Software basics · Beginner

Backface culling

Skipping the back side of faces to draw a scene faster

What is backface culling?

Backface culling is a rendering shortcut that skips drawing the back side of faces, the side pointing away from the camera. On a closed model you never see those sides anyway, so skipping them saves work. Faces with flipped normals can vanish when it is on.

Think of it like this

It is like a stage set built only on the side facing the audience: from the seats it looks complete, and nobody paints the back.

Where it fits in a 3D project

  1. Create
  2. Surface
  3. Rig
  4. Animate
  5. Render
  6. Export

Render: Lighting the scene and turning it into images or video.

How backface culling works

  1. 01Every face has a front and a back, set by its normal.
  2. 02The renderer checks which way each face points relative to the camera.
  3. 03Faces turned away are skipped instead of drawn.
  4. 04On closed models nothing visible is lost, and drawing gets faster.

Backface culling vs flipped normals

PropertyBackface cullingFlipped normals
What it isA display or material settingA mistake in the mesh
EffectHides faces seen from behindFaces point inward by accident
What to doTurn it on or off as neededRecalculate the normals

Backface culling is a choice you make for speed or clarity; flipped normals are an error, and turning culling on is a quick way to spot them.

Where backface culling is used

  • Speeding up games and other real-time graphics
  • Seeing into rooms through walls that face away from you
  • Spotting flipped normals, which disappear when culled

Beginner tip

Turn backface culling on in the viewport now and then while modeling. Any face that suddenly goes missing is pointing the wrong way, and many game engines will hide it too.

Terms related to backface culling

Backface culling FAQ

How do I turn on backface culling in Blender?
For the viewport, open the Viewport Shading menu (the small arrow beside the shading buttons) and tick Backface Culling. For a single material, tick Backface Culling in the Settings panel of its Material properties.
Why is my model see-through?
Usually backface culling is on and some faces have flipped normals, so the side you see counts as the back. Recalculate normals to fix it. Single-sided planes, like leaves, need culling off or a two-sided material.
Do game engines use backface culling?
Yes, by default for most materials, because it skips faces nobody can see. Materials for thin things like leaves, cloth or paper are often set to two-sided instead.

Updated October 29, 2026 · Browse all 3D terms