How to make Icons in Inkscape

Previous Page - Basics / Next Page - Fill and Stroke

Shapes

Using shapes effectively is the most important part of creating SVG characters.

Rectangles and Squares
Click on the square icon on the left to select the Create Rectangles and Squares tool. Or press F4. Then Click and drag to create your shape.

• To make a Square: Hold CTRL + Click & Drag
• To expand a Square or Rectangle from Centre: Hold Shift + Click & Drag.
• Rotate and Scew: Use the Select Tool click on your shape, then click it a 2nd time, and you will now have little arrows around your shape which you can use to scew and rotate your object.
  
• Fill colour: Click a colour from the colour chart at the bottom of your screen. You can change the colour of the object later by using the Select Tool to click your shape, and then click a different colour at the bottom of your screen.
• Stroke Colour: Hold Shift + Click a colour from the colour chart at the bottom of your screen. This will create an outline around your shape of your chosen colour. For advanced Stroke and Fill options Click here
• Round Edges: Double Click quickly on the shape and you get 2 white squares and 1 white circle on the corners of your shape. Click and Drag the White Circle down to round off the edges, and move back up to return the sharp angles to the shape.
  

Circles
Click on the Circle icon on the left to select the Create Circles, ellipses and arcs tool. Or press F5. Then Click and drag to create your shape. Most of the functions are the sames as detailed in Rectangles and Squares.

• Create Segment: Double Click quickly on the shape and you get 2 white squares and 1 white circle on your shape. Click and Drag the white circle, then while holding the mouse button down move the cursor outside the circle and around the shape. This will create a circle with segment missing, or a small segment of the original shape.
  

• Create an Arc: Double Click quickly on the shape and you get 2 white squares and 1 white circle on your shape. Click and Drag the white circle, then while holding the mouse button down move the cursor around the shape keeping the cursor inside the shape. This will slice parts of the circle off from the edge of the shape.
  

• Make the Shape Whole Again: Select the shape with the Select Tool, double click on it to get the white squares and circles. Then click the Make the Shape a Whole Again Button.
  

Stars, Triangles and Polygons
Click on the Stars and Polygons icon on the left to select the Create Stars and Polygons Tool. Or press Shit + *. Then Click and drag to create your shape. Most of the functions are the sames as detailed in Rectangles and Squares, and Circles.

To change betweewn a Polygon or Star just click the appropriate Icon at the top of the screen. You can also change the number of Corners, which allows you to create Triangles among other shapes.


Everything else works in basically the same way as detailed in the instructions for Squares, Rectangels and Circles. There is also a spiral Tool, but again there is nothing new to show here.

Previous Page - Basics / Next Page - Fill and Stroke