Hi,

I'm a newbie to graphic design and also to Inkscape. I'm trying to digitalize my sewing patterns that I have drawn by hand. I scanned all of the patterns (which is broken down into 4 letter sized paper). Then I have created a letter sized file in Inkscape and tried to trace my hand-written patterns using the "Beizer curves" function and adjusted the nodes as I needed. However, I noticed that the final product from Inkscape is slightly different from my hand-written patterns. Eg. some lines are shorter and the curves are curved differently etc.

Please kindly advise how to I can do this more efficiently and accurately. I pretty much need to produce an electronic version of my patterns in exact sizes.

Thanks a lot!!!

Welcome to InkscapeForum!

Can you show us an example of the problem? I don't quite understand what you're doing. Or maybe if you could tell us the exact steps you're using, I might understand better.

If I were doing it, I would scan the hand drawn patterns into the hard drive. Then in Inkscape, File menu > Import. I might make a new layer to draw on, or I might draw right over top of the imported pattern, on the same layer (depending on whether I want to reduce the opacity of the pattern layer, to help with tracing). The using the Pen/Bezier tool I would place nodes at all the sharp corners, and at the apex of the curves. Depending how long of a curve, it might need 2 or more nodes. Then I'd have to tweak the node handle so that it matches the imported pattern as closely as possible.

It sounds like that might be what you're doing already. And that's why I don't understand what's causing the problem. When you say "the final product", do you mean that you've printed the Inkscape file? Are the lines all fine in Inkscape, and the problem shows up in printing? Or otherwise, what's the final product?

Will the trace bitmap function work for you? I'm assuming that with a sewing pattern you would only need to print it out, not adjust it though.
Otherwise, it sounds like maybe you could select the entire pattern, then add nodes a few times, that might help a little bit.
I can't figure out why what you are doing would shorten or lengthen anything. hmmm.
tip: if you do what Brynn suggested, and draw over the pattern, you can go into Object/Object Properties and lock the scanned image, that way it won't move when you draw over it. (Also place it on it's own layer), you can unlock all once done.

Hi Brynn,
Yes, I'm tracing through imported image and did exactly what you said. However, when I tried to print the thing out and compared to my original handwritten pattern, the lines are just off.
I created a file with a letter size then I imported the image of the handwritten pattern, afterwards, I resized the Bitmap image so it's the same size as the letter sized. Then I started tracing. I'm not sure if that's because I didn't make a new laywer to draw on.

flamingolady, thanks for the advice, I think I would try locking it.

Oh ok, I think I know what the problem is. After you import the hand drawn pattern, don't resize it. Whatever size it was when you scanned it, will be the size when you import it. It might not match exactly to Inkscape's letter size, but it it matches exactly its own size.

At least part of the reason for that could be that Inkscape counts the width of the strokes in the file size. If you want to see an example of this, you can draw a simple rectangle. Switch to the Selection tool and look at the width (W value in control bar). Then open Fill and Stroke dialog and change the stroke width to 5.0 px. Now see the new width!

I wouldn't matter whether you used a new layer or not. What matters is not resizing it after you import it.

There could be other reasons, and I'd have to see the file with the imported image to find out. But as long as you don't resize it after importing, and that solves the problem, I won't need to see the file

Let us know how it goes

brynn wrote:At least part of the reason for that could be that Inkscape counts the width of the strokes in the file size. If you want to see an example of this, you can draw a simple rectangle. Switch to the Selection tool and look at the width (W value in control bar). Then open Fill and Stroke dialog and change the stroke width to 5.0 px. Now see the new width!

This behaviour is by choice; there is a setting on the very first preferences 'page' (tools) that allows you to choose geometric or visual bounding box for dimensions.

druban wrote:

brynn wrote:At least part of the reason for that could be that Inkscape counts the width of the strokes in the file size. If you want to see an example of this, you can draw a simple rectangle. Switch to the Selection tool and look at the width (W value in control bar). Then open Fill and Stroke dialog and change the stroke width to 5.0 px. Now see the new width!

This behaviour is by choice; there is a setting on the very first preferences 'page' (tools) that allows you to choose geometric or visual bounding box for dimensions.

Yes! I didn't want to "go there" (i.e. - explain that) until or unless I saw that to definitely be part of the problem. But is true