Both Inkscape and Photoshop are vector graphics software used by professional photographers and designers.
Inkscape is an open-source software for working with vector graphics. It offers top-quality performance and can be used for creating and editing vector graphics like illustrations, diagrams, line arts, charts, logos, and complex paintings.
Adobe Photoshop is the most popular software for designing, picture editing, and drawing. It offers three drawing modes for any level of work.
What Is Inkscape?
Inkscape is s free and robust software for vector drawing that can be used on Windows and macOS. Using it, you can create graphics similar to Adobe Illustrator. Inkscape allows you to create everything that any graphic designer does, including logos, flyers, business cards, websites, badges, letterheads, etc.Also, you can use Inkscape for particular tasks that you usually do with pixel software like Photoshop. For example, you can crop photos, apply standard filters, scale large images or add texts.
Inkscape: Advantages and Disadvantages
Offers full-featured vector management tools. Besides the tools, Inkscape photo editing software can create or download ready-to-use plug-ins. Among the tools, you will find a spiral, paint bucket, brush, pencil, and airbrush.
Simple node editing. Nodes are structures that show how vector graphics is made and are connected with some mathematical operations. Nodes let artists and designers manipulate vectorized objects, photos, and graphics.
The interface supports 29 languages. You can select English, Brazilian, Portuguese, Czech, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Italian, and many other languages.
Supports creative gradients. Inkscape supports different gradients and provides a separate tool using which you will be able to create complex combinations. It includes such tools as Diagram Connector, 3D box Sculpt/Paint, which are the same as in Adobe Illustrator.
Professional filters and effects. While testing Inkscape for this review, I found out that it follows the latest trends and offers 20 various filter categories that users can apply for better results.
Incompatible with older versions. Backward compatibility breaks sometimes. For instance, pre 0.92 SVGs aren’t compatible with the newest versions (because of different default resolutions).
Bugs can occur. This software is rather buggy. Sometimes, the popup/right-click menu doesn’t close and remains open.
What Is Photoshop?
Adobe Photoshop is mostly known as a photo editing software. With its help, you can create, improve, edit photos, artworks, and illustrations.Before starting to draw in Photoshop, you need to choose a drawing mode from the options bar. Based on the mode you select, you will be able to either create a vector shape on its own layer, a work path on an existing layer, or a rasterized shape on an existing layer.
Photoshop: Advantages and Disadvantages
Software for all purposes. You will be able to create different projects, including flyers, greeting cards, business cards, professionally edited images and animated GIFs.
Offers a shape layers’ tool. Using this tool, you can create a shape on an individual layer. You can use shape tools or pen tools to make shape layers. Since they are easy to move, resize, align, and distribute, shape layers are perfect for creating graphics for web pages.
Offers a paths tool. With this tool, you will be able to draw a work path on the current layer. Use it later for making a selection, creating a vector mask, or filing and stroking with color in order to create raster graphics (the same as if you’d use a panting tool). A work path will be temporary if you don’t save it. You will find this path on the Paths panel.
Integration with Creative Cloud. Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) Assets allows you to share folders with assets with users of Adobe Creative Cloud. Log in to Creative Cloud with the credentials of the user with whom you shared the folder. You will find the shared folder in Creative Cloud.
Quite difficult interface for amateurs. For beginners the Photoshop interface may be quite complicated. When I tried it for the first time, I doubted if I would be ever able to use it.
Not the best vector support. If you often deal with such vectors as SVG, Photoshop is not the best choice for you then. Photoshop doesn’t support vectors. So, for working with them, you should use Adobe Illustrator or other similar programs.
Requires a good graphics card. In order to use Photoshop to the fullest, you need to have a good graphics card and processor. They will let you maximize the photos you render and the speed of performance.
Inkscape Vs Photoshop: Price
Inkscape is definitely better in terms of price, which you also need to consider when comparing Inkscape vs Photoshop. This software is suitable for those who are making the first steps at design and doesn’t want to pay a lot of money for software.
- Inkscape - Free
- Adobe Photoshop - $29.99 per month
Inkscape Vs Photoshop: Who Wins?
Inkscape is a robust, open-source desktop software that you can use to create 2D scalable vector graphics. Even though it’s mostly an illustration tool, Inkscape is used for many computer graphic tasks. For example, you can create a drawing with a circle storing an XML statement, which gives the necessary information to draw a circle.
Adobe Photoshop is a great software for designers, web developers, graphic artists, photographers, and creative professionals. You can use it for photo editing and retouching, creating image compositions, website mockups, and applying effects. With Photoshop, you can edit both digital and scanned images to use them online or in print.
Adobe Photoshop offers phone, live support, tickets, and training as support for customers. Inkscape offers tickets and training.
Freebies for Photoshop
The collection of these actions will turn your photos into real masterpieces in several clicks.
