- 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.
- Free Hand Triangle
- Isosceles Right Triangle
- 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.
Be updated of new posts by subscribing to KalaaLog Feeds or using the email subscription at the top.
Update: Added the third method of drawing triangles after Nate pointed it out. 
-
Don’t forget you can use the star/polygon tool and set the Corners to 3. That will make easy equilateral triangles.
-
Thanks for pointing that out, Nate! I update the post with that method. Not sure why it lapsed my mind when I was writing this
-
Thanks dude
I was asking myself about how to make triangles, and here it is!
You’re my hero :*
-
when i hit delete it deletes the whole square? what am i doing wrong?
-
Rob, you must hit F2 (Edit Path by Nodes) and select note you wish to delete (it must be red), then hit Delete.
B.
-
Thanks for the great tutorial. I needed a way to make a perfectly aligned right triangle for a logo, and the delete node hint did the trick!
-
Coool Thank you so much
-
I’m planning to translate this little (but very useful) tutorial in french.
I just want to know if you’re ok with this.
Please contact me ! -
How would I draw a triangle with angles of exactly 80, 80, 20?
-
Triangle with known angles:
Extensions/Render/Triangle
-
-
Hi
I have tried to do this on two different installations and each time I delete the corner instead of getting a straight line between the two neighbouring nodes I get this annoying curve.
Is there an extra setting that controls that? I cant find it – so frustrating.-
I had the same problem. You have to delete the node with Ctrl-Del.
-
I had a similar problem that the whole square is deleted when I delete the node at corner. Marking the node to red by left click and then pressing Ctrl+Del worked to draw a triangle. But pressing Ctrl while choosing ‘Delete’ on the context menu did not work. Inkscape 0.48.2 r9819, Win 7 x64.
-
-
-
Thanks for the Ctrl-Del problem
Very annoying if you don’t know how to handle it.
15 comments
Comments feed for this article
Trackback link: http://kalaalog.com/2008/03/02/draw-triangles-in-inkscape/trackback/