Tool Controls Bar¶

In the image above, a red rectangle identifies which toolbar is the tool controls bar. This is arguably the most important toolbar in the interface, because almost every option, for every tool, appears in this toolbar.

That is what makes this toolbar unique. The available buttons are different, depending on which tool in the toolbox is enabled. For example, below is a screenshot of the tool controls bar when the Node tool is enabled. Compare it to the image at the top of the page, which shows the tool controls bar with the Selection tool enabled.

Below are a couple of other tool controls bars for comparison. Notice how the buttons are different for each tool.

Try it in your own Inkscape window. Watch the tool controls bar while you switch to different tools.

No matter which tool may be enabled, the tool controls bar can be temporarily hidden. To do so, uncheck View menu > Show/Hide > Tool Controls Bar.

Tool controls bars, like many of Inkscape’s toolbars, contain two types of elements: buttons and number fields, sometimes called “spinboxes”. Of course operating the buttons is simple. After selecting something on the canvas, just click on a button.

The number fields can be operated in a few ways. First, select something on the canvas to make the number fields active.

Highlight the numbers with a mouse, or delete by backspacing. Then either paste in new numbers, or type new numbers. Press Enter.

Click the small plus or minus buttons to “spin” the number higher or lower.

A very special feature of the number fields is that they can be used to perform simple math: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Place a +, -, *, or / after the last number in the box. Then type another number immediately after the sign. After pressing Enter, the result will be displayed in the field. And the object selected on the canvas will respond according to the result.

UNDER REVIEW

Selection Tool Controls Bar¶

The image above shows the Selection tool controls bar. The table below gives either the name or a brief description for each item. Follow the links to find a full expanation.

Icon	Name of the Button or Number Field and What it Does
	Select All: selects everything visible on the canvas
	Select All in All Layers: selects everything in all visible layers
	Deselect: removes all selections
	Touch Selection Mode: objects are selected by dragging across them instead of around them
	Rotate 90° to the left: rotates selected objects 90° to the left
	Rotate 90° to the right: rotates selected objects 90° to the right
	Flip Horizontal: flips the selected objects horizontally
	Flip Vertical: flips the selected objects vertically
	Raise to Top: move the selection to the top of the z-order stack
	Raise One Level: move the selection up one level in the z-order stack
	Lower One Level: move the selection down one level in the z-order stack
	Lower to Bottom: moves the selection to the bottom of the z-order stack
	Scale Stroke Width: scales the stroke width by the same proportion the whole object was scaled
	Scale Rounded Corners: scales the radii of round-corner rectangles
	Move Gradients: moves gradients along with objects
	Move Patterns: moves patterns along with objects
	X position: number field that shows and sets the side to side position of the selected object
	Y position: number field that shows and sets the top to bottom position of the selected object
	Width: number field that shows and sets the width of the selected object
	Locked: locks the dimensions so that proportions do not change when the object is resized
	Unlocked: unlocks the dimensions so that proportions will change when the object is resized
	Height: number field that shows and sets the height of the selected object
	Units: dropdown menu of available units

Todo

Double-check the manual locations for the links for the last 7 items. Lines 98 - 111. I’m not sure if I chose the right section/chapters.

UNDER REVIEW

Node Tool Controls Bar¶

The image above shows the Node tool controls bar. The table below gives the name or a brief description for what each item does. Follow the links to find detailed information about each one.

