CorelDRAW 12 Unleashed

CorelDR AW 12
Master CorelDRAW 12 with tips

directly from the CorelDRAW
expert
Learn to professionally create

everything you need, with
dazzling effects
See the techniques to correctly

output to print, the Web and more
CD-ROM includes 440 page fullcolor book, 4 hours of multimedia

lessons, project files to study, plus
many useful utilities
Foster D Coburn III

Premier Corel-Certified Instructor and Best-Selling
Author of six previous books on CorelDRAW
Foster continues to be an authority on CorelDRAW.

His latest book, CorelDRAW 12 Unleashed, will help
you get more out of an already powerful product.
Tony Severenuk
CorelDRAW Program Manager
Unleashed Productions, Inc.

PO Box 7008
Cave Creek, AZ 85327
USA
For information on translations, distribution or to arrange bulk purchase discounts, please
contact Unleashed Productions, Inc. at the above address.
CorelDRAW 12 Unleashed
This book is Copyright 2004 by Unleashed Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part
of these documents shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from Unleashed Productions Inc. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the
use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the
preparation of this document, the publisher and authors assume no responsibility for errors
or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. For information, address Unleashed Productions Inc., P.O. Box
7008, Cave Creek, AZ 85327.
ISBN 0-97-498010-2
Publisher: Foster D. Coburn III
Copy Editor: Yvette Asche-Liffick
Technical Editors: Cristina Paul and Kelly Ryder
This book was composed with Corel VENTURA.
All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or service marks have
been appropriately capitalized. Unleashed Productions, Inc. cannot attest to the accuracy of
this information. Use of a termin this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of
any trademark or service mark.
CorelDRAW, Corel VENTURA and Corel PHOTO-PAINT are registered trademarks of Corel
Corporation. Adobe, the Adobe logo, and Reader are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.
CorelDRAW 12
Chapter List
n Chapter i: Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
n Chapter 1: Getting the Most Out of CorelDRAW 12. . . . . . . . . 22
n Chapter 2: The CorelDRAW Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
n Chapter 3: Drawing Predefined Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
n Chapter 4: Drawing Freehand Shapes & Lines . . . . . . . . . . . 62
n Chapter 5: Creating & Manipulating Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
n Chapter 6: Selecting & Transforming Objects . . . . . . . . . . . 96
n Chapter 7: Shaping Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
n Chapter 8: Color, Fills & Color Management . . . . . . . . . . . 134
n Chapter 9: Outlining Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
n Chapter 10: Viewing, Zooming & Panning . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
n Chapter 11: Object Ordering, Layers & the Object Manager. . . . 171
n Chapter 12: Rulers, Guidelines & Grids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
n Chapter 13: Combining, Grouping & Converting to Curves . . . . 193
n Chapter 14: Weld, Trim, Intersect & More . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
n Chapter 15: Align, Distribute, Duplicate, Copy, Paste, & Symbols 214
n Chapter 16: Enveloping, Distortion & Perspective . . . . . . . . . 225
n Chapter 17: Extruding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
n Chapter 18: Blending, Contouring & Drop Shadows . . . . . . . 246
n Chapter 19: Lens, Transparency & PowerClip . . . . . . . . . . . 262
n Chapter 20: Fitting Text to a Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
n Chapter 21: Scanning & Tracing Bitmaps . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
n Chapter 22: Opening, Importing, Saving & Exporting Files . . . . 293
n Chapter 23: Page Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
3
n Chapter 24: Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

