, plus many options for using filters, shadows, and. This is enough to handle most everyday design tasks. Co-authoring and syncing capabilities are especially useful, allowing you to work in tandem with others anytime, anywhere.

• Platforms: web.

If you need to quickly create or edit a simple SVG file, there are several that are as good as Adobe Illustrator for the task. Among the best of them is SVG-Edit.

This editor is entirely built in HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript and does not use servers to process data. SVG-Edit is open source. Therefore, if you wish, you can download it and modify it to create your own version of the editor.

SVG-Edit has all the basic vector editor tools. But only supports SVG format.

This powerful editor offers many tools and features that are often not available in other similar programs. These include alpha blending, object cloning, and markers.

Full support for a variety of color models makes Inkscape worthy of Adobe Illustrator for both web design and printing. With all the simplicity of the interface in this program, you can create incredibly complex work.

Features such as bitmap-to-vector conversion, variable-width strokes, and support for Illustrator files deserve special attention.

Free bitmap editors

Designed to create and edit any non-scalable drawings and photographs.

1. GIMP

• Platforms: Windows, macOS,.

Free open source graphics editor source code... The GIMP comes with a rich set of functions for painting, color grading, cloning, highlighting, enhancements, and more. The GIMP interface differs from the popular Photoshop, but you won't have to search for the right tools for a long time.

The GIMP team has taken care of compatibility, so you can work with all popular image formats without any problems. In addition, GIMP has built-in file manager, similar to Bridge from programs from Adobe.

• Platforms: Windows.

If you're on Windows and don't need as many tools as the GIMP, Photo Pos Pro might be your ideal editor. The latter was created with an eye to image editing and does an excellent job with typical tasks like adjusting contrast, lighting and saturation. But Photo Pos Pro is also suitable for more complex manipulations.

This program boasts a very friendly interface and detailed help that helps beginners to understand. If you make Photo Pos Pro even more functional, there are many extensions and plugins at your service.

3. Krita

• Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux.

Another open source editor. Krita has been around since 1999 and has been constantly evolving to meet the needs of concept artists, illustrators, visual effects, paint and texture specialists.

The program includes a set of different brushes and supports many plugins: from advanced filters to auxiliary tools for working with perspective.

Among the most interesting features are brush stabilizers that smooth lines, loop mode for creating seamless patterns and textures, and a pop-up palette for quick choice colors.

4. Pixlr

• Platforms: web, iOS, Android.

Pixlr offers over 600 effects, overlays and frames. In this service, you can do everything that you can expect from: resize images, crop them, remove red eyes, whiten teeth and much more.

If you are familiar with Photoshop, you will get up to speed with Pixlr for the web very quickly. The interfaces of these editors are very similar.

• Platforms: Windows.

Paint.NET is an alternative to the Paint program built into all windows versions... But don't let the similarity of names confuse you: Paint.NET is a much more advanced and useful editor.

The development team is focusing on ease of use and is improving Paint.NET's image editing features rather than graphics design capabilities. However, Paint.NET allows you to manipulate perspective, manipulate pixels on the canvas, clone selected areas, and so on.

With support for layers, a wide range of selection tools and adjustments like brightness / contrast and curves, Paint.NET can be considered a worthy replacement for Photoshop.

• Platforms: web.

Sumo Paint works fast on the web and copes with tasks like desktop editors. But to run it you need Adobe Flash Player. So Sumo Paint is not for iOS devices.

Sumo Paint's arsenal of settings and features includes pencils, brushes, text, gradients, clones, shapes and more. All this is always in sight on a floating panel like the one you might have seen in.

Free 3D graphics editors

Designed to work with 3D models, effects and animations.

• Platforms: web.

SketchUp Free is the ideal entry point into the world of 3D graphics. This editor friendly introduces the newbie up to date and forgives him all the mistakes. You can start by simply drawing lines and shapes, and then convert them to 3D objects.

If you need inspiration, you can download models of various objects from the 3D Warehouse library for free using the search form on the SketchUp website.

• Platforms: Windows, macOS.

With the help of Daz Studio, you can customize, move in space and various 3D objects such as people, animals, objects.

You can create unique characters, worlds, various design elements, and more. But Daz Studio lacks the modeling and texturing capabilities available in the paid alternatives. For a detailed table comparing editors, see the project website.

• Platforms: Windows, macOS.

Hexagon is a free 3D modeling tool. It has everything you need to create detailed models ready for final rendering.

Among the tools and functions of the program, you will find the ability to quickly import from Daz Studio, presets for various objects, brushes for manual modeling, UV-mapping (applying flat textures to a three-dimensional object), advanced painting tools and instant ambient occlusion.

