Draw Triangles In Inkscape

• Software: Inkscape
• Level: Beginner
• Subject: Triangles

This is a simple/basic topic, but I have had few ask me how to draw triangles in Inkscape. It is an amazing vector graphics editor with most of the tools required for creating vector art, or technical illustrations. But drawing a neat triangle seems a bit more than intutive.

This tutorial will detail three basic and simple approaches to drawing a triangle.

1. Free Hand Triangle
2. Isosceles Right Triangle
3. Equilateral Triangle

Free Hand Triangle

If you want to make a triangle of arbitrary shape, then you can use the Free Hand approach.

First, select the Bezier tool – or press [Ctrl]+[F6].

After that, the triangle can be drawn with just four clicks.

Click once where you want the first corner, and then move the mouse/pointer to the next corner.

Click on the second and the third corner. And then move the pointer back to the first corner and click it.

You have a free form triangle that you can further style and use in any way.

Isosceles Right Triangle

The name is quite mouthful. It just means that the two sides of the triangle are of same lenght and the angle between them is 90 degrees.

Choose the Square/Rectangle tool – or press [F4].

Draw a square by holding down [Ctrl] key, and click and dragging.

Conver the object to path. Select the square and then choose Path > Object to Path ( or press [Shift]+[Ctrl]+[C]).

Select the Edit Path Nodes tool (or press [F2]).

You can see the nodes change at each corners. (Compare the conrol vertices with the ones in the first step).

Select one of the corner.

Delete the corner.

You should get a isosceles right triangle that you may style, rotate, or transform and use in any way in Inkscape.

Equilateral Triangle

You can use the Star And Polygon tool to create a equilateral triangle – a triangle with three equal sides and angles.

After you select the tool, in the settings on the top, select the Polygon checkbox and set the number of sides to 3.

Just click and drag on the canvas to create the triangle.

You may rotate and scale it to any extent and also convert it to a path if you wish.

As mentioned earlier, these three are very basic and simple methods of drawing a triangle in Inkscape.

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Update: Added the third method of drawing triangles after Nate pointed it out.