So, I'm running into a few issues with Inkscape. I tried looking them up in the Bugs, and ran into two issues: 1) The kinds of things I found there were a lot more technical than the issues I'm having, and 2) The jargon all sailed straight over my head. I don't speak techie, about the only thing I know about my computer is that it runs Windows XP.

So I'm going to describe what's going on, and hopefully someone can direct me to where and how I can post my issues.

Just so you know, I'm trying to do everything according to the instructions I found here:
http://inkscape.org/doc/basic/tutorial-basic.html
and here
http://inkscape.org/doc/advanced/tutorial-advanced.html
So I know there's always the chance that the instructions here are wrong.

Anyway, these are my issues:
* Kerning: I am using the keys just as the Advanced tutorial gives, but it does nothing, the letters don't move at all.

* Invisibility! When I create a shape with any of these tools, the shape it gives me has, apparently, alpha 0 on both fill and stroke. Nothing I do with the fill or stroke options will change the alpha 0, even sliding the alpha button. The only way I know the shapes are there is if I rubberband them.

So, where do I post these? Am I the only one having these issues? Is there a way what I'm trying to say can be translated into techie?

Thank you very much. Despite these issues, I'm very grateful for Inkscape. I've been looking for years for a vector drawing programme that I could afford (re: free).

Thank you once again,
Peace
Whittier

Welcome Whittier!

Here you have found exactly the right place to ask for help with your problems! Launchpad is the place where the developers confab about problems with the Inkscape code. But here, we are mostly Inkscape users who aren't developers

These are the instructions that the Advanced tutorial gives for kerning between 2 letters:

"Just move your text editing cursor between the offending characters and use Alt+arrows to move the letters right of the cursor."

When you put the mouse/pointer between 2 letters, do you click once? That one click will cause the flashing cursor to appear. But if you just hover the mouse/pointer over the area, that won't work.

I'm thinking there may be a similar problem with the transparency. You need to have the object selected (so that dotted line and arrows appear) before changing the Alpha values will have any effect. Fortunately, you've learned how to select them, even though they are transparent!

By default, all of Inkscape's tools' style are set for "Last used". That means that if the last time you changed the style of let's say a rectangle, you changed it to something fully or partially transparent, then the next time you draw a rectangle, it will also be the same color and alpha value. You can change that so that every time you draw a rectangle, it will be whatever you choose. That's done in Inkscape Preferences, and if you can't figure it out, let us know, and we can give instructions

Also, I'm not entirely sure that my previous comments will help you solve your problems. There could be other reasons that the transparent objects can't be changed. At the bottom of the Fill and Stroke dialog is a slider called "Opacity". It's slightly different than the alpha value, so if selecting the objects and changing the alpha value doesn't work, look at that Opacity slider (objects still need to be selected). Also, it could be that the layer is partially or fully transparent. You'll need to open the Layers dialog to check on that (if the other 2 steps don't work).

I can't think of any other reason why the kerning isn't working, but we are many members, and many who are much more skilled with inkscape than me. So be sure to let us know how these things work