Shortcut

We all probably know that we use Ctrl C and Ctrl V to copy and paste objects.
But there’s more.

When click and drag an object with the “Select” tool while holding the Alt key on your keyboard pressed, then we not only copy the object, but Illustrator will remember in which direction you’ve dragged and how far.

An example:

I click and drag the little asterisk with the “Select” tool to another position, while holding the Alt key on the keyboard pressed.
This places a copy of the object in the document.

If you want to copy and paste this object in the same direction and at the same distance, then all you have to do is the keyboard shortcut Ctrl D button on your keyboard.

There is even more. We can duplicate this in a circle.

 

Duplicate in a circle

If we want to duplicate something in a circle, we must know the rotation point of the object.
To show this, you first switch to the “Outline View”.
Just click the “View” button in the menu bar and select “Outline” in the drop-down menu.
This displays all objects in outline mode.

In order to know the rotation point of an object first select the object with the “Select” tool (1) and then click the “Rotate” tool (2).
The rotation point of the object is displayed (3). By default this is set in the middle of the object, but we will change this.

I want the little stars to rotate around the big star, so I place the point of rotation of the small star in the middle of the big star.
You do this by clicking once on the position where you want it.

We switch back to the “Preview View” by clicking “View” in the menu bar and choosing “Preview” in the drop-down menu.
And now we do the same as in the previous section of this lesson.
While holding our Alt key on the keyboard, click and drag the asterisk to the position we want.
You’ll notice that clicking and dragging will only be in a circle around the big star.
We leave the mouse button when we have achieved the desired position.

Click the Ctrl D buttons a number of times on your keyboard to make several copies of asterisk around the big star.

 

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