Tools

S selector, N node editor, R rectangle, E ellipse, * star, P pencil, B Bezier pen, C calligraphy, T text, G gradient, D dropper, Z zoom. Pressing the same key twice usually resets that tool's settings dialog.

Selecting and moving

Tab and Shift+Tab step through objects in z-order. Alt+click selects the item under the cursor even when it is behind something else; Alt+click again goes one level deeper. Arrow keys nudge by 2 px, Shift+arrow by ten times that, and Alt+arrow by one screen pixel. Hold Ctrl while dragging to constrain movement to one axis.

Stacking, grouping, layers

Home and End send to front and back, Page Up and Page Down move one step. Ctrl+G groups, Ctrl+Shift+G ungroups, and double-click enters a group so you can edit inside it. Ctrl+Shift+L opens the Layers dialog; Shift+Ctrl+Page Up moves the selection to the layer above.

Node editing

In the node tool, Insert adds nodes between selected ones, Del removes a node while keeping the curve shape, Ctrl+Del removes it bluntly. Shift+S makes a node smooth, Shift+C makes it a corner. Ctrl+L simplifies a path — press it repeatedly for more aggressive smoothing. More context in working with paths.

Path operations

Ctrl++ union, Ctrl+- difference, Ctrl+* intersection, Ctrl+^ exclusion, Ctrl+/ division. Ctrl+Shift+C converts a shape or text to a path; Ctrl+Alt+C converts a stroke to a path, which is essential before sending outlines to a cutter.

Alignment and transforms

Ctrl+Shift+A opens Align & Distribute, Ctrl+Shift+M the Transform dialog, Ctrl+Shift+O Object Properties. H and V flip the selection horizontally and vertically. Ctrl+Shift+X opens the XML editor when you need to see the raw SVG.

View and zoom

3 fits the drawing, 5 fits the page, 1 returns to 100%, and + and - zoom in and out. Ctrl+Shift+E is the export dialog, Ctrl+Shift+D document properties, and F on the canvas toggles full screen. Holding the middle mouse button pans.

Making them yours

Edit → Preferences → Interface → Keyboard lets you search every command and assign your own keys, and alternative shortcut sets — including one close to Adobe Illustrator — can be selected there. If you switch between machines, export the custom set and keep it with your templates.