Inkscape/C3/Create-an-A4-Poster/English

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Title of script: Create an A4 Poster

Author: Arthi. A

Keywords: Document properties of Inkscape, Design the poster, Saving the poster in png and pdf


Visual Cue
Narration
Opening Slide Welcome to the Spoken Tutorial on “Create an A4 Poster” using Inkscape.
Learning Objectives (Slide) In this tutorial we will learn to
  • Change the Document properties
  • Design an A4 poster and
  • Save the poster in png and pdf
System requirement (Slide) To record this tutorial, I am using
  • Ubuntu Linux 12.04 OS
  • Inkscape version 0.48.4
Open Inkscape Let us open Inkscape.
Go to File >> New Go to File. Click on New.
Scroll or point to the various options. These are the default canvas sizes that are available.
Point to the canvas My canvas is, by default, in A4 size. So we will leave it as it is. If it is not so on your machine, then select A4 size.
Go to Document properties Let us now change some settings. Go to File. Click on Document properties.
Point to Document properties A dialog box opens up where we can find various tabs and options.

Let us learn about them one by one.

Click on the units one by one Click on the Default units drop down list. As I click one-by-one, observe that the unit of the ruler changes.

Let me keep the unit as mm.

Click on Background Background option helps to change the transparency and color of the background. When we click on it, a new dialog box appears.
Select green color >> Alpha to 255 Move the RGB sliders to the left and right.
Point to the background color in the Document Properties box. Observe that the color on the background option on the Document properties changes, as I move.
Change Alpha to 0 >>


Point to canvas

To make the background colour visible on the canvas, move the alpha slider towards the right.


Now the transparency changes to the selected RGB values. Bring the alpha slider back to the extreme left and close that dialog box.

Point to Page size options Under Page size we find many options.


We can change the size of the canvas using these options, too.


As I click, observe the change in the canvas size.


Let keep keep it as A4.

Click on Landscape >> Click on Portrait Orientation can be changed to either Portrait or Landscape.


Click on both the options and observe the change on the canvas.

Point to Width and Height parameters We can change the width and height of the canvas using the Width and Height parameters.
Click on the Units drop down list Click on the Units drop down list. We can change the units according to our requirement.

Let us now change units to pixels.

Click on Resize page to content Click on Resize page to content option. The various available options opens up. We can set margins of all sides here.
Point to the margins. We can set margins for all the sides here.

After setting the margins, one needs to click on the button Resize page to drawing or selection.

Point to Border option Next is the Border option. We can see 3 check-box options here.
Draw a circle in such a way that it is half in and half out of the canvas. To demonstrate these options, let me first draw an ellipse in this manner.
Point to first option The first option makes the page border, that is the border of the canvas visible.
Uncheck and then check it once again Uncheck this option and observe that the borders disappear.

Then again check the option and observe that the borders re-appear.

Click on the second option. Uncheck and check 2-3 times. The second option sets the border on top of the drawing, so that it is clearly visible.

Once again check and uncheck this option and observe what happens on the canvas.

Point to third option. Point to the right and top borders. The third option shows a shadow of the canvas on the right and its lower side.


Notice here, the border to the right and bottom are thicker than the other two.

Point to Border options We can use these options according to our requirement.
Point to Border color The Border color option allows us to decide the color of the border. Let us leave the default border color as it is.


<<PAUSE>>

Click on Guides tab Next click on Guides tab. Guides help you align text and graphic objects. You can create ruler guides.
Point to Show guides The first option allows to show guidelines.
Point to second option Snap guidelines helps to snap it to the objects or bounding box while dragging.
Point to Guide color Guide color is the color of the guideline.
Point to Highlight color Highlight color helps to decide the color of the guideline when it is under mouse.
Click on the Grids tab Next click on the Grids tab. The grid appears behind the artwork in the canvas, and it does not print.
Click on the drop down list Click on the drop down list. Rectangular grid and Axonometric grid are the two types of grids available.
Select Rectangular grid >> Click on New Select Rectangular grid and click on New. Observe a grid is formed at the background.
Point to grid properties We can set all the grid properties using the available options.
Click on Remove We can remove the grid by clicking on the Remove button at the bottom.
Point to Axonometric grid In a similar way you can try for Axonometric grid too.
Click on Snap tab Next click on Snap tab. Snapping allows
Point to the 3 snapping options There are 3 options of snapping objects such as Snap to objects, Snap to grids and Snap to guides.
Point to the 3 snapping options Select and check on the options according to your requirement. Refer to the tool tip to understand better.
Point to the last 2 tabs >> Close the dialog box The options in the next 2 tabs comes in the advanced level. So close this dialog box now.


