I helped create an Autism support group website several months ago. I needed some Autism related clipart and tried to find some of the colorful jigsaw puzzle pieces that are often found on Autism related sites and accessories. I didn’t find any that were suitable or in the public domain and decided to create my own. I found a single puzzle piece on the OpenClipart website. The OpenClipart website has lots of public domain clipart in SVG format.
Using Inkscape, a free and open source graphics illustration application, I fit four single puzzle pieces together and colored them. Then I fit those four pieces together until I had a small mat of puzzle pieces. I tried to match the color scheme with an Autism ribbon that I had seen. I exported the small mat into PNG format. I used the GIMP, a free and open source image manipulation tool, to add several of these together. I ended up with an autism puzzle background that I could create shapes or words in using the GIMP and masks.
I never did use the words on the website. I did use the small four puzzle piece on the website. The Autism puzzle piece also seems to be a popular search term for that site.
This is not the single puzzle piece in the Open Clip Art Library, the set is very large (it may be har to find as it is in the old repository and not yet imported in the new one): http://openclipart.org/cgi-bin/navigate/shapes/jigsaw
The pieces can be also found in their original place: http://clipart.nicubunu.ro/?gallery=jigsaw
BTW, I like the effect!
Hi Nicu!
Thanks for pointing out the large selection of puzzle pieces that you created and uploaded to OpenClipart.org. I certainly had a lot to choose from! I would like to someday learn how to do the shading.
Best Regards,
Steve
With the new blur filter in Inkscape 0.45 you can do even better shadows, here is an extensive article I wrote recenlty on the subject: http://www.redhatmagazine.com/2007/02/27/the-open-palettehow-to-use-inkscapes-new-blur-filter/