Inkscape: Strokes and Fills

Every object you create in Inkscape can have two parts: a stroke and a fill. The stroke outlines the object; the fill fills the interior. You can choose to have a stroke or not have a stroke and you can set the size, color, opacity, blur, and style of a stroke. You can choose to have a fill or not have a fill and you can adjust the color, opacity, blur, and style of a fill.

In this lesson, we are going to focus on setting a stroke, adjusting its size, and changing its color; setting a fill,  and changing its color. There are several ways to change color.  This lesson focuses on using the Color Selector. I will discuss the other methods and go into more detail in a future lesson.

Add or Change the Fill Color

1. Draw or select an object.
2. On the Color Selector, click the color you want. Inkscape changes the fill to the color you selected.

Remove a Fill

1. Draw or select an object.
2. On the Color Selector, click . Inkscape removes the fill.

Remove a Stroke

1. Draw or select an object.
2. On the Color Selector, hold down the Shift key while you click . Inkscape removes the stroke.

Add or Change a Stroke

1. Draw or select an object.
2. On the Color Selector, hold down the Shift key while you click the color you want. Inkscape changes the stroke to the color you selected.

Change the Width of a Stroke

1. Draw or select an object.
2. Click Object > Fill and Stroke or press Shift + Ctrl + F. The Fill and Stroke dialog box opens.
3. Choose the Stroke Style tab.
4.  Select your unit of measure.
5. Type the width you want. Inkscape changes the width of the stroke.