Unique project features are CorelDRAW formats importers, tabbed multiple document interface, Cairo-based engine, and color management.

A small team led by Igor Novikov started the project in 2003, based on the existing open source vector graphics editor Skencil.

[3] The results and the first working snapshot of the CDR importer were presented at the Libre Graphics Meeting 2007 conference taking place in May 2007 in Montreal (Canada).

[5] Export into CDR and CMX file formats was presented at the Libre Graphics Meeting 2019 conference taking place in May 2019 in Saarbrücken (Germany).

Compared to Inkscape, sK1 has a limited feature set, adequate for simple sketching, while its user interface remains clean.