n Chapter 25: Publishing PDF Files . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 26: Writing Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 27: Fonts, Font Management & Typography . .
n Chapter 28: Web Graphics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 29: Customization of CorelDRAW . . . . . . .
n Chapter 30: Masking Basics in Corel PHOTO-PAINT . .
n Chapter 31: Working with Corel PHOTO-PAINT Objects
n Chapter 32: Fixing Digital Photos . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Appendix A: About the CD-ROM . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Appendix B: Production Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Appendix C: Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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336
345
352
369
391
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412
421
434
439
441
CorelDRAW 12
Table of Contents
n Chapter i: Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 1: Getting the Most Out of CorelDRAW 12. . . . . . .
Whats In The Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
What Is CorelDRAW? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Before You Install . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12 . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing The Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Other Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Running CorelDRAW 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
New Features In CorelDRAW 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
About CorelDRAW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Answers to Your Most Common Questions . . . . . . . . . .
How Do I Set the Default Fill, Outline and Fonts? . . . . .
How Can I Install All the Fonts Supplied With CorelDRAW?.
Why Do the Colors On My Screen Look Dull? . . . . . . .
How Do I Get Rid of the White Box Around Bitmaps? . . .
My Machine Crashes Quite Often, How Can I Solve This? .
Using the Rest of the CD-ROM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Learning More About CorelDRAW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using CorelTUTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Corel On The Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Companion Web Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CorelDRAW Unleashed Boot Camps . . . . . . . . . . . .
On-Site Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Phone Consultation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Add-ons and Plug-Ins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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20
22
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23
23
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24
28
29
29
31
31
32
32
33
33
34
34
34
34
35
35
35
35
36
36
36
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 2: The CorelDRAW Interface . .
The CorelDRAW Window. . . . . . .
The Startup Screen . . . . . . . .
Title Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Menu Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Standard Toolbar . . . . . . . . .
Property Bar . . . . . . . . . . .
Other Toolbars . . . . . . . . . .
Toolbox . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Color Palette . . . . . . . . . . .
Status Bar . . . . . . . . . . . .
Drawing Window . . . . . . . . .
Dialog Boxes . . . . . . . . . . .
Dockers . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 3: Drawing Predefined Shapes .
Rectangles . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Drawing Rectangles . . . . . . .
Using the Modifier Keys. . . . . .
Drawing 3-Point Rectangles . . .
Rounding Corners . . . . . . . .
Ellipses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Drawing Ellipses . . . . . . . . .
Using the Modifier Keys. . . . . .
Drawing 3-Point Ellipses . . . . .
Creating Arcs and Pie Wedges . .
Polygons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Drawing a Polygon . . . . . . . .
Drawing a Star . . . . . . . . . .
Modifying Polygons or Stars . . .
Spirals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Drawing Spirals . . . . . . . . . .
Graph Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Drawing Graph Paper. . . . . . .
Perfect Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . .
Drawing Perfect Shapes . . . . .
Modifying Perfect Shapes . . . . .
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36
37
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38
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42
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6
Available Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Smart Drawing Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 4: Drawing Freehand Shapes & Lines . . . . . . .
Freehand Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Bzier Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Artistic Media Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Object Sprayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Calligraphic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Artistic Media Docker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Graphics Tablets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pen Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Polyline Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3-Point Curve Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dimension Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Callouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Interactive Connector Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 5: Creating & Manipulating Text . . . . . . . . . .
Artistic Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Artistic Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Artistic Text Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Paragraph Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Paragraph Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Paragraph Text Attributes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Flowing Paragraph Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Converting Between Artistic and Paragraph Text . . . . . .
Changing Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Insert Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 6: Selecting & Transforming Objects . . . . . . .
Selecting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7
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59
60
61
61
62
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64
64
65
66
69
70
70
71
72
72
73
73
75
76
76
76
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78
79
84
84
84
91
92
93
93
95
95
96
96
Selecting Objects with the Mouse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Digger Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Marquee Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Tabbing Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Using the Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Manipulating Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Positioning Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Locking Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Resizing Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Rotating and Skewing Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Manipulating Objects with Other Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Free Transformation Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
The Transform Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Undoing All Transformations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
n Chapter 7: Shaping Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
The Shape Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Understanding Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Selecting and Moving Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Node Editing Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Advanced Ellipse Shaping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Advanced Polygon Shaping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Shaping Bitmaps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
The Knife Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Freehand Knifing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
The Eraser Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Smudge Brush Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Roughen Brush Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Virtual Segment Delete Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
n Chapter 8: Color, Fills & Color Management . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
RGB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Spot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Using Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
8
Fills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Uniform Fills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fountain Fills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pattern Fills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Full Color Pattern Fills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Bitmap Pattern Fills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Texture Fills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PostScript Fills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mesh Fill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Secrets of Color Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Why Colors Dont Match . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Color Management Settings Within CorelDRAW. . . . .
Creating Device Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Swatch Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 9: Outlining Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting Outline Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Outline Defaults. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Property Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Outline Pen Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Corners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Line Caps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Behind Fill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Scale with Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Arrowheads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Calligraphy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Removing Outlines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Outline Flyout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Converting Outlines to Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Miter Limit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 10: Viewing, Zooming & Panning . . . . . . . . . .
