You can combine paths in Inkscape by selecting them all and pressing Ctrl+K.
Combining multiple path objects in Inkscape turns them into a single compound path. This is different from grouping, as combining essentially merges the objects into one, affecting how fill and stroke are applied.
To combine paths, follow these simple steps:
- Select the Path Objects: Use the Selection tool (F1 or S) to select all the paths you wish to combine. You can click and drag a box around them or hold down Shift and click on each object individually.
- Execute the Combine Command: Once all the relevant paths are selected, press Ctrl+K when all parts are selected.
This action creates a single object from your selected paths. A key characteristic of a combined path is that areas where the original paths overlapped may become transparent or inverted in color, especially when a fill is applied.
Why Combine Paths?
- Simplified Objects: Reduces the number of objects in your design, making complex illustrations easier to manage.
- Uniform Fill/Stroke: Allows you to apply a single fill and stroke to all parts of the combined object.
- Specific Visual Effects: Creates "holes" or cutouts in overlapping areas, useful for logos, stencils, or complex shapes.
Combine vs. Group
It's important to distinguish combining from grouping:
- Combine (Ctrl+K): Merges multiple path objects into one single path object. Overlapping areas can create cutouts. Fill and stroke are applied to the resulting single object.
- Group (Ctrl+G): Bundles multiple objects together so they can be moved, scaled, or transformed as one unit, but they remain separate objects internally. Each object retains its individual fill and stroke properties unless you enter the group for editing.
Breaking Combined Paths
If you need to revert a combined path back into its individual original components, you can "Break Apart" the path.
- Select the combined path object.
- Press Shift+Ctrl+K.
This will separate the single combined path object back into multiple distinct path objects, although they might not be exactly the same as the original paths if operations like simplification were applied.
Useful Shortcuts
Knowing these shortcuts will speed up your workflow:
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Combine | Ctrl+K | Merge selected paths into a single compound path |
| Break Apart | Shift+Ctrl+K | Separate a combined path into individual paths |
| Group | Ctrl+G | Group selected objects together |
| Ungroup | Shift+Ctrl+G | Ungroup selected objects or groups |
Using the Combine function effectively helps you create intricate designs and manage your vector artwork more efficiently in Inkscape.
