Inkscape shortcuts for Mac

The most essential Inkscape shortcuts are S for the Selection tool, F1 for the Edit paths tool, and F6 for the Pencil. Use R for rectangles, E for ellipses, and * for stars. Press T for the Text tool and I to insert images. Common editing shortcuts include Ctrl+Z to undo, Ctrl+D to duplicate selected objects, and Delete to remove them. Press 1 to reset zoom to 100%, 3 to zoom to fit the page, and 4 to zoom to fit the selection.

Press F1 to activate the Edit Paths by Nodes tool for detailed path editing. Use Shift+Ctrl+F to open Fill and Stroke panel for styling objects. To convert a shape to a path, select it and press Shift+Ctrl+C. Combine multiple paths with Ctrl+K and break them apart with Shift+Ctrl+K. Use Ctrl+G to group objects together and Ctrl+Shift+G to ungroup them. Press Page Up/Down to move objects forward or backward in z-order.

Open the Align and Distribute dialog with Shift+Ctrl+A. Select multiple objects with Shift+Click or by dragging a selection box, then use the alignment buttons or shortcuts. Press H to flip objects horizontally and V to flip vertically. To distribute objects evenly, use the distribution options in the Align panel. You can also hold Ctrl while dragging to constrain movement to horizontal or vertical axes, making manual alignment easier.

If Inkscape shortcuts aren't working, first ensure the canvas is focused and you're not typing in a text object — press Escape to deselect text and return to the canvas. Check Edit > Preferences > Interface > Keyboard to verify your keyboard shortcuts are set to the default profile. Some shortcuts are context-sensitive and only work with specific tools active. On macOS, verify that System Settings > Keyboard doesn't have conflicting shortcuts. Resetting Inkscape preferences by deleting the preferences file (found via Help > About > System) can resolve persistent shortcut issues.