How do you share materials between objects in Blender?

You can share materials between objects in Blender through several methods, primarily by linking the same material datablock or copying its properties.

Sharing materials efficiently in Blender is crucial for keeping your scene organized and your workflow fast. When you share a material by linking, multiple objects use the exact same material data. This means any change you make to the material will instantly update on all objects using it. This differs from simply copying material properties or nodes, which creates a separate material for each object.

Here are the most common ways to share or transfer materials:

Methods for Sharing and Transferring Materials

1. Linking Materials

This is the standard way to make multiple objects use the same material datablock.

• Steps:
  1. Select the objects you want to apply the material to.
  2. Make sure the active object (the last one selected, typically highlighted with a lighter orange outline) is the one that already has the material you want to share, or is the one you will assign it to first.
  3. Go to the Properties Editor > Material Properties tab.
  4. Click the dropdown arrow next to the material slot.
  5. Select the desired material from the list of materials already present in your blend file.
• Benefit: True sharing – changing the material updates on all linked objects.

2. Copying Material to Selected Objects

You can quickly link the material of the active object to all other selected objects.

• Steps:
  1. Select the target objects first.
  2. Finally, select the object with the material you want to copy (this becomes the active object).
  3. Press Ctrl + L (or Cmd + L on Mac).
  4. Choose "Link Materials" from the pie menu.
• Benefit: Very fast way to apply one material to many objects.

3. Copying Material Nodes (Reference Method)

This method copies the entire node setup from one material and allows you to paste it into a different material, either on the same or another object. This is useful if you want to start with the same visual look but potentially modify the material later independently.

• Steps (Based on Reference):
  1. Go to the Shading workspace (or open a Shader Editor window).
  2. Click on the original object that has the material you want to copy. You will see all the texture nodes appear in the Shader Editor.
  3. Select every node in the Shader Editor (you can press A to select all nodes).
  4. Right-click on the selected nodes and select Copy.
  5. Now click on the target object.
  6. In the Shader Editor for the target object, create a new material or select an existing one. Delete any existing nodes if needed (e.g., the default Principled BSDF).
  7. Right-click and select Paste (or press Ctrl + V / Cmd + V).
  8. Connect the pasted nodes to the Material Output node.
• Benefit: Transfers the visual setup but creates a new material instance (not linked), allowing independent modification.

4. Copying Attributes

This powerful tool can copy various properties, including materials, from the active object to others.

• Steps:
  1. Select the target objects first.
  2. Select the object with the material you want to copy (active object).
  3. Press Ctrl + C (or Cmd + C on Mac).
  4. Choose "Copy Attributes".
  5. In the subsequent menu or Adjust Last Operation panel (F9), you can specify exactly which attributes to copy, including materials.
• Benefit: Flexible, can copy multiple properties at once. Creates linked materials by default.

5. Using the Eyedropper Tool

Within the Material Properties panel, you can use the eyedropper to sample a material from another object.

• Steps:
  1. Select the target object.
  2. Go to the Properties Editor > Material Properties tab.
  3. Click the eyedropper icon next to the material slot.
  4. Click on the object in the 3D Viewport that has the material you want.
• Benefit: Simple and visual, links the material.

Summary Table

Method	How it Works	Result	Use Case
Linking Materials	Select material from dropdown	Objects share same material datablock	Standard sharing; changes affect all.
Copy Attributes	Ctrl+C > Copy Attributes	Objects share same material datablock	Efficiently copying materials and other props.
Ctrl+L Link Mat.	Ctrl+L > Link Materials	Objects share same material datablock	Quick linking to multiple selected objects.
Eyedropper	Sample material from another object	Objects share same material datablock	Visual selection of materials.
Copying Nodes	Copy/Paste nodes in Shading Editor (Reference)	Creates a new material with same node setup	Replicating visual look; independent editing.

Choosing the right method depends on whether you want the objects to share the exact same material datablock (linking methods) or simply copy the material's appearance to a new, independent material (copying nodes).