How to Delete a Node from a Path in Inkscape?

Deleting a node from a path in Inkscape is a fundamental skill for vector editing, allowing you to reshape objects, simplify complex paths, and clean up your digital artwork. This article provides a straightforward, step-by-step guide on how to remove individual or multiple nodes using the Edit Paths by Nodes tool, while also explaining how Inkscape handles the remaining path geometry after a deletion.

Step-by-Step Guide to Removing Nodes

To delete a node without breaking your path into separate pieces, follow these simple steps:

• Select the Object: Click on the Select and Transform Objects tool (the black arrow or press S) and click the path you want to edit.
• Switch to the Node Tool: Click the Edit Paths by Nodes tool from the left toolbar (or press N). You will now see the individual nodes appear along your path.
• Select the Node: Click directly on the specific node you want to delete. It will change color (usually turning blue or red) to indicate it is selected. To select multiple nodes, hold Shift while clicking them, or click and drag a bounding box around them.
• Delete the Node: Press the Delete or Backspace key on your keyboard. Alternatively, you can click the Delete selected nodes button (a minus sign icon next to a node) in the tool control bar at the top of the screen.

What Happens to the Path After Deletion?

When you delete a node using the standard Delete or Backspace keys, Inkscape automatically recalculates the bezier handles of the adjacent nodes. This behavior is designed to preserve the overall shape and curvature of the path as closely as possible, preventing drastic shifts in your artwork.

If you prefer to delete a node and force the connecting lines to become completely straight segments instead of maintaining the curve, hold Ctrl + Alt while pressing Delete or Backspace.

Deleting Nodes vs. Breaking the Path

It is important to distinguish between deleting a node to simplify a shape and breaking a path apart. If your goal is to open a closed shape or split a line into two separate segments, do not use the standard delete keys. Instead, select the node where you want the split to occur and click the Break path at selected nodes button in the top control bar. This splits the single node into two overlapping end-nodes, allowing you to separate the path segments.