Creating vector graphics using Inkscape
You may have taken a photo with a digital camera which, at first, seemed sharply printed, but when enlarged seemed blurry and "mushy" in places. If so, you have stumbled across a fundamental problem of digital graphic processing: Pixel graphics can be shrunk almost arbitrarily, but they can only be enlarged to a certain degree: Where no more material is available in the original photo, the software must "add" pixels, but this only works to a limited extent, and the result is not like the original photo.
This problem can be solved using vector graphics. In Linux, you can use the Inkscape program [1] to create vector graphics yourself. However, starting to use this rather complex application is not very easy. In this article, I explain the first steps of using Inkscape.
Digital Resolution
Digital photos and graphics are not just a specific resolution, the point density, which is specified as the number of dots per inch (dpi), is also important. The higher the dpi, the finer and sharper the graphic. The combination of resolution and density determines the context in which an image file can be scaled. The higher the resolution and dpi number, the less a graphics program has to "invent" when projecting and the more the graphic can be scaled; 300 dpi is the basic requirement for high-quality printing.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 Drops bcachefs
After a clash over some late fixes and disagreements between bcachefs's lead developer and Linus Torvalds, bachefs is out.
-
ONLYOFFICE v9 Embraces AI
Like nearly all office suites on the market (except LibreOffice), ONLYOFFICE has decided to go the AI route.
-
Two Local Privilege Escalation Flaws Discovered in Linux
Qualys researchers have discovered two local privilege escalation vulnerabilities that allow hackers to gain root privileges on major Linux distributions.
-
New TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro Powered by AMD Ryzen AI 300
The TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen10 offers serious power that is ready for your business, development, or entertainment needs.
-
Danish Ministry of Digital Affairs Transitions to Linux
Another major organization has decided to kick Microsoft Windows and Office to the curb in favor of Linux.
-
Linux Mint 20 Reaches EOL
With Linux Mint 20 at its end of life, the time has arrived to upgrade to Linux Mint 22.
-
TuxCare Announces Support for AlmaLinux 9.2
Thanks to TuxCare, AlmaLinux 9.2 (and soon version 9.6) now enjoys years of ongoing patching and compliance.
-
Go-Based Botnet Attacking IoT Devices
Using an SSH credential brute-force attack, the Go-based PumaBot is exploiting IoT devices everywhere.
-
Plasma 6.5 Promises Better Memory Optimization
With the stable Plasma 6.4 on the horizon, KDE has a few new tricks up its sleeve for Plasma 6.5.
-
KaOS 2025.05 Officially Qt5 Free
If you're a fan of independent Linux distributions, the team behind KaOS is proud to announce the latest iteration that includes kernel 6.14 and KDE's Plasma 6.3.5.