Icon	Name of the Button or Number Field and What it Does
	Add Nodes: adds a new node between selected nodes
	Delete Selected Nodes: deletes selected nodes
	Join Selected Nodes: joins two or more consecutive, selected nodes
	Break Path at Selected Node: breaks a path at selected nodes
	Join Selected Nodes with a New Segment: joins selected end nodes with a new path segment
	Delete Segment Between Two Nodes: deletes the segment between two selected nodes
	Make Selected Node Corner or Cusp: makes the selected node a corner/cusp node
	Make Selected Node Smooth: makes the selected node a smooth node
	Make Selected Node Symmetric: makes the selected node a symmetric node
	Make Selected Node Auto-Smooth: makes the selected node an auto-smooth node
	Make Segment Straight: makes the segment defined by two selected nodes, straight
	Make Segment Curved: adds handles to selected corner nodes so the segment can be curved
	Add Corners LPE: LPE handles for making smoother curves (I guessed about this one.)
	Object to Path: converts the selected object to a path
	Stroke to Path: converts a stroke to a path (I guessed about this one.)
	X position: number field which shows and sets the side to side position of the selected node
	Y position: number field which shows and sets the top to bottom position of the selected node
	Distance: number field that shows and sets the distance between two selected nodes; only shows up when more than one node is selected
	Units: dropdown menu of available units
	Next LPE: shows the next available path effect parameter
	Path Outline: toggles the path outline on or off
	Node Handles: toggles the display of node handles for selected nodes
	Transform Handles: toggles the display of transform handles for more than one selected node
	Mask Path: shows or hides the masking path, if there is one
	Clip Path: shows or hides the clipping path, if there is one

UNDER REVIEW

Shape Builder Tool Controls Bar¶

Above, the Shape Builder tool controls bar is shown. The table below identifies the icons. It also gives a brief description for each one. Follow the link for a fuller description.

Icon	Name of the Button and What it Does
	Add Shapes: adds shapes to create larger shapes or images
	Remove Shapes: removes shapes from larger shapes or images
	Accept: after individual shapes have been selected, completes the building of a new shape
	Cancel: after individual shapes have been selected, cancels the building of a new shape
	unselected object transparency: adjust the transparency of unselected objects (Note - there is no tooltip for this button, so I filled in a reasonable name for it)
	Replace objects: deletes the original objects after new shape creation

Todo

The eye icon has no tooltip, see my note above. Line 221. Also, delete my comment after item is fixed.

UNDER REVIEW

Rectangle Tool Controls Bar¶

The image above shows the Rectangle tool controls bar. Below are the names of the number fields and icons, along with a brief description for each one. To find a fuller expanation for them, please follow the links.

Icon	Name of the Button or Number Field and What it Does
	Width: number field which shows and sets the width of the selected rectangle
	Height: number field which shows and sets the height of the selected rectangle
	Rx: number field that shows and sets the horizontal radius of a rounded corner
	Ry: number field that shows and sets the vertical radius of a rounded corner
	Units: dropdown menu of available units
	Make Corners Sharp: if rectangle corners have been rounded, this makes them sharp again

UNDER REVIEW

Ellipse Tool Controls Bar¶

The Ellipse tool controls bar is shown above. In the table below, please find their name or a brief description for each button or number field. To find a fuller explanation, follow the links.

Icon	Name of the Button or Number Field and What it Does
	Rx: number field to enter the horizontal radius of the ellipse or arc
	Ry: number field to enter the vertical radius of the ellipse or arc
	Start: the angle (in degrees) from the horizontal to the arc’s or slice’s start point (for a whole ellipse, this value is zero)
	End: the angle (in degrees) from the horizontal to the arc’s or slice’s end point (for a whole ellipse, this value is zero)
	Slice: draws a slice (may be called “segment” or “wedge” in different versions of Inkscape)
	Arc: draws an arc
	Chord: draws a chord
	Whole Ellipse: draws a whole ellipse

UNDER REVIEW

Star Tool Controls Bar¶

The Star tool controls bar¶

The tool controls bar for the Star tool is shown above. The table below gives the name or a brief description of each button and number field. To find a full explanation, please follow the links.

Icon	Name of the Button or Number Field and What it Does
	Draw Polygon: draws a polygon or switches a star to a polygon
	Draw Star: draws a star or switches a polygon to a star
	Corners: enter the number of corners or points wanted for the star
	Spoke Ratio: ratio of the base radius to the tip radius
	Rounded: changes or displays how rounded each spike or point will be
	Randomize: deforms each star randomly – suggested a better name for this setting https://gitlab.com/inkscape/inbox/-/issues/13007
	Reset to Default: for any values which the user might have changed, this resets them to their defaults
	Edge: the length of each point or spike
	Units: dropdown menu of available units

UNDER REVIEW

3D Box Tool Controls Bar¶

The 3D Box tool controls bar is shown above.

Each number field sets the angle of the perspective lines, for the X, Y, and Z directions of the 3D box.