Daz Studio and Hexagon are created by one developer and complement each other. Together they make up a complete free kit for working with 3D graphics.

• Platforms: Windows, macOS,.

Blender is advanced free editor Open source 3D graphics available for all major platforms.

Blender is constantly being developed by the developers. It supports all possible 3D graphics operations: it allows you to model, texture, animate, render and compose.

• Platforms: Windows, macOS.

If you are interested in the art of digital sculpture, try Sculptris from Pixologic. It works equally well for any skill level. Newbies get a good starter tool, and experienced digital artists get a platform for quickly and easily implementing ideas.

Sculptris is based on the same developer's ZBrush editor - the most popular digital sculpting application. When you're ready to take it to the next level, you can easily switch to ZBrush.

• Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux.

Houdini is a tool for working with 3D animation and visual effects, which is often used when working on films, TV shows and other media content.

The cost of an editor starts at $ 2,000. But the developers of the program - Side Effects Software - allow you to use the Houdini Apprentice version for free. Thanks to her, you can access all the functions of the full version and hone your skills on personal projects... Only Houdini Apprentice is intended solely for non-commercial and educational purposes.

Vector graphics processing programs are softwarethat works in the relevant field computer technology... It is known that there are two types of graphics - vector and raster. Distinctive feature vector graphics is that when scaling it does not waste memory.

Modern computer graphics

Vector graphics are now becoming much preferred over raster graphics in many applications. After all, high quality graphics regardless of size is just a dream. Of course, working with vector graphics requires more detail if you need a large image. But in the end, the result is simply amazing. The final file i.e. the illustration itself, and not the source code in the program, ultimately still turns out to be raster, since devices still do not know how to read vector images, only through the applications with which they were created.

One of the most popular software products created for working with vector graphics is the CorelDraw program. This program is a prime example of a tool for working with vector graphics. Corel Draw has enough tools to create images of any size without losing quality. Very often this program is opposed to Photoshop. Corel Draw vector graphics software is commonly used to create emblems and logos. It can help you create ideas for your trademarks. It is also perfect for magazine and book layout. The main advantage of this program is the ability to change the shape and size of images.

Adobe illustrator

Another program commonly used to process vector images is Adobe Illustrator. This program is mainly used by artists, both amateurs and professionals. Unlike CorelDraw, which creates logos that need scaling, in Adobe Illustrator, you can create full-scale detailed images. Many specialists in the field of computer graphics.

This product from Adobe provides users with a lot of possibilities in the field of design and video editing. This program allows you to create 3D special effects and special effects in real time. The sheer number of drawing tools makes Adobe Illustrator a powerful enough environment for vector graphics processing. It is not for nothing that this program has not lost its relevance for many years.

Free analogues

The two software products discussed above confirm the well-known truth that you have to pay for everything. Officially, Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw cost a lot. You can, of course, find a pirated version, a portable version or a repack that you can use for free. But all this will no longer be original. So it's time to remember about free analogues.

Inkscape program

Inkscape is a complete professional vector graphics tool. Not only the program itself is available, but also its source code. As you know, this is a clear sign Linux programs... Recently, Windows versions of such programs have been gaining market share. They differ in ease of use and high quality. Inkscape meets all the expectations of the designers. In the arsenal of the program there is a wide selection of different drawing tools, excellent work with colors and powerful tracing. The program, among other things, supports the most common image formats. Also, when it comes to free analogs of software for working with vector graphics, Inkscape is the first thing to remember. This program can be safely put on a par with Adobe Illustrator. In terms of system load and cost, Inkscape can even beat Illustrator by a couple of points.

Creature house expression

This software is more suitable for professionals. Experts are happy to use it in their work. The history of the Creature House Expression program is divided into two periods. For the first time, Creature House Expression declared itself as innovative software... The thing is that one of the disadvantages of vector graphics is the difficulty of obtaining a "realistic" image. Raster graphics do this much better, take photographs for example. Creature House Expression has tried to correct this flaw with great success. The set of brushes in this program turned out to be quite impressive. As a result, it turned out that the vector can be drawn as if it were not at all vector image... The pictures are very realistic. In 2003, the company that developed Creature House Expression was acquired by Microsoft. The program received a new name. But you can still download the original free version of this software product from the official website of the current manufacturer-owner.

