Is there any way to type LaTeX code directly into the text boxes Inkscape?

Here an Inkscape answer (summarizing the comments and some additional info). There are two ways to include LaTeX input

1) Use the PDF+LaTeX export built into Inkscape

Advatage: Built-in, text stays editable

Disadvantage: Tex code can be typed but is not rendered, hence you may need to adjust the x,y positioning values later in your document --> annoying. Further, no line break is supported and you need to add a parbox or minipage or something later manually

2) Get the textext plug-in for Inkscape

Advantage: Render the code directly in you Inkscape document, including line breaks etc.

Disadvantage: Text becomes a SVG picture and can not be edited outside of Inkscape. No problem within Inkscape of course (objects can be edited by selecting them and using the Extensions->Textext menu item). This means after exporting and including the PDF in your document scaling your graphic will cause the text to scale too --> Possibly undesired effects

Installation details for textext:

Get the Inkscape plugin textext from here.

Installing it was a bit tricky for me (Inkscape 0.48). Installation instructions can be read here.

First I placed the extension files in the ~/.config/inkscape/extensions folder.

Then I installed Pstoedit via the Ubuntu package manager

After that I was presented with an Error from some python modules. This blog post solved it for me: Blogpost

After that I was able to select Extensions->Textext from my Inkscape menu bar. In the box that pops up type you LaTeX code just like you would in a normal document. You can specify a preamble file. I'd include any packages affecting the font in your document as the result is a SVG image of you TeX input, meaning that the font will not change if you decide to change your LaTeX-preamble at some point


Not an Inkscape answer!


You can use Ipe extensible drawing editor for this. I've used it extensively until I got the hang of TikZ but still use it for quick and dirty image preparing. It supports a lot of features implemented (linetypes, colors, transformations, coordinates, object snapping etc.). Also if you know Lua then you can directly hack into it and create your own stuff (I don't).

Here is how you can do as simple as possible. First you draw your shapes, polygons etc. (and also choose to enter LaTeX formula selected in the image below).

enter image description here

Then, after clicking OK either choose Run LaTeX from the menu or Ctrl+L then it finds your LaTeX distro and compiles that part as in the image below. You don't have to do it for each formula, you can keep them as source and then compile all at once.

enter image description here

After finishing your picture, you can save as XML, PDF or EPS formats. After two minutes I have this

enter image description here


TL;DR install TexText from here

Unfortunately, the earlier answers on this page are mostly irrelevant or outdated. The question is about putting LaTeX math inside Inkscape, not including vector graphics inside Latex! Not to mention that the OPs' question is about Windows, not Linux. Here are some options:

  1. In some versions of Inkscape, as explained here in Inkscape wiki, there used to be a "built-in support for including a LaTeX formula". You could just go to Extensions->Render->LaTeX ... and put your formula. For some reason, this has vanished as I have addressed the issue here! This feature hopefully will be back in the following versions (this tweet)

  2. The TexText plugin has been the de facto tool for LaTeX rendering inside Inkscape. However, due to the lack of proper support, it has been forked several times:

    • The original extension by Pauli Virtanen official homepage

    • One of the most updated forks on GitHub repository and homepage on GitHub and page on Inkscape website. You need to be sure that you have LaTeX (on Windows MikText), pstoedit and Ghostscript installed and add them to the windows path on environment variables.

    • This fork on bitbucket

    • LaTeXText on GitHub and official page

    • WriteTeX

    • Latex/MikTeX

  3. If you are really desperate, you can use any of the LaTeX to vector graphics application I have mentioned here to generate for example an SVG and import it into Inkscape.