Add interest and dimension to your SVG files with the Inkscape inset command.

This winter’s project has been to remodel my craft studio. I purchased several pieces from Ikea, which I  love.  One of my favorites is the Alex six-drawer unit on casters. I have 3 of these units in my studio; one is next to my desk, holding my KNK Zing Orbit, and another one holds my original KNK Zing. (The third unit is in my sewing area.) Because it sits out in the room, I decided to decorate the back using vinyl and my “Create Joy” SVG.  The Inkscape inset command was used to design the extra pieces I need to spruce things up a bit.

After applying the vinyl design to my unit, it needed a little something more. The black and gold combination I used was just a little… boring. So, I choose yellow-gold to add more interest and layered that on top of the gold.

The new yellow-gold pieces were inset so that the gold still shows around the edges.

This was completed by modifying the original fill portion of the SVG, using the Inkscape inset command, as shown in my info graph here.

A similar effect could be accomplished with the Paint Bucket tool, as covered in my last tutorial. However, when an SVG file is going to be cut out with an electronic cutter (Silhouette, Zing, Cricut, etc.) the inset command, I feel, is the better choice. (Cutter software usually has an inset command as well. However, I prefer to use Inkscape for most of my design work.)

I love the way this turned out! I’m working on more “Alex decor“; it’s a work in progress. Perhaps I’ll post more about that later. In the meantime, I’m CREATING a little JOY for myself… by making my happy space even happier  more JOYFUL!

Happy Drawing!

Laurie

I occasionally see people ask about how to create a single cut path around an image. This is usually because they want to do a “Print and Cut” with an electronic cutter such as the Silhouette Cameo or KNK Zing. I have used both Inkscape and Make The Cut to accomplish this task. Each has its benefit. Today, I’ll  show you how to do this using Inkscape.

Here’s a PNG that I downloaded from Openclipart.org.

First you’ll need to import your image into Inkscape.  File > Import. Find your image and select it. A box like this will pop up. Say OK. (You can click on either Embed or Link. You can see more info on this subject here.)

Now select your image. Path > Trace Bitmap. You will get a box that looks like this. You might need to experiment with your settings. But you’ll probably want to use Brightness Cutoff, with a Threshold around .900. Click on Update to see how it looks. If you think it’s good, click OK.

Now click on the new image in Inkscape and go to Path > Object to Path. Next, Path > Break Apart. The object will be all one color and you will see dashed lines around all the individual parts.

Next is the part that I think is easier in Inkscape than in Make The Cut. It may or may not be an issue for the image you choose.

I want to leave this part of the picture transparent because when I cut around it, I think this part should be cut out.

I want this portion to be transparent.

If you need to cut out a portion (make it transparent), find that part and select it. I like to turn it white so that I can make sure I have the right area.

Now select just the largest portion and the white piece that you want to be transparent. Path > Difference.

Next, drag to select around all. Path > Union.

Now if you like, you can use your Fill and Stroke Box to delete the fill and create a Stroke. This will be your cut line.

If you want to make the path a little larger than the original image, Ctrl + ). However, keep in mind this will make any area that you are cutting out get a bit smaller.

And there you have it!

Laurianne