This final mode is a new feature that was added to the Erase Tool for the version 1.0 release of Inkscape. This means that if you want to erase parts of a single object, this would be the ideal mode to use. Everything that the red stroke touches will be erased, but only partially: Cut mode allows you to erase portions of objects. When enabled, clicking and dragging on your canvas will create a red stroke that follows your hand movement. This next mode is what allows you to erase in the most traditional sense and is the default mode for this tool.

Instead, it’s a way of erasing entire objects from your artwork. So in essence, this doesn’t actually “erase” any part of an object. Every object the red line touches will be deleted entirely: Delete mode causes every object you touch to be deleted rather than erased. With this mode enabled, clicking and dragging on across your canvas will generate a red line that follows your hand movement. The first mode that dictates the behavior of the eraser tool is the delete mode. In this part of the lesson we’ll be going over each of these modes, and then digging into all the tool settings later on in the tutorial.

Inkscape crop image tuto