Learning how to use the keyboard shortcuts in Inkscape can help you get a lot more done and make your workflow much smoother. You can quickly switch between tools, change objects, and run commands with just the right combination of keystrokes. The best Inkscape keyboard shortcuts help users speed up the design process so they can spend more time being creative.
Inkscape is known for its powerful vector graphics features, and it comes with a huge number of keyboard shortcuts that can be used for a wide range of tasks. These shortcuts can make your experience with the software much better, no matter how experienced you are as a graphic designer or how new you are to vector art. Below, we have mentioned the best Inkscape keyboard shortcuts.
Importance of Keyboard Shortcuts in Inkscape
Keyboard shortcuts are a key part of making the workflow faster and more productive in the vector graphics editor Inkscape. They let people quickly run commands and get to tools without stopping the creative process. As designers learn and use shortcuts, they can quickly and easily do things like select objects, draw shapes, change nodes, and add effects. Cutting down on the need to move the mouse makes the design process smoother and easier, and it also saves time.
Best Inkscape Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts for Inkscape have changed the way vector graphics are made. From Ctrl + S to save projects to Ctrl + D to copy elements, speed is very important. With shortcuts like Ctrl + Shift + A to ungroup objects and Ctrl + Z to undo actions, designers can move around in their work with ease, which encourages creativity and accuracy in every stroke.
General Shortcuts:
Shortcut | Description |
---|---|
Ctrl + N | New Document |
Ctrl + O | Open Document |
Ctrl + S | Save Document |
Ctrl + Shift + S | Save As |
Ctrl + P | Print Document |
Ctrl + W | Close Document |
Ctrl + Q | Quit Inkscape |
Ctrl + Z | Undo |
Ctrl + Y | Redo |
Ctrl + C | Copy |
Ctrl + X | Cut |
Ctrl + V | Paste |
Ctrl + A | Select All |
Del | Delete selected object(s) |
Ctrl + Shift + I | Import |
Navigation Shortcuts:
Shortcut | Description |
---|---|
Space | Pan View |
Ctrl + Space | Zoom In |
Ctrl + Alt + Space | Zoom Out |
Ctrl + 1 | 1:1 Zoom |
Ctrl + 3 | 3:1 Zoom |
Ctrl + 5 | 5:1 Zoom |
Ctrl + 9 | Fit Page in Window |
Ctrl + Mouse Wheel | Zoom In/Out (while hovering over canvas) |
Node Editing Shortcuts
Shortcut | Functionality |
---|---|
F2 | Edit Paths by Nodes Tool |
Shift + F2 | Merge Selected Nodes |
Ctrl + L | Make Selected Nodes Smooth |
Ctrl + Shift + C | Break Path at Selected Nodes |
Ctrl + Shift + K | Join Selected Nodes |
Ctrl + Shift + A | Select All Nodes |
Ctrl + Shift + F | Select All Nodes in All Objects |
Ctrl + + | Increase Node Size |
Ctrl + – | Decrease Node Size |
Ctrl + Alt + C | Make Selected Nodes Corner |
Ctrl + Alt + S | Make Selected Nodes Symmetric |
Ctrl + Alt + N | Make Selected Nodes Cusp |
Text Shortcuts
Shortcut | Functionality |
---|---|
F8 | Create Text |
Ctrl + T | Text Tool |
Ctrl + Shift + F | Text and Font Dialog |
Ctrl + B | Bold |
Ctrl + I | Italic |
Ctrl + U | Underline |
Ctrl + D | Strikethrough |
Ctrl + Shift + > | Increase Font Size |
Ctrl + Shift + < | Decrease Font Size |
Selection Shortcuts:
Shortcut | Description |
---|---|
F1 | Select and Transform Objects |
F2 | Edit Objects |
Ctrl + Shift + A | Deselect All |
Ctrl + Shift + G | Group Selected Objects |
Ctrl + Shift + U | Ungroup Selected Objects |
Drawing Shortcuts:
Shortcut | Description |
---|---|
P | Pen Tool |
B | Bezier Pen Tool |
T | Text Tool |
N | Node Tool |
R | Rectangle Tool |
E | Ellipse Tool |
F | Fill and Stroke Dialog |
Shift + Ctrl + F | Fill |
Shift + Ctrl + S | Stroke |
Transformation Shortcuts:
Shortcut | Description |
---|---|
Ctrl + D | Duplicate selected object(s) |
Ctrl + G | Group selected objects |
Ctrl + Shift + G | Ungroup selected objects |
Ctrl + ] | Raise selected object(s) |
Ctrl + [ | Lower selected object(s) |
Ctrl + Shift + D | Clone selected object(s) |
View Shortcuts:
Shortcut | Description |
---|---|
Ctrl + Page Up | Next Document Tab |
Ctrl + Page Down | Previous Document Tab |
Ctrl + Shift + P | Toggle Page Border Visibility |
Best Inkscape Keyboard Shortcuts for different platforms
Inkscape has keyboard shortcuts that work on all platforms, which makes work more efficient. On Windows, the main modifier key is Ctrl, and on macOS, it’s Cmd. To save, press Ctrl+S or cmd+S. To copy, press Ctrl+C or cmd+C, and to paste, press Ctrl+V or cmd+V. No matter what operating system you use, learning these accelerators makes design processes faster.
