When you change to [View > Display Mode > Outline], Does the text appear? The dotted box shows the text object being edited, but you might be using invisible ink. In the lower left corner of your screen there are a few colour controls. Here are three things to check.
Check that object opacity [O: xx] is not set to 0. (zero opacity = full transparency).
Check that the fill colour [Fill: xx] is different to the background colour. Otherwise choose another colour from the palette.
Check that the fill colour is not transparent. Click the [Fill: xx] colour block to open the Fill and Stroke dialog. Move the [A: xx] slider to increase the alpha value and make it more opaque (less transparent).
You have a very bold stroke and a transparent fill attached to the text object. That is still present after an Inkscape Preferences reset? Very strange.
Beginners' Questions Text - only black square appear
Inkscape.org
I am using Inkscape 1.2. When I select the text option and type letters only black squares appear on the page.
First I'd check the fill and stroke settings.
the setting appeared fine. I reinstalled the program. When I attempt to type letters a dotted box appears and nothing else
When you change to [View > Display Mode > Outline], Does the text appear? The dotted box shows the text object being edited, but you might be using invisible ink. In the lower left corner of your screen there are a few colour controls. Here are three things to check.
Bad post deleted.
4. Text->Remove manual Kerns
5. Make sure "Spacing between baselines" is set to "lines" or decent value when units are used
6. last but not least: Resetting Inkscape´s Preferences should cure this kind of issues by restoring to default values after a restart.
After resetting preferences, maybe also change from "Last used style" to "This tool's own style" for the Text Tool.
1a. Check that no stroke is applied. Right-click [Stroke: xx] and select [Remove stroke].
To remove unwanted styles.
With the text selected, go to menu Edit > XML Editor..., click the delete icon in front of style for text and maybe also for tspan.
Quick and easy.
@jimdunn,
Please share a screenshot of the fullscreen Inkscape window showing the issue, with the fill and stroke dialog visible.
Attached is a screenshot of my Inkscape page. The gray area is the letter a. Using the fill, stroke, and opacity had no effect
You have a very bold stroke and a transparent fill attached to the text object. That is still present after an Inkscape Preferences reset? Very strange.
http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Attributes-Stroke.html