Microsoft Expression Design

This is how the program considered in the previous paragraph is now called. This version also distributed free of charge, but only for students. To get the right to use the program free of charge, you must send a special request to confirm your status. The response to the request comes very quickly. Microsoft program Expression Design has deviated from its origins a bit. As mentioned earlier, now it is more suited to the standards of a vector graphics editor. However, the program still has a fairly large set of functions. The entire toolkit of the program satisfies the requirements of a web designer or illustrator.

Aviary raven

This program is also an attractive tool for working with vector graphics because there is no need for payment and installation. Aviary Raven works online. Despite this, the program is by no means primitive. It is enough to go through the registration procedure, and you can save your masterpieces on your account and export them wherever you go. To develop masterpieces of computer graphics, Aviary Raven provides the user with a wide range of different options and tools. Of course, this is not a full-fledged vector editor, but it is close to it. It is very convenient to use this tool if, for some reason, it is not possible to install the vector editor on your computer. An Aviary Raven account will allow the user to access their work from any personal computer, no matter how far from the workplace he is.

Inkscape is an editor that is used to work with vector graphics. In terms of functionality, Inkscape is similar to CorelDRAW and Adobe Illustrator. The program allows you to create illustrations, logos, maps, diagrams, web graphics. Inkscape is capable of creating both technical documentation and artwork. The vector graphics created using the utility fully comply with modern standards. The program is able to trace bitmap images, and add graphic images to projects in all popular formats. You can download Inkscape for free right now, on this site.

In addition to working with vectors, the utility allows you to create both simple and complex designs using gradient and patterned fills, as well as group and distribute objects. Also, when working with the program, you can edit metadata, view the created objects in full screen mode, apply guides, grids, filters while creating layouts. It is possible to apply effects such as blur, texture, shadow, distortion, etc.

Unlike other similar software, the utility's interface is distinguished by its simplicity. For the convenience of users, support for "hot" keys is provided: with just one click, you can set the mouse sensitivity, start checking text or change appearance interface, as well as configure other parameters. Many people find it convenient to use software in Russian: the Inkscape interface allows you to install, in addition to English and Russian, many other languages.

Main advantages of Inkscape

• The presence of "hot" keys.
• Import and export of files in many well-known formats.
• A large number of tools.
• Possibility of fine tuning.
• Ability to work with SVG format.

The Inkscape editor differs from similar programs in its flexibility and wide capabilities. So, the utility has a large set of various tools for working with styles and colors - copying and choosing colors, outline markers. The functionality of the program has tools such as "gradient", "eyedropper" and many others.

Probably many people know the program CorelDRAW, which is a vector graphics editor. I use a vector graphics editor in almost everything, since it is quite convenient to work in it, and probably primarily because I prefer vector graphics. Of course, you can talk a lot about the advantages of vector graphics over raster graphics, but this is a separate topic for conversation. I will just say that vector graphics attract me by the fact that when increasing the image quality does not deteriorate, which gives many advantages over raster graphics. And the editors of vector graphics are liked by the fact that without special knowledge and skills in drawing, you can create something beautiful and ingenious. Naturally, many can say that you can create masterpieces in raster graphics editors. Basically, the decision about which editor to use depends largely on the task at hand, and on the tastes of the person who will solve this or that task. I have been using the vector graphics editor for a long time to solve most of the tasks, for example, such as: creating diagrams, block diagrams, logos, diagrams, etc. And when switching to licensed and free software, I began to look for a replacement suitable for functionality CorelDRAW... The main search criteria were free of charge, usability, interface similarity. And I didn't have to search for a long time, although there are quite a lot of free vector graphics editors. The first to like and match the search criteria was a free vector graphics editor Inkscape, which I actually try to tell you about today.

Inkscape - cross-platform, powerful enough and in many respects competitive free open source vector graphics editor, and in which the SVG format is used as the main standard for work.

Program Inkscape updated and updated with new features every year. Developers often fix bugs and shortcomings. And the program Inkscape every year it improves so much that it seems to me that in a few years it will become a powerful free competitor CorelDRAW... Of course to different features Inkscape you need to get used to, and the program has its own interface and functionality, albeit in many ways resembling the same CorelDRAW... And in general, you need to get used to the vector editor, so the differences with bitmap editors very large.
According to the developers, the main goal is to create a powerful tool, and most importantly, convenient for drawing, and fully compatible with the SVG, CSS, XML standards.