Windows Shortcuts
Action | Shortcut |
---|---|
Select all objects | Ctrl + A |
Deselect all objects | Shift + Ctrl + A |
Undo | Ctrl + Z |
Redo | Shift + Ctrl + Z |
Cut | Ctrl + X |
Copy | Ctrl + C |
Paste | Ctrl + V |
Duplicate selected objects | Ctrl + D |
Group selected objects | Ctrl + G |
Ungroup selected objects | Shift + Ctrl + G |
Align objects left | Shift + Ctrl + L |
Align objects center horizontally | Shift + Ctrl + E |
Align objects right | Shift + Ctrl + R |
Align objects top | Shift + Ctrl + T |
Align objects center vertically | Shift + Ctrl + M |
Align objects bottom | Shift + Ctrl + B |
Zoom in | Ctrl + + |
Zoom out | Ctrl + – |
Zoom to fit page | Ctrl + 1 |
Zoom to selection | Ctrl + 3 |
Toggle snapping | Shift + # |
Convert to path | Shift + Ctrl + C |
Edit nodes | F2 |
Zoom selection | Ctrl + Shift + A |
Toggle grid visibility | # |
Switch to selection tool | F1 |
Switch to node tool | F2 |
Switch to zoom tool | F3 |
Switch to rectangle tool | F4 |
Switch to pencil tool | F5 |
Switch to pen tool | F6 |
Switch to text tool | F8 |
Switch to gradient tool | F9 |
Switch to eyedropper tool | F7 |
Switch to fill and stroke tool | Shift + Ctrl + F |
macOS Shortcuts
Action | Shortcut |
---|---|
Select all objects | Cmd + A |
Deselect all objects | Shift + Cmd + A |
Undo | Cmd + Z |
Redo | Shift + Cmd + Z |
Cut | Cmd + X |
Copy | Cmd + C |
Paste | Cmd + V |
Duplicate selected objects | Cmd + D |
Group selected objects | Cmd + G |
Ungroup selected objects | Shift + Cmd + G |
Align objects left | Shift + Cmd + L |
Align objects center horizontally | Shift + Cmd + E |
Align objects right | Shift + Cmd + R |
Align objects top | Shift + Cmd + T |
Align objects center vertically | Shift + Cmd + M |
Align objects bottom | Shift + Cmd + B |
Zoom in | Cmd + + |
Zoom out | Cmd + – |
Zoom to fit page | Cmd + 1 |
Zoom to selection | Cmd + 3 |
Toggle snapping | Shift + # |
Convert to path | Shift + Cmd + C |
Edit nodes | F2 |
Zoom selection | Cmd + Shift + A |
Toggle grid visibility | # |
Switch to selection tool | F1 |
Switch to node tool | F2 |
Switch to zoom tool | F3 |
Switch to rectangle tool | F4 |
Switch to pencil tool | F5 |
Switch to pen tool | F6 |
Switch to text tool | F8 |
Switch to gradient tool | F9 |
Switch to eyedropper tool | F7 |
Switch to fill and stroke tool | Shift + Cmd + F |
Linux Shortcuts
Action | Shortcut |
---|---|
Select all objects | Ctrl + A |
Deselect all objects | Shift + Ctrl + A |
Undo | Ctrl + Z |
Redo | Shift + Ctrl + Z |
Cut | Ctrl + X |
Copy | Ctrl + C |
Paste | Ctrl + V |
Duplicate selected objects | Ctrl + D |
Group selected objects | Ctrl + G |
Ungroup selected objects | Shift + Ctrl + G |
Align objects left | Shift + Ctrl + L |
Align objects center horizontally | Shift + Ctrl + E |
Align objects right | Shift + Ctrl + R |
Align objects top | Shift + Ctrl + T |
Align objects center vertically | Shift + Ctrl + M |
Align objects bottom | Shift + Ctrl + B |
Zoom in | Ctrl + + |
Zoom out | Ctrl + – |
Zoom to fit page | Ctrl + 1 |
Zoom to selection | Ctrl + 3 |
Toggle snapping | Shift + # |
Convert to path | Shift + Ctrl + C |
Edit nodes | F2 |
Zoom selection | Ctrl + Shift + A |
Toggle grid visibility | # |
Switch to selection tool | F1 |
