With just a few setting adjustments, you can easily create a spiral-shaped path. Here’s how to use the Spiral Tool in Illustrator.
In this handy guide, we share how to use the Spiral Tool, so you have total control over the curve, tightness, and segmentation of your spiral.
Selecting the Spiral Tool
First, find the spiral in the main toolbar by clicking and holding the Line tool until a submenu appears with other drawing tools, including the Spiral Tool.
Adjusting the Spiral Settings
With the Spiral Tool selected, click anywhere on the canvas to open a special dialog box with settings that affect how your spiral will look. These include:
- Segments: This refers to the number of line segments in your spiral. With a higher Segments value, your spiral will become longer, finding a way to curve inward so that all of the segments make it onto the screen. However, each segment in your spiral is shorter than the last.
- Radius: Let’s say you enter 1 in the Radius box. This affects the height and width of your first segment, and you can prove this by drawing a 1″ x 1″ box around the segment, starting at the beginning of the spiral. You’ll see that the segment curves from one corner of the box to the opposite corner. With a higher Radius value, your spiral has a bigger initial arc, which can affect the spiral’s overall size.
- Decay: The Decay value affects the Radius of each succeeding segment. Measured as a percentage value, you can multiply the Decay by the Radius to see how fast the spiral curves inward. A high Decay value (like 90%) will result in a larger and more uniform spiral, which has more in common with a circle. On the other hand, a low Decay value (like 60%) will cause the spiral to decay more quickly, resulting in a design that looks more like a curled-up fern.
- Style: Style affects the curve of your spiral, either in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.
Once you’ve chosen your preferred settings, click OK and the spiral will appear on your artboard.
Changing the Spiral’s Color
To adjust the color of a spiral after drawing it:
- Click on the spiral to select it.
- Using the color boxes in your main toolbar, adjust the Fill Color, Stroke Color, or both.
Because the spiral is a stroke, you can make any standard stroke adjustments as well, including the width, profile, brush style, and more.
How to Make a Linear Spiral in Illustrator
Want to make a perfectly linear spiral at any size? Linear spirals maintain a consistent width between segments, which Illustrator’s Spiral Tool cannot do on its own.
Instead of the Spiral Tool, you’ll want to use the Polar Grid Tool (also located within the Line tool submenu). Watch this quick video to learn more.
Cover image via buninaalbina.
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