Updated July 2026 · 7 min read
Blender Keyboard Shortcuts: Complete Cheat Sheet (2026)
Blender is famously keyboard-driven — professional 3D artists rarely touch the menus. Learning its shortcuts is not optional; it's how the tool is designed to be used. This guide covers the shortcuts you'll use in every session, from viewport navigation to rendering.
Want the full interactive list? Visit the Blender shortcuts page to search and copy any shortcut.
Viewport Navigation
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Front view | Numpad 1 |
| Right side view | Numpad 3 |
| Top view | Numpad 7 |
| Toggle perspective / orthographic | Numpad 5 |
| Camera view | Numpad 0 |
| Orbit viewport | Middle-click drag |
| Pan viewport | Shift + Middle-click |
| Zoom viewport | Scroll wheel |
| Frame selected object | Numpad . |
| Frame all objects | Home |
Object Mode
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Grab / Move | G |
| Rotate | R |
| Scale | S |
| Constrain to X axis | G / R / S then X |
| Constrain to Y axis | G / R / S then Y |
| Constrain to Z axis | G / R / S then Z |
| Add object | Shift + A |
| Delete object | X or Delete |
| Duplicate object | Shift + D |
| Duplicate linked | Alt + D |
| Join objects | Ctrl + J |
| Toggle Edit / Object mode | Tab |
| Apply transformations | Ctrl + A |
| Hide object | H |
| Unhide all | Alt + H |
Edit Mode
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Vertex select mode | 1 |
| Edge select mode | 2 |
| Face select mode | 3 |
| Select all / deselect all | A |
| Invert selection | Ctrl + I |
| Extrude | E |
| Loop cut | Ctrl + R |
| Inset faces | I |
| Bevel | Ctrl + B |
| Knife tool | K |
| Fill face | F |
| Merge vertices | M |
| Subdivide | Right-click → Subdivide |
General
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Undo | Ctrl + Z |
| Redo | Ctrl + Shift + Z |
| Render frame | F12 |
| Render animation | Ctrl + F12 |
| View last render | F11 |
| Open search menu | F3 |
| Save file | Ctrl + S |
| Open file | Ctrl + O |
| Append from file | Shift + F1 |
3 Power-User Tips
- Axis locking changes everything. G+X, R+Y, S+Z — constraining transforms to a single axis is how professional modellers work precisely. You can also type numbers after (e.g. G+Z+2) to move exactly 2 units.
- Tab is your fastest mode switch. The workflow loops: Tab into Edit Mode → edit → Tab back to Object Mode. Once this becomes muscle memory, Blender starts to feel natural.
- Numpad 5 is underused. Most beginners stay in perspective. Switching to orthographic (Numpad 5) for modelling tasks gives you accurate measurements and eliminates perspective distortion — critical for precise work.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important Blender keyboard shortcut to learn first?
Learn G, R, and S first — Grab (move), Rotate, and Scale. These three shortcuts apply to almost everything in Blender. Press G then X/Y/Z to constrain movement to an axis, e.g. G+Z moves the object only up/down.
How do I add objects in Blender with a keyboard shortcut?
Press Shift+A to open the Add menu in any Blender viewport. This lets you add meshes (cube, sphere, plane, cylinder), lights, cameras, curves, and more. The menu appears at your cursor position.
What is the Blender shortcut to switch between Object and Edit mode?
Press Tab to toggle between Object Mode and Edit Mode. In Edit Mode you can select and modify vertices, edges, and faces. You can also press Ctrl+Tab to open the mode pie menu for more options.
How do I render my scene in Blender?
Press F12 to render a single frame of your scene. Press Ctrl+F12 to render the full animation. Press F11 to open the last rendered image. Your render settings (engine, resolution, samples) are in the Properties panel.
How do I change the viewport perspective in Blender?
Use the numpad to control the viewport: Numpad 1 (front), Numpad 3 (right side), Numpad 7 (top), Numpad 5 (toggle perspective/orthographic). Numpad 0 switches to camera view. Middle-click drag orbits the viewport.