Thank you Moini and Brynn for your suggestions - I will be looking to upgrade to the latest version as soon as work permits (don't want to break anything when I still have deadlines to meet) and will also check out the various default tool settings mentioned.

PJ.

I create layered Inkscape .svg files that have to be sent to the print shop as Illustrator files. I do not want or need any transparency in the objects but I find it sometimes appears anyway in either the Layers menu or the Fill and Stroke menu when I am working in Inkscape (whether due to a bug or ...