Inkscape is one of the most popular free software vector drawing applications. With minimal effort you can achieve some excellent results. However, for the inexperienced it can be a bit hard to find out how to get those results. In this tutorial I’ll look at creating a simple ribbon effect which will hopefully introduce some of the key Inkscape features along the way.

Sooner or later we all decide to try and use our computers to do something new, something we’ve never done before, something exciting! Then we realise it’s not as straightforward as we’d hoped. Luckily with a bit of perseverance you’ll figure it out and once you have the feeling of satisfaction is great. Where to start though? This may seem obvious, but on countless occasions many people I know have given up at the first hurdle only to ask me to do it for them. This article is aimed at these people: to help them take their first steps in helping themselves.