Hello Creative Community,

For a beginner looking to master the basic functionalities of Inkscape, I'm seeking advice on the most effective ways to dive in. Whether it's a go-to manual, tutorial videos, online courses, or individual consultants, I'd love to hear your recommendations.

What are your go-to resources for a beginner aiming to swiftly grasp the essentials of Inkscape?

 Is there a manual or book considered the holy grail for Inkscape learning?

Any specific video tutorials or platforms that stand out for learning Inkscape?

 Are platforms like Coursera recommended, or have you found value in seeking guidance from individual consultants?

Your insights will greatly benefit those taking their first steps into the world of Inkscape. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and guiding beginners on this creative journey!

For beginners I always recommend working through the built-in tutorials under [Help > Tutorials]. These are svg files where you can practice your skills. The original files will not be modified.

After practicing with the built-in tutorial files there are a couple other very helpful references:

1- The indispensable tutorial series by Mark Crutch - linked in the Tips, Tricks, and Tutorials section of this forum.

https://inkscape.org/forums/tutorials/inkscape-tutorials-in-full-circle-magazine/

This series of over 100 tutorials begins with essential skills for beginners working with svg files.  The series continues with specific function skills and goes through several version updates of Inkscape.  Many examples showing step-by-step 'select' and 'click' details.

2- The 'Learn' tab of the Inkscape.org home page.  Many links to helpful tutorials and FAQs.  Also, a link to the on-line manual which is the same as the link in  Help> Manual in your installed Inkscape application.  Several links to video tutorials, especially Screencasters Video Tutorials which were made for beginners  (but are dated; you have to learn the work flow from the tutorials then think about how to do the same work flow in a current version of Inkscape).

3- The Inkscape forum itself.  Look through topics that catch your interest and see how other people have wrestled with the topic.  Best of all,  many of the postings contain SVG files you can download and manipulate.   Many also show that there are multiple ways to achieve most effects in Inkscape.

Good Luck.  No substitute for practicing the skills.

More good stuff:

https://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/index.php/Release_notes/1.0

https://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/Release_notes/1.2

https://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/Release_notes/1.3

https://inkscape.org/release/inkscape-1.3.2/

https://inkscape.org/learn/faq/

http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/index.html

Hello,

Thank you both for your invaluable recommendations on mastering Inkscape as a beginner. I truly appreciate the detailed insights you provided.

 I'll be sure to explore the built-in tutorials under [Help > Tutorials] as a starting point for practice. Your suggestion to keep the original files unmodified is duly noted.

 thank you for sharing additional resources, especially the tutorial series by Mark Crutch. The extensive series and step-by-step details seem like a fantastic way to delve deeper into Inkscape functionalities. I'll also explore the 'Learn' tab on the Inkscape.org home page and the forum for more hands-on learning. 

As I embark on this creative journey, I'm eager to absorb as much knowledge as possible. If you have any further advice or specific tutorials that stood out for you personally, I'd love to hear about them.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to guide a beginner like me. Looking forward to exploring the world of Inkscape with your recommendations.

Best regards,]

LunaLoomer

EHallPass