Select objects (mouse)

click click a non-selected object to select

Alt + click select under

Alt + mouse wheel cycle z-order

Shift + click toggle selection

These work the same as in Selector. The nodes or handles of the single selected object become editable.

Select nodes (mouse)

click select a node

Clicking on a node selects it.

click select two adjacent nodes

Clicking on a selected path between the nodes selects the two nodes closest to the click point.

Shift + click toggle selection

This adds/removes a node (if clicked on node) or two nodes (if clicked on path) to/from the node selection.

click deselect

Clicking in an empty space deselects all selected nodes. Next click will deselect the object.

Rubberband selection

mouse drag select multiple nodes

Dragging around nodes does "rubberband" selection; previous node selection is deselected.

Shift + mouse drag add nodes to selection

Normally, you need to start from a point not over a path or a node to initiate a rubberband.

However, if you press Shift before dragging, Inkscape will do rubberband selection even if you start over the path.

Select nodes (keyboard)

Tab select next node

Shift + Tab select previous node

These keys select nodes within the selected path.

Ctrl + A select all nodes in subpath(s)

If the path has multiple subpaths and some nodes selected, this selects all only in subpaths with already selected nodes.

Ctrl + Alt + A select all nodes in path

This selects all nodes in the entire path.

! invert selection in subpath(s)

If the path has multiple subpaths and some nodes selected, this inverts selection only in subpaths with already selected nodes.

Alt + ! invert selection in path

This inverts selection (deselects what was selected and vice versa) in the entire path.

Esc deselect all nodes

Grow/shrink node selection

PgUp , PgDn grow/shrink selection (spatial)

mouse wheel grow/shrink selection (spatial)

Ctrl + PgUp , Ctrl + PgDn grow/shrink selection (along path)

Ctrl + mouse wheel grow/shrink selection (along path)

Your mouse pointer must be over a node for growing/shrinking.

Each key press or turn of the mouse wheel selects the nearest unselected node or deselects the farthest selected node.

Distance to nodes can be calculated directly (spatial mode) or along path.

Move nodes (mouse)

mouse drag move selected nodes

Ctrl + mouse drag restrict movement to horizontal or vertical

Ctrl + Alt + mouse drag move along handles

This restricts movement to the directions of the node's handles, their counter directions and perpendiculars (total 8 snaps).

If the node has straight lines on one or both sides, this will snap it to these lines' directions and perpendiculars instead.

Shift + mouse drag temporarily disable snapping

Shift + mouse drag drag out handle

If a node has a retracted handle, dragging with Shift lets you drag it out of the node.

mouse drag + Space drop a copy

When dragging nodes with mouse, each Space leaves a copy of the selected object.

You can press and hold Space while dragging for a nice "trail."

Alt + mouse drag sculpt selected nodes

Sculpting moves the selected nodes so that the dragged node moves all the way, the farthest selected nodes stay put; all intermediate selected nodes move intermediate distances, governed by a bell-like curve.

Sculpting is pressure-sensitive with a tablet; press harder for a blunter drag profile, press lightly for a sharper profile.

To stop sculpting without losing the pressure-sensitive profile, release Alt first and then lift the pen.

Move nodes (keyboard)

arrows move selected node(s) by the nudge distance

Shift + arrows move selected node(s) by 10x nudge distance

The default nudge distance is 2 px (SVG pixel units, not screen pixels).

Alt + arrows move selected node(s) by 1 pixel

Shift + Alt + arrows move selected node(s) by 10 pixels

The actual distance for pixel movements depends on zoom level. Zoom in for finer movement.

Move node handle (mouse)

mouse drag move a node handle

Ctrl + mouse drag snap the handle to angle steps

The default angle step is 15 degrees. This also snaps to the handle's original angle, its counter direction and perpendiculars.

Shift + mouse drag rotate both handles

Alt + mouse drag lock the handle length

Ctrl, Shift, Alt can be combined when dragging handles.

Ctrl + click retract the handle

Retracted handle is zero length; use Shift+drag to drag it back out.

Scale handle (1 node selected)

< , > contract/expand both handles by scale step

The default scale step is 2 px (SVG pixel units, not screen pixels). May apply to more than one node.

Left Ctrl + < , Left Ctrl + > scale left handle by the scale step

Right Ctrl + < , Right Ctrl + > scale right handle by the scale step

Left Alt + < , Left Alt + > scale left handle by 1 pixel

Right Alt + < , Right Alt + > scale right handle by 1 pixel

The actual size increment for pixel scaling depends on zoom level. Zoom in for finer scaling.