Viewing Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Display Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Zooming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Zoom Flyout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Using the Zoom Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Using the Standard Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Zooming with an Intellimouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Navigator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Panning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Hand Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Keyboard Panning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Panning with an Intellimouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The View Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 11: Object Ordering, Layers & the Object Manager.
Ordering Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Object Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Object Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Working with Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Moving Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Working with Layers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 12: Rulers, Guidelines & Grids . . . . . . . . . . .
Rulers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Measurement Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Working with the Rulers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Guideline Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Guideline Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Guideline Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Guidelines Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Local Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dynamic Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Grids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Snap to Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 13: Combining, Grouping & Converting to Curves .
Combining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Knowing When Objects Are Combined . . . . . . . . .
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10
Using Combine to Create Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Breaking Apart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Breaking Apart Effects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Grouping and Ungrouping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Selecting Objects Within a Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Converting to Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Converting Objects to Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 14: Weld, Trim, Intersect & More . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Add Shapes Together with Weld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Weld Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Slicing Off the Perfect Shape with Trim . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A Simple Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Multiple Cookie Cutters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trimming Multiple Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Trim Docker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Intersecting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Intersection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The New Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 15: Align, Distribute, Duplicate, Copy, Paste, & Symbols
Aligning Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Aligning with the Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Distributing Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Smart Duplication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Copy and Paste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Paste Special . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Editing Symbols. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Symbol Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 16: Enveloping, Distortion & Perspective . . . . . . . . .
Enveloping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Envelope Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Modifier Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create From . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mapping Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Enveloping Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Distortion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Push and Pull Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Zipper Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Twister Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Editing Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Removing Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 17: Extruding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Extruding Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Extrude Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vanishing Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Bevels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Interactive Extrude Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
EZ Metrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 18: Blending, Contouring & Drop Shadows . . . .
Blends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blend Docker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Interactive Blends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Contour. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Contour Docker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Interactive Contours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Contour Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A Downside to Contour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Drop Shadows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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12
Simple Shadows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Interactive Drop Shadows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 19: Lens, Transparency & PowerClip . . . . . . . .
Lens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Transparency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Magnify . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brighten. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Invert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Color Limit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Color Add . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tinted Grayscale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Heat Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Custom Color Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wireframe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fish Eye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
No Lens Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Printing Lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Interactive Transparency Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Uniform Transparency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fountain Transparency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Transparency Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Printing Transparencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PowerClip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a PowerClip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Editing PowerClips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Converting PowerClips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 20: Fitting Text to a Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Menu Commands to Put Text on a Path . . . . . . .
Interactively Putting Text on a Path . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Text on a Closed Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Closed Path Tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Text on an Open Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13
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Interactively Moving All Text. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Interactively Moving Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Hiding the Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Editing the Text and Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fit Objects to Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 21: Scanning & Tracing Bitmaps . . . . . . . . . .
Start with a Scan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vectorizing Text is the Easiest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Digitizing the Artwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Zigging and Zagging on the Tail. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Following the Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 22: Opening, Importing, Saving & Exporting Files .
Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Import . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CDR (CorelDRAW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CMX (Corel Presentation Exchange) . . . . . . . . . . .
AI (Adobe Illustrator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PS, EPS, PRN (PostScript Interpreted). . . . . . . . . .
PDF (Adobe Portable Document Format) . . . . . . . .
WMF (Windows MetaFile), EMF (Enhanced MetaFile) . .
CPT (Corel PHOTO-PAINT Image) . . . . . . . . . . .
PSD (Adobe Photoshop) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TIF (TIFF Bitmap). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
JPG (JPEG Bitmap) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GIF (Compuserve Bitmap) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Export . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PDF (Portable Document Format) . . . . . . . . . . .
EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Export For Office Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
WMF (Windows Metafile) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
AI (Adobe Illustrator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SWF (Flash) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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14
Exporting Bitmaps . . . . . . . . . .
CPT (Corel PHOTO-PAINT) . . . .
TIF (TIFF Bitmap). . . . . . . . .
JPG (JPEG Bitmap) . . . . . . . .
GIF (GIF Bitmap) . . . . . . . . .
Why Copy/Paste Can Be Bad . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 23: Page Setup . . . . . . . . .
Using the Property Bar . . . . . . . .
Adding and Deleting Pages . . . .
Page Setup Dialog Box . . . . . . . .
Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Layout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Background . . . . . . . . . . . .
