Luckily there’s software designers in this world who do care about Linux users, otherwise we wouldn’t have great alternative like GIMP and Inkscape. While it’s true that Linux users only represent a very small, niche user base, if you are a Linux user and want to get into graphic design, Adobe software is simply not an option for you. Inkscape also offers more alignment options and distribution methods. Inkscape allows you to choose the same anchor points and then some… In Illustrator, you can align objects relative to three different points: the selection, the key object, or the artboard. One area where Inkscape outshines Illustrator is in handling the alignment and distribution of objects. I can’t do that with Illustrator unless I manually change the key bindings. With Inkscape, I can just lean back in my chair and navigate around the canvas using one hand. This may sound frivolous, but it makes a big enough difference when you’re spending 8+ hours per day using the software. Illustrator’s method requires two clicks and both hands. Inkscape’s method requires just one click and one hand. Illustrator uses a similar system, but you have to press the space bar AND left click the mouse in order to navigate the canvas. In Inkscape all you have to do is press down on the mouse wheel and move the mouse, and the canvas will pan according to the movement of the mouse. Canvas NavigationĪnother thing I like better about Inkscape, from a workflow perspective, is how it’s marginally easier to navigate around the canvas. Inkscape’s method is better because both nodes are capable of both functions in the most simplistic, intuitive way possible, and it makes for more precise maneuvering.

One node changes the position of the of gradient on the canvas, and the other determines the radius and angle of the gradient. In Illustrator you’re also given nodes, but they function in a different and more complex way. You can move them around on the canvas however you’d like, and the stops in the gradient will follow along.

In Inkscape, you’re given nodes for each stop in the gradient.

One thing I really like about Inkscape is how intuitive its system for editing gradients is.

Inkscape vs illustrator 2017