I was looking to convert photos into silhouettes. I have a similar programme to inkscape and do this by cutting the background out and hitting trace button. Its very easy and can be done in seconds....struggling to do this on inkscape though so wondered if someone can talk me through it ....please??

Hi.

I would have used Gimp to remove background (making it transparent). Then I would have saved it as png (with alpha channel).
Open Inkscape and import the file.

I doesn't know if any filters can make a noce shadow, but you can manually draw the outline of the object that should cast shaddow. Make the object's background black and set blur to an apropriate level. Make sure that the "shadow" is below the figure that would cast it.

By "convert photos into silhouettes" do you mean that you want to make the subject in the photo all black (or some shade of gray)? If so, this is like the 3rd or 4th topic in the last week looking to do this. Maybe a class project.....or maybe just coincidence???

Well, in any case, there may be a few different options. If this does not need to be vector (SVG), then I would suggest using a raster graphics program. In one of the other topics, someone suggested adjusting the contrast until it the subject was all black (they wanted the silhouette to be put on a t-shirt).

Or by silhouette, do you mean just remove the background? Yes, Inkscape can do a very similar process to the one you describe. Path menu > Trace Bitmap. And you'll want to use the SIOX Foreground Selection technique, explained here: http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL ... -SIOX.html This will only work if the background of the photo has sufficient contrast to the subject.

If the background doesn't have enough contrast for this technique to work, Grobe's suggestion might work better. And certainly it would be equally effective in any case.

If neither of those work, you'll have to trace it "manually". Import the photo, then use the Pen or Pencil tool to draw a line around the subject. Zooming way, way in, and placing frequent nodes, helps to create lines that look very precise when you zoom back out. Then select the photo and the newly drawn path, and do Object menu > Clip > Set.

Let us know how it goes

you might find that neither manual or automatic tracing produces good silhouettes. Our brains trick us into thinking that artistically designed (hand drawn as opposed to traced) silhouettes are exactly as per the subject/object but, in fact it's not the case. Or otherwise you have to choose wisely the photos that are good candidates for silhouette...so you don't end up with unrecongnizable black blobs. not trying to discourage or anything..but there's a bit to silhouettes to consider to get good result.

Yeah cheers for that folks will give that a go. Yeah on other programme you do need the right photo so you dont just get black blobs but can look good with the correct photos.Yep it is for t shirt printing

Oh, I just thought of something else. If the subject needs to be black, or some solid color, you might be able to find one of Inkscape's raster extensions that works (Extensions menu > Raster). Then after that, you could do the trace (auto or manually)