Uninstall Inkscape on Mac
Save SVG files and check that linked images and fonts remain available before quitting Inkscape. Do not discard external images as app remnants; an SVG may depend on them rather than embedding them. Then back up your preferences, extensions, templates, and palettes. These steps cover the Inkscape app from inkscape.org and the Homebrew cask.
Back up preferences and extensions
The Inkscape app on macOS keeps its user configuration inside Application Support, not in ~/.config. When it runs from the app bundle, Inkscape points its config, data, and cache folders at ~/Library/Application Support/org.inkscape.Inkscape (Inkscape source). Your preferences, extensions, templates, and palettes are in:
~/Library/Application Support/org.inkscape.Inkscape/config/inkscape
Open it with Shift + Command + G in Finder and copy the whole inkscape folder to a backup. Saving preferences.xml alone does not keep extensions, palettes, or templates, which Inkscape's FAQ describes as separate subfolders. To confirm the path on your Mac, open Inkscape's preferences, choose System, and read the User config location before quitting.
~/.config/inkscape is the older location: Inkscape builds that do not run from the app bundle still use it. If it exists on your Mac, back it up too. When the current app was tested, its first launch did not create it.
Quit Inkscape and remove the app
Quit Inkscape from its menu, then move it from Applications to the Trash. Afterward, open a saved SVG in another viewer and check its graphics and linked files. Uninstalling the editor does not require deleting your artwork.
Where Inkscape keeps its files
| Location | What it holds | Keep or remove |
|---|---|---|
~/Library/Application Support/org.inkscape.Inkscape |
config/inkscape (preferences, extensions, templates, palettes), plus data and cache folders |
Back up config/inkscape first; remove the folder only if you will not reinstall. |
~/.config/inkscape |
Configuration of older or non-bundle builds | Same as above; skip if absent. |
~/Library/Application Support/Inkscape |
Older support folder, if present | Review its contents before removing. |
~/Library/Caches/org.inkscape.Inkscape |
Cache | Safe to remove. |
~/Library/Preferences/org.inkscape.Inkscape.plist |
macOS app preferences | Safe to remove. |
Check the result
pgrep -il inkscape
ls -d ~/Library/Application\ Support/org.inkscape.Inkscape ~/.config/inkscape
No output from pgrep means Inkscape has quit. For ls, No such file or directory means that folder is gone; a listed path is still on disk, which is expected for a configuration you chose to keep. If an SVG opens with missing images, check the paths to its linked images first. That is different from damage caused by uninstalling the editor.
If you installed it with Homebrew
Mole skips --zap when its list reaches unchecked or shared data, or cannot be fully checked, and still cleans the leftovers you selected.
Running brew uninstall --cask --zap inkscape yourself runs the zap list regardless of which rows you check in Mole. It moves ~/.config/inkscape and ~/Library/Application Support/org.inkscape.Inkscape to the Trash, which removes your preferences, extensions, templates, and palettes, along with ~/Library/Application Support/Inkscape, caches, preferences, and saved window state. Back up both configuration folders first, or run brew uninstall --cask inkscape without zap to keep them.
What Mole lists
Back up extensions, templates and preferences first. The unchecked configuration rows below describe the default with Remove data and settings with apps off; enabling it can preselect eligible app-owned configuration.
Mole does not add your drawings because the filename contains Inkscape.
| Location | In the plan |
|---|---|
~/Library/Application Support/org.inkscape.Inkscape |
Selected by default. It holds your configuration, so uncheck it or back it up first. |
~/.config/inkscape |
Listed but not selected. |
~/Library/Application Support/Inkscape |
Listed but not selected. |
~/Library/Caches/org.inkscape.Inkscape, ~/Library/Preferences/org.inkscape.Inkscape.plist, saved window state |
Selected by default. |
What this test covered
Inkscape was installed from the Homebrew cask on September 17, 2026, launched, and uninstalled through Mole, which ran the zap list. The zap step removed the Application Support folder, caches, and preferences. The first launch did not create ~/.config/inkscape; Mole's row for it was added because the zap list names it. Extensions, custom templates, and a changed config location were not tested.