The requirement tools for step and repeat illustrator are two Adobe panels, Transform and Align. These tools contain everything that makes it easy to create step and repeat patterns for your photo design.
The Transform Panel
The Transform panel shows information about an object’s position, rotation angle, width, height, and shear angle. The panel can be used to calculate any of these conditions — with or without a live preview.
To start, then you need to draw your graphic to your craved starting point.
After you selected the graphic, then open the Transform panel by clicking on the Object | Transform | Transform Each.
Define the number of graphics you need to distribute across your artboard and then measure the dimensions of their position. For instance, if you desire all row to hold five graphics, each 6 inches wide, and you like them to have approximately 6 inches apart on a canvas that is 60 inches wide, the resulting calculation goes thus:
60 inches wide / 5 graphics across = 12, that’s (inches between each graphic’s centre point)
Verify the Preview option below the Transform panel and then enter “12 inches” into Horizontal. The illustrator will give you a preview of the duplicate’s location. If satisfied with the placement, click on the ws Copy. Otherwise, Keep adjusting those numbers until you’re satisfied. The preview will automatically update as you adjust the numbers.
Press Ctrl+D (That’s the keyboard shortcut for Transform Again) until you get a line of duplicates over the canvas. Or, you can also repeatedly select Object | Transform | Transform Again to perform the same task.
Click on Ctrl+A to Select All of the graphics items and then click Ctrl+G to arrange them together. While the row still chosen, Open the Transform panel once again by choosing Object | Transform | Transform Each.
Determine the amount of space you want between those rows. You may also choose to offset or shift to the side.
Suppose you want to move the new row down, for example, then you need to adjust the Vertical slider until it meets the desired distance. Or, input a numerical, e.g. 6 inches. If you want to shift to the right, then you need to adjust the Horizontal slider. Choose Copy to complete the duplication.
To step and repeat illustrator in adobe, then you need to repeat the process until the canvas is filled up.
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The Align Panel
Suppose a strangely shaped graphic is making spacing calculations difficult, You can easily use hand to drag and drop graphics around the canvas. Later, the Align panel can assist in fixing the spacing issues automatically.
Firstly, set your graphic in the starting location. Then copy and paste duplicates to the end of the row, dragging the Copy into the next approximate location. It’s not essential to get the spacing accurate at this point.
Choose all of your graphics by clicking Ctrl+A. When the Align panel is open at the top of your workspace interface, then click on the Vertical-Align-Center and Horizontal-Distribute-Center to adjust and smoothly distribute the graphics.
Arrange all of the graphics collectively by clicking Ctrl+A and then Ctrl+G. Copy and paste duplicate lines, centring each by eye till alternating rows fills the canvas.
Make use of the alignment tools at the top to centre everything correctly. For instance, right-align the even ones, and left-align the odd rows. Group all of the rows smoothly from top to bottom.
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Rotating, Scaling and Reflecting
The Transform panel can also be used to adjust reflection of duplicated graphics, rotation, and scale.
To rotate the object around its centre point, then you need to insert a numerical value for the Angle option. To rotate it around a different reference point, that’s from its top right corner, for instance — You need to click one of the small white boxes on the icon that appears above the Preview check box option.
Input the percentages to Scale, or resize, the object incrementally. Reflect an image on its X-axis, Y-axis, or both.
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