Inkscape outline question

[rvogt]

I want to create an outline around some selected text in inkscape. Is there an easy way to do this?
Thanks!!

[wenning08]

This is how I do it with illustrator:

How to use text on a Glowforge: Unite and Offset Path in Illustrator

I would assume it would be similar in inkscape but I never used inkscape.

[rbtdanforth]

@rvogt

an outline around some selected text in Inkscape.

Having the latest is weird but here is the older version.

[eflyguy]

If you search, there are many threads discussing this…

[rvogt]

Thank you all, I’ll do some research. I’m doing it similar to the way wenning08 said…then i want to merge it with a shape so the bottom part is ‘gone’ but when i highlight the two and click on union, it doesn’t do anything.

[eflyguy]

Make sure they are both plain paths, and not grouped objects.

Ungroup many times. Path/Break apart, then combine with union.

It’s especially true with text, which is a bunch of grouped shapes.

[rvogt]

Thanks, that’s helpful. It’s hard to know what to look for to learn when you don’t know:-). I have watched several tutorials and slowly but surely gaining ground. Everyone here has been patient and helpful!

[polarbrainfreeze]

If you do the following (with the latest Inkscape), it’s pretty easy:

1. Duplicate the text you want to outline with Ctrl-D
2. Path -> Object to Path
3. Ungroup with Ctrl-Shift-G,
4. Union with Path->Union
5. Path -> Path Effects, then click on the “+” at the bottom of the Path Effects popup
6. Choose the Offset path effect, give it an offset.
7. Remove the fill, and give it a stroke instead.
8. Then do “Path-> Object to Path” to finalize the offset (DON’T FORGET TO DO THIS, or the Glowforge won’t recognize it as a proper path).

[rvogt]

Bless you:-) I have XQuart 11…is that the latest version? Another question. Once i do the above, how can i merge (union) The hello into an already designed object? So i want the bottom half of hello to unite with i.e. a rectangle that’s already a vector object…so the top portion of hello is sticking above the rectangle and i can engrave hello and it will be on both the long end of the rectangle and the portion you have above?
Make sense? Thank you so much!

[polarbrainfreeze]

I have no clue what XQuart 11 is. The latest Inkscape is version 1.0.

Once you have the above outline, you can join it with any other shape using path->Union (as long as that shape is also a path).

So, I could make a rectangle, like this:

Then select the rectangle and the outline (not the text), and do Path-> Union, and get this:

Which is what I think you are trying to do.

[rpvalk]

LightBurn is pretty easy

LightBurn Basics - Snapping

[eflyguy]

@polarbrainfreeze

The latest Inkscape is version 1.0.

The latest version is 1.0.1, released early September. Contains MANY fixes from previous 1.0 release.

XQuartz has not been required on Mac since 1.0 beta was introduced.

[rvogt]

Thank you all ‘again’…i will retry. i tried exactly the way polarbrainfreeze described but i will go back and ungroup a bunch and try again.

I will see if i need to update inkscape. Obviously i downloaded it when xquart was needed:-)

I’ve spent some time in inkscape today and slowly but surely am gaining!!

[rvogt]

Woo hoo, i downloaded the latest version of Inkscape (thanks @eflyguy for letting me know i don’t need xquart!) and followed @polarbrainfreeze’s instructions and it worked like magic. Thank you for your patience with me!!