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It seems like this should be very intuitive. I can change the color, alignment, rotation, etc of a single letter. However, I have not found a way to flip a letter horizontally without affecting the entire word or phrase. The only workaround I have accomplished is creating a separate text box with only the letter I want to flip, flipping the letter, aligning that letter with the word in the other text box, making the letter in that word the same color as the background and then grouping the two objects together. However, that has disadvantages. Especially when you want to change colors of the text or add effects.

[Edit - I neglected to mention that I tried copying and pasting the reversed letter into the original text box. Unfortunately, it pastes such that it is no longer reversed.]

Actually, I just thought of a possible solution. However, it would be a convoluted process. So, I'd like to see what people here advise first. Thanks.

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  • Welcome to GD.SE!
    – Mensch
    Commented Dec 18, 2021 at 19:49
  • Thank you @Mensch. Commented Dec 18, 2021 at 20:10

2 Answers 2

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This is another workaround, but without placement and color problems.

Duplicate your text box. Hide the original in the Objects panel.

Select the duplicate and apply Path > Object to path. You get a group of paths which can be edited. Everyone can be selected separately in the objects panel.

If you must change the writing you can delete the path group version and enable the original in the objects panel.

An example: enter image description here

The original is moved upwards and shown, too. One letter in the path group is flipped.

If you have several textboxes it surely pays off to rename the textboxes and path groups in the objects panel to something else than text01234. It happens by double clicking an object in the objects panel.

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  • This is a possible solution and is less convoluted than what I was thinking, but let me see if there's a simpler one. Thank you for responding though. Commented Dec 18, 2021 at 20:14
  • I guess someone could write what you need - a person who talks XML, knows your problem and is willing to answer. If you understand XML (=the description language used in SVG files) you may find what to write in the XML view window of Inkscape.
    – user82991
    Commented Dec 18, 2021 at 21:41
  • I have enough of an understanding of XML to be able to edit existing code, but I'm not sure I could do my own. It might, and I do stress might, be easier to create my own font based on an existing one with that one letter reversed. Then again, I do not anticipate needing to do this again unless I do another illustration using the current Simple Minds logo style. If they like it, I may indeed. I'm doing this as a fan. I was not hired by the band or their management. Commented Dec 18, 2021 at 21:58
  • @DavidLazarus - this is the simplest way. There's nothing in SVG which will allow for one letter within a text box to be reversed. You'd need to convert to outlines as this answer suggests.
    – Billy Kerr
    Commented Dec 18, 2021 at 22:30
  • OK. After trying my more convoluted process only to realize it wasn't going to accomplish my goal, I have decided that this is, in fact, the best solution. Thank you. Commented Dec 18, 2021 at 22:34
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Another workaround is to use the Split text extension as follows:

  • Select your text.
  • From Extensions menu > Text choose Split text
  • Under the options tab, select the split to be Letters.
  • Press Apply.
  • Align the right and the left-most letters with the original text. Then distribute the interior letters uniformly.
  • Flip the desired letter.
  • Group the result.

Recording of the steps

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  • Cool! Thanks! I'll keep it in mind. Though I think creating a path is probably just as easy. Commented Dec 19, 2021 at 21:27

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