Shortcut Press

A step-by-step guide to drawing clean vector artwork in Inkscape. It covers shapes, paths, the pen tool, text, and exporting for print and web, with practice files for every exercise.

What the guide covers

  1. Shapes

    Drawing rectangles, circles, stars and polygons, setting fill and stroke, and arranging, aligning and grouping objects.

  2. Paths

    Converting shapes to paths, editing nodes, and combining shapes with union, difference and intersection.

  3. The pen tool

    Drawing straight and curved segments with the pen tool (B), adjusting nodes and handles, and tracing over a sketch.

  4. Text

    Adding and styling text, placing text along a path, and converting text to paths when a file needs it.

  5. Exporting for print and web

    Setting document size and units, exporting PNG images at the size you need, saving SVG files for the web, and saving PDF files for print.

Inside the guide

Every chapter follows the same pattern: the skill is explained, broken into steps, practiced in an exercise, and checked against a worked solution. These illustrations show the three kinds of page you will find in the PDF.

Illustration of a step-by-step instruction pageA guide page with a section heading, three numbered steps, and an annotated illustration of a curved path with its end nodes and control handles shown over simple shapes with lettered callouts.THE PEN TOOL1AB23NOTE
Step-by-step instructionsNumbered steps beside an annotated illustration, with lettered callouts tied to the text.
Illustration of an exercise page with its worked solutionThe top half shows an exercise with a task description and a starting file; the bottom half shows the worked solution as numbered steps ending in a checked result.EXERCISEPRACTICE FILEWORKED SOLUTION1234RESULT
Exercise and worked solutionA task that uses one of the practice files, followed by a solution that goes through every step.
Illustration of a reference table pageA quick-reference table with the columns Term and What it means, listing: Node — A point on a path; Handle — Shapes the curve; Union — Merge shapes; Difference — Cut one from another; Stroke — The outline of a path; PDF — Export for print.REFERENCETERMWHAT IT MEANSNodeA point on a pathHandleShapes the curveUnionMerge shapesDifferenceCut one from anotherStrokeThe outline of a pathPDFExport for print
Reference tableA quick-reference page for the terms and techniques covered, to keep beside you while you work.

Illustrations represent the layout of guide pages. They are not reproductions of any software's interface.

What's in the .zip

Your .zip download

  • PDF guideEach skill explained, then broken into numbered steps.
    • Step-by-step instructions
    • Annotated illustrations
    • Practice exercises
    • Worked solutionsEvery step, not only the final answer.
  • Practice filesInkscape-ready SVG files that set up each exercise, including sketches to trace with the pen tool.

The software is not included. See Software required below.

Software required

This guide uses Inkscape. Inkscape is not included with the guide; you need your own copy, obtained separately from its maker.

About software updates. Software makers update their programs, so menus and button locations can change between versions. When an update changes the steps, the guide is revised, and updated files are free to anyone who bought this guide.

How the guide works

This is a self-study guide. You read each step, carry it out in your own copy of the software, then do the exercises and compare your work with the worked solutions. There is no video, no live instruction, no tutoring, and no feedback on your work. Everything you get is in the .zip.

Is this guide a good fit?

Who it's for

  • You are new to Inkscape or to vector drawing in general.
  • You want to make icons, simple illustrations, diagrams or graphics that stay sharp at any size.
  • You want to understand the pen tool instead of avoiding it.

Who it isn't for

  • You want photo editing or digital painting. Those are not covered.
  • You need professional print production or prepress. That is not covered.
  • You want video lessons, live help, or someone to review your work.

Vector Illustration in Inkscape

$27 USD · 14-day refunds

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