How to Duplicate & Rotate Objects in Illustrator
Making an object in Adobe Illustrator and rotating it using the Rotate tool adds plenty of design possibilities without much effort. You can draw straight lines and rectangles, for example, then quickly transform them into slanted lines and parallelograms rather than drawing the slanted shapes yourself. It also helps you create patterns and flower-like designs if you combine the Rotate tool with the Duplicate feature.
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Instructions
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Click the "Selection Tool" from the Tools panel on the left of your Adobe Illustrator window. Click on the object you wish to rotate.
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Click the "Rotate Tool" from the Tools panel. Click anywhere on the canvas and keep holding the left mouse button. Drag your mouse cursor in any direction until you have the desired rotation angle. Before letting go of the left mouse button, hold the "Alt" key on your keyboard to duplicate the shape. You should have the original and rotated object when you let go of the left mouse button.
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Click "Object" from the menu bar and go to "Transform." Click the "Transform Again" to rotate and duplicate the recent shape you made in the same fashion. Hold the "Ctrl" key and press "D" as many times as you like to create more rotated duplicates.
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Tips & Warnings
If you cannot find the Selection and Rotate tools on the panel, hover the mouse cursor over an icon to get its name. The Selection tool resembles a black cursor, while the Rotate tool resembles a drawn circle with an arrowhead.
Hold the "Shift" key on your keyboard while dragging with the Rotate tool active to rotate the object in 45-degree increments.
