RIP Ihor Novikov (1971 - 2021)
Ihor Novikov, the founder and the lead developer of open-source sK1 vector graphics editor and UniConvertor, passed away at the age of 49 in March 2021, due to COVID-19. It has been a tragic loss for his family and friends, and a very unexpected one. Ihor was full of life and energy.
He was a strong supporter of free and open-source software, particularly for vector graphics, which led him to starting sK1 project in 2003. He was a frequent guest and speaker at Libre Graphics Meeting (LGM) conferences. His work on UniConvertor and reverse-engineering of proprietary formats, such as CorelDraw’s, laid the foundation to enabling open-source graphics software, such as Inkscape, to work with formats like CDR, CMX, WMF, AI, etc.
Ihor was a truly selfless person and a kind soul. His life’s dream was to do something great for humanity. He was an extremely motivated person and always worked tirelessly. And he was always there to help.
He will be dearly missed and remembered as a good father and a friend for evermore.
~ Albert, Ihor’s son.
Ihor's legacy lives on in his project - and the project's development is still active. Should you be interested in exploring or contributing to the project, please visit the project's GitHub page. This website will remain operational too and you can always get in touch with other team members through GitHub.
sK1 2.0
sK1 2.0 is professional quality open source illustration software for Windows, GNU/Linux and macOS platforms. sK1 2.0 is a powerful and mature application that makes users more productive and provides them professional and free solution even for exotic *nix OSes. Whether you are a newbie user or an experienced designer, sK1 2.0 makes it easy to get started. With its professional color-management engine and wide-range file format compatibility, sK1 2.0 provides color accuracy and drawing flexibility you need for all types of projects.
The application is written using wxWidgets toolkit, so it is a real cross-platform software which uses platform specific controls. sK1 2.0 supports professional publishing features, such as multiple page document, CMYK color, separations, ICC color management, professional precise printing and press-ready PDF output. So this application could substitute professional proprietary software like CorelDRAW or Adobe Illustrator.
