• Flowed Text -- Text objects that automatically re-flow to any shape (and not just a rectangle)
  
• Text Selection -- One can now select part of a text and apply any style to the selection, just like in a word processing application
  
• Gradient Tool -- A completely redesigned and much easier to use on-canvas gradient interface with handles displayed directly in the drawing
  
• Effects -- These are now usable from within Inkscape on all platforms. This version ships with a collection of effects including path interpolation, randomization, and various fractal algorithms
  
• Color Swatches -- This standard facility of most graphics software is now a part of Inkscape
  
• Colored Clones -- Clones may now be painted differently from their original
  
• Tile Tracing -- The Tile Clones dialog can trace an existing image with tiling, producing a multitude of exciting effects
  
• Grid Arrange, Baseline Align, Unclumping -- There are new, powerful ways to arrange objects
  
• Better PS/EPS Export -- PostScript level 3 gradient support, better text handling, and a command line option for batch export are in this release
  
• Command Line SVG Analysis -- Inkscape may now be
  used from the command line to query coordinates and dimensions of objects in an SVG file
  
• Better SVG/CSS Compliance -- Notably, internal CSS stylesheets are now supported (read-only)
  
• Mac OS X Support -- In addition to Linux and Windows, Inkscape 0.42 is now available as a fully self-contained dmg package for Mac OS X

Inkscape is an open source drawing tool that uses the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) scalable vector graphics format (SVG). Some supported SVG features include basic shapes, paths, text, markers, clones, alpha blending, transforms, gradients, and grouping. In addition, Inkscape supports Creative Commons' metadata, node-editing, layers, complex path operations, text-on-path, text-in-shape, and SVG XML editing. It also imports several formats like EPS, PostScript, JPEG, PNG, BMP, and TIFF and exports PNG as well as multiple vector-based formats.

Inkscape's main motivation is to provide the Open Source community with a fully W3C compliant XML, SVG, and CSS2 drawing tool. Additional work includes conversion of the codebase from C/Gtk to C++/Gtkmm, emphasizing a lightweight core with powerful features added through an extension mechanism, and the establishment of a friendly, open, community-oriented development process.

• Open Clip Art project adds images, touts progress
  
• Inkscape project updates open-source vector graphics drawing tool