Create an educational graphic using layers
Design an educational graphic where multiple versions of the graphic are needed. Possibilities might include a graphic on a worksheet where you’d like an answer key, a map for a social studies or political science class, a simple diagram of a process with different steps to be emphasized.
Create your graphics using the ‘layers’ feature in Inkscape, Gimp, SumoPaint or another software (like Adobe Illustrator or CorelDraw). Include at least two versions of the image in a post along with a description of the purpose of your graphics and the process you used to produce it.
Create a Graphic Using Layers in SumoPaint
Go to SumoPaint and open the free edition.
In the editing page you will find a canvas for drawing your image along with a set of tools on the left-side and several specialty boxes on the right-hand side. One box on the right side is the ‘Layers’ box.
Draw your graphic
- From the tools on the left, select appropriate tools and draw the basic image elements needed for the first stage of your graphic or for all stages of your graphic.
- When you have completed the first stage of your image, within the ‘Layers’ box, select the ‘Add a New Layer’ button on the lower left (you may want to rename your layers to help keep them straight – just double click on the default name). Be sure that the new layer is selected and begin drawing items for the next stage of your graphic.
- Repeat the step above to create layers with image elements reflecting all the versions of the graphic you need.
Export versions of your graphic
- Once all the elements of your graphic have been completed in various layers, use the visibility setting (the eyeball icon) in the ‘Layers’ box to hide the layers not required for the first version of the image you wish to export for use online.
- With only the image elements you require visible, under the ‘File’ menu, select ‘Save to My Computer…’, and save the image as either a PNG or JPG file.
- Display and hide layers to create other versions of the image as required, and save as either a PNG or JPG file as well.
- Finally, save the entire graphic in the SUMO file type if you will need to alter it in SumoPaint again.
Create a Graphic Using Layers in Inkscape
Go to the Inkscape website, download and install the software (note that if you are using a Mac you will need to install the most recent version of the ‘X11’ environment for Inkscape to run within – also linked from the Inkscape download page).
Open Inkscape. It will start with an A4 page sized canvas, but you can start a new canvas by selecting ‘File’ and then ‘New’. In the expanded menu you will be given a number of canvas sizes to choose from. Select one that suits your graphic.
Your Inkscape window will have a canvas in the middle and drawing tools down the left-hand side. You can access different layers either with the ‘Layer’ drop-down menu at the bottom of the window, or you can open the ‘Layers’ window by selecting the ‘Layer’ menu and then ‘Layers…’.
Draw your graphic
- From the tools on the left, select appropriate tools and draw the basic image elements needed for the first stage of your graphic or for all stages of your graphic.
- When you have completed the first stage of your image, add a new layer by selecting ‘Add Layer…’ from the ‘Layer’ menu, or if the Layers box is open, within the ‘Layers’ box is open, by selecting the plus symbol. The ‘Add Layer’ pop-up window will appear, give your new layer a name and place it above your original layer. Be sure that the new layer is selected (either it is highlighted in the ‘Layers’ window or it is displayed in the layers drop-down menu at the bottom of the window), and begin drawing items for the next stage of your graphic.
- Repeat the step above to create layers with image elements reflecting all the versions of the graphic you need.
Export versions of your graphic
- Once all the elements of your graphic have been completed in various layers, use the visibility setting (the eyeball icon) in the ‘Layers’ window to hide the layers not required for the first version of the image you wish to export for use online. Alternatively, use the drop-down Layer menu at the bottom of the window to select a layer and then the eyeball icon to its left to set visibility.
- With only the image elements you require visible, under the ‘File’ menu, select ‘Export Bitmap’. In the pop-up window you have options to save an image that extends to the edges of the canvas (‘Page) or just includes the visible drawn elements (‘Drawing’). If you are creating a series of images you will want them to be the same size so use the ‘Page’ option. Under the ‘Filename’ section, select ‘Browse…’ to find the folder you want to save your image to. Give the file a file name and select ‘Save’, followed by ‘Export’.
- Display and hide layers to create other versions of the image as required, and save using the steps above.
- Finally, save the entire graphic by selecting ‘File’, ‘Save as’. In the pop-up window select an appropriate file type. If you will be editing this file again in Inkscape then select the default ‘Inkscape SVG (*.svg). If you will be editing this image in another vector graphics editor (ie. Adobe Illustrator) then select ‘Plain SVG (*.svg)’.