Inkscape for Scientific Figures: A Beginner's Tutorial

Inkscape is a free, open-source vector editor that handles the vast majority of 2D scientific figure work — schematics, multi-panel layouts, annotations — with no subscription and no publication limits. This beginner's tutorial walks through the essentials you need to build a clean, publication-ready figure.

Why Inkscape for figures?

It is free, exports the vector formats journals accept (PDF, EPS, SVG) plus high-resolution raster, and vector art stays razor-sharp at any size. For most researchers it does everything Adobe Illustrator does for figures, at zero cost.

1. Set up your document

In Document Properties, set the page to your figure's target size and units (mm for print). Working at the real size from the start keeps text proportions and resolution correct. Turn on the grid and snapping to keep elements aligned.

2. Import icons and images

Bring in open-licence SVG icons (from libraries in our free resources guide) by dragging them in — as SVGs they stay editable and scalable. Import raster images (micrographs, renders) as linked or embedded files, and note that rasters won't scale up losslessly.

3. Draw and arrange

Use the rectangle, ellipse, and pen (Bézier) tools to build shapes and connectors, and the Align & Distribute panel to keep everything tidy — even spacing is what makes a figure look professional. Group related elements so you can move panels as units, and use layers to separate, say, background, diagram, and labels.

4. Add text and labels

Use a clean sans-serif font, keep labels short, and size them to be legible at the figure's final printed size. Place labels close to what they describe, use consistent styling for panel letters (A, B, C), and check contrast against the background.

5. Export publication-ready

For vector submission, export to PDF or EPS. For raster, use Export PNG with the DPI set so the output meets your journal's resolution at final size (usually 300 dpi). Embed or outline fonts so text doesn't reflow on another machine, and check the file against the journal's spec — see our DPI/TIFF/CMYK guide.

A few time-savers

Learn a handful of shortcuts (duplicate, group, align), build a reusable template at your common figure size, and keep a consistent palette and icon style across all your figures. These habits turn figure-making from a chore into a quick, repeatable process.

Need 3D as well as 2D?

Pair Inkscape with Blender for 3D — learn it in our self-paced course for researchers.

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