In this tutorial they use a gradient to achieve an old style lettering effect. I know that gradients can be used to create scanlines but was wondering how would you modify them so that they resemble the tutorial?

You must set many stops to create those gradients. In the development version of Inkscape it`s very easy.
I made an screenshot and you could download an SVG to study.

Screenshot: http://pixel-pics.de/picture/show/703
The SVG: http://www.mediafire.com/?boxcm19y2cb

I used a different approach. The tutorial you're referring to does have the word "gradient lines" in the title but it doesn't mean you really have to use gradients.

I used Create Tiled Clones... option

Here's the result:


And here's how you do it (You don't need to have the latest build for this, 0.45 version will do):

Create some bold text, I colored mine in beige (ish).
Next you want to create horizontal stripes that vary in their thickness and in the amount of space between them like this:



You do it by making the first line yourself (the thin one near the top of the text) using rectangle tool (so youre drawing a wide and thin rectangle) and let Inkscape draw the rest of them; while the rectangle is selected go to Edit > Clone > Create Tiled Clones... and use these settings:
Symmetry: P1: simple translation
Shift: Only change Shift Y per row to 1000% and Exponent per row to 1,10
Scale: Only change Scale Y per row 340%

At the bottom of the dialog set Rows, columns: 7 x 1
and Use saved size and position of the tile
(you should leave everything else intact)
Hit the Create button

If you don't like what you see you can click on Remove, make some change in the settings and Create again

Once you've got the stripes the right thickness and distance from each other you're ready to mask them into the text shape:
Group all the tiles (stripes) so it's easier to work with them (you may also want to delete the original rectangle that served as the cloning template)
Duplicate the text (the duplicate will appear on top of everything)
Change it's color to White
Convert it to a Path (Path > Object to Path)
Shrink it using Inset (Path > Inset), I applied Inset more than once, it depends on how far away you want the stripes from the edge of the text
Select the group with the stripes and the shrinked white path and make a mask (Object > Mask > Set)
Done!

Your way is easyer to edit after. I also think that this is better for unsymetric curves.

Gotta love Inkscape!

Some of those Illustrator/Photoshop tutorials can be quite an overkill, using complex filters, gadgets and methods to get not so complex results. My thinking process is much clearer now thanks to Inkscape

Your explanation compared to what they did is a breeze. If inkscape could handle eps files and cmyk it would be an adobe killer.

Well it can export (save) in .eps, I know it would be so easy to crossedit files from other vector programs if it could edit .eps, but the other programs seem to support SVG more and more so that might be the solution.

Basic color management will be introduced in 0.46
Can't wait till it reaches 1.0 but I have a feeling it will beat the others even before that

Yeah! Thats why i love this programm and open source. It will be very powerfull again. Now we can already create Professional drawings with Inkscape.
I be anxious to the next Versions !! Today many people use better AI Freehand or Corel for there work, but i think Inkscapers will kick them all !!
Rock`N`Roll.

Coco.. what font did you use?

It`s called Belshaw. Very cool font-side, some of them are ready in retrostyle like the Tutorial.
Have a look at: http://www.dafont.com/theme.php?cat=115&page=20 One of my favorite resources.

Following prkos method to create the lines, you could also apply the lines as a pattern fill rather than using a mask. Six of one and half a dozen of the other - but I thought it might be worth mentioning.

apply the lines as a pattern fill rather than using a mask. Six of one and half a dozen of the other - but I thought it might be worth mentioning.

I am not sure I follow what you mean?

capnhud wrote:I am not sure I follow what you mean?

This documentation should clarify - Patterns

Six of one and half a dozen of the other

The documentation does not explain this. Or are you referring to the even-odd rule or non-zero rule. In either case I do not see how these rules apply to what you are saying.

capnhud wrote:

Six of one and half a dozen of the other

The documentation does not explain this. Or are you referring to the even-odd rule or non-zero rule. In either case I do not see how these rules apply to what you are saying.

Its just a saying ... 6 is half of a dozen.. so "6 of one and half a dozen of the other" is another way of saying that there are more than one way to accomplish the job.

Lol. I see what you mean now, I have never heard of that saying.

capnhud wrote:Lol. I see what you mean now, I have never heard of that saying.

Oops - sorry. At the time I thought that idiom might not be suitable.

Same problem:
http://www.inkscapeforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=18540