Inkscape is a free and open source vector graphics editor app available for Ubuntu and other Linux distributions. If you are a web designer, illustrator or someone who just want to create some vector graphics drawing, Inkscape is for you.
Table of Contents
Inkscape Feature Summary
Object creation
- Drawing: pencil tool (freehand drawing with simple paths), pen tool (creating Bézier curves and straight lines), calligraphy tool (freehand drawing using filled paths representing calligraphic strokes)
- Shape tools: rectangles (may have rounded corners), ellipses (includes circles, arcs, segments), stars/polygons (can be rounded and/or randomized), spirals
- Text tool (multi-line text, full on-canvas editing)
- Embedded bitmaps (with a command to create and embed bitmaps of selected objects)
- Clones (“live” linked copies of objects), including a tool to create patterns and arrangements of clones
Object manipulation
- Transformations (moving, scaling, rotating, skewing), both interactively and by specifying exact numeric values
- Z-order operations (raising and lowering)
- Grouping objects (“select in group” without ungrouping, or “enter the group” making it a temporary layer)
- Layers (lock and/or hide individual layers, rearrange them, etc; layers can form a hierarchical tree)
- Alignment and distribution commands
Fill and stroke
- Color selector (RGB, HSL, CMYK, color wheel, CMS)
- Color picker tool
- Copy/paste style
- A gradient editor capable of multi-stop gradients
- Pattern fills (bitmap/vectors)
- Dashed strokes, with many predefined dash patterns
- Path markers (ending, middle and/or beginning marks, e.g. arrowheads)
Operations on paths
- Node editing: moving nodes and Bezier handles, node alignment and distribution, etc.
- Converting to path (for text objects or shapes), including converting stroke to path
- Boolean operations
- Path simplification, with variable threshold
- Path insetting and outsetting, including dynamic and linked offset objects
- Bitmap tracing (both color and monochrome paths)
Text support
- Multi-line text
- Uses any installed outline fonts, including right-to-left scripts
- Kerning, letterspacing, linespacing adjustments
- Text on path (both text and path remain editable)
- Text in shape (fill shape following stroke)
Rendering
- Fully anti-aliased display
- Alpha transparency support for display and PNG export
- Complete “as you drag” rendering of objects during interactive transformations
Misc
- Live watching and editing the document tree in the XML editor
- PNG, OpenDocument Drawing, DXF, sk1, PDF, EPS and PostScript export formats and more
- Command line options for export and conversions
- Perfectly compliant SVG format file generation and editing
Feature Credits: inkscape.org
How to Install Inkscape
Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, elementary
Installation via Terminal
sudo apt-get install inkscape
Run
- Type Inkscape in dash. Click the launcher icon.
- For Gnome, go to Applications -> Graphics -> Inkscape

Links
- Website: inkscape.org
- Download for other Linux distributions: download
- Source: Download
- ppa: inkscape.dev
- Tutorials for learning: tutorials
Troubleshooting and Support
If you face any issues while installing or using Inkscape, you may drop a note using comment section at the end of this article, Or you can post your query in any of the support channels mentioned below.
- Generic Ubuntu Forum: Ask Ubuntu
How to Uninstall/Remove Inkscape
Via Terminal
sudo apt-get remove inkscape
Image Credits
Inkscape