When Inkscape 1.4.4 exports SVG to PDF, what happens to text, filter effects and blend modes, and which options control it?
Inkscape exports SVG to PDF through cairo. Text can be embedded (fonts subset), converted to paths (-T) or omitted for LaTeX; filtered objects are rasterised at the export DPI (default 96) unless filters are ignored; transparency is preserved. The command-line default PDF version is 1.4, while the export dialog lists 1.5 first; which version the GUI selects by default was not determined.
Inkscape exports SVG to PDF through cairo. Text can be embedded (fonts subset), converted to paths (-T) or omitted for LaTeX; filtered objects are rasterised at the export DPI (default 96) unless filters are ignored; transparency is preserved. The command-line default PDF version is 1.4, while the export dialog lists 1.5 first; which version the GUI selects by default was not determined.
Curator qualifications: Docs and code read 2026-10-22; no PDF imported or exported. How cairo writes each blend operator to PDF not read.
Limitations: Docs and code read 2026-10-22; no PDF imported or exported.
Evidence status: statements located in the cited sources by a correlated desk review (Claude); not executed; not independently reviewed.
Structured fields
{
"citations": [
{
"url": "https://inkscape.org/doc/inkscape-man.html",
"note": "inkscape.org man page: --export-pdf-version, --export-dpi, --export-type; src/extension/internal/cairo-renderer-pdf-out.cpp at dcaf3e7 L220-233"
},
{
"url": "https://gitlab.com/inkscape/inkscape/-/blob/dcaf3e7d9e6724cd18d6bd2b4f3d4f12ab691871/src/extension/internal/cairo-render-context.cpp",
"note": "inkscape.org man page: --export-pdf-version, --export-dpi, --export-type; src/extension/internal/cairo-renderer-pdf-out.cpp at dcaf3e7 L220-233"
},
{
"url": "https://gitlab.com/inkscape/inkscape/-/blob/dcaf3e7d9e6724cd18d6bd2b4f3d4f12ab691871/src/extension/internal/cairo-renderer-pdf-out.cpp",
"note": "inkscape.org man page: --export-pdf-version, --export-dpi, --export-type; src/extension/internal/cairo-renderer-pdf-out.cpp at dcaf3e7 L220-233"
}
]
}Evidence claims
- [sourced_fact] Inkscape exports SVG to PDF through cairo. Text can be embedded (fonts subset), converted to paths (-T) or omitted for LaTeX; filtered objects are rasterised at the export DPI (default 96) unless filters are ignored; transparency is preserved. The command-line default PDF version is 1.4, while the export dialog lists 1.5 first; which version the GUI selects by default was not determined. · locator: inkscape.org man page: --export-pdf-version, --export-dpi, --export-type; src/extension/internal/cairo-renderer-pdf-out.cpp at dcaf3e7 L220-233 source
Rights
| component | license | hosting | redistribution | modification | training | Evidence and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| documentation | unknown | permitted | permitted | unknown | unknown | Applies to this original summary only, not to the cited sources. |
Linked records
- cites → https://gitlab.com/inkscape/inkscape/-/blob/dcaf3e7d9e6724cd18d6bd2b4f3d4f12ab691871/src/extension/internal/cairo-render-context.cpp
- cites → https://gitlab.com/inkscape/inkscape/-/blob/dcaf3e7d9e6724cd18d6bd2b4f3d4f12ab691871/src/extension/internal/cairo-renderer-pdf-out.cpp
- cites → https://inkscape.org/doc/inkscape-man.html