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The Step and Repeat in Illustrator is a command in Illustrator that, when clicked, repeats the last action done. In this post you will learn which one it is and how you can use it to achieve different outcomes.
As a junior designer some years back, the most important use I saw with the step and repeat function was when preparing small documents for mass printing.
What You’ll Learn in This Guide
- How to Step and Repeat in Illustrator.
- How to use Alt + Drag + Ctrl/Cmd + D to create quick duplicates.
- How to prepare print-ready layouts like business cards using step and repeat.
- How to design a consistent pattern using repeated shapes.
- How to create multiple “ups” of one object for mass printing.
- How to apply the Transform Each tool to make a creative zoom or scaling effect.
Creating a print-ready Layouts
If you had a small card, you had to fill it up on a larger A3- or A4-sized printable document. To do this, you had to create duplicates using this method. This is how it was done.
For print documents like business cards, you need to add crop marks so that the cutter knows where to follow when printing.
Step 1: Go to File>New, then set the print page size, e.g., A4.
Step 2: Import the printable business card by going to File>Place, then navigate to where it is saved.
Step 3: Create a rectangle with no fill or stroke around the card edges.
Step 4: With this rectangle selected, go to Effect>Cropmarks>Make. Crop marks will appear. Rotate it so that its in portrait and reduce cropmarks size.
Step 5: Position the first card and cut the marks on the top right corner. Click ALT and click on the mouse, then drag the card to duplicate.
Step 6: After creating the duplicate to the right, click Control+D or Command+D on Mac to repeat the copy-paste action. This would repeat as many times as you hit Control+D.
Step 7: Select all 3 on the first row and group them.
Step 8: Hit Alt and click and drag the group down again. You will have a new row.
Step 9: Click Control+D for as many times as you want the row repeated. Select all then hit Cotrl+G tp group. Finally align to center of page.
Creating a Consistent Pattern with Different Objects
If you have different patterns, you can organize them into a consistent pattern using the step and repeat command.
Step 1: Select all the shapes by clicking and dragging overall. Use shortcut V to choose the selection tool first.
Step 2: Go to Window>Align, and choose “align to section” instead of “artboard” on the top menu, and then hit “align to center.” This aligns objects to each other.
Step 3: Select the set of objects and group them by clicking Control+G.
Step 4: Click on the group, then hit Alt and drag the group down. This duplicates the pattern.
Step 5: You can group the two rows by selecting them and then choosing Control+G with both rows selected.
Step 6: Hit Alt and click and drag either of the 2 rows grouped.
Step 7: Control+D will duplicate this if there is nothing done in between.
Creating many ups from one object
If you have a small image and need more ups on a page, you can use step and repeat. Click on the illustration, hold down ALT, and then drag down. To repeat this action, click Control+D to duplicate.
Create a Zoom Effect using the Distort option.
You can make many designs with this effect.
Step 1: Go to File Place and place the object.
Step 2: Select the object and go to Object>Transform>Transform Each.
Step 3: Set the pop-up window to 81% horizontal and vertical scaling; you can leave the others as default. Choose Copy.
Step 4: Go to Object>Transform>Transform Again. It keeps repeating this action.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can you make a repeating pattern in Illustrator?
Create the different basic structures or parts or elements making the pattern. Group them strategically, then duplicate many times to create the seamless pattern.
Can you use step and repeat to prepare documents for Print?
Yes. For small items that need to be set up on a larger print material, you can use step and repeat in illustrator to set it up. However, advanced users prefer using special imposition applications and plugins for accuracy and speed. A good example is HP Smartstream Designer for Indesign.