Inkscape

There is much to like about the Inscape SVG editor, a tool that was first released to the public way back in December 2003. Among the things you will like is that the application is cross-platform, that it’s open source, and that it offers vector graphics editing functionality similar to the one you would get from big name, paid applications. What we have here is an open source graphics tool that’s worthy of consideration – it blends together a nice array of handy tools in a quite easy to use interface.

The Inkscape installation file for Windows is little over 34MB in size. Installing the application on your Windows-powered machine will take little time; it is a simple process through which you will be guided by a setup wizard. As mentioned above, Inkscape is cross-platform – Inkscape is also available for Mac OS X and Unix-like platforms.

The interface is typical of what you would expect from a graphics editor. The large pane in the middle is your working area, it shows the file you open so you can edit it, or the drawing you’ve started from scratch. All around, there are buttons and shortcuts for all the various functions Inkscape has to offer. Hover your mouse over them to see what they do, click them to try them out.

I will admit that the sort of functionality Inkscape has to offer could be a bit too much for a novice. The nice thing is that there’s plenty of help to turn to: there’s a detailed Inkscape manual included in the application, there are tutorials in the application and on the application’s official website, and there’s a handy FAQ section available online. On top of that, there are plenty of sites out there that publish tutorials on how to use Inkscape. So if you’re a novice and find it hard to get started with Inkscape, rest assured that there’s plenty of material to help you on your way.

If you have an image that you want to edit, you can easily do so with Inkscape. Open the image in the application, and then use its numerous editing functions to come up with whatever you want to come up with. You can use filters, rotate the image, add shapes, add text, adjust the colors, and more. Or if you have some skills under your belt, you can start from scratch and draw something interesting. Numerous advanced SVG features such as clones, alpha blending and markers are put at your disposal by Inkscape; use the myriad of tools Inkscape has to offer to create interesting graphics, icons, CD booklets, game maps, and a whole lot more. Examples of what you could come up with by using Inkscape are available on the application’s official website.

Inkscape is offered under a GNU Public License – the application is open source and free. You will not have to part with your money to enjoy all the graphics editing capabilities it has to offer. Cons:
None that I could think of.