Vector Graphics

So, how does one go about getting into vector graphics? I was wondering, what kind of software would you recommend using for handling both text and imagery?

Corel, Inkscape, Adobe Illustrator... honestly, there's a whole bunch out there—it really just comes down to what you're actually trying to get done.

As an illustrator, I’d suggest using Inkscape; it’s free and works wonders for beginners. 👍
http://inkscape.org/

Inkscape is freaking legendary, man. It’s the absolute GOAT.

Just started using Inkscape and I’m already hitting a wall. I can't draw a circle or an ellipse to save my life. Instead of actual shapes, I just get these tiny little dots and a square that looks exactly like a text cursor. I'm running Windows 7, 64-bit, and using version 0.48. Tried holding Shift, tried skipping it, tried Ctrl... nothing works. It's always the same result.
My graphics card is an NVIDIA GeForce 7700 series (hopefully that isn't the culprit).
I haven't been able to find a single tutorial explaining why this is happening, so... anyone here have a clue? 🤷

Alex Barnes93 said:Inkscape is the absolute king.

It’s pretty obvious you’ve never even heard of Mischief.🙂

http://madewithmischief.tumblr.com/

Look, it’s pretty obvious you're just trying to act way smarter than you actually are.
Btw, Inkscape is totally free, while Mischief will run you $65; just a little detail you might've missed.

Alex Barnes93 said:Look, it’s pretty obvious you're just trying to act smarter than you actually are.
Btw, Inkscape is free while Mischief costs $65; maybe that part slipped your mind.

I'm not acting smart... I *am* smart. Honestly, for a tool like Mischief, $65 is basically nothing—it's practically zero. Someone poured a massive amount of time and expertise into that software and put it out there at a totally fair, reasonable price. If you can't appreciate that, fine, go stick to Inkscape, but don't sit here acting like it's the greatest thing ever made.

Inkscape is top-tier. Mischief isn't even in the same league. It’s honestly laughable to even put them in the same sentence... the name alone tells you everything you need to know about that little app.
How anyone could actually consider Mischief when talking about vector graphics is beyond me. Jesus, seriously.

nimbleskipper5 said:I'm not trying to act smart at all... I *am* smart. And honestly, for a tool like Mischief, $65 is basically nothing—zero, if you ask me. Someone put a massive amount of knowledge and time into this program and offered it at a super accessible, totally reasonable price. If you can't appreciate that, then just stick to Inkscape, but don't go around claiming it's the holy grail.

Look, I didn't say you were acting smart (which would mean I think you're an idiot), I said you're acting *smarter* than you actually are (which is my way of admitting you *are* smart, just not as much as you're trying so hard to pretend you are).
Since you already tripped up on that first, bolded sentence, I'll leave it to you to figure out just how brilliant you really are. Plus, you went ahead and quoted my entire post even though you're the very first person to jump in right after me, just so you could try to seal up your "intellect."

Then there's the fact that, whatever you might do in your private life, you're sticking your nose into my profession (I'm a graphic designer) and judging based on nothing but your own ego-boosted pride. You're claiming it's "obvious" I haven't heard of that underground Mischief (you can't even capitalize the name properly!) and you're hyping it up over Inkscape, which just shows a total lack of basic Inkscape knowledge.
Professionally, I use both Inkscape and Adobe Illustrator, and while I shouldn't even have to mention the latter, Inkscape can do everything your precious Mischief can do.
Anyway, congrats, man. I hit the "ignore" button on you the second I read your post, so you don't even need to bother replying (but hey, if you do anyway, just take a second to ask yourself how smart you actually are, haha).

coppersailor28 said:How could anyone possibly fall for Mischief when we're talking about vector graphics software!

Well, hey, there are definitely worse names out there, so it's not that bad. It could've been something like Rapist or something similarly crazy, lol.

Brian Moore12 said:I started working in Inkscape and immediately ran into a problem. I can't make a circle or an ellipse; instead, I just get these tiny little circles and squares, kind of like the ones that pop up when you're typing text.

Hit F5, hold down the left mouse button, and drag to make a circle. To get a perfect circle, just hold down CTRL while you're dragging it to the size you want.

mda 🙂

coppersailor28, look, Mischief is this hybrid beast that gives you total creative freedom—something no pure vector tool can touch. You get infinite scaling up or down without losing quality, plus you don't deal with the pixelation mess you get in basic programs like Microsoft Paint. It’s basically the best of both worlds. I don't get how anyone can be so narrow-minded and miss everything Mischief can actually do. And what am I even supposed to say to you, Kookee? Honestly... should I just stick to being sarcastic? 🙂 🙂 Both of you are looking at this all wrong.

