I have cut and pasted some letters from the internet into Inkscape, aligned them into two words and Grouped them into one object which I then changed Object into Pattern.
How I make the "background" and spaces around the letters transparent but not the letters themselves?
The problem is that you have imported raster images with a white background. And since Inkscape is a vector editor, there's not much it can do to get rid of the background.
The best solution, I think, would be to find a font like that. Then you could type the text directly into Inkscape. And it would have a transparent background.
It's easy to find free fonts. This site has only free fonts: http://www.1001freefonts.com/ This is another font site, with lots of fonts. I find it a bit tricky to search only the free fonts. But you might find it helpful anyway. Just know that you don't have to buy a font. http://www.myfonts.com/ If you're using Windows 10, there's a special way that fonts need to be installed, to be used in Inkscape. So let us know, and we can explain.
I have a font that's similar to that, called Stencil. But it's not identical.
If you can't, or don't want to do that, I can think of one possible way to make these images work like you want. But compared to typing the text directly, it's a really long way around. I'll wait to hear your decision, since it....well, it might not take a lot of typing. It sounds like you're fairly proficient on your own. But I'll wait to hear your decision, before I explain everything.
As @brynn said, ou can find many stencil fonts, even in opensource. When shapes are simples, you can also redraw them from scratch. But in your case, the simplest way is to use "Trace from bitmap" in Path menu. You can check this tuto for further explainations : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7HwLTQu2FI.
I'm working on this problem on my own work right now - I found that Gimp will help. I didn't understand before, but now I can see this approach is interesting :
* open image in gimp
* open "Color Balance"
* slide "contrast" and "brightness" until the image looks ok by eye. that is, the background is - perhaps - white.
you could stop there - or try this in addition :
* "Color to Alpha" -> select... ok?..
that makes the white background to checkerboard. it's a transparency (I'm learning about this now), so you save it into a format that supports that - e.g. png.
Oh yes, PeterLageri, you can use Trace Bitmap! But you don't have to get rid of the white background to do that. Depending on the options you use, it could even get rid of the white background for you. You would have to trace each individual letter image, and then align them again, like you did before. But depending on your end goal, in my opinion it would still be better to find a similar font, and just type the text.
I'm not very familiar with raster graphics editors, but I assume you could use one to make the background of that skull and X-bones drawing white. Theoretically, Inkscape's Trace Bitmap would be able to trace it, but in this case, it would be Very tricky. (because the background color is too similar to the foreground) You might be able to use a raster editor to make the drawing darker. I'm not sure. But if it's possible, then Inkscape could trace it better. But again, I couldn't tell you how.
I would use Inkscape's Pen tool, and "manually" trace it. I can show you a tutorial that explains how to do it.
Beginners' Questions Making background transperant.
Inkscape.org
Hello
I have cut and pasted some letters from the internet into Inkscape, aligned them into two words and Grouped them into one object which I then changed Object into Pattern.
How I make the "background" and spaces around the letters transparent but not the letters themselves?
Best Regards
Peter
Welcome to the forum!
The problem is that you have imported raster images with a white background. And since Inkscape is a vector editor, there's not much it can do to get rid of the background.
The best solution, I think, would be to find a font like that. Then you could type the text directly into Inkscape. And it would have a transparent background.
It's easy to find free fonts. This site has only free fonts: http://www.1001freefonts.com/ This is another font site, with lots of fonts. I find it a bit tricky to search only the free fonts. But you might find it helpful anyway. Just know that you don't have to buy a font. http://www.myfonts.com/ If you're using Windows 10, there's a special way that fonts need to be installed, to be used in Inkscape. So let us know, and we can explain.
I have a font that's similar to that, called Stencil. But it's not identical.
If you can't, or don't want to do that, I can think of one possible way to make these images work like you want. But compared to typing the text directly, it's a really long way around. I'll wait to hear your decision, since it....well, it might not take a lot of typing. It sounds like you're fairly proficient on your own. But I'll wait to hear your decision, before I explain everything.
Hello Brynn.
Thank you.
Good and very understandable anwser. I'll dive into that 1001 site and see what I can find.
I though I could use "Trace Picture" Shift+Alt+B (Not sure that is the proper english title, My Inscape is mosyly in danish).
I have a Windows 7.
Best Regards
Peter
As @brynn said, ou can find many stencil fonts, even in opensource. When shapes are simples, you can also redraw them from scratch. But in your case, the simplest way is to use "Trace from bitmap" in Path menu. You can check this tuto for further explainations : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7HwLTQu2FI.
Best regards
I'm working on this problem on my own work right now - I found that Gimp will help. I didn't understand before, but now I can see this approach is interesting :
* open image in gimp
* open "Color Balance"
* slide "contrast" and "brightness" until the image looks ok by eye. that is, the background is - perhaps - white.
you could stop there - or try this in addition :
* "Color to Alpha" -> select... ok?..
that makes the white background to checkerboard. it's a transparency (I'm learning about this now), so you save it into a format that supports that - e.g. png.
.. I am learning as I go, but this seems helpful.
Could that be done for this one (Attached)?
Oh yes, PeterLageri, you can use Trace Bitmap! But you don't have to get rid of the white background to do that. Depending on the options you use, it could even get rid of the white background for you. You would have to trace each individual letter image, and then align them again, like you did before. But depending on your end goal, in my opinion it would still be better to find a similar font, and just type the text.
I'm not very familiar with raster graphics editors, but I assume you could use one to make the background of that skull and X-bones drawing white. Theoretically, Inkscape's Trace Bitmap would be able to trace it, but in this case, it would be Very tricky. (because the background color is too similar to the foreground) You might be able to use a raster editor to make the drawing darker. I'm not sure. But if it's possible, then Inkscape could trace it better. But again, I couldn't tell you how.
I would use Inkscape's Pen tool, and "manually" trace it. I can show you a tutorial that explains how to do it.
Hello Brynn.
I found the fonts at 1001 that I need. Brilliant! I'm working on some water slide decals for a boardgame called Wasterland Express Delivery Service.
/Peter