Page Sorter . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 24: Printing . . . . . . . . . . .
Potential Problems . . . . . . . . . .
Misregistration. . . . . . . . . . .
Complexity . . . . . . . . . . . .
Scan Resolution . . . . . . . . . .
Color Models . . . . . . . . . . .
Dealing with the Service Bureau . . .
Adobe Illustrator (AI) . . . . . . .
Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) . .
CorelDRAW (CDR) . . . . . . . .
Portable Document Format (PDF)
PostScript Print File (PRN) . . . .
Steps for Creating a Color Separation.
Making the Most of Imposition . . . .
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 25: Publishing PDF Files . . . .
The Adobe Acrobat Family . . . . . .
Preparing a File for PDF . . . . . . .
Publish to PDF . . . . . . . . . . . .
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15
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Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Document. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Prepress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Advanced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modifying PDFs with Acrobat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Web Capture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 26: Writing Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Find and Replace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
QuickCorrect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Spell Checker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Automatic Spell Checking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Grammatik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Thesaurus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Text Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Document Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 27: Fonts, Font Management & Typography . . . .
What Is a Font? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Font Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TrueType Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PostScript Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
OpenType . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TrueDoc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Choosing a Font Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Font Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cleaning Things Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Deleting Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding Your Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Managing Your Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Basic Typography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Typographical Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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16
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 28: Web Graphics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Web Pages and Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Web Graphics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Which File Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Correct Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How Big is the Browser Window? . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How Big Should the Files Be? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a GIF File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Optimizing a GIF file in Corel PHOTO-PAINT . . . . . . . .
Creating a JPEG File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
JPEG 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PNG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Saving as PNG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Image Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Image Slicing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SWF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exporting to SWF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 29: Customization of CorelDRAW . . . . . . . . .
Workspaces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Customizing the Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Commands and Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Shortcut Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Editing Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sharing Workspaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 30: Masking Basics in Corel PHOTO-PAINT . . . .
Changing the Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Basic Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
General Properties of Masks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A Simple Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Freehand Masking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Color Tolerance To Create Masks . . . . . . . . . .
The Lasso Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17
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Magic Wand Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 31: Working with Corel PHOTO-PAINT Objects . .
Creating Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Objects Docker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Object Ordering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Opacity and Merge Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Clip to Parent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Clip Masks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Lens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Object Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Chapter 32: Fixing Digital Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
File Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
JPEG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
RAW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TIF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Resaving Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Image Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Resampling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cropping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brightness/Contrast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Color Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sharpening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Red Eye Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fat Reduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Framing Photos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n Appendix A: About the CD-ROM . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sample Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ROMCat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Special Note About CorelDRAW 11 & 12 Clip Art . . . .
n Appendix B: Production Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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18
n Appendix C: Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441
CorelDRAW 12
BOOT CAMP
This is the ultimate CorelDRAW 12 and Corel PHOTO-PAINT 12 learning
experience. You will learn all the information you need to get the most out of
CorelDRAW 12 and Corel PHOTO-PAINT 12 in three days of intense training
at our, state-of-the-art training theater in Cave Creek, Arizona!
Full-color handout with over 130 pages of detailed notes on
each of the Boot Camp sessions
Boot Camp CD with software and samples to practice what
youve learned
Each student will receive a Certificate of Completion to
show their accomplishment
Class size is limited to no more than twelve students
Continental breakfast, lunch and refreshments each day
Friday night well host a fantastic BBQ dinner
Boot Camps are taught by Foster D. Coburn III, the CorelDRAW
guru and co-author of six bestselling CorelDRAW books.
(800) 736-8973
www.unleash.com
19
CorelDRAW 12
Intro
Introduction
As I write this, 2004 is still young and I want to thank all of the people who
helped make this book possible.
The hardest part in putting this book to bed is that I never feel that it is finished. There is always one more tip or technique that needs to be added. Of
course, there are many more chapters that could be included. And as soon
as this book goes on sale, I know Ill find a great feature hidden beneath the
surface. Not to mention the fact that there are many ways to accomplish the
same task. Each user will find a way that works best for him or her. So as I
find these new gems, Ill add them to the Graphics Unleashed Web site at
http://www.unleash.com.
I am always eager to hear what you, the reader, think of my books. I want to
know what you liked and what Ive missed. This allows me to continue building on this book so that the next book can be ever bigger, better and more
complete. Visit the Web page, send me a letter, fire off an e-mail or just give
me a call. The more I hear from you, the more that I can give back in future
editions and on the Graphics Unleashed Web site.
The number of people who must be thanked is enormous. Some of them
dont even realize how important their help has been. I can now exit my writing cave and spend more time with those closest to me. My friends and family have been extremely patient as I made excuses for working nights and
weekends. I can finally turn off the computers for a few hours and enjoy myself for a little while.
20
Tina Paul, Kelly Ryder and Yvette Asche-Liffick worked through each chapter
to make sure that what I had written was correct. In doing so, they also provided lots of helpful tips. Thank you all for the great work! Peter McCormick
provided a ton of great suggestions, along the way, that helped make the
book what it is.
The crew at Corel has been wonderful. Without their help, the book couldnt
have been written. Tony Severenuk, Sylvain Charron and Paul Turnbull not
only had to get CorelDRAW 12 out the door, but also had to deal with my
many questions. They did a great job with both projects. Keep up all the
great work, eh?
To my fellow beta partners, thanks for all of your input. Youll undoubtedly
find something in this book that you provided in one way or another. Reading
through the beta newsgroups provided a much needed break from writing,
but also an inspiration as new features were deciphered. Get some rest, its
about time to start the beta cycle all over again!
Each year I marvel at the work of the artists who use CorelDRAW. Thanks to
all of the artists, as it is your work that inspires all of us to use the product.
Most of all, I must thank you, the reader, for purchasing this book. I sincerely
hope that Ive been able to enlighten and inspire you to push CorelDRAW to
its limits and beyond.
March 17, 2004
21
Chapter Intro: Introduction
CorelDRAW 12
Getting the Most Out of

