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The developers, community of users, and volunteers that manage Inkscape have continued to improve the program to the point that it’s a viable Adobe Illustrator alternative. Inkscape is free and open-source vector-based design software initially launched in 2003. Some people find Inkscape to have a shorter learning curve than Illustrator.Because the default file format for Inkscape is SVG, it’s more appropriate for design graphics that will be displayed on-screen instead of printed.Inkscape includes most, but not all, of the functionality of Illustrator.
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You’ll need a Creative Cloud subscription to get the current version of Illustrator (this is the only primary drawback).Illustrator is extremely feature-rich and also features a well-designed user interface.Adobe Illustrator is the industry standard for vector design.We’ll provide more details below, but if you’re looking for a quick synopsis, here are the key points in this Inkscape vs. Illustrator comparison will make your decision easier, but rest assured, both are excellent options. Deciding which one is right for you can be difficult, so we’ll look at the details and break down the differences. A simple warning that such a conversion may result in loss of some functionality should be sufficient to inform users that not everything is snippetisable.Ĭurrently the only ways to get vector paths into an InDesign document appear to be (1) to draw them directly in InDesign (not an option if it’s something like a client’s logo) or (2) to open the vector file in Illustrator, copy the paths there, and paste them in InDesign (not an option for those of us who don’t have Illustrator).Ĭonsidering that InDesign already has to read and layout the paths in the placed file (presumably by emulating native paths somehow), it shouldn’t be too hard to simply convert them to actual native paths.Inkscape and Adobe Illustrator are two of the most popular options for designing and editing vector graphics. Essentially, making it possible to use an SVG/PDF/EPS file as an InDesign snippet.Ĭlearly, there are aspects of SVG and PDF files which cannot be easily converted to native InDesign content (interactive stuff, effects, etc.), but it should at the very least be possible to convert simple vector paths to native paths as a starting point. Especially with simple things like vector logos, it would be immensely useful to be able to convert the embedded vector paths in the placed file to native InDesign paths to adjust things like stroke colour, etc., in the actual InDesign document. That is great news for the many, many people who create logos and such things in SVG.Įverything you place, however, is still placed as completely uneditable images, which in many cases makes it somewhat useless. It is now finally possible to place SVG files as well as PDF files.
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