Inkscape for Mac: Slow but Worth It

I've been using Inkscape as my go-to vector graphics editor because I find Affinity Designer to be mediocre at best when it comes to handling both pixels and vectors. While Inkscape may not have all the features I need, its recent release has brought some welcome improvements that make it a decent choice for professional work.

The latest update of Inkscape for Mac includes several notable additions, including an option to import SVG images from Open Clipart, Wikimedia Commons, and other online sources. The layers and objects dialog has been merged into a single window, making it easier to manage your design elements. The Lasso selection tool now features two new modes: node deselection and inverted node selection.

The Eraser tool also gets a boost with an increased mass value, while the pen, pencil, text, and tweak tools will now use the last used style by default. This makes aligning and distributing objects a breeze, thanks to the new drag-and-drop operation.

Other notable changes include two new on-canvas snapping modes and the replacement of the snap bar with a popover dialog. This design choice aims to make it easier to differentiate between what's on and off the page.

The performance of Inkscape on Mac devices has also seen significant improvements, making it faster and more responsive than before. Additionally, extensions installed via the Extensions Manager no longer require a restart of the application.

For those who value flexibility, Inkscape users can now turn dithering off under Preferences > Rendering > Use dithering. This feature is used when exporting raster images or displaying gradients on canvas to reduce gradient banding.

One of the most significant additions in this release is the Extract Images command, which allows you to save multiple images from within Inkscape 1.2.

Overall, while Inkscape may not be perfect, its latest update has addressed some key issues and added valuable features that make it a worthwhile choice for those who need a reliable vector graphics editor.

Inkscape mac slow