UNDER REVIEW

Spiral Tool Controls Bar¶

The Spiral tool controls bar is shown above. The table below gives the name and description for each item.

Icon	Name of the Button or Number Field and What it Does
	Turns: a number field to set the number of loops in the selected spiral
	Divergence: a number field to set the amount of space between loops in the selected spiral
	Inner Radius: a number fields to set how much empty space is in the center of the selected spiral
	Reset: resets parameters to defaults

UNDER REVIEW

Pen Tool Controls Bar¶

The Pen tool controls bar is shown above. The table below gives the names and descriptions for each item.

Icon	Name of the Button and What it Does
	Regular Bezier Mode: draw paths in regular Bezier mode
	Spiro-Spline Mode: draw paths in spiro-spline mode
	B-Spline Mode: draw paths in b-spline mode
	Straight Line Mode: draw paths in straight line mode
	Paraxial Line Mode: draw paths in paraxial line mode
	Triangle In: draw with the Triangle In shape profile
	Triangle Out: draw with the Triangle Out shape profile
	Ellipse: draw with the Ellipse shape profile
	From Clipboard: draw with the Pattern Along Path LPE using the custom shape profile that was saved to the clipboard
	Bend from Clipboard: draw with the Bend LPE using the custom shape profile that was saved to the clipboard
	Last Applied: draws with the last shape profile that was applied on the canvas
	Scale: set the width of the power stroke shape

UNDER REVIEW

Pencil Tool Controls Bar¶

The Pencil tool controls bar is shown above. The table below gives the names and descriptions for each item.

Icon	Name of the Button and What it Does
	Regular Bezier Mode: draw paths in regular Bezier mode
	Spiro-Spline Mode: draw paths in spiro-spline mode
	B-Spline Mode: draw paths in b-spline mode
	Use Pressure Input: draw paths on a graphics tablet, using pressure input
	Smoothing: a number field to enter the amount of Smoothing, same as Path menu > Simplify
	Smoothing: LPE based interactive Simplify
	Triangle In: draw with the Triangle In shape profile
	Triangle Out: draw with the Triangle Out shape profile
	Ellipse: draw with the Ellipse shape profile
	From Clipboard: draw with the Pattern Along Path LPE using the custom shape profile that was saved to the clipboard
	Bend from Clipboard: draw with the Bend LPE using the custom shape profile that was saved to the clipboard
	Last Applied: draws with the last shape profile that was applied on the canvas
	Scale: set the width of the power stroke shape

READY FOR REVIEW

Calligraphy Tool Controls Bar¶

The Calligraphy tool controls bar is shown above, in two parts. The table below gives the names and descriptions for each item.

Icon	Name of the Button and What it Does
	Profile Preset: a dropdown menu of preset profiles
not found	Calligraphic Profile: add or edit calligraphic profile
	Width: number field to set the width of the calligraphy pen
	Units: a dropdown menu for type of units
	Use Pressure Input: use pressure of the input device to alter the width of the calligraphy stroke - typically used with a graphics pen and tablet
	Trace the Lightness: toggle switch to trace the lightness of the background by the width of the pen
	Thinning: a number field to set how much velocity of the pen thins the stroke
	Mass: a number field, higher values create a sensation of drag on the pen stroke, has the effect of smoothing the line
	Angle: a number field for setting the angle of the pen’s nib
	Draw With Tilt: the tilt of the input device alters the angle of the nib
	Fixation: a number field that adjusts the nib behavior
	Caps: a number field that adjusts the end caps
	Tremor: a number field that makes the line more or less jagged, as if drawn with a shaky hand
	Wiggle: a number field that makes the line more or less wiggly

UNDER REVIEW

Text Tool Controls Bar¶

The Text tool controls bar is shown above, in 2 parts. The table below gives the names and descriptions for each item.

