Catalog / Inkscape Cheat Sheet
Inkscape Cheat Sheet
A comprehensive cheat sheet covering essential Inkscape tools, shortcuts, and techniques for vector graphic design.
Basic Tools & Navigation
Selection & Transformation
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Selection Tool (F1) |
Select, move, and resize objects. |
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Node Tool (F2) |
Edit nodes of paths and shapes for fine-grained control. |
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Zoom Tool (Z) |
Zoom in/out of the canvas. Click to zoom in, Shift+Click to zoom out. Drag to zoom to a specific area. |
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Pan (Middle Mouse Button) |
Pan the view by holding down the middle mouse button and dragging. |
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Ctrl + A |
Select all objects in the current layer. |
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Ctrl + Shift + A |
Deselect all objects. |
Object Creation
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Rectangle Tool (F4) |
Create rectangles and squares. Hold |
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Ellipse Tool (F5) |
Create ellipses and circles. Hold |
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**Star Tool (*) ** |
Creates stars and polygons. Adjust parameters in the tool controls bar. |
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Spiral Tool (I) |
Create spirals. Adjust parameters in the tool controls bar. |
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Draw Freehand Lines (F6) |
Draw freehand lines |
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Draw Bezier curves and straight lines (Shift + F6) |
Draw Bezier curves and straight lines |
File Operations
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Ctrl + N |
Create a new document. |
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Ctrl + O |
Open an existing document. |
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Ctrl + S |
Save the current document. |
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Ctrl + Shift + S |
Save the current document as a new file. |
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Ctrl + I |
Import a file. |
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Ctrl + E |
Export a file. |
Path Operations & Editing
Path Operations
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Path > Union (Ctrl + +) |
Combine selected paths into a single path. |
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Path > Difference (Ctrl + -) |
Subtract the top path from the bottom path. |
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*Path > Intersection (Ctrl + ) |
Create a new path from the overlapping areas of selected paths. |
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Path > Exclusion (Ctrl + ^) |
Create a new path from the non-overlapping areas of selected paths. |
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Path > Division (Ctrl + /) |
Divide the bottom path by the top path. |
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Path > Cut Path |
Cut the path at selected nodes. |
Node Editing
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Node Tool (F2) |
Activate the Node Tool to edit path nodes and handles. |
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Join Selected Nodes |
Join two or more selected nodes into a single node. |
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Break Path at Selected Nodes |
Break a path into two paths at selected nodes. |
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Make Selected Segments Lines |
Convert selected path segments into straight lines. |
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Make Selected Segments Curves |
Convert selected path segments into curves. |
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Delete Segment Between 2 Non-Endpoint Nodes |
Delete segment between nodes. |
Converting Objects to Paths
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Path > Object to Path (Ctrl + Shift + C) - Convert selected objects (e.g., shapes, text) into paths. This is necessary to perform path operations on them. |
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Path > Stroke to Path (Ctrl + Alt + C) - Convert a stroke into a path. |
Colors, Gradients & Styles
Coloring
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Fill |
The color inside the object. |
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Stroke |
The color of the object’s outline. |
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Shift + Click Color |
Set the stroke color. |
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Click Color |
Set the fill color. |
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No Paint |
Remove fill or stroke. |
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Object Attributes |
Fill, Stroke, Stroke style |
Gradients
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Gradient Tool (G) |
Apply and edit gradients. Drag the gradient handles to adjust the gradient. |
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Linear Gradient |
A gradient that transitions in a straight line. |
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Radial Gradient |
A gradient that transitions in a circular pattern. |
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Edit Gradient |
Add or move color stops on gradient. |
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Create |
Create new gradient from the current fill of stroke. |
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Reverse |
Reverse gradient colors. |
Stroke Style
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Stroke Style Panel |
Set stroke width, line join, line cap, and dash pattern. |
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Width |
Define stroke width. |
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Join |
Define stroke style. |
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Cap |
Define stroke cap. |
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Dashes |
Define stroke dashes. |
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Markers |
Add markers to the start, middle, or end of a path. |
Text & Arrangement
Text Tool
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Text Tool (T) |
Add and edit text objects. |
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Font Selection |
Choose a font from the dropdown menu in the tool controls bar. |
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Font Size |
Adjust the font size in the tool controls bar. |
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Bold (Ctrl + B) |
Apply bold formatting to selected text. |
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Italic (Ctrl + I) |
Apply italic formatting to selected text. |
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Align |
Align text. |
Arrangement
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Raise to Top (Home) |
Move the selected object to the top of the stack. |
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Raise One Step (PgUp) |
Move the selected object one step up in the stack. |
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Lower One Step (PgDn) |
Move the selected object one step down in the stack. |
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Lower to Bottom (End) |
Move the selected object to the bottom of the stack. |
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Object > Align and Distribute (Ctrl + Shift + A) |
Open the Align and Distribute panel for precise object alignment. |
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Flip Selected Objects Horizontally (H) |
Flip selected objects horizontally. |
Grouping
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Ctrl + G |
Group selected objects. |
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Ctrl + Shift + G |
Ungroup selected objects. |
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Grouping Objects |
Group keeps relative position of objects. |
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Ctrl + A |
Select all objects. |
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Lock Objects |
Lock objects from dragging, resizing or rotating. |
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Unlock Objects |
Unlock objects from dragging, resizing or rotating. |