CorelDRAW 12
This chapter is designed to give you an overview of what you will find in the
rest of this book, so that you can get most from CorelDRAW 12. As you work
through this book, it is expected that you will skip to the chapters that are
most appropriate to the task at hand. So I suggest that you read this chapter
in its entirety before you move forward. Ill show you how to install the program, direct you to the new features, answer some of the most common
questions, describe how you can use the rest of the CD-ROMs and direct you
to further ways to learn about CorelDRAW.
Whats In The Box

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12 is available as a suite of applications built
around the flagship illustration program CorelDRAW. Also included is Corel
PHOTO-PAINT, the image editing and pixel based paint program. For those
needing to create vector animation, Corel R.A.V.E. is also included. Besides
the three main applications, there are various other graphic utilities and tools.
Because of the complexities of the three main programs, this book covers
mainly the single application CorelDRAW 12. To incorporate all of the other
applications into a single book would make the book unmanageable for the
reader and an overwhelming task for the author.
22
What Is CorelDRAW?
CorelDRAW is a vector-based drawing and illustration program. This means
when you draw an object on the CorelDRAW drawing page, the shape of the
object displayed onscreen is defined by a mathematical formula. In fact, its
accuracy can be measured to one tenth of a micron. Sounds complicated,
doesnt it? Forget the technical definition. What it really is, is a program that
lets you draw shapes to illustrate ideas in a graphical and text-based fashion.
The capabilities and potential of the program are limited only by your own
imagination.
I should also discuss what CorelDRAW is not. Yes, it can do simple page layout, but it is not a page layout application. For those tasks, I recommend
Corel VENTURA. CorelDRAW can also create very basic Web pages, but it is
also not a Web page editor. For that I suggest Macromedia Dreamweaver or
HomeSite. And for those times you need to work with bitmaps, I suggest you
do the editing in Corel PHOTO-PAINT and then import the finished bitmap
into CorelDRAW.
Before You Install