Icon	Name of the Button and What it Does
	Select Font Collections: opens the Font Collections dialog
	Reset Font List: resets Font Collections to the default
	Select Font: huge dropdown menu showing all the fonts on your system
	Font Style: small dropdown menu showing the font styles that are available for the selected font
	Font Size: dropdown menu showing the available font sizes
	Units: dropdown menu showing the available font size units
	Spacing Between Baselines: set the space between lines of text
	Baseline Units: dropdown menu showing all the available units for the baseline spacing
	Align Left: aligns selected text characters from the left
	Align Right: aligns selected text characters from the right
	Align Center: aligns selected text characters from the center
	Justify: justifies text to the left and right
	Superscript: text containing a superscript character (couldn’t guess which chapter)
	Subscript: text containing a subscript character (couldn’t guess which chapter)
	Horizontal Text: text direction is horizontal
	Vertical Text: text direction is vertical
	Vertical Text: text direction is vertical and left to right
	Text Sideways Auto: button remains grayed out unless one of the Vertical Text buttons is enabled; text direction is vertical, auto
	Text Sideways Upright: button remains grayed out unless one of the Vertical Text buttons is enabled; text direction is vertical, but upright
	Text Sideways Offset: button remains grayed out unless one of the Vertical Text buttons is enabled; text direction is vertical, but offset
	Horizontal Text: text direction is horizontal, left to right
	Horizontal Text: text direction is horizontal, right to left
	Letter Spacing: a number field for horizontal spacing between characters (in pixels)
	Word Spacing: a number field for horizontal spacing between words (in pixels)
	Horizontal Kerning: a number field for horizontal kerning of characters (in pixels)
	Vertical Kerning: a number field for vertical kerning of characters (in pixels)
	Character Rotation: a number field for character rotation (in pixels)

Todo

Fix Superscript and Subscript chapters.
I don’t really know what text-orientation-auto means (or does), so I fudged a description - probably should fix.
Probably should double-check all 3 of those orientation things ;-)

UNDER REVIEW

Gradient Tool Controls Bar¶

The Gradient tool controls bar is shown above. The table below gives the names and descriptions for each item.

Icon	Name of the Button and What it Does
	Create Linear Gradient: paints a linear gradient
	Create Radial Gradient: paints a radial gradient
	Create Gradient in Fill: applies a gradient to the fill
	Create Gradient in Stroke: applies a gradient to the stroke
	Select Gradient: a dropdown menu containing all the gradients in the file
	Linked: links similar gradients
	Not Linked: similar gradients are not linked
	Reverse the Gradient: reverses the direction of the gradient
	Repeat: None: continues the last stop color beyond the gradient ends
	Repeat: Reflected: repeats the gradient in alternating opposite directions, beyond the gradient ends
	Repeat: Direct: repeats the gradient in the same direction, beyond the gradient ends
	Stops: a dropdown menu listing all the stops in the selected gradient
	Offset: a number field that shows the distance between the selected stop and the first stop, in percent
	Insert New Stop: adds a new gradient stop
	Delete Stop: deletes a selected gradient stop

UNDER REVIEW

Gradient Mesh Tool Controls Bar¶

The Gradient Mesh tool controls bar is shown above. The table below gives the names and descriptions for each item.

Icon	Name of the Button and What it Does
	Create Gradient Mesh: creates a gradient mesh fill
	Create Conical Gradient Mesh: creates a conical gradient mesh fill
	Rows: a number field to enter the number of rows in the mesh
	Columns: a number field to enter the number of columns in the mesh
	Show Handles: toggles showing handles of the stops
	Make Straight Lines: makes curved control lines straight
	Make Curved Lines: makes curved control lines more elliptical
	Pick Color: changes selected stops to whatever color is under the mesh
	Scale Mesh: scale mesh to fit inside bounding box
	Warning: Warning: SVG syntax is subject to change
	Smoothing: a dropdown menu offering two ways to smooth the mesh

UNDER REVIEW

Dropper Tool Controls Bar¶

The Dropper tool controls bar is shown above. The table below gives the names and descriptions for each item.

Icon	Name of the Button and What it Does
	Opacity: Pick: click Pick button to choose the color and alpha value under the cursor; otherwise choose the color premultiplied by the alpha
	Opacity: Assign: click Assign button to assign the alpha value to the fill or stroke of the selection

UNDER REVIEW

Paint Bucket Tool Controls Bar¶

The Paint Bucket tool controls bar is shown above. The table below gives the names and descriptions for each item.