Key features of Inkscape

• the program is free and distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License
• cross-platform
• the program supports the following document formats: import - almost all popular and frequently used formats SVG, JPEG, GIF, BMP, EPS, PDF, PNG, ICO, and many additional, such as SVGZ, EMF, PostScript, AI, Dia, Sketch, TIFF , XPM, WMF, WPG, GGR, ANI, CUR, PCX, PNM, RAS, TGA, WBMP, XBM, XPM; export - basic PNG and SVG formats and many additional EPS, PostScript, PDF, Dia, AI, Sketch, POV-Ray, LaTeX, OpenDocument Draw, GPL, EMF, POV, DXF
• there is support for layers
• as in many programs, Inkscape supports keyboard shortcuts, which speeds up the development of a particular layout or drawing at times
• there are many built-in extensions, many of which allow you to automate this or that process, or simply allow you to draw a large amount of information
• extended status line, which contains a lot of useful information, namely - information about selected objects, tips for keyboard shortcuts
• Inkscape has an XML editor with an object tree associated with the workspace
• a very useful and frequently used feature by me is the ability to vectorize a bitmap
• it is possible to write your own extensions, and scripts in Perl, Python and Ruby
• the program is available in several languages, including Russian and Ukrainian

Of course, you cannot tell about all the advantages and features of the program for a short time, so I only talked about a few.
The main areas of application are:

• creation of logos, business cards, posters, illustrations for presentations
• technical diagrams, graphs, etc.
• web graphics - banners, site layouts, buttons for the site, logos, full site design

Most Inkscape I use when creating a website, whether it's a layout or a ready-made website design. But sometimes you have to rework some kind of logo, or create a database scheme. In general, there are a lot of areas of application for the program. Inkscape can for many tasks. And in order to find out what kind of program it is, it is better to install and try it in practice.

Installing Inkscape

For loading Inkscape, there are several variants of official versions: archive with source code - .gz, archive with source code - .bz2, Mac OS X - .dmg, Windows - installation package.exe, 7zip. Since I have Windows installed, I select the installation package in the .exe format accordingly. All other download variations are available on the page - http://inkscape.org/download/?lang\u003dru. In order to download version 0.48 in 7zip format, you need to go to the following address -. The file weighs about ~ 33MB, you can use the program to download it.

After downloading, you should have a file Inkscape-0.48.0-1.exe, after starting which a window for choosing a language will appear, the following languages \u200b\u200bare available to choose from: English, Indonesian, Russian, Ukrainian... We select the language we need and press the button OK... (in my case it is English)

Then a welcome window will appear, in which you need to click the button Next\u003e.

In the next window, the text of the license is given, read and press the button Next\u003e.

In the next window, you need to select those components that you want to be installed with the program. There are two prerequisites here that need to be installed:

• Inkscape SVG editor (required),
• GTK + runtime (required).

You can also select additional components for installation:

• For all users(if you check the box, the program will be installed for all computer users),
• Labels(here you can select the places where the shortcut for the program will be installed - Desktop, Panel quick launch, Open SVG files in Inkscape (the SVG files will be associated with the program), Context Menu),
• Delete personal settings(if you have already installed inkscape program then clicking the checkbox here will delete all saved settings),
• Additional files(if you check this box, Examples and Tutorials will be set),
• Translations(here you can choose one or several translations, and a large number of languages \u200b\u200bare available for this, choose Russian (ru) or Ukrainian (uk)).

After you select all additional components, you need to click on the button Next\u003e.

In the next window there will be information about which directory to install Inkscape, default C: \\ Program Files \\ Inkscape, in order to select another directory, you need to press the button Overview …... Then press the button Install to proceed with the installation.

After that, the next window will be displayed in which the installation process itself will take place, you will need to wait about 2-3 minutes. In order to display detailed information about the installation, click on the button Details ...... After the word appears in the installation status bar Done, the button becomes active Next\u003e, which actually needs to be clicked.

And in the last window, which says that the program has been installed, you need to click the button Done... If you did not uncheck the box next to the inscription Launch Inkscape, then after pressing the button Done the program will start automatically.

If you have cleared the checkbox, then you can start the program using a shortcut, be it a shortcut on the desktop or in the Start menu.
After starting the program, the main program window will appear, which is actually the main area for work.

The program is not very difficult to use and you can study almost everything here yourself, because everything is in Russian, and in addition there are a number of examples and lessons that are installed along with the program.

Links

• http://inkscape.org - the official website of the program Inkscape

Speaking in general about the program, I can say that the program is not only easy to use, but, as I said above, it is convenient and multifunctional, and its capabilities will help to solve a large number of tasks. There is also the possibility of working with layers and gradients, and many other tools that are repeated in most graphic editors... As I said earlier in Inkscape, even a person who does not have artistic skills can draw. And vector graphics editors are somehow more pleasant to use than raster editors. In general, to understand what Inkscape is all about, you just need to install, run and try to do something.