How to Evenly Space Items on Circle

[williem29786903]

I am self-taught in Illustrator and I know there are simple ways to do some things that I manually do.  I'm trying to place 22 small circles evenly on a circular path.  I don't want the large red circle in the graphic at the end.  What are all of the steps to do this? 

  

[Jacob Bugge · Accepted solution]

williem,

There are (quite) a few ways.

You can:

1) Create the first little circle and move a copy to the right by a random amount (best looking if it will give you spaces in between);

2) With both circles selected, Object>Blend>Blend Options set Specified Steps to 21 (1 less than the total number) and set Orientation to Align to Path, then Object>Blend>Make to get 23 circles on a line (total number +1);

3) Cut the large circle at the top Anchor Point;

4) Select Blend from 2) and circle from 3) and Object>Blend>Replace Spine;

Now it looks right, and is a Blend; if desired you can get them as 22 separate circles as follows:

5) Object>Blend>Expand, to have all the circles as a Group, then

6a) Either Ungroup and Click the topmost circle (the 23rd which is on top of the 1st at the very top) and delete it;

6b) Or use the Direct Selection Tool and Click the topmost circle (the 23rd which is on top of the 1st at the very top) and delete it.

Now you have just the 22 (in a Group).

[williem29786903 · Accepted solution]

Absolute perfection. Great instructions. I got it on the first try. Many
thanks.


Willie

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[Jacob Bugge]

You are welcome, Willie.

[Jacob Bugge]

williem,

Another way is to:

1) Create the first little circle and snap its centre to the topmost Anchor Point of the large circle;

2) Select the large circle and increase the W or H value by more than the value of the small circle (you can add or multiply in the Transform palette and press Ctrl/Cmd+Enter to increase proportionally, then set its Fill and Stroke to None (Optional);

3) Select the little circle from 1) and the increased circle from 2) and then rotate in one of the possible ways including

3a) Object>Transform>Rotate a Copy by 360/22 degrees, then press Ctrl/Cmd+D until you are there (20 times), then delete the circles;

3b) Effect>Distort&Transform>Transform>Rotate by 360/22 degrees with 21 Copies, then Object>Expand Appearance, then delete the circles.

[Ton Frederiks]

Another way:

Star with a single small circle.

Create a single anchor point below it (single click with the Pen Tool.

Group the single point and the circle.

Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform...

For the angle type 360/22

Number of copies 21.

Expand Appearance when done (and delete the single points.

[Jacob Bugge]

Hi Ton,

No show there either (it was here briefly about a week ago)?

[Ton Frederiks]

Hi Jacob, yes a week ago; hardly visible, wet and gone when it landed.

[Ton Frederiks]

Or with the new Repeat function:

Select a small circle.

Object > Repeat > Radial

[Kurt Gold]

Probably one of the most straightforward ways, that is: simply using the Rotate tool followed by the Transform Again command, is out of date nowadays.