Inkscape? why?

[kimba68]

Hi, I am wondering why I would need inkscape?

thanks
Kim

[lkc]

Well, some of use it to trace a photo, bmp or other images so we can convert them to an svg file. It allows us to save it in that format...I've used it to create some lettering and other elements, too, and save them as an svg file.

[kelsie94]

Kim, you don't "need" Inkscape. You can cut mega fonts and dingbats from the internet with SCAL without ever having to use Inkscape! You can always download Inkscape and play around with it, or just check out the files here on this forum as there are hundreds to choose from and everyone is so very helpful in finding and creating items!

I think with the many posts regarding Inkscape lately it's quite scary to the newcomers who hear about the great things that SCAL can do!

[firstcut]

Here's a little checklist I put together to show when and why you might want to use Inkscape

When to use SCAL and when to use Inkscape

Use SCAL when
you have a .scut file
you have an svg file that was designed for cutting and doesn't need to be edited
your design is words or a phrase that fit on the mat when typed and kerned (adjusting spacing of the letters)
Your image is relatively simple and made of basic shapes
The artwork you'd like to cut is a character in a TTF dingbat font and is suitable for cutting without cleanup
you want to cut part of an svg that can be placed such that the rest is hanging out of the cuttable area

Use Inkscape when
You do not want to worry about having the font in the future should you revisit the file or you want to share the file with others who may not have the font
you want to include non-cutting annotations with the design
you want to share your work outside the Cricut community
You will need multiple copies of a welded design on the mat
you want to use layers to prepare your artwork or keep your cutfile organized
you want to create a design from scratch beyond what can be done with basic shapes
you want to edit a dingbat character or need to clean it up for cutting
you want to edit an SVG or need to clean it up for cutting
you only want to cut part of an existing SVG that is not conveniently placed
your original image is a bitmap (screenshots, photos and other images in .jpg, .gif, .bmp, .tiff and .png as well as some pdfs)
your image is a vector in ai or .pdf format
the blackout/shadow feature in SCAL is not producing the desired result

[kimba68]

Kay, that is very helpful! Thank you!

Kim