Icon	Name of the Button and What it Does
	Fill by:: a dropdown menu offering several options for the fill color
	Threshold: a number field where you can enter a value for something
	Grow/Shrink by: a number field where you can enter the number of pixels by which you want to automatically grow or shrink the object
	Units: a dropdown menu offering several units for the Grow/Shrink value
	Close Gaps:: a dropdown menu offering four gap choices

Todo

1 – fix all these links if necessary - I’m not sure where the Paint Bucket tool will be covered in the manual 2 – add the last icon – some kind of reset - waiting for support

UNDER REVIEW

Tweak Tool Controls Bar¶

The Tweak tool controls bar is shown above. The table below gives the names and descriptions for each item.

Icon	Name of the Button and What it Does
	Move Object Any Direction: moves selected objects in any direction
	Move Object Toward Cursor: moves selected objects toward the cursor
	Move Object in Random Directions: moves selected objects in random directions
	Shrink Objects: shrinks selected objects
	Rotates Objects: rotates selected objects
	Duplicate Objects: duplicates selected objects
	Push Paths Any Direction: pushes parts of paths in any direction
	Shrink Paths: shrink parts of paths
	Attract Path Towards Cursor: attracts parts of path towards cursor
	Roughen Paths: roughen parts of paths
	Paint Selected Objects: paint the tool’s color on selected objects
	Jitter Colors: jitter colors on selected objects
	Blur Objects: blurs selected objects
	Width: a number field for setting the width of the tweak area
	Force: a number field for setting the strength of the tweak action
	Pressure of the Input Device: Use the pressure of the input device to alter the force of the tweak action
	Channels: buttons H, S, L, and O - in color modes, act on Hue, Saturation, Lightness, and Opacity

UNDER REVIEW

Spray Tool Controls Bar¶

The Spray tool controls bar is shown above. The table below gives the names and descriptions for each item.

Icon	Name of the Button and What it Does
	Spray Mode Copies: sprays copies of the selection
	Spray Mode Clones: sprays clones of the selection
	Spray Unioned Objects: sprays objects in a single path
	Erase Sprayed Objects: erase sprayed objects from selection
	Width: a number field to enter the width of the spray area
	Pressure of the Input Device: Use the pressure of the input device to alter the width of the spray area
	Amount: a number field to enter the number of objects sprayed per click
	Pressure of the Input Device: Use the pressure of the input device to alter the number of objects sprayed per click
	Rotation: a number field to rotate the sprayed objects
	Scale: a number field to scale the sprayed objects
	Pressure of the Input Device: Use the pressure of the input device to alter the scale of sprayed objects
	Scatter: a number field to scatter the sprayed objects
	Focus: a number field to focus the sprayed objects in a small area, or spread out in a larger area
	Apply Non-Transparent: spray over non-transparent areas
	Apply Over Transparent: spray over transparent areas
	No Color Overlaps: prevent color overlaps
	Prevent Overlapping Objects: prevents overlapping objects
	Pick Color From Drawing: picks a color from a drawing

Todo

1 - find out exactly where the Spray tool will live, and fix all the links 2 - double-check No Color Overlaps and Prevent Overlapping Objects

UNDER REVIEW

Eraser Tool Controls Bar¶

The Eraser tool controls bar is shown above. The table below gives the names and descriptions for each item.

Icon	Name of the Button and What it Does
	Delete Objects: deletes selected objects when touched by eraser
	Cut Out: cuts out the width of the eraser in selected objects, similar to the path operation Difference
	Clip from Objects: cuts out the width of the eraser in selected objects, creating a clipping path
	Width: a number field to set the width of the eraser
	Pressure of the Input Device: Use the pressure of the input device to alter the width of the eraser
	Thinning: a number field to set how much velocity of the eraser will thin the width of the stroke
	Caps: a number field to set the style of the end caps
	Tremor: a number field to set how much tremor or ruggedness the stroke will have
	Mass: a number field to set the mass of the stroke
	Break Apart: break apart cut items

UNDER REVIEW

Connector Tool Controls Bar¶

The Connector tool controls bar is shown above. The table below gives the names and descriptions for each item.

