The Book of Inkscape: The Definitive Guide to the Free Graphics Editor by Dmitry Kirsanov and published by No Starch Press has a lot to live up to with that rather bold title. However, having had some time with the book, I'm inclined to say that Dmitry Kirsanov has indeed fulfilled the promise made in the title.
For those who aren't familiar with the application, Inkscape is a free and open source vector-based image editor designed to offer a credible alternative to Adobe Illustrator, the industry standard vector line graphics software.
Who is the Author?
The author, Dmitry Kirsanov, is well placed to write an authoritative book on Inkscape having played a part in the development of the application. He is a developer and web designer primarily, but has also been published in the UK's Linux Format magazine and online, including his series of tutorials in Dimitry's Design Lab. As well as writing in English, he has also been published in Russian with Dmitry Kirsanov's Web Design Book.
Who is the Book For?
The Book of Inkscape is positioned as the definitive guide to the free graphics editor and on that basis it should be considered to be suitable for completely new users right through to more advanced users who have spent more time working with the application.
You only have to look at the contents to see that the book does indeed try to fulfill a very wide scope, right from taking a new user through the process of starting up Inkscape and writing 'Hello World' up to some advanced aspects, such as working from the command line, which in practice few users will ever wish to turn to.
However Dmitry Kirsanov understands the practical priorities of his book and weights the various parts of the book appropriately. Therefore, while the 'Hello World' section takes the reader by the hand and guides them very clearly through each individual step, the command line appendix is more of a primer piece for advanced users designed to introduce them to the concept and inspire them to look further afield for more information.
As a result, The Book of Inkscape really is a resource for all Inkscape users, whether they have never used the application before or have been using the editor for a while and want to expand their knowledge to ensure that they are making the most of the power that Inkscape offers them.
What is Covered?
Ignoring the appendices, the book breaks down into two main sections, the first of which is the most substantial and covers all of the various tools and aspects of the user interface. Dmitry Kirsanov advises readers to work through this sequentially and this would indeed be a great way to fully acquaint yourself with Inkscape.
If, however, you're more of a practical hands on learner, the contents and comprehensive index mean that The Book of Inkscape is also well suited for use as a reference book, where you just dip in and out to find information related to a very specific subject.
Following the information on all of the tools, there is a focus on a few practical tutorials. This particular section of the book is relatively short and the tutorials themselves are not always very prescriptive. It should, however, inspire readers to attempt practical experiments using the knowledge gained previously and the tutorial subjects cover a well judged range. They will help readers to use Inkscape in a variety of ways from designing a business card, through animation and hand drawn style pieces, to technical illustration style work.
The four appendices that close the book introduce interested readers to the structure of an SVG file, operating Inkscape on the command line, the merits of the available import and export formats and a comprehensive guide to all the available keyboard shortcuts. The first two sections will probably only be of interest to the geeks among us, but the other two really should be interest to all users who want to get the most from using Inkscape.
Whether you read the book sequentially or dip into it, you will always find the text well supported by relevant screen grabs and illustrations. Dmitry Kirsanov works as a designer when not writing and this no doubt helps him to understand how to use illustration as an aid to communication. As a result I never felt that the illustrations were being used as filler, but were playing their part to ensure that even a novice could fully understand what was being explained in the text.
Conclusion
The Book of Inkscape: The Definitive Guide to the Free Graphics Editor sets its sights high, but in my opinion it achieves its aims. The ability of Dmitry Kirsanov to vary his tone and detail depending on the subject matter is perhaps key to The Book of Inkscape largely being effective in its ambition of being the definitive guide to the graphics editor.
It really can take a completely new user from that very basic level through to an Inkscape power user, though potential readers should be aware of some limitations.
While in the Designing a Business Card tutorial, Dmitry Kirsanov does briefly detail a simple creative process, this is not a book that instructs on design. The Book of Inkscape will not make you a more creative designer, but it will give you new tools to express your creativity.
Also the tutorials are a relatively small part of The Book of Inkscape and while they do add value, if you're the type of learner who likes to follow step by step tutorials, such as those highlighted by the Inkscape Tutorials Weblog, you may be disappointed by the scope of the book. I still believe, however, that the book would be a valuable reference book giving you the knowledge to develop concepts covered by other tutorials to a new level.
I found lots of nuggets of information that I didn't know of and I have no doubt that if I worked through The Book of Inkscape in full I would develop a thoroughly comprehensive understanding of Inkscape. I would recommend The Book of Inkscape: The Definitive Guide to the Free Graphics Editor to anyone who is serious about increasing their skills and getting the most out of Inkscape.
Note: The reviewed book covers Inkscape 0.47, but it still remains very relevant to 0.48, the stable version at the time of writing.
Title: The Book of Inkscape: The Definitive Guide to the Free Graphics Editor
Author: Dmitry Kirsanov
ISBN-10: 1593271816
ISBN-13: 9781593271817
Publisher: No Starch Press