Corel provides a large quantity of very useful information regarding the installation of CorelDRAW and issues you may face as you use the product. These
are all contained in the readme.html file that is supplied on CD#1. Before
you install the product, it is a very good idea to load this file in your Web
browser and read it very carefully. Note this is one of the options on the initial
screen you see after the CD is inserted. You may also want to print a copy so
that you will have it for reference. As this file is updated with any maintenance
releases, it can contain information that became available after this book was
finished. Of special interest are instructions on installation or hardware compatibility. Pay particular attention to the section on video display problems
and the section on fonts or installing multilingual fonts. The remainder of the
readme file primarily contains portions of the Help files that are in the various
other programs that come with CorelDRAW.
Installing CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12

Before you insert the installation CD, you may want to look at whats included
on the four CD-ROMs. The contents of each CD are listed here:
CD1Applications
23
Chapter 1: Getting the Most Out of CorelDRAW 12
CD210,000 Clipart, Tiles

CD31,000 Photos, Objects and 1,100 Fonts
CD4Lynda.com Training CD
You need to know whats on the CD if you want to be able to find a certain
clipart or photograph.
Installing The Programs

Before you begin the installation process be sure to close any open programs
and any applications running in the background. It is especially important to
disable virus checkers and crash proofing utilities. These utilities will often
corrupt the installation or not allow CorelDRAW to install.
Whether youre installing CorelDRAW for the first time or adding programs
and files you didnt install the first time, start by inserting CD1. The auto-run
program will begin the installation process by displaying the screen shown in
Figure 1.
If, for some reason, the auto-run program does not start the Setup Wizard,
follow these steps:
1. Click the Windows Start button and choose Settings from the Start menu.
When the Settings flyout appears, choose Control Panel.
2. In the Control Panel dialog box, double-click the Add/Remove Programs
icon. The Add/Remove Programs Properties dialog box will appear.
3. Click the Install button. The Install Program from Floppy Disk or CD-ROM
Drive dialog box will appear.
4. Click the Next button to go to
the Run Installation Program
dialog box. If the CD is in the
correct drive, the drive letter
of your CD will appear along
with the Setup.exe command
in the Command Line for
Installation box. If it doesnt
appear, type the correct path
to the CD plus the words
Setup.exe in the Command
Figure 1: Initial install screen for
Line for Installation box.
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12.
24
From the initial screen, you may

