The Book of Inkscape

18.5 Retouching and Patching

Simple bitmap editing tasks, such as removing defects or suppressing unnecessary details, are entirely possible in Inkscape using its vector tools, without resorting to an external bitmap editor. While this approach is limited, it is often surprisingly useful and fast.

Imagine we need to remove a small blemish in a photo. Start by zooming in closely and drawing a calligraphic stroke over it; then, switch to the Dropper tool and pick a color from the photo nearby. In some cases, this may be all you really need—even such a primitive patch may blend well enough to not be noticeable once you zoom out. More likely, however, the edges of the patch will be painfully obvious on at least one side. Here, a gradient may help; ...