Instead of the < and > keys, you can use the , (comma) and . (period) keys respectively.

Rotate handle (1 node selected)

[ , ] rotate both handles by the angle step

The default angle step is 15 degrees. ] rotates clockwise, [ rotates counterclockwise. May apply to more than one node.

Left Ctrl + [ , Left Ctrl + ] rotate left handle by the angle step

Right Ctrl + [ , Right Ctrl + ] rotate right handle by the angle step

Left Alt + [ , Left Alt + ] rotate left handle by 1 pixel

Right Alt + [ , Right Alt + ] rotate right handle by 1 pixel

Handles visibility

Ctrl + H toggle handles

Scale nodes (>1 nodes selected)

These commands scale the selected nodes as if they were an "object".

If mouse is over a node, that node becomes the axis of scaling; otherwise it scales around geometric center of selected nodes.

. , > scale nodes up by the scale step

, , < scale nodes down by the scale step

The default scale step is 2 px (SVG pixel units, not screen pixels).

Alt + . , Alt + > scale nodes up by 1 pixel

Alt + , , Alt + < scale nodes down by 1 pixel

The actual size increment for pixel scaling depends on zoom level. Zoom in for finer scaling.

The default size increment is added to (or subtracted from) either the node selection's height or width, whichever one is larger. Scaling keeps the proportions of the node selection.

Rotate nodes (>1 nodes selected)

These commands rotate the selected nodes as if they were an "object".

If mouse is over a node, that node becomes the axis of rotation; otherwise it rotates around geometric center of selected nodes.

[ , ] rotate nodes by the angle step

The default angle step is 15 degrees. ] rotates clockwise, [ rotates counterclockwise.

Alt + [ , Alt + ] rotate nodes by 1 pixel

The actual angle for pixel rotation depends on zoom level. Zoom in for finer movement.

Flip nodes (>1 nodes selected)

These commands flip the selected nodes as if they were an "object", around the center of that object.

h flip nodes horizontally

v flip nodes vertically

If mouse is over a node, that node becomes the axis of flipping; otherwise it flips around geometric center of selected nodes

Change segment(s)

Shift + L make line

Shift + U make curve

These commands require that more than two adjacent nodes be selected.

Change node type

Shift + C make cusp

First Shift+C changes type of node; if you do another Shift+C on an already cusp node, it retracts its handles.

Shift + S make smooth

If a cusp node is adjacent to a line segment, first Shift+S makes it half-smooth with one handle collinear with the segment; another Shift+S will expand a second handle.

Shift + Y make symmetric

When making smooth or symmetric, you can lock the position of one of the handles by hovering mouse over it.

Shift + A make auto

Ctrl + click toggle smooth/cusp/symmetric/auto

Shift + J join selected nodes

This requires that exactly two end nodes within the path be selected.

You can lock the position of one of the two joined nodes by hovering mouse over it.

Alt + J join selected end nodes with new segment

Shift + B break selected node(s)

After break, only one of each two new nodes is selected. May apply to more than one node.

Delete, create, duplicate

Backspace , Del delete selected node(s)

Ctrl + Backspace , Ctrl + Del delete without preserving shape

Deleting without Ctrl adjusts handles on the remaining nodes to preserve the shape of the curve as much as possible.

Deleting with Ctrl does not touch the remaining nodes.

Alt + Backspace delete segment between pairs of adjacent selected nodes

Ctrl + Alt + click create/delete node

Ctrl+Alt+click on a node deletes it; Ctrl+Alt+click on the path between nodes creates a new node in the click point.

Deleting nodes this way always tries to preserve the shape of the curve (same as Del/Backspace).

double-click create node

Double clicking on the path between nodes creates a node in the click point.

Ins , Shift + I insert new node(s)

This adds new node(s) in the middle(s) of selected segment(s), so it requires that more than two adjacent nodes be selected.

Shift + D duplicate selected node(s)

New nodes are created on the same path; they are placed exactly over the old ones and are selected.

Reverse

Shift + R reverse path direction

Edit shapes

Node tool can also drag the handles of shapes (rectangles, ellipses, stars, spirals). Click on a shape to select it.

See the corresponding shape tools for their editing shortcuts, all of which also work in node tool.

Edit fills and path effects

Node tool can also edit the handles of a pattern fill, gradient fill, and the editable handles of path effects.

Cancel

Esc cancel rubberband or move