Switch to node tool | F2 |
Switch to zoom tool | F3 |
Switch to rectangle tool | F4 |
Switch to pencil tool | F5 |
Switch to pen tool | F6 |
Switch to text tool | F8 |
Switch to gradient tool | F9 |
Switch to eyedropper tool | F7 |
Switch to fill and stroke tool | Shift + Ctrl + F |
Tips for Mastering Inkscape Keyboard Shortcuts
A well-known open-source vector graphics editor called Inkscape has a lot of keyboard shortcuts that can speed up different tasks and make your work flow more smoothly. Here are some tips on how to learn the keyboard shortcuts for Inkscape:
Learn the Keyboard Shortcuts: Take the time to learn the keyboard shortcuts that come with Inkscape. You can find these shortcuts in the menus next to the commands they go with.
Find Out About Common Shortcuts: To begin, learn about the most common shortcuts, like Ctrl + C for Copy, Ctrl + V for Paste, Ctrl + Z for Undo, and Ctrl + Shift + Z for Redo. These simple keyboard shortcuts will make your work go much faster.
Explore Tool Shortcuts: Take a look at the keyboard shortcuts for each tool in Inkscape. Usually, each tool has its own set of shortcuts. Take the time to learn and remember these shortcuts, especially for tools like the selection tool, pen tool, and shape tool that you use a lot.
Use Modifier Keys: To change how tools and commands work in Inkscape, you can use modifier keys like Ctrl, Shift, and Alt a lot. Try out different combinations of modifier keys to find new features and quick access to things.
Change Keyboard Shortcuts: Inkscape users can change keyboard shortcuts to suit their needs. You can change the shortcuts in the preferences menu if you find it hard to remember them or if you like a different combination.
Troubleshooting Common Issues with Inkscape Keyboard Shortcuts
The following steps can help you figure out what’s wrong with keyboard shortcuts in Inkscape, a popular open-source vector graphics editor:
Check the Keyboard Shortcut Settings: Make sure that Inkscape has set up the keyboard shortcuts you want to use correctly. To get to the settings for keyboard shortcuts, go to Edit > Preferences > Interface > Keyboard Shortcuts.
Startup Inkscape Again: If keyboard shortcuts aren’t working right, sometimes all you need to do is restart the Inkscape programme.
Look for Keyboard Shortcuts That Don’t Work Together: Make sure that the keyboard shortcuts you want to use don’t interfere with system-wide shortcuts or shortcuts that other programmes use. To see if the problem still exists, try pressing different combinations of keys.
Keyboard Shortcuts: If you think the keyboard shortcuts are broken or set up wrong, you can try restoring them to their original state. The “Reset to Default” button is in Edit > Preferences > Interface > Keyboard Shortcuts.
New version of Inkscape: Make sure you have the most recent version of Inkscape. Developers often put out updates to fix bugs and make software run better. These updates may include fixes for problems with keyboard shortcuts.
FAQs
The downloads tab opens with Alt+J in most browsers. This lets you quickly access and manage downloaded files without menus or a mouse.
Inkscape natively opens or imports SVG, SVGZ, PDF, EPS, and AI (Adobe Illustrator) formats.