Stop Struggling with the Rotate Tool—Try This Radial Repeat Trick in Illustrator
The Better Way to Use Radial Repeats in Adobe Illustrator (No More Skewed Shapes!)
The Rotate Tool in Adobe Illustrator is a favorite for creating radial designs, but if you’ve ever tried to hold Shift to snap an object straight while rotating—you’ll know it doesn’t work like you'd expect. And that can lead to slightly skewed designs, frustrating guesswork, and a lot of time spent manually correcting alignment.
So here’s a better way: use the Radial Repeat feature instead. It’s faster, more accurate, and doesn’t require any mental math.
Why the Rotate Tool Falls Short
Don’t get me wrong—the Rotate Tool (R) is great for duplicating objects in a circle, especially when paired with Copy + Transform Again. But it’s hard to keep your objects aligned perfectly upright, and Illustrator doesn't snap them into clean verticals or horizontals while you're rotating.
Which is why the Radial Repeat feature is a total game-changer.
You can check out this video (and lots more!) over on my Instagram Page @hannah.bacon.design
Using Radial Repeat the Right Way
1. Select Your Object
Start by selecting the object you want to repeat (it could be a shape, an icon, or a brush).
2. Create a Radial Repeat
Go to:
Object → Repeat → Radial
Illustrator will automatically create a repeat around a center point.
3. Open the Repeat Options
In the Properties Panel, open the Radial Repeat Options.
Here, you can:
Adjust the number of copies
Set the angle spacing
Avoid skewed placement by keeping everything aligned
This removes the guesswork and gives you a precise, editable layout every time.
4. Use the On-Art Widgets
You can also use the on-art widgets to tweak the angle and quantity of repeated objects directly—so much more intuitive than manually rotating and duplicating.
Why This Is Better
No math or manual rotations
Perfectly aligned objects every time
Easier to edit and experiment with layouts
Great for logos, mandalas, icons, radial charts, and more
If you love a clean, consistent design process (and who doesn’t), this tip will seriously improve your workflow.
Want More Time-Saving Tools and Freebies?
This process is just one of the techniques I share across my design templates and digital assets, made especially for designers who want professional results—without starting from scratch every time.
