Rotating text that is wrapped around a circle in Adobe Illustrator typically involves rotating the entire text object and the path it sits on. As indicated by the video reference, one effective way to achieve this rotation is by using the Rotate Tool (R) in combination with the Shift key.
This method allows you to precisely control the rotation angle, often snapping to common angles like 45 degrees when holding Shift.
Steps to Rotate Text Using the Rotate Tool
Based on the actions described in the provided reference clip, here's how to rotate your text object on a circle path:
- Select Your Text Object: Use the Selection Tool (V) to click on the text object that is wrapped around your circle path.
- Prepare for Rotation (Optional, per Reference): The reference mentions using "control f f" and then explains that "control f" is "pastes in place". While "Ctrl+F" (or Cmd+Shift+V on Mac) is Paste in Place, performing it multiple times or after a Copy (Ctrl+C/Cmd+C) would result in a duplicate object placed exactly on top of the original. If your goal is to rotate a duplicate for layering effects as implied, ensure your object is selected and potentially duplicated in place before proceeding. If you just want to rotate the original text, simply select it.
- Activate the Rotate Tool: Press the R key on your keyboard. This activates the Rotate Tool.
- Rotate the Object: Click and drag on your selected text object (or its bounding box) to rotate it.
- Constrain Rotation (Using Shift): As specifically mentioned in the reference transcript ("hold shift and i'm going to rotate it"), hold down the Shift key while dragging. This will constrain your rotation to 45-degree increments, making it easier to achieve precise angles like 90, 180, or 270 degrees.
- Release: Release the mouse button (and the Shift key) when your text is rotated to the desired position.
Reference Insight: The video snippet highlights the use of the 'R' key for the Rotate tool and the 'Shift' key for constrained rotation, following an action related to "paste in place" (Ctrl+F). This sequence suggests rotating the text object itself after potentially duplicating it.
What This Method Rotates
It's important to note that using the Rotate Tool (R) on a Type on a Path object rotates the entire object, which includes both the text and the circular path it's attached to. It does not simply slide the text characters along the path without rotating the path itself.
Alternative Rotation Methods
While the Rotate Tool + Shift is a direct method, other common ways to rotate a selected object in Illustrator include:
- Using the Selection Tool (V): Grab a corner handle of the bounding box and drag while holding Shift for constrained rotation.
- Using the Properties Panel/Transform Panel: With the object selected, find the "Rotate" input field in the Transform section. You can enter a precise angle here.
These methods also rotate the entire text object and its path. If your goal is strictly to shift the text's starting point along the circle path without rotating the path itself, you would typically use the handles provided by the Type on a Path Tool. However, the method shown in the reference explicitly uses the Rotate tool (R) and Shift.
