Inkscape Tutorial – Reflection
Recently I found a nice tutorial at BittBox about making reflected images, like the one below. That tutorial is for Adobe Illustrator so, I converted it to inkscape and am posting it here.
Disclaimer: This tutorial is a Inkscape version of
Web 2.0 Logo Reflection in Vector format with Illustrator
Start with a new document in Inkscape and write some text
Now, clone image by pressing Atl+D (or Edit -> Clone -> Create Clone)
Press V to flip the cloned image vertically and move it below Original Image
Pick the rectangle tool (or Press F4) and cover the cloned image with it.
Set Black to White gradient on rectangle, from gradient tab in “Fill and Stroke…”
Pick up the gradient tool (or Press Ctrl+F1) and change gradient direction as shown below.
Select both rectangle and inverted text behind it (you can select the text below by Alt+Click or by selecting original image and pressing Tab, then press Shift and click on Rectangle). Then goto Object -> Mask -> Set
This would make your text look something like this
Your reflected text is almost complete, now just select the inverted text and change it’s opactiy level (by going to Object -> Fill and Stroke…) according to your needs
As you cloned image, instead of copying and pasting it again, any change you make to original text will be reflected in the reflected text 
Like:
If you face any problem while following this tutorial, don’t hesitate to let me know.
Download Reflection.svg
Thanks for the tutorial. Very simple
Great tutorial thanks very helpful for this inkscape n00b.
PS. Your download link is busted
Thanks MAsKrA, link is fixed now.
Great Tutorial. It is simple but simple is good.
well, i am the unlucky one. I tried different ways. But every time, it gives me white mask instead of transparent one. Instead of reflection, i get a white box. Only once i could get it. Rest times, its just white box below the text. Dunno where the mistake is. Inkscape 0.44 v
hmm.. some how got it. Linear gradient is not working for masking. Without gradient (ie with solid color), masking works ( Inkscape 0.45)
hello, unfortunately it doesn´t work here. same problem as ‘kumar’, only i never got it working
as soon as mask-set is selected, the text disappears and obviously gets masked white. with solid color it does work. could somebody please give me your comments? i am quick to go bezerk on those things 
i thought an upgrade would fix it, but unfortunately it still doesn´t work. still a white mask where reflection should be..
it´s mac osx 10.4.10 and inkscape v.45
reinhard, I would have to check it, but unfortunately, I am busy with my exams (finals!). Would try it in a day or two.
thanks, aqeel. kindly let me know what you think.. and good luck
reinhard, I have tried reproducing the error but no luck, can you explain in bit more detail what exactly you are doing?
thanks for your response, aqeel. i have just tried again and followed every step in your tutorial exactly the way you describe it. i also downloaded your .svg file, which is displayed right, but reproducing it the same way in the same file also doesn´t work. i assume there is a different point to the problem, as with solid colors (and not black) masking works perfectly and the results look similar, only not as bright.
but i´m happy with the results using solid colors right now. i just wonder if the problem will pop up again with a different function. i´ll let you know
Hmm… well, good luck
I would see if I can find anything.
thanks again, aqeel!
Nice tutorial…Though when i use the black gradient…it turns to white…but when i use a different color it works…but as reinhard said…it ain’t shiny…but my satisfied with the result…
chow…yeah i used the inkscape 0.45.1-1…
Thanks alot.
It works great..
Hello! Good Site! Thanks you! zzxbmljfrmam
sai baba charithra kavali
Pick up the gradient tool (or Press Ctrl+F1) and change gradient direction as shown below.”
I suppose, you mean that duplicate the rectangel and change the gradient on the new one?
“Select both rectangle and inverted text be
hind it ”
I cannot see, what happens, the rectangel over hidden exerything. “inverted?” maybe flipped text, or I missed something?
“(you can select the text below by Alt+Click or by selecting original image and pressing Tab,” I couldn’t see before I moved out the text, but I can’t see any difference when I Alt+Click or only click: the selection-Arrows only alternate between scale and rotate.
Thanks a lot! This tut really helped mi. Cheers.
Thanks for the tutorial, Aqeel!
I dont have any background knowledge of using these softwares but trying to learn inkscape on my own, can you please send me the tutorials for the same. some thing which is structured
Very easy with you technical instructions, thanks you
see also http://o-server.dyndns.org/inkscape/english.html
this website shows how to draw with inkscape
I had a problem also when applying the mask, turns out the problem is to do with using transparent colours in the gradient just ensure that you use a solid white for one of the end points and all should be fine.
Hi, 10x for the tutorial. For anyone who wants to make some changes, here are some that I did, and looks ok:
1. When you make the rectangle (on top of the text clone). After you made it, drag the left and right side until you reach the page borders. This is very useful because if you need to change the text, or someone else wants to change the text, and the “new” text has a longer length, then the x last characters will not have the reflection.
2. After I did the reflection, I select it and go to object -> transform -> skew (45 deg). After i give it a blur (2,6). And that really looks like a cool shadow.
3. You can stroke the first text after all this steps and you`ll obtain an even more sofisticated shadow, or relfection.
Thanks a lot for the tip. One important thins is the gradient needs to be from solid black to “SOLID” white not the default transparent stop you get in the Inkscape. The “SOLID” white is required for the mask to work properly. Thats’ why a few others seem to have issues. Thanks again.
It so nice to share
Merci!
I feel like hugging you… no seriously i am a beginner but people like Tavmjong Bah, nicu and the people who blog here have made my experience with inkscape memorable… Thanks a lot
I love Linux and all that comes along with it 
Inkscape tutorials are also available here
http://o-server.main.jp/inkscape/english.html
sory i’am a newbie in using inkscape, can you help me
to give me some e-book or magazine or tutorrrr about effect in inkscape how to make a vectorr and etc
cuz i’m very intreasting with inkscape plizzz help my troubleee
yuo can send at junior_chef21@yahoo.com
pliizzzzzzzz i’m realy need that
Quite a few people have experienced the problem where mask simply reveals the text beneath, and the gradient disappears, or where both the text and the gradient disappear.
First, you must ensure that “Move gradients (in fill or stroke) along with the objects” is turned ON. This prevents the mask from disappearing, leaving just the text. See here:
http://tinyurl.com/6fl8gx
Second, as mentioned in some other posts, you must use a solid gradient – ensure that neither stop is transparent. This prevents both the text and the gradient from disappearing when the mask is applied.
Great Tutorial!
If I understand the last step right, you can just change the text and the reflected text will be changed, too? For me, it doesn’t work (I cloned the text as described above) but the reflected text doesn’t change.
Any ideas to solve the problem?
@Inknewbie
When you make a clone, any changes made to the original reflects on the clone too, but if you change the clone, original object doesn’t change. One possibility is that you may have moved the original object instead of the clone. Try changing the text in second object and see if it changes the first.
OK, it was my fault. I used duplicate (ctrl+D) instead of clone (Alt+D)
Wow, great tutorial. I had not come across the clone feature before.
Thanks for tutorial! For sure will use it somewhere.
Aqeel,
Thanks a lot for this tutorial. It was very helpful. I was also having the same problem as others where the gradient or the text, or both, disappeared. But thanks to Mike Raynham, I realized that I had the “Move gradients (in fill or stroke) along with the objects” is turned OFF. I already solved my problem.
Thanks to everyone for sharing your knowledge.
Appreciate the tut, I use an effect very similar to this on almost all of the websites I design! Just wanted to say cool work and thanks!
Berkshire County Web Design
Awesome! Thank you for this