How to Add Reference Images in Blender (and Keep Them)

To add a reference image in Blender, hover over the 3D Viewport in Object Mode, press Shift+A, choose Image, then Reference or Background, and pick the image file. You can also drag an image file from File Explorer straight into the viewport. Either way Blender creates an image empty that points to a file on disk, so save your references as named files in the project folder and they'll still be there next time you open the scene.

Reference vs Background

Both options create an image empty: an empty object that displays a picture in the viewport.

• Reference shows the image in the scene among your objects, which suits a character sheet or photo you want to look at while modelling.
• Background is set up to draw behind your objects, which suits blueprints you trace over in an orthographic view.

Either way you can change how the image behaves afterwards, so the choice isn't permanent.

Set up blueprints for front, side and top views

1. Switch to the view that matches the drawing: Numpad 1 (front), Numpad 3 (right side) or Numpad 7 (top).
2. Press Shift+A > Image > Background and choose the matching file, for example front.png.
3. Repeat for each view.
4. Select each empty and open Properties > Object Data. In the Empty panel, adjust the settings below.

Blender's manual suggests Front depth with low opacity for modelling references. Only Axis Aligned stops a front blueprint from cluttering the view when you orbit in perspective.

To scale a blueprint correctly, scale the empty until a known measurement (a wheelbase or door height) matches the real size.

Can you paste an image from the clipboard into Blender?

Yes, through the Image Editor. Blender's Image > Paste command pastes an image from the Windows clipboard into the Image Editor, and Image > Copy does the reverse. Blender's manual notes that direct clipboard copy and paste supports PNG data, and that on Windows you can also paste by copying the image's file path, which works for every image format Blender supports.

To turn a pasted screenshot into a reference:

1. Copy the image (for example with Win+Shift+S).
2. In an Image Editor area, choose Image > Paste.
3. Choose Image > Save As (Shift+Alt+S) and save it into your project's reference folder.
4. Back in the 3D Viewport, add an image empty and pick the saved image.

Saving matters. An image that only exists inside the session has no file behind it, so it's either lost or has to be packed into the .blend (Image > Pack), which makes the file bigger and hides the source. How to put a screenshot on the clipboard covers the capture side.

Keep references as files, not clipboard entries

Windows clipboard history (Win+V) is a poor place for reference art. It holds 25 items, keeps only images up to 4 MB, and clears unpinned items when you restart. A large concept sheet can paste once and never appear in history at all. A simple folder layout lasts much longer:

vehicle-a/
  ref/
    front.png
    side.png
    top.png
    material-leather.jpg
  vehicle-a.blend

• Name files for the view or material they show.
• Crop images before adding them, so the empty isn't mostly empty space.
• When the art director sends a new version, replace the file with the same name and reload the image in Blender.
• Copy the ref folder along with the .blend when you move the project to another PC, or the empties show blank planes.

Mood boards belong beside Blender, not inside it

Image empties are best for proportion: blueprints and orthographic sheets. For look development (lighting, colour, materials) many artists keep a separate reference board on a second monitor. PureRef is a common choice: a dedicated canvas for collecting reference images. PureRef or a clipboard shelf for mood boards? compares the options, and how to keep reference images beside your drawing app covers side-by-side layouts.

Paint over a viewport view

To get a still of the current view for a paint-over:

1. In the 3D Viewport, choose View > Render Viewport Preview (older versions call it Viewport Render Image).
2. Save the result with Image > Save As.
3. Paint over it in Photoshop, Krita or Affinity, export a PNG back into ref/, and add it as a new reference.

Blender's manual notes that viewport rendering works with the Workbench and EEVEE engines, not Cycles. Solid mode uses Workbench settings, and Material Preview uses EEVEE.

Getting reference files into Blender faster

Dragging files into the viewport is the quickest route, and it works from anything that drags real files. Edge Drop keeps images and files you copy on a shelf at the screen edge; dragging a file from it drops the original file into the viewport rather than a copy of its pixels. How to drag an item out of Edge Drop into any app shows how. The same file-first approach applies to game engines; see how to stage sprites and references beside Unity or Unreal.

Troubleshooting

FAQ

How do I make a reference image transparent in Blender?

Select the image empty, open Properties > Object Data, and lower Opacity in the Empty panel.

Why can't I see my background image in perspective view?

Check Show In in the Empty panel. If perspective display is off, or Only Axis Aligned is on, the image only appears in matching orthographic views.

Related reading

• How to Keep a Reference Image on Top While Drawing
• PureRef on Windows: When a Clipboard Shelf Is Enough
• How to Drag Sprites and Images Into Unity or Unreal
• How to Build a Mood Board From Copied Images

Sources

• Empties (Blender Manual) — image empty settings: Depth, Side, Show In, Only Axis Aligned, Opacity, Offset.
• Viewport Render (Blender Manual) — Render Viewport Preview and supported engines.
• Editing images (Blender Manual) — Image > Copy/Paste with the system clipboard, Save As and Pack.
• PureRef Handbook — PureRef reference boards.
• Using the clipboard (Microsoft Support) — Win+V limits.

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