Vector graphics are becoming more and more popular and in demand on the market every year. But advanced editors cost a lot of money. One of the most successful vector editors that you can download absolutely free is Inkscape. Let's get to know it better.

What is this program

Inkscape is a tool for editing complicated graphics (illustrations, diagrams, line drawings, logos and complex drawings), available for Windows. As a result, the Inkscape program can display primitive vector shapes (such as rectangles, ellipses, polygons, arcs, spirals, stars, and isometric rectangles), text and areas containing bitmap graphics.

It supports image tracing, allowing the editor to create vector graphics from photographs and other raster sources. Created shapes can be subjected to further transformations, such as moving, rotation, scaling, and tilting.

Program features

Inkscape for Windows offers several useful functions for editing vector graphics. Here is a list of them:

• object creating tools: «Pencil», «Shape», «Text» and many others;

• object manipulation: transformation, grouping of objects, layers, etc.;

• alignment and distribution: color selection, gradient editor, dashed strokes, etc.;

• text support: multiline text, kerning, outline text, alpha transparency;

• support for different file formats: SVG, XML, PNG, PDF, EPS, PostScript, etc..

What makes this program so good

Inkscape is a powerful and convenient tool for creating artistic and technical illustrations in the vector graphics format which is fully compatible with XML, SVG and CSS standards. The editor features a wide range of tools for working with colors and styles (color selection, color copying, copy/paste style, gradient editor, path markers).

Inkscape supports all major SVG features: paths, text, markers, clones, alpha channels, transformations, gradients, textures and grouping. Inkscape also supports Creative Commons metadata, node editing, layers, complicated path manipulation, raster vectorization, text editing directly on images, and text wrapped in a shape.

What is this editor usually used for?

Most often, Inkscape is used for:

• high-quality printing and creating posters, business cards, logos;

• creating technical illustrations;

• web graphics (such as making banners, application icons, and website buttons), also used in game graphics.

• The ability to scale an image without loss of quality is a feature of vector graphics that is used by many designers in their work.