I want to make a birthday card. Is there any way you can cut out say B R A D like a stencil on the card. Sort of cutting out in a reverse if you know what I mean. Sorry newbie so just learning. Thanks

1. draw a rectangle
2. select text tool, write your text
3. align text object with the rectangle (e.g. center)
4. select text and rectangle
5. apply menu 'Path > Difference'
6. result: rectangle with text cut out

hth, ~suv

you may have to convert the text object to a path before applying the difference function.

I tested it before posting, and with a current 0.46+devel build it was not necessary to convert either the text or the rectangle to paths before applying the 'Difference' command - I didn't test it with Inkscape 0.46 though ;-)

When converting the text to path, I had to ungroup it and then - with all characters of the now separated text still selected - apply 'Path > Combine' before I could use the 'Difference' command on both the rectangle and the text path.

Another thing to note: For the 'Difference' command the text object needs to be 'above' the rectangle (stack order).

hth, ~suv

Thank you for the help. Really appreciated.

~suv wrote:

1. draw a rectangle
2. select text tool, write your text
3. align text object with the rectangle (e.g. center)
4. select text and rectangle
5. apply menu 'Path > Difference'
6. result: rectangle with text cut out

hth, ~suv

Thanks so much for this. Was looking for a way to "cut out" text from a black background. The idea is that I can print this out onto transparencies resulting in a black background with transparent text. Don't have any transparencies with me right now to test, but I'm thinking this will work.

Thanks again!

Doesnt work for me,
Nothing happens as per the video, i am using .48
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5la2ecROXaI

What wrong am i doing?

syednayab wrote:Doesnt work for me,
Nothing happens as per the video, i am using .48
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5la2ecROXaI

What wrong am i doing?

That video shows more variatons, not a single cutting out.
So could you post the image you are working on, ad tell us where you got stuck?