How to open a new file from the command line with Inkscape

Question

I can't find how to open a new svg document with Inkscape, simply from the terminal.

If the document specified as argument (or via -f) does not exist, there is just an error saying it doesn't exist, and then it opens an unsaved new document.

I tried using the verb FileSaveAs like this for example:

inkscape --verb FileSaveAs mynewfile.svg

but FileSaveAs does not take arguments, it just opens the graphical window for this action.

I might be persnickety, but I would find it more convenient to be able to create a new file directly from the command line instead of having to launch this window and click to the right directory...

Answer 1

To my surprise, there seems to be no option in Inkscape to produce a new file from cli!

How to create the option?

As always, if it doesn't exist, it can be made:

1. Open Inkscape, create a new file drawing.svg
2. Save this file anywhere

3. Copy the code below into an empty file, save it as newinkscape (no extension) in ~/bin. Create the directory if it doesn't exist yet.

   #!/bin/bash
   
   sample="/path/to/drawing.svg"
   dr=$1
   
   cp "$sample" "$dr"
   inkscape "$dr"
   

   Make the script executable

4. Replace in the line:

   sample="/path/to/drawing.svg"
   

   The path by the path to your sample file.

Log out and back in, now:

newinkscape /path/to/newfile.svg

will open a new empty Inkscape file, saved in the location you used in the command.

Answer 2

Well, I've been wondering about this same thing for years (especially since touch mynewfile.svg; inkscape mynewfile.svg causes InkscapeApplication::document_open: Failed to open: /path/to/mynewfile.svg ; ConcreteInkscapeApplication::on_open: failed to create document!) - and finally, after consulting https://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/index.php/Using_the_Command_Line, I found it:

inkscape --without-gui --actions="file-new; export-area-page; export-filename:test.svg; export-do;"

For instance, to test under Ubuntu 18.04:

$ inkscape --version
Inkscape 1.0.1 (1.0.1+r73)
    Pango version: 1.40.14

$ ls -la test.svg
ls: cannot access 'test.svg': No such file or directory

$ inkscape --without-gui --actions="file-new; export-area-page; export-filename:test.svg; export-do;" 2>/dev/null && ls -la test.svg
-rw-r--r-- 1 user user 1134 Sep 15 05:53 test.svg

$ cat test.svg 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<svg
   xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
   xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#"
   xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"
   xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
   xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
   xmlns:sodipodi="http://sodipodi.sourceforge.net/DTD/sodipodi-0.dtd"
   xmlns:inkscape="http://www.inkscape.org/namespaces/inkscape"
   version="1.1"
   id="svg10"
   width="100%"
   height="100%"
   viewBox="-1 -1 1 1">
  <metadata
     id="metadata16">
    <rdf:RDF>
      <cc:Work
         rdf:about="">
        <dc:format>image/svg+xml</dc:format>
        <dc:type
           rdf:resource="http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/StillImage" />
      </cc:Work>
    </rdf:RDF>
  </metadata>
  <defs
     id="defs14" />
  <sodipodi:namedview
     pagecolor="#ffffff"
     bordercolor="#666666"
     borderopacity="1"
     objecttolerance="10"
     gridtolerance="10"
     guidetolerance="10"
     inkscape:pageopacity="0"
     inkscape:pageshadow="2"
     inkscape:window-width="640"
     inkscape:window-height="480"
     id="namedview12" />
</svg>

Answer 3

With Inskcape 1.0:

inkscape --actions="file-new;export-filename:output.svg;export-do"

or, if you want, you can use a template for the new file:

inkscape --actions="file-new:template.svg;export-filename:output.svg;export-do"