How To Select Multiple Objects In Inkscape

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In this post we will be looking at How to select multiple objects in Inkscape but before selecting multiple objects you should know how to select object first, let’s go.

Table of Contents

Selecting Objects

Before objects can be manipulated, they must be selected. This section describes the numerous ways in which selection can be made.

Usually, the selection tool is used to select objects. To activate, click the icon in the Toolbox or use the hotkey (F1) or S. You can switch between another tool (except the text tool in text input mode) and the selection tool using the toolbar was selected first.

Some objects can be selected directly by other tools. For example, shapes (e.g. rectangles) can be directly selected with one of the shape tools.

A quick double-click on an object when the Selection tool is active selects an object and changes the tool to an appropriate tool for editing that object. For example, if you double-click a rectangle, the rectangle is selected and the tool changes to the Rectangle tool.

Multiple objects can be selected at once. The notification area reports the number and type of objects selected. This is especially useful when objects overlap and it is not clear which ones are selected. By default, a box is drawn around each selected object. This can be turned into a small diamond Selection Cue in the Tools-Selector tab of the Inkscape Preferences dialog box (File → Inkscape Preferences… icon (Shift+Ctrl+P).

How to select multiple objects in Inkscape

Click the Selector tool or press F1. Inkscape activates the Selector tool.
Hold down the Alt key and drag the mouse over each item you want to select. As you drag, a line appears and Inkscapes selects each item that touches the line.

Selecting with the Mouse

This section covers selecting objects with the mouse. By adding Ctrl to many of the commands below, objects within a group can be selected (see the section labeled “Groups”).

Left mouse click: Select object: Select an object by clicking on it.

Shift+Left click: Toggle selection: Add or subtract an object from a selection. This allows multiple objects to be selected. If the clicked object is not already selected, it is. If it is already selected, it will be disabled.

Alt+left click: Select On: Select the next object below the object currently selected under the pointer. Allows you to select objects covered by others. Repeat to go down in z-order. If the bottom object is already selected, the top object is selected.

Left mouse button drag: Select multiple objects: when launched from space, this selects all objects that are completely within the rectangle formed by the start and endpoints of the drag. This is often referred to as rubber tire selection. The rubber band is the temporary line that is drawn as you drag.

Shift+Left mouse drag: Add objects to collection: Add objects within the rubber band to an already existing selection. It also prevents the selection of an object at the start of the drag (without moving, an object is selected and moved at the start of the drag). Objects selected within the rubber band are not deselected.

Alt+Left Mouse Drag: Touch Select Multiple Objects: Selects all objects the mouse cursor touches while dragging. A red line indicates the path the cursor has taken. This is very useful when you need to select multiple paths, such as those found in etchings or hair. Holding down the Shift key prevents an already selected object from being dragged when dragging over that object begins.

Tap the selection.

Use Alt+Left Mouse Drag to “touch” individual paths.

Shift+Alt+Left Mouse Drag: Touch-Add Multiple Objects to Collection: Adds all touched objects to a selection. Can also be used when dragging over an already selected object begins.

Selection with the keyboard

Most object selection is done with the mouse. However, there are some useful keyboard shortcuts.

Tab: Select the next object in z-order, which is the next object above the previously selected object. If no object is selected, the lowest object is selected. Works for features on the current layer.

Shift+Tab: Select the previous object in z-order, that is, the next object below the previously selected object. If no object is selected, the highest object is selected, which is normally the last object created. Works for features on the current layer.

Ctrl+A: Select All: Selects all objects on the current layer.

Ctrl+Alt+A: Select all on all layers: Selects all objects on all visible and unlocked layers.

Invert Selection: Inverts the selection on the current layer. That is, all selected objects are deselected and all non-selected objects are selected.

Alt+I: Inverts selection on all visible and unlocked layers. That is, all selected objects are deselected and all non-selected objects are selected.

Esc: Deselect: Deselect all selected objects.