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Much of the artwork in our mobile storybook apps was drawn in Inkscape. It is available for Linux, Windows, and Mac OS.
Inkscape's motto is “Draw Freely.” This robust vector graphics software is amazingly versatile, but not without a learning curve for those unfamiliar with like software or coming from other propitiatory tools. There is a growing community using Inkscape and it has undergone significant improvements over the last couple years that increased its stability and functionality.
Inkscape uses the SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) format that is both open and appears to becoming commonly available format online. Inkscape also offers export to a variety of formats including PNG, PDF, EPS and OpenDocument Drawing format found in the LibreOffice and OpenOffice projects.
Inkscape works well will the Wacom Intuos CTL-480 tablet used at CCX and this combined with the Inkscape Keyboard Layout allow for more rapid creation.
A
secondary tool that we use when
developing our storybook apps is Gimp.
Like Inkscape, Gimp is available natively across the many
flavors of Linux, has been ported to Windows, and will run on OS
X with the inclusion of the No. X11 environment.
Gimp is used in the editing of raster graphics. It offers more options when certain kind of edit of graphics is required. As the final images rendered in our storybook apps is JPEG, there are times when Gimp makes more practical use than Inkscape. These are when working on the manipulation of photos or scanned work.
Gimp is often compared to the Photoshop of the open-source world. However, the user interface does not share a direct comparison and users moving from the Adobe world will experience frustration in locating features or lack of features they may have become accustomed to in Photoshop. This aside, Gimp, is an damagingly powerful tool with many capabilities that often go undiscovered. Furthermore, the user can extend it capabilities with their own plug-ins for maximum customization!
Gimp also works well will the Wacom Intuos CTL-480 tablet used at CCX and this combined with the Gimp Keyboard shortcuts allow for more rapid creation.