We now need to create our first copy of the text and ensure that it is in the correct position and rotated at the correct angle. To achieve this, we will use the Rotate tool in numeric mode so that we can specify the precise angle of rotation. We must also ensure that we specify that the pivot point for the rotation is the centre of the clock face, i.e. the point at which our two ruler guides intersect.
Click on the Rotate tool to select it then, while holding down the Alt key, click on the intersection point of the two ruler guides. (Alt-clicking with any of the transformation tool sets the pivot point for your transformation.)
When the Rotate dialogue box appears, enter the angle of rotation using the lazy person's notation: 360/12, i.e., 360 degrees divided by 12 hours. (When entering values in Illustrator, you can enter a calculation rather than a number. The program does the calculation and inserts the resulting number for you: in this case, 30.)
Click in the checkbox next to Preview to get an idea of where the transformed object will end up.
Finally, click on the Copy button to retain the original number and create a rotated copy of it.
