Rotating the x and y axes


    By default, the x and y axes are parallel to the horizontal and vertical sides of the document window. You can rotate the axes by specifying an angle of constraint in the General Preferences dialog box.

    Rotating the axes is useful if your artwork consists of elements that are rotated to the same angle, such as a logo and text displayed on a 20° angle. Instead of rotating each element you add to the logo, you can simply rotate the axes by 20°. Everything you draw is created along the new axes.

    Object aligned with default axes (left) compared to with axes rotated 20° (right)
    Object aligned with default axes (left) compared to with axes rotated 20° (right)

    You can then use the Shift key to constrain the movement of one or more objects so that they move in a precise horizontal, vertical, or diagonal direction relative to the current orientation of the x and y axes.

    Hold down Shift while dragging or drawing to limit movement to the nearest 45° angle.
    Hold down Shift while dragging or drawing to limit movement to the nearest 45° angle.

To rotate the axes:

  1. Choose Edit > Preferences > General (Windows) or Illustrator > Preferences > General (Mac OS).
  2. In the Constrain Angle text box, enter the angle at which you want the axes rotated. A positive angle rotates the axes counterclockwise; a negative angle rotates the axes clockwise.
  3. The rotation of the axes is saved in the Preferences file; it therefore affects new artwork in all files until you change its value or delete the Preferences file.

    The following objects and actions are aligned along the new axes:

    • Text and objects you draw with the Graph tool.
    • Scaling, reflecting, and shearing.
    • Moving objects with the arrow keys.
    • Any objects or operations to which you apply constraint (by holding down Shift while performing the action), limiting them to 45° multiples relative to the axes.
    • The angle reported in the Info palette.
    • Construction guides, which appear with Smart Guides.

    The following objects and actions are not affected by the new axes:

    • Objects that already exist.
    • Rotating and blending.
    • Drawing with the Pencil or Auto Trace tool.