Inkscape relies on extensions for many of the file formats it can open and save. If a required dependency is not installed on your PC then Inkscape will not load the filetype extension and the filetype will not be listed in the save or open dialogs.

If you do not have the option to save or open a particular filetype in Inkscape, check the extension-errors.log file (~/.inkscape/extension-errors.log for Linux or %userprofile%\Application Data\Inkscape\extension-errors.log for Windows) for details about what dependency was not met for the filetype.

For example, I cannot save AI files and this is was extension-errors.log says:

This means Ghostscript (gs) is required and cannot be found. This may mean Ghostscript is not installed, or it's path is not in the PATH environment variable.

Note that a required dependency may not be available for your platform (i.e. some dependencies might be available for Linux but not Windows). Also, if a filetype is not listed in Inkscapes save or open dialog and also not mentioned in extension-errors.log then it isn't supported.

*** Alternatively, and perhaps more conveniently:
Inkscape is quite good at opening PDF files, so convert your file to PDF and open that with Inkscape instead.

Acrobat Reader can open some AI files and save them as PDF. It may be able to convert other formats also. You can also use Document Converter eXpress to convert EPS to PDF.

OK, so what do I need to open an *.EPS file?

I can save to *.EPS but they won't open even after I create them with InkScape.

I tried looking for the extension-errors.log, but can't find it. Even tried using a full search of my computer. (I'm using WinXP sp2)

The file should be in "%userprofile%\Application Data\Inkscape\". Click on start then Run... and in the Open text field enter %userprofile%\Application Data\Inkscape\ and click ok. This should open Windows Explorer at the given path and you should see the extension-errors.log. If for some reason the path doesn't exists you'll get an error.

Regardless, the consensus is that Inkscape is much better at working with PDF files than EPS. So the work around is to convert the EPS to a PDF then open the PDF with Inkscape. You can do this with Ghostscript's ps2pdf or do it online using http://convert.neevia.com/. Future versions of Inkscape will convert from EPS to PDF automatically.

Thanks, found it:

Extension "EPS Input" failed to load because a dependency was not met.
Dependency:
type: executable
location: path
string: pstoedit

I'll try the conversion route, but look forward to when Inkscape does it automatically.

Problem is http://www.ponoko.com/ uses *.EPS exclusively.

What about on Macs? I was impressed with Inkscape when I downloaded it earlier, but then bummed when I saw the extensions it saved. I want to use Inkscape to draw for stop motion, but the only file I can open is the '.png' that is created after I click 'Export to Bitmap'. I'm worried because I don't want to click Export after making minute changes to a picture.

ADCM wrote:but then bummed when I saw the extensions it saved

Inkscape is what it is because it uses SVG. SVG is an open standard that any software can support if they choose to. You should be pleased it uses SVG as opposed to a proprietary format that no other software could be expected to support.

ADCM wrote:

I'm worried because I don't want to click Export after making minute changes to a picture.

If you want to design with vectors, or even if you're designing in pixels with the GIMP or Photoshop in their native formats, but you want bitmap output, you're going to have to export to the final format you want. (GIMP and Photoshop both store very complicated files with layer information, etc that aren't in your PNG file.)

I'm doing something similar to your project with Inkscape... drawings (fantasy gaming map tiles) that need to be output to PNG and then imported into another document for publication. Every time I make a tweak to a set of tiles, I have to reexport them... but that's not something you have to do by hand via the File menu!

You can tell Inkscape to export a PNG from the command-line, and there are quite a few options to allow a lot of control. I wrote a little Bash script (I'm on Linux) that compares the age of my PNG to the age of the SVG source and reexports the image if the SVG is newer than the PNG. I'm pretty sure this will work for you on the Mac. (If you don't have 'bash', try 'sh'... if sh gives you errors, let me know and make it sh-compatible.)

The way it's written, output files go in a subdirectory (folder) called "tileimages", and imagemagick's 'convert' utility is used to generate thumbnails in a subdirectory called "thumbs". I haven't done anything to make it generic... if this kind of thing looks useful to you but you don't know how to make it do what you want, let me know what you need and I'll see what I can do.

Hello, I am a newbie about Inkscape. I would save them PNG or JPEG but I only can .SVG, what should I do?
Help me please.

I recently downloaded a file using DAP. the type of is just file. How do I open it? Please help

Basically I have the same question as to how to convert to PDF? I tried using Inkscape's save as 'pdf as Cairo', that's the only PDF choice there is, but Photoshop elements (v3) doesn't recognize it. Is there another way to save as a PDF or JPEG file? (what does save pdf as Cairo mean anyway!).
thanks.
dee

To Blatt:
Save as SVG, then click File menu > Export Bitmap. Then look in the file where you exported to, and you'll find the PNG.

To arnab:
Do you mean the file extension is .file (nameoffile.file, for example)? I'm not familiar with download managers, or the .file extension (if there is one). But I wonder if you double-click on the file you downloaded, what happens?

To flamingolady:
You might try searching the forums. If I recall, there are several topics about converting to/from PDF. (Sorry, I don't don't the direct answer.)

thx Brynn.
I ended up exporting the bitmap as well, installed GIMP which can handle the exported PNG. I think once it's in the PNG format, the user can then use GIMP or Photoshop, etc. to convert it into a JPEG. My issue was with printing, initially I couldn't print Inkscape files on my printer, but once I downloaded GIMP, I can print fine now (I guess it had the needed printer info, yay).

hint/how to for newbies when exporting: First go into the Edit tab, click on the camera icon/Make a Bitmap Copy function. It does not appear to do anything, but don't worry. Open the File tab and click on Export Bitmap, it will bring up a menu and assign a file name, change the name to something you will remember. That's all, it's now saved as a PNG file, which can be opened in another program.
dee

flamingolady wrote:hint/how to for newbies when exporting: First go into the Edit tab, click on the camera icon/Make a Bitmap Copy function. It does not appear to do anything, but don't worry.

