Retro-styled posters are the latest trend sweeping the web. In this tutorial, you’ll walk through a technique to create a starburst, one of the most popular elements used in those retro-styled works. The process is surprisingly simple; you’ll end up with a vector that you can use repeatedly in your designs.

1. To begin, select the Ellipse Tool (L). Click once on the Artboard and enter a value of 2000 px for both width and height.

2. In the Control Window, set the Reference Point to center. Enter values of 1000 px for the x-coordinate and –1000 px for the y-coordinate. Your circle should now be centered on the Artboard, as shown below.

3. Select the circle, and give it no fill or stroke. Next, select the Line Segment (\) tool, and draw a line segment from the center of the circle to the top of the circle.

4. Copy (Ctrl/Cmd+C) the line segment and Paste (Ctrl/Cmd+F) it in place. You will end up with two copies of the same segment, one on top of the other.

5. From the Control Window, select Object>Transform>Transform Each.

6. In the Transform Each window, check the Preview box, set the reference point (below Reflect Y) to the lower right hand corner, and select Reflect X. Click OK. You should end up with a “V” whose apex is the center of the circle.

7. Using the Pen (P) tool, connect the ends of the two line segments (at the top and bottom of your newly-created “V”), to form a long, narrow triangle. Give the triangle a black solid fill with no stroke. This newly-created triangle is the first ray of your starburst.

8. Select the triangle and the circle, and Group (Ctrl/Cmd+G) them together. Then, Copy (Ctrl/Cmd+C) and Paste (Ctrl/Cmd+F) the items In Place. Be sure to use Ctrl/Cmd+F (Paste In Place), not Ctrl/Cmd+V. Now you have two rays.

9. Here’s how to position the second ray. From the Control Window, again select Object>Transform>Transform Each. Select Preview, and set the reference point (under Reflect Y) back to the center. Finally, rotate the second ray, so that it looks the way you want it to. The degree of rotation will most likely have a low negative value. Once everything looks right, select OK.

10. The second ray and circle Group should still be selected. Again hit Copy(Ctrl/Cmd+C) and Paste In Place (Ctrl/Cmd+F). Now select Object>Transform>Transform Again (Ctrl/Cmd+D) from the Control Window.

11. You should now have a third ray. Repeat this process: Copy (Ctrl/Cmd+C), Paste in Place (Ctrl/Cmd+F), and Transform Again (Ctrl/Cmd+D) until the rays of light fill the entire circle. (Tip: I hold down the Ctrl/Cmd button and press the C, F, and D keys in sequence.)

12. You now have your basic starburst shape. To remove the invisible circles, select all the objects on the screen and click on Object>Ungroup(Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+G). Select one of the circles and then go to Select>Same>Fill & Stroke. This selects all of the items that have no fill or stroke on the artboard.