Hit F5, hold down the left mouse button, and drag a circle. If you want a perfect circle, hold CTRL while you resize it.

Yeah, I know, but it’s not working for me—that's why I'm asking. Forgot to mention that the F5 and CTRL trick isn't doing anything on my end. Sorry. 😢

nimbleskipper5 said:coppersailor28, man...

🤣 Are you really the one in a position to be acting like this?

Alright, let's talk vector graphics software.

coastalfox4 coastalfox4 said:How do you get into vector graphics? Which programs should I be using for text and imagery?

And here we have our resident expert on that subject (now that Inkscape has been mentioned):

nimbleskipper5 coastalfox4 said:It’s pretty obvious you’ve never even heard of Mischief.

I'm not even sure there's any point in trying to explain this to a "pro" like him personally, so instead... What is there to say? What message should be sent? To whom!?

This message goes out to those...People who think things like Bézier pens, node tools, and permanent editability are the absolute bare essentials for vector graphics software are kidding themselves. They aren't. Not if you're using Mischief. What kind of amateur tries to sell those features to someone actually intending to produce work in a vector program?
The Fill tool, gradients? My apologies, but you need to handle that in post-production. Let's be clear: Mischief is a vector graphics program.

This message goes out to those...At least if they think Mischief is something worth following, they can actually write.
Good grief, where do you people live? Who actually cares about this?
That means you aren't typing any letters. Just draw them yourself.

A message to those...For those under the delusion that Mischief can handle more than one file type: you're wrong. It only recognizes JPGs. In fact, it doesn't even recognize those properly. Beyond JPG, it won't open a single other format. Period.
Mischief can't even handle basic bitmap formats like PNG, GIF, or BMP, let alone anything involving vector graphics. Meanwhile, Microsoft Paint manages to open six different bitmap formats. Six. Just saying.

Sending this out to those who need to hear it.Some people seem to think Mischief offers more than just three ways to save a project: JPG, PNG, or PSD. Just three. They're wrong. It doesn't.
Aside from standard bitmaps like JPG, PNG, or PSD, Mischief can't even export to the most basic vector format. It’s pathetic. For context, Microsoft Paint can save five different bitmap formats—yes, five—plus three variations on the same theme.

A message to those...Those who listen but don't hear... who don't see... who see but don't perceive:
(Click. If you want to see the actual breadth of powerful tools available in this "vector graphics software"—and let’s be clear, we aren't talking about the rudimentary toolkit found in Microsoft Paint—you should take a look. This program is far too sophisticated for that level of simplicity.

FYI (just so you don't keep lecturing me for no reason): I know Mischief inside and out. I own it, along with about a dozen other similar sketching apps and little utilities. It’s not like I actually need them—far from it—but some catch my eye for one reason, others for another (say, one handles lines better, while another has a different workflow). Mostly, though, it's because they're lightweight. They open instantly and tools are ready with a single click. If it weren't for that... well, I can handle everything from technical graphics to purely artistic projects using Corel programs (which are my favorites).

This thread is about vector graphics software—specifically what tools people use for text and imagery. Then you barge in here with Mischief, claiming it doesn't just belong in this discussion, but actually blows Inkscape out of the water (for heaven's sake!). Honestly, telling someone who thinks a BMW is a great car that they clearly "haven't lived until they've had a hot dog" is exactly how ridiculous you sound.

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Brian Moore12 said:... I can't draw a circle or an ellipse; instead, I just get these tiny little circles and a square, similar to the one that appears when typing text...

If you're already dealing with glitches like that, just reinstall the software. Better yet, uninstall it completely and switch to a portable version.

Or, you could just post a screenshot of these "tiny circles and squares" along with a step-by-step breakdown of exactly what you're doing.

coppersailor28, thanks, the portable version works perfectly.
Am I missing out much by using this?
For what it's worth, my first impression of Inkscape is actually pretty good—seems solid enough for beginners too.

coppersailor28's heart (part II)

If you actually spent half as much energy reading what’s being said—and understanding the context—instead of wasting your precious time trying to figure out how to belittle everyone here just to make yourself look like some big-shot expert, you would've realized my post was about JESUS and getting beat up. Seriously. Besides, anyone actually doing creative work is going to pick Mischief over Inkscape any day. Vector programs still feel too rigid and "computerized." Mischief is built for pure creation, not just tweaking stuff that already exists, so there's zero need to import vectors anyway. It supports every raster format under the sun, period. But I can see you're only typing this because you haven't even touched the software; you're just desperate to make your "wit" seem relevant. Just a tip for everyone else here (not even bothering with bold text because why bother?): don't listen to people who have nothing but a loud mouth. Download the trial, play with it, and see for yourself how many vectors Mischief even cares about.

