Welcome to the Spoken Tutorial on “Text tool features” using Inkscape.
In this tutorial we will learn about
Manual kerning
Spell checking
Super-script
Sub-script
To record this tutorial, I am using
Ubuntu Linux 12.04 OS
Inkscape version 0.48.4
I will be recording this tutorial in maximum resolution mode. This is to accommodate all the tools that will be demonstrated.
Let us open Inkscape.
Earlier in the series, we learnt to create and format text using the Text tool.
Now, we will learn some important features of the Text tool. Click on it
Let us start with Manual kerning.
Horizontal kerning, Vertical shift and Character rotation are called manual kerns.
Type the word “Spoken”.
Keep the cursor after the alphabet “S”.
Horizontal kerning adds space after the selected letter.
Click on the up and down arrows to increase or decrease the space between the letters “S” and “p”.
Notice that the space is introduced only between the letters “S” and “p”.
Let me keep the Horizontal kerning parameter as 3.
The next icon, i.e. Vertical shift, shifts the letters after the selected letter, up or down.
Click on the up and down arrows.
Observe the letters after the cursor have shifted up and down.
Keep this parameter as 15.
Next, we will rotate our characters using Character rotation.
This icon rotates only a single character which is right after the cursor.
So, place the cursor before the letter “e”.
Click on the up and down arrows of Character rotation and observe that the letter “e” rotates.
To apply the kerns to more than one character, select the characters first then give the values.
Let me select the letters “p” and “o” and give Horizontal kerning parameter as 5
Vertical shift parameter as 10 and
Character rotation parameter as 20.
Observe the changes.
To remove the kerns, go to Text menu.
Click on Remove Manual Kerns.
Manual Kerns can be used only in Regular text.
In Flowed text, these options will be disabled.
To check, create a text box.
Observe the Manual kerns options are now disabled.
Press Ctrl + Z to undo this action.
Next we will learn about Spell check feature.
To explain the Spell check feature, I will copy text from LibreOffice writer that I had saved already.
Press Ctrl + A to select the entire text and then press Ctrl + C to copy it.
Now come back to Inkscape.
Click on the canvas and press Ctrl + V to paste the text.
Go to Text menu and click on Check Spelling option.
A new dialog box appears.
All text is checked, regardless of whether it is selected or not.
When a suspect word is found, it will be highlighted with a red box and the cursor will be placed before the text.
A list of suggestions appears for the word “http”.
Since the spelling is correct we will add this word to the dictionary.
To do so, click on Add to Dictionary button.
This will cause the spell checker to accept the word as correctly spelled always.
Next, the word “tutorial” is highlighted.
Since the spelling is wrong, select the correct word from the suggestion list, which is “tutorial”.
Now click on “Accept” button.
If you click on Ignore, all other similarly spelled words in the document will get ignored.
If you click on Ignore once, the word will get ignored only once i.e first time only.
If you want to stop the spell-checking process, click on Stop.
We can restart the process by clicking the Start button.
Spell checking will begin with the text at the top-right and work down the canvas.
Let us close this dialog box now and keep this text aside.
Next, we will learn to write Superscript and Subscript.
Type the mathematical formula (a+b)2 = a2+b2+2ab.(a + b whole square is equal to a sqaure plus b square plus 2ab )
We have to change the number 2 as square in three places.
Select the first 2. Go to Tool controls bar. Click on Toggle Superscript icon.
In a similar way, change the remaining 2s.
Next, we will write a chemical formula using subscript.
So, type “H2SO4”.
Here 2 and 4 should be written as subscripts.
First select 2. Go to Tool controls bar and click on Toggle Subscript icon.
In a similar way change the 4.
Let us summarize.
In this tutorial we have learnt
Manual kerning
Spell checking
Super-script
Sub-script
Here are 2 assignments for you
Write the text “How are you” and change the font size to 75
Keep the cursor next to “w”. Change Horizontal kerning parameter to -20.
Select the words “are”. Change the Vertical shift parameter to 40.
Select the words “you”. Change the Character rotation parameter to -30.
Write the following formulae using Sub-script and Super-script options
Silver sulfate - Ag₂SO₄2.
a2−b2=(a−b)(a+b)
Your completed assignment should look like this.
The video available at the following link summarizes the Spoken Tutorial project. Pls watch it.
The Spoken Tutorial Project Team conducts workshops and gives certificates for those who pass an online test.
For more details, please write to us.
Spoken Tutorial Project is supported by the NMEICT, MHRD, Government of India.
More information on this Mission is available at this link.
We have come to the end of this tutorial.
This is Arthi and Priya from IIT Bombay, signing off. Thanks for joining.