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Blender Shortcuts Cheat Sheet

A one-page printable reference for navigation, selection, transform tools, mesh editing and modifiers the most-used keyboard shortcuts in Blender. Pin it next to your monitor!

🧭 Navigation

MMB dragOrbit the viewport
Scroll wheelZoom in / out
Shift + MMBPan the view
Numpad 1Front view
Numpad 3Side view
Numpad 7Top view
Numpad .Zoom to selected
Numpad 5Toggle perspective / orthographic

🖱️ Selection

ClickSelect an object / element
Shift + ClickAdd to selection
ASelect all
Alt + ADeselect all
BBox select
CCircle select brush
LSelect linked under cursor

🔀 Transform

GGrab / move
RRotate
SScale
X / Y / ZConstrain to an axis after G, R or S
Shift + X/Y/ZConstrain to all but that axis
Type a numberEnter an exact transform value
Enter / LMBConfirm the transform
Esc / RMBCancel the transform

🧱 Mesh Editing

TabToggle Edit Mode / Object Mode
1 / 2 / 3Vertex / Edge / Face select mode
EExtrude
IInset faces
Ctrl + RLoop cut
Ctrl + BBevel
MMerge vertices menu
Ctrl + EEdge menu (bridge, crease, etc.)

🪄 Modifiers

  • Subdivision Surface smooths a low-poly mesh by adding subdivisions
  • Mirror reflects geometry across an axis great for symmetrical models
  • Bevel rounds sharp edges automatically, non-destructively
  • Solidify adds thickness to a flat, single-sided surface
  • Array duplicates geometry in a repeating pattern
  • Boolean combines, subtracts or intersects two meshes

🎨 Materials

  • Shift + A in the Shader Editor adds a new node
  • Principled BSDF the default all-in-one shader for most materials
  • Base Color the surface's main color or texture
  • Roughness 0 = mirror-smooth, 1 = fully matte
  • Metallic 0 = non-metal (plastic, wood), 1 = pure metal
  • Connect an Image Texture node to Base Color to use a photo or painted texture

🎬 Rendering

F12Render the current frame as an image
Ctrl + F12Render the full animation
EeveeFast, real-time renderer good for previews
CyclesSlower, physically accurate path-traced renderer
EscCancel a render in progress
Image > Save AsSave the rendered image to disk

🛠️ Common Patterns: Modelling Your First Simple Object

  1. Start with the default cube, or Shift + A > Mesh to add a new primitive
  2. Press Tab to enter Edit Mode
  3. Select faces or edges with Click, Shift + Click or B for box select
  4. Use E to extrude new shapes out from a selected face
  5. Use Ctrl + R to add loop cuts for extra detail where you'll bevel or bend the mesh
  6. Use I to inset a face before extruding it, for panel-like detail
  7. Press Tab again to return to Object Mode
  8. Add a Subdivision Surface modifier to smooth the result, and a Bevel modifier to round sharp edges
  9. Open the Shader Editor and set up a Principled BSDF material with a base color
  10. Press F12 to render and check the result

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