Inkscape for Mac — Download 1.4.4 (Apple Silicon & Intel)

Apple Silicon or Intel — pick the right DMG

macOS uses two different processor families, and Inkscape publishes a separate disk image for each. The Apple Silicon build is compiled for the ARM64 chips (M1, M2, M3, M4); the Intel build is compiled for the older x86_64 processors. Grabbing the wrong one either won't launch or will run through slow translation, so check first.

To tell which Mac you have, open the Apple menu in the top-left corner and choose About This Mac. If the Chip line reads Apple M1, M2, M3, or M4, you want the Apple Silicon (ARM64) build. If the Processor line names an Intel Core chip, take the Intel (x86_64) build. Every Mac sold since late 2020 is Apple Silicon; most machines from 2020 and earlier are Intel.

If you are genuinely unsure, the Apple Silicon build is the safe default for any Mac bought in the last few years. An ARM64 image installed on an Intel Mac simply won't run, so there is no risk of a half-working install — you would notice immediately and switch to the Intel image. There is no universal binary that covers both; you download one or the other.

Install Inkscape on macOS

Installation is a drag-and-drop, the same for both builds. Once the disk image finishes downloading from inkscape.org:

1. Open the downloaded .dmg file. A window shows the Inkscape icon next to an Applications shortcut.
2. Drag the Inkscape icon onto the Applications folder in that same window.
3. Eject the disk image, then launch Inkscape from Applications or Launchpad.
4. The first start takes a few extra seconds while Inkscape builds its font cache. That is normal and happens only once.

The XQuartz myth

Older guides tell Mac users to install XQuartz before Inkscape. That advice is out of date. It applied to the 0.9x series, which relied on the X11 windowing system. Since the 1.x line Inkscape is a native macOS application with its own interface, so XQuartz is not needed for 1.4.4. If you installed it only for an old Inkscape, you can leave it or remove it — the current build ignores it either way.

After you install

Inkscape works natively in SVG, so files stay editable and scale to any size without loss. From the same install you can draw and edit paths node by node, apply boolean operations to shapes, set text on a path, trace a bitmap into vectors, and export SVG, PDF, or PNG. New to it? These pages get you moving.

Common questions