This is unnecessary if you want to export your SVG to a bitmap. What Edit -> Make a Bitmap Copy does is export the selection to a PNG and then automatically link to the PNG to include it in your document. It does create a PNG export, but it is unrelated to using File -> Export Bitmap.

To export part or all of your drawing, just start with File -> Export Bitmap.

I'm only using Flash MX 2004 and I can't for the life of me find out how to get a vector image into Inkscape (I have versions 0.45, 0.46, and the 0.47 beta.)

The vector formats I can export to from Flash are WMFs, EMFs, AI files (not .AI.SVG, just .AI, from versions '88 to 6.0,) EPS 3.0, SWF, and AutoCAD DXF. My 0.47 beta doesn't show EPS support and whenever I import a DXF nothing appears. I've tried Uniconverter, Image Magick, and Ghostscript but they're all command-line based and I seriously can't figure out how to use them no matter how hard I try (I'm a Windows XP user and really don't want to have to learn an entire command-line system for a one-time use.)

And I really, really don't want to have to resort to WMFs and EMFs because they get rid of all the curves and add tons of points.

On a similar subject:

What is the best way to save as a jpeg with a white background? At the moment i am:

Saving as a PNG in Inkscape
Opening PNG with GIMP
Saving via GIMP as a JPEG (which gives me the white background.)

That sound about right or is there a better way?

Davey777 -- With your image open in Inkscape, File menu > Document Properties > Page tab > Next to "Background", click on the bar that's half white and half checkerboard (which means the background is fully transparent). This will allow you to change the color and/or transparency of your background. Just slide the A (alpha) all the way to the right, or enter 255 where it now says 0. This will make it fully opaque white.

I think you can save as a JPEG right from the Inkscape window, but I'm not positive. Try File > Save As > type your filename with the .jpeg extension. And before you click Save, choose "Guess from extension" from the drop-down. If it doesn't work, you can go back to your previous routine.

VinLAURiA -- I'm sorry I don't know the answer to your question. But someone else should be along soon to answer it

Thanks!

The first part worked great. Got a white background now. That will save a lot of fiddling about. Cheers

Adding the 'jpeg' extension saved the file but 'preview' wasn't able to open it. (I'm on an Imac.)
I use photoshop to play with the finished image anyway and that can open a PNG and save as a JPEG so now i can skip GIMP.

Thanks again!

Hello all,

To document my technical work and I chose Inkscape to draw eps figures and to attached them in tex files as part of documenation.
However Im extremely disappointed by the inability of inkscape and the time i have to spend in testing conversions of so many formats... eps, ps, pdf,eps,jpg,png..etc.. j

I have a linux system with gimp, inkscape installed. I tried exporting as .png, but my gimp shows my real image in a rather distorted way (SO .PNG, being the last option is not available now).

Can somebody tell me how can I save my .svg drawing as .eps, that my TEX editor will happily display ???

I'm sorry I can't answer your question, but wanted to suggest searching these forums. There are several articles re SVG to EPS and/or EPS to SVG, in several different situations. You might find some clues in those topics, while waiting for an answer here.

Btw -- Welcome to Inscapeforum.com!

i wanna know why i cant save my preferences on my pc i have the windows xp the inkscape suddenly doesnt saves my preferences and appears an info... PREFERENCES IS NOT A VALID XML FILE and i dont understand why suddenly appears that. some file is missing? what can i do? i uninstall the inkscape program and install it again and is the same problem

Oscar try searching for that error on the inkscape bug tracker, I think it's been reported before, probably solved too. https://bugs.launchpad.net/inkscape/

Uninstalling won't help because your preferences file won't be deleted. Try uninstalling inkscape, then find the file preferences.xml, it's probably in your inkscape folder and delete it (or rename it), then install inkscape and see if the message is gone. You will lose your custom changes on preferences but if that file is corrupted you'd better go on with a new one.

Thanks for your response. In the error description I get is:

Extension "Dia Input" failed to load because a dependency was not met.
Dependency:
type: executable
location: extensions
string: dia2svg.sh
description: The dia2svg.sh script should be installed with your Inkscape distribution. If you do not have it, there is likely to be something wrong with your Inkscape installation.

I tried the converter program you recommended for converting the EPS files to PDF and that works, OK. However, I don't want to have to convert and save each file that I want to use in Inkscape. How can I just open an EPS file up into Inkscape?

How do I fix this problem and get the proper file type in Inkscape? I have Windows Vista.

That error message relates to DIA, not EPS. You should have more errors listed in that file. Look for one that begins with "Extension "EPS Input" failed to load because a dependency was not met."

Hi,
CarlCraven's idea [see above] of programming Inkscape to make a constant PNG export of the currently open SVG file while it's being saved is just perfect to my project (I need EPS instead, in fact).

To a total beginner in scripting (myself), could anyone say how to make Inkscape run this Bash script? Is there any alternative, such as a python script added to the extensions folder?

Finally, could you guide me to any tutorial or general info about scripting for Inskscape?

Thanks very much in advance.