Keyboard shortcuts
Editing
| Shortcut |
Action |
Ctrl + Z (Cmd + Z on Mac) |
Undo |
Ctrl + Shift + Z |
Redo |
Ctrl + C / X / V |
Copy / cut / paste the selection. A paste lands under the mouse when it's over the canvas (otherwise slightly offset, each further paste a little further). Works between two patterns open in different tabs too |
Ctrl + Alt + V |
Paste in place: exactly where it was copied from |
Ctrl + A |
Select every object that isn't locked or hidden, on visible, unlocked layers (measurements are left out). Inside an entered group, only that group's shapes |
Ctrl + Shift + A |
Deselect everything |
← → ↑ ↓ |
Nudge the selection by 1 mm (1/16 in with imperial units) — or just the selected nodes, if any. A quick run of presses undoes in one step |
Shift + arrow |
Nudge by 10 mm (1/4 in) |
Shift + H / Shift + V |
Flip the selection horizontally / vertically around its centre. Paths are truly mirrored (seam allowances, notches and bevels stay on their edges); text, labels and images move to the mirrored spot but stay readable |
Ctrl + Shift + M |
Transform dialog: move, rotate, scale or skew the selection by exact values |
Ctrl + D |
Duplicate the selection (a slightly offset copy, without touching the clipboard) |
Ctrl + Shift + V |
Paste style: give the selection the colours, stroke, line type, material and font of what you copied |
Delete / Backspace |
Delete the selected nodes, or the selected object(s) if no nodes are selected — the canvas itself needs focus |
Escape |
Context-dependent — see below |
| Double-click |
Select tool: on a shape in a group, enter that group so clicks pick single shapes (again to go a group deeper; on empty canvas, come back out). On a text or label, edit it in place — see Drawing tools |
| Right-click |
The actions that fit what's under the cursor; on empty canvas, Paste, Select All and Zoom to Fit — see Drawing tools |
A single key switches tools (not while typing in a text field). The key is also shown in each tool button's tooltip.
| Key |
Tool |
V |
Select |
R |
Rectangle |
E |
Ellipse |
P |
Pen |
F |
Freehand |
T |
Text |
L |
Pattern label |
D |
Dart |
M |
Distance (measure) |
I |
Eyedropper |
Navigation & the command palette
| Shortcut |
Action |
Space (hold) |
Temporary pan, everywhere — works no matter what tool or selection is active |
S |
Open the command palette (not while typing in a text field) |
Ctrl + + / Ctrl + - |
Zoom in / out around the middle of the view (+ / - alone work too) |
Shift + 1 |
Zoom to fit everything (and the canvas-size rectangle, if set) |
Shift + 2 |
Zoom to the selection |
Ctrl + 0 |
Actual size (96 pixels per inch) |
↑ / ↓ |
Move the highlighted row in the command palette |
Enter |
Run the highlighted command-palette row |
While drawing
| Shortcut |
Action |
Enter |
Pen tool: commit the in-progress path as an open line |
Escape |
Pen tool: discard the in-progress path |
Escape |
Distance and Angle tools: discard the in-progress measurement |
Escape |
Dart tool: discard the in-progress dart |
Escape |
True Up tool: discard the in-progress pick |
Alt + drag a node |
Pull out a curve handle (Select tool, path already drawn) |
Alt + click a curved node |
Straighten that node back out |
Shift + C / S / Y / A |
Make the selected nodes corner / smooth / symmetric / auto-smooth (see Node types under Drawing tools) |
Alt + drag a shape |
Ignore snapping for just this drag, regardless of the Snap to Objects setting |
Everywhere else Escape applies
Escape also: backs a multi-node selection out to whole-object selection, then leaves an entered group one level at a time (selecting that group), then deselects, closes the command palette or an open context menu, cancels an inline rename (layer, object, or text-edit overlay) without saving it, and closes the local-storage/offline-data panel if it's open.
There's no separate "confirm rename" key — pressing Escape during a rename specifically reverts it; clicking away or pressing Enter is what saves it.