The command
inkscape -T --export-type=eps file1.svg file2.svg fileN.svg ...
-T
: Convert Text to Paths (optional but recomended)
--export-type=eps
: Export to .eps
(inkscape --help
for a list of other filetypes you can export to)
Protip: you can spesify multiple export formats! e.g. --export-type=png,eps,pdf
Batch process an entire folder
Linux
find . -name "*.svg" -print0 | xargs -0 -P0 inkscape -T --export-type=eps
This is going to very very fast compared to the windows version becuse the inkscape
command can take inksape file1 file2 file3
which xargs
will do by default.
This should also be paralizable, hence the -P0
IDK if inkscape can nativly deal with globs in linux (it doesn't work in DOS) but if you have a modern shell it shouldn't matter, in which case you can just do:
inkscape -T --export-type=eps *.svg
Windows
For windows the fastest way to get an entire folder processed would be:
C:\my\work\folder\> forfiles /M "*.svg" /C "cmd /C inkscape -T --export-type=eps @name"
Protip: You can also use the /S switch on the forfiles /S ...
to traverse subdirectories in the work folder
Protip: You can use /P C:\another\path
like: forfiles /P C:\another\path ...
to work in a completly diffrent directory.
You can use forfiles /?
for more info.
This is slow.
It creates a process for Every. Single. File.
If you need speed, investigate a way to list out all the files in the directory in a arg compatible way.
i.e. arg1 arg2 arg3 "arg with space" arg5 argN
Full walk-through (Windows)
If you're a non-IT/math-nerd
this should walk you through setting up and running inkscape in the command line!
Is inkscape
in the PATH?
First we need to see if your computer knows where to find the inkscape
program. Your computer knows where to find it by using a special global configuration variable (called the PATH variable) to know where to look for program binaries like inkscape.
I think inkscape is suppposed to add itself to the system PATH but it didn't do that for me so let's check it!
In yout windows start-menu start typeing cmd
Click on the Command Prompt
application
This should open the CMD prompt window
Type inkscape --help
and then press enter
You should see a big block of text that describes using inkscape
from the command line.

You can skip to the Open a command window in your working directory section
If you see:
'inkscape' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.
Inkscape is not in your PATH
Please follow the next section.
Adding inkscape
to your PATH
If inkscape is not in your PATH we need to add it so the comand prompter can find it.
Find out where inkscape is installed
In the start menu start typing inkscape
Right Click on the Inscape application and click on the "Open File Location"
You should see two shortcuts
Right click on the Inkscape
Shortcut and clck on "Open File Location"
Copy the directory
In the file explorer, click on the browser bar and copy the highlighted directory path

Add inkscape's application location to the path
Open the System Environment setting
In your start menu start typing env
Click on the shortcut to "Edit System Environment Variables"

Clck on the "Environment Variable..." button
Under the System Variables
section find the PATH variable
Click "Edit..."
Click "New"
Paste the directory from the previous section into the new item.
Click OK
Click OK
Click OK

Please close any open CMD prompt windows (the PATH will not auto update)
Go back to the 'Is inkscape
in the PATH?' section
Open a command window in your working directory
Working in the command line is very powerfull but there are no safety gaurd rails. There is no Undo and there is no Recycle Bin. Things are permanant.
I recomend copying the folder with your work to a seprate folder and then running commands in that work folder.
I will be using C:\workdir
but you can use anywhere that is convenint for you.
Open a command window in your work folder.
In the file explorer (in your work folder), type cmd
and then enter in the browser bar.

Verify your command session is in the correct directory.
You should see something like this:

Run the commands
There we go!
You should now be set up to run the commands mentioned above.
If you only want to export certain files you can use this form:
Type inkscape -T --export-type=eps
with all the files you'd like to convert.
e.g. inkscape -T --export-type=eps file1.svg file2.svg
Protip: you can press the TAB key at the end of the command to cycle through the files in the directory
If you want to export every file in the folder you can use:
forfiles /M "*.svg" /C "cmd /C inkscape -T --export-type=eps @name