With all due respect,
nimbleskipper5

Brian Moore12 said:...the portable version works fine.
Am I missing out on much?

You aren't losing anything. "Portable" simply means the software is self-contained—it isn't tied to the system registry or specific local configurations.
Furthermore, this is an official Inkscape portable build. It hasn't been stripped down by some third party to save space or limit features.

When software lacks full functionality, it's usually labeled as "lite," "demo," or "trial." Generally, if a "Pro" version exists, the standard version is the one with fewer bells and whistles.

For what it's worth, I actually really like Inkscape at first glance. It seems solid even for beginners...

It offers more capabilities than you or anyone else will ever actually need.

If you have the patience, take a small bitmap file (JPG, PNG, BMP)—just a few kilobytes—drag it into the program, select "embed" or "link," hit OK, and then experiment with everything under the "Filters" and "Extensions" tabs. Do the same with vector graphics; type some text or draw a simple geometric shape.
On a separate note: when using the tools on the left, pay attention to the icons surrounding the toolbar. They dictate how the active tool behaves. Depending on whether those icons are toggled on or off, the entire "profile" of your current tool changes.

Eventually, you'll likely want to learn how to merge or cut shapes, so look into the options within the "Path" tab.

As for the basics, you probably already know how to change colors: right-click a color on the bottom palette and select "Set fill" or "Set stroke."
There are plenty of tutorials online—video walkthroughs are usually the most efficient way to master the interface, from basic tasks to complex workflows.

nimbleskipper5 said:coppersailor28 sweetheart (part II) ...

Good grief. What a tedious person. 🙄

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Fine. I’ll just draw it for you in Mischief, then you can zoom in until it's the size of the universe. Maybe then you'll finally notice the **BOLDED CAPS LOCK**. Focus on that. Got it?

Here we go:

Part one:

coastalfox4 said:How do I get vector graphics? Which programs should I use for text and images?

Alex Barnes93 said:Inkscape is king.

nimbleskipper5 said:

Alex Barnes93 said:Inkscape is king.

It is obvious you have never even heard of Mischief.🙂

http://madewithmischief.tumblr.com/

Part two
(which unfortunately failed to occur, so nimbleskipper5 wasn't brought back down to earth in any intelligible way):

coastalfox4: "nimbleskipper5, thanks for the suggestion. I got Mischief, but I can't figure out how to type or copy/paste text..."

nimbleskipper5: "Sweetheart, Mischief isn't a word processor."

coastalfox4: "Ahem... look... I clearly asked which programs to use for vector graphics—specifically for handling both text and imagery..."
And what about creating geometric shapes and things like that?

nimbleskipper5: "Of course you can. You could draw a circcclle... I don't know, say a circle, then morph it into an ellipse, or just draw a squaaaaare—there, you draw a square, and if you decide squares aren't your thing, you turn it into a rectangle. Or whatever. You can even pull off a polygon. Honestly, there isn't much you can't do."

coastalfox4: "Drew a circle, then a square. Look, there’s zero indication of dimensions or any other useful data anywhere. Also, I realized later that my rectangle ended up way too wide; how do I fix that?"

nimbleskipper5: Look, you'd probably take $65 and a hot meal if it meant you didn't have to actually work while drawing, wouldn't you? What kind of numbers are you dreaming about here? What specific data or figures are you even looking for? There's an icon right there—just use it to scale the rectangle up or down, along with everything else on that layer. If the rectangle is too wide, you don't honestly expect them to develop a dedicated tool just for your convenience, do you? Use the eraser. Erase it and draw something you actually like.

coastalfox4: "So that's how it works... Regarding vector graphics, I was planning on doing some text work, and maybe something a bit more complex than just drawing circles, squares, and polygons that I can't even edit. But fine. How do I actually save what I've drawn into a vector format?"

nimbleskipper5: "Seriously? Are you actually trying to mess with me? You think you can pull one over on an expert like me? Well, you picked the wrong person to play games with."

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How solid is Inkscape for logo design?

https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...cape+logo&sm=3

Brian Moore12 said:How effective is Inkscape for logo design?

At least this much:



It’s nothing more than a display of lines and colored shapes—maybe ten minutes of work. Don't bother designing logos in that direction.