Importing non-native Inkscape files
In the previous section, we imported a previously-created Inkscape SVG file into the program. Inkscape supports a number of other graphic formats too. It can open or import SVG, SVGZ (gzipped SVG), PDF, and AI (Adobe Illustrator) formats. In particular, it can import bitmap-based graphic formats such as JPEG, PNG, and GIF, but it can only export PNG bitmaps.
With the help of extensions and plugins, Inkscape can also open a number of other vector formats. The following are some examples:
- For importing PostScript or EPS, install Ghostscript (http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/)
- For formats of Dia, XFig, or Sketch, you need to have those programs installed on your computer
- For CorelDraw, CGM, and SK1 files, install Uniconverter (http://sk1project.org/). For Windows users, Uniconvertor is pre-installed with Inkscape and no additional installation is needed.
See this version of the Inkscape manual for the fully-supported formats and the caveats of importing each...