Inkscape: How to put Transparent Text on Object

**Problem: **I have a sketch in Inkscape and I want to embed a transparent shape into another shape. Specifically, I have a red rectangle and I want the shape of the word ‘tranquil’ to be transparent inside that rectangle. That basically means there will be a rectangle with “holes” in it in the shape of the word. How can I make an object transparent based on the shape of another object?

**Solution: **The easiest way to go about this is to use Inkscape’s built-in Path tools.

• Create your rectangle
• Create your text
• Position the text over the rectangle as you wish the transparency to be transferred
• Select both the text and the rectangle using Shift + selection
• Select Path > Difference. This will remove any overlap between the two objects

That’s it! You’ve successfully embedded transparency into an object using the shape of another object.