How to Shade Smooth in Blender

Shading a mesh smooth in Blender is an essential technique used to make 3D models appear rounded and seamless without adding extra geometry. This article provides a straightforward guide on how to apply smooth shading to an entire object, smooth specific faces in Edit Mode, and fix lighting artifacts using angle-based smoothing tools.

How to Apply Shade Smooth in Object Mode

To make an entire object look smooth in Blender:

  1. Select your object in the 3D Viewport by left-clicking it.
  2. Right-click anywhere in the 3D Viewport to open the Object Context Menu.
  3. Click Shade Smooth.

Alternatively, you can select the object, go to the top menu of the 3D Viewport, click Object, and select Shade Smooth.

How to Apply Shade Smooth in Edit Mode

If you only want specific parts of a mesh to be smooth while keeping other parts flat:

  1. Select your object and press Tab to enter Edit Mode.
  2. Press 3 to switch to Face Select mode.
  3. Select the faces you want to smooth.
  4. Right-click and choose Shade Smooth (or go to Face > Shade Smooth in the top menu).

Fixing Lighting Artifacts with Auto Smooth

Smooth shading can sometimes cause hard edges (like the top of a cylinder) to look stretched or distorted. You can control which edges stay sharp using angle limits.

Blender 4.1 and Newer:

  1. Select your object in Object Mode.
  2. Right-click and select Shade Auto Smooth.
  3. Adjust the Angle slider in the lower-left popup menu (30° is standard).
  4. Alternatively, add a Smooth by Angle modifier from the Modifier Properties menu.

Blender 4.0 and Older:

  1. Select your object.
  2. Go to the Object Data Properties tab (the green triangle icon on the right panel).
  3. Expand the Normals section.
  4. Check the box for Auto Smooth and adjust the angle limit as needed.

Marking Sharp Edges Manually

To force specific edges to remain crisp regardless of the smooth shading settings:

  1. Enter Edit Mode (Tab) and switch to Edge Select mode (2).
  2. Select the edges you want to keep sharp.
  3. Right-click and select Mark Sharp.

How to Return to Flat Shading

If you want to revert your object back to its default polygonal appearance:

  1. Select the object in Object Mode.
  2. Right-click and select Shade Flat.