Type size (was: Default units)
After realizing that there was something strange about the text size in my inkscape designs I followed the bugs associated (#168151, #168164, #168344, #170099 - some of them seem to be duplicates) and there I noticed that the text size in inkscape is expressed in pixels, but the dialog doesn't inform that.
I wrote that a couple of days ago, but I was wrong. Type isn't expressed in pixels. It took me a while to get it, but now I understand. The size is expressed in a unit that is 1/90th of an inch (corresponding to the default inkscape resolution of 90 dpi). That can be just right for svg and on-screen presentation, but for print those typographic size units are quite misleading. Regular users are used to typographic points, which are in DTP equal to 1/72th of an inch. The current units are only used in inkscape (ok, maybe they're the default units for svg but they have not much use for print). The problem of having these units is that an average user won't get what he/she expects. This is, imo, a critic usability issue. It's not intuitive, the result isn't what a regular user would expect and it forces the user to calculate the size (and forces to realize how, because there are no clue of what units are used in the UI). I think this issue should be marked as critic.
Meanwhile, for everyone looking for typographic points in inkscape, there's a kind of workaround. Multiply the desired value by 1.25 and you'll get a equivalent size. (example: if you need 10pt type, then use 12.5 units)
Regards, Gez.
On Dec 26, 2007 12:13 PM, Guillermo Espertino <gespertino@...400...> wrote:
I wrote that a couple of days ago, but I was wrong. Type isn't expressed in pixels. It took me a while to get it, but now I understand. The size is expressed in a unit that is 1/90th of an inch (corresponding to the default inkscape resolution of 90 dpi).
And that is what is called "px" everywhere. It's not really "pixel" but "SVG pixel", the default unit of SVG. This is the unit which you get by default if you write in SVG for example width="50" without a unit.
Since the px is the default unit in all other places in Inkscape, it makes sense to me that it's also default for font sizes. However, of course you are right that other units must be provided too. All that needs to be done is adding a unit selector, similar to that on the Selector controls bar. It needs to be both in Text&Font dialog and on the controls bar of Text tool. This is a simple programming task - that selector is a self-contained widget, you just need to call it and wire its signals properly (see existing code for examples). So, volunteers are very welcome, this would be a great thing to fix before 0.46!
Bulia Byak wrote:
Since the px is the default unit in all other places in Inkscape, it makes sense to me that it's also default for font sizes. However, of course you are right that other units must be provided too.
Ok, now I understand it finally. Thank you Bulia. I'd just like to add (again) that a "global unit setup" dialog in the inkscape preferences would be great. Probably most of the users will find those SVG "pixels" not very useful and will prefer to change the default units for real world measurements. In my case (I'm a graphic designer and most of my work is for print) I find myself changing the units to mm each time I start inkscape because pixels aren't useful for that.
So, volunteers are very welcome, this would be a great thing to fix before 0.46!
Certainly it would :-)
On Dec 27, 2007 10:31 AM, Guillermo Espertino <gespertino@...400...> wrote:
Bulia Byak wrote:
Since the px is the default unit in all other places in Inkscape, it makes sense to me that it's also default for font sizes. However, of course you are right that other units must be provided too.
Ok, now I understand it finally. Thank you Bulia. I'd just like to add (again) that a "global unit setup" dialog in the inkscape preferences would be great.
We already have it, but in document prefs. It's a per-document setting. All unit selectors should obey it; if some don't it's a bug which should be easy to fix.
Probably most of the users will find those SVG "pixels" not very useful
Most of the users use Inkscape for screen graphics, and for that, px is ideal because 1px corresponds to 1 pixel at 100% zoom and at the default export resolution of 90 dpi.
participants (2)
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bulia byak -
Guillermo Espertino