Icon	Name of the Button and What it Does
	Avoid Selected: the connector avoids selected objects
	Ignore Selected: the connector avoids selected objects
	Orthogonal: the connector is orthogonal
	Curvature: a number field to curve the connector path
	Spacing: a number field to set how much space to leave around objects when the connector paths are auto-routed
	Nicely Arrange: nicely arrange selected connector network
	Length: a number field to set the desired length for connector paths when the layout is applied
	Arrows Point Downward: make connectors with arrows (markers) point downwards
	No Overlaps: do not allow overlapping shapes

UNDER REVIEW

LPE Tool Controls Bar¶

The LPE tool controls bar is shown above. The table below gives the names and descriptions for each item.

Icon	Name of the Button and What it Does
	Disable: disables all tools
	Line Segment: draws a path with the LPE Line Segment applied to it
	Circle from 3 Points: draws a circle from three points using LPE
	Circle from Radius: draws a circle by the radius
	Parallel Line: draws a parallel line
	Perpendicular Bisector: draws a perpendicular line that bisects the original line
	Angle Bisector: draws a line that bisects the angle
	Mirror: draws an object that mirrors the original
	Bounding Box: shows the bounding box
	Limiting Bounding Box: shows the limiting bounding box
	Line Segment Type: a dropdown menu offering options for line segment type
	Show Measuring Info: displays the measurement on the canvas
	Units: a dropdown menu offering a choice of units
	LPE Dialog: opens the LPE dialog

UNDER REVIEW

Measurement Tool Controls Bar¶

The Measurement tool controls bar is shown above. The table below gives the names and descriptions for each item.

Icon	Name of the Button and What it Does
	Font Size: a number field to set the size of the font that displays the measurements
	Precision: a number field to set how many decimal places you want for the measurements
	Scale: a number field to set the percent for the scale - scales the measurements without scaling objects on the canvas
	Units: a dropdown menu offering a choice of units
	Measure Only Selected: measures only selected objects (excludes guides/grids)
	Ignore First and Last: does not display the first and last values (which are often shown twice, depending on settings)
	Show Measurements Between: shows intermediate measurements
	Show Hidden: show hidden intersections
	Measure All Layers: measures in all layers
	Reverse Measure: reverses the measurements
	Phantom Measure: creates a partially transparent raster copy of the measurements
	To Guides: includes measurements to guides
	Convert to Item: converts all the measurement lines and labels to actual objects on the canvas
	Mark Dimension: creates dimension line and labels in a drafting style, that are objects on the canvas
	Offset: a number field to set how far away from the measurement lines to draw the dimension lines
	Settings: a dropdown menu with more settings for the Measurement tool

UNDER REVIEW

Zoom Tool Controls Bar¶

The Zoom tool controls bar is shown above. The table below gives the names and descriptions for each item.

Icon	Name of the Button and What it Does
	Zoom In: zoom in by configurable steps
	Zoom Out: zoom out by configurable steps
	Zoom 1:1: zooms to the original level, 100%
	Zoom 1:2: zooms to half the original, 50%
	Zoom 2:1: zooms to twice the original, 200%
	Zoom Selection Window: zooms to fit the selection in the window
	Zoom Drawing Window: zooms to fit the drawing in the window
	Zoom Page Window: zooms to fit the page in the window
	Zoom Width Window: zooms to fit the page width in the window
	Center Page: centers the page in the window, zoom level does not change
	Previous Zoom: zooms to the previous zoom level
	Next Zoom: zooms to the next zoom level

Todo

Create new chapter in manual. Temporarily used “Zooming and The Zoom Tool”. If it changes, fix all the links.

UNDER REVIEW

Pages Tool Controls Bar¶

The Pages tool controls bar is shown above. The table below gives the names and descriptions for each item.

Icon	Name of the Button and What it Does
	New Page: create a new page
	Page Type: a dropdown menu for choosing what type of page is needed
	Set Margins: opens a dropdown menu where the margins can be set
	Margins: a field where you can type in the margins, if they are not automatically set
	Page Labels: a field where page labels (i.e. page numbers) can be typed; is only active when more than one page has been created
	Move Objects: move objects on the page along with the page, when the page is moved

Todo

Create new chapter. Temporarily put in Doc Mgmt > Document Setup > Multiple Pages > Pages Tool. Fix all the links if that changes.

UNDER REVIEW