Inkscape – How to Place One Image Inside Another (Clipping)

© Ugur Akinci
Inkscape is a pretty versatile and FREE vector drawing program that you can download from here.
Inkscape is not as versatile and powerful as Adobe Illustrator but it can still do many things that a technical communicator can use. And did I mention that… it’s FREE?
Here is how you can place one image inside another, or, how you can “clip” an image.

Variation 1:

1] Take and image and place it inside your Inkscape artboard. We’re going to use a rose from the archive of Wikipedia Commons.

2] Create another image (a black star, for the purposes of this tutorial) and place it on top of the first image.  Make sure the image that you will like to PUNCH THROUGH the bottom image is at the TOP.  Select the top image and click the “Raise selection to top” button on the toolbar to make sure it is so.


3] Select both images by pressing CTRL+A or selecting Edit > Select All from the main menu.
4] Select Object > Clip > Set from the main menu…

… and you’ve got yourself a beautiful STAR with the ROSE peeking through from underneath.

Variation 2:

This is how you can make an image show through TEXT…
1] Take and image and place it inside your Inkscape artboard. We’re going to use a rose from the archive of Wikipedia Commons.

2] Create some TEXT. In this example I typed “ROSE.” Place the text on top of the first image.  Make sure the TEXT is at the TOP.  Select the TEXT and click the “Raise selection to top” button on the toolbar to make sure it is so.

3] IMPORTANT: Convert the text into a PATH. Otherwise this technique will NOT work. Select the TEXT and select Path > Object to Path from the main menu to convert the editable text into a PATH.

4] Select both images by pressing CTRL+A or selecting Edit > Select All from the main menu.
5] Select Object > Clip > Set from the main menu and…

… you’ve got yourself a WORD (“ROSE”) with the ROSE peeking through from underneath.