$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:inkscape.dev/stable

$ sudo apt update

$ sudo apt install inkscape

On Ubuntu 20.04, whenever I export an Inkscape (1.2) SVG drawing containing italic text (default sans-serif font) to EPS, the result contains only straight text. I've tried exporting with "Embed fonts" selected, and with "Convert text to paths", but that doesn't make a difference.

Doing the same on MacOS 11.6.7 or Windows works just fine, so this seems to be an issue with the Ubuntu/Linux version.

My current workaround is to export my SVG to PNG first, and then convert this PNG to EPS, but I'd appreciate a more straightforward solution. Any ideas?

P.S. I installed Inkscape 1.2 using the Inkscape PPA repository on Ubuntu (see attached Bash commands). Before that, I used an older version, 0.92 I think, installed through the default Ubuntu repository.

Before proceeding further, I'd reset the preferences, which are persistent through updates. https://inkscape.org/forums/questions/getting-back-to-square-one-and-starting-over-its-easy/

Thanks for this tip, I never realised that preferences are persistent through updates, I'll try to remember that. Unfortunately it didn't change anything to how the fonts in my EPS look though; all text is still upright.

Well, gotta start somewhere, and it will prevent other issues.

Seems to be working here with Inkscape 1.2.1, Linux Mint 20.3.

Inkscape 1.2 (1:1.2.1+202207142221+cd75a1ee6d)

Thanks, that's good to know. Perhaps it's an Ubuntu thing?

By the way, I'm on Inkscape 1.2.1 (1:1.2.1+202210291244+9c6d41e410)

If you have converted the text to paths it seems exceedingly strange that the EPS contains normal text and the converted text is in italics.

Are you sure you have the right file path in the export? That would be a mistake I have done myself several times. :)

Ah, so sorry! The "Convert text to paths" option now works as expected; that was with my old Inkscape version (0.92). I only updated a few days ago, after posting this same question on askubuntu.com. Sorry, should have checked that before re-posting here.

So now it's just the EPS with embedded fonts that doesn't work as it should.

UPDATE: A few days ago I upgraded to Ububtu 22.04 and re-installed Inkscape (it's one of the packages that was removed during the upgrade). After that, my italic sans-serif fonts turned out upright even in Inkscape itself; the option 'Italic' is still there in this Font style dropdown menu, but it just doesn't do anything (bold font still worked, though). Only when I changed all my text to FreeSans I was able to type italic text again. The good thing is that italic text in FreeSans correctly exports to EPS, so I'll use FreeSans instead of sans-serif from now on.