<<PAUSE>>

Click on the Rectangle tool >>

Draw a rectangle covering the whole canvas

Now let us start creating the poster. First design a background.


So, click on the Rectangle tool. Draw a rectangle covering the whole canvas. Color it light blue gradient.



Draw a header illustration Next draw a header illustration on the top footer illustration at the bottom of the canvas using Bezier tool. Color it dark blue.



Go to File >> Import >> Open Let us import Spoken Tutorial logo now. Go to File menu. Click on Import. Go to logos folder. Select the Spoken Tutorial logo and Open.
Click on OK >> Point to the logo A dialog box opens up. Click on OK. Now the logo is imported to our canvas.
Resize logo to 100x100 pixels Resize it to 100×100 pixels. Place it in the top left corner of the header.
Type “Spoken Tutorial” >> change font to 40 Type “Spoken Tutorial”. Change the font size to 40. Align it to the right side of the logo.
Type the sentence “partner with us...help bridge the digital divide Type the sentence “partner with us...help bridge the digital divide” below that.
Point to the canvas. We will place the FOSSEE logos below the header illustration. Below that we will add text and some screenshots at the bottom.



Draw circle of 100x100 pixels >> color it with grey and white gradient Before importing the logos, draw a circle of 100×100 pixels. Color it with a gradient of grey and white.



Press Ctrl + D >> create 9 more circles Press ctrl+D to duplicate it and create 9 more circles. We will use these circles as a background design for the logos.
Arrange in inverted traingle manner. Arrange them in an inverted triangle manner.
Assignment Now import logos one by one. Select all the logos and resize them to 80x80 pixels. Place them on the top of the circles respectively.



Point to the FOSSEE logos These FOSSEE logos symbolizes that we are creating tutorials for those softwares.
Copy and paste text from LibreOffice Writer Let us add some text below the logos. I have already saved the text in LibreOffice Writer. Copy and paste them in the empty space.



Select the text >> Align center Change the font size to 25. Click on Align center on the Tools control bar to bring the text to the centre of the canvas.
Import image screenshots Still there is empty space at the bottom. So we will 4 some image screenshots.


As before Import them one one by one. I have saved them in the screenshots folder.



Point to the images Now we have 4 screenshots imported to our canvas
Select all >> resize to 400×400 pixels Select and resize them to 400×400 pixels. Move them to the bottom area of the canvas.
Copy and paste Contact details from LibreOffice Writer Let us write the contact details at the footer illustration. Copy and paste the text from LibreOffice Writer
Assignment Align the logos, images, text using Align and Distribute.
Point to the poster Now our poster is ready. Next let us learn how to save it as pdf.
Go to File >> Save As >> Spoken Tutorial Poster.pdf Go to File. Click on Save As. A dialog box appears. Give the name in the name column as Spoken Tutorial Poster.pdf
Change the format to pdf >> Save Change the format to pdf by clicking on the drop down list. Click on Save.
Now our poster is saved in Desktop.
Go to File >> Click on Export Bitmap Next let us save the same poster in png format. Go to File. Click on Export Bitmap.
Export area to page >> Click on Browse to select the location >> Save >> Export Change the Export area to Page. Click on Browse to select the location. Click on Save. Now click on Export.
Go to desktop >> open pdf and png poster Let us go desktop and check our poster. Now we have the poster saved in pdf and png formats.
Summary (Slide) Let us summarize.


In this tutorial we learnt to


  • Change the Document properties
  • Design an A4 poster
  • Saving the poster in png and pdf



Completed assignment Here is an assignment for you


  • Create an A4 poster for Spoken Tutorial


Completed assignment Your completed assignment should look like this.
About Slide The video available at the following link summarizes the Spoken Tutorial project. Please watch it.
About Slide The Spoken Tutorial Project Team conducts workshops and gives certificates for those who pass an online test.

For more details, please write to us.

About Slide Spoken Tutorial Project is supported by the NMEICT, MHRD, Government of India.

More information on this Mission is available at this link.

Acknowledgment We have come to the end of this tutorial.

This is Arthi from IIT Bombay, signing off. Thanks for joining.

Contributors and Content Editors

Arthi, Nancyvarkey