want to read the Release Notes
as they often can provide information you need to know before
installing the applications. When
youre ready to move on, click
the Install CorelDRAW Graphics
Suite 12 option to view the License Agreement screen show in
Figure 2. Read it carefully,
choose the I accept radio button and press Next. The next
Figure 2: CorelDRAW 12 License
screen asks you to enter your
Agreement.
User Name, Organization and
Serial Number as shown in Figure 3. If you dont have an organization name, just leave that part
blank. A valid serial number must
be entered before the Next button
becomes available. Youll find the
serial number on the Product Authenticity Card which came with
your CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
12 box. If you dont have such a
card, youre either working with an
illegal version of CorelDRAW or
youll need to contact Corel CusFigure 3: User Name, Organization
tomer Service to get a serial numand Serial Number setup screen.
ber. You can reach Customer
Service in North America at (800)
77-COREL. Click Next to move on to the next screen.
The next screen of the wizard, shown in Figure 4, is the beginning of the installation process. It is a tree list with each of the major components of the
suite initially listed. Click the + next to an application to expand the list to see
each part of that application. Go through this list carefully and choose all of
the parts that you want installed. By default, everything except electronic copies of the documentation is installed. Once you have carefully chosen the
components to install, click Next.
25
Tip: I suggest that you

install everything. Given
the size of hard drives
today, it doesnt take up
too much space and
gives you the peace of
mind that all parts of the
suite will be available to
you. Note that installing
everything will take
approximately 320 MB.
Figure 4: Setup screen with list of
Now you are asked to choose a
destination folder (see Figure 5). components to install.
At the top of the dialog box is the
folder where CorelDRAW 12 will
be installed. The bottom half of
the dialog box shows how much
space is required on various drives
for the installation. If you choose a
drive other than your operating
system drive, you will find that a
small amount of space is still required on the system drive because some files must be installed
as part of the operating system.
If you wish to change the location
Figure 5: CorelDRAW 12 Setup Wizard
for the install, click the Change
button and you will be presented Destination Folder dialog box
with the dialog box in Figure 6.
Near the bottom of the dialog box you can enter the full path where you wish
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12 to be installed. Or you can use the interface to
navigate to the location where you wish it installed. If the location you choose
does not yet exist, that folder will be created as part of the install process.
When you have the folder you desire, click OK to be returned to the dialog
box shown in Figure 5.
26
If there is anything you wish to

change at this point, you can always click the Back button to get
to the dialog boxes previously discussed. When everything is as you
desire, click the Install button in
Figure 5 and the install process
will begin.
While the graphics suite is being
installed, you will see a screen
similar to Figure 7 showing the
current progress.
Figure 6: Dialog box for changing the
When the installation is complete, location where CorelDRAW Graphics
you will get the dialog box shown Suite 12 will be installed.
in Figure 8. You will also get a
message indicating that you
should reboot your system. You
will have the option to reboot as
soon as the installation process is
complete or at a later time. Unless
you have a specific reason for not
rebooting, you should reboot as
soon as the installation process is
complete.
If you need to add components
later, the setup program will detect that CorelDRAW is already inFigure 7: Dialog box shown while the
stalled and give you the option to
software is installing.
add components. If you decide
later you want to use a particular
program or add additional fonts, you can run the installation program again.
After installation is complete, you will also get a dialog box (see Figure 9)
suggesting that you register your software. Yes, this requires you to provide a
little bit of information about yourself. In return, you will receive valuable information from Corel about updates, access to technical support as well as a
special offer only available to those who register. If you select Register Now
27
and click OK, you will be directed

to a page on Corels Web site
where you can enter your registration information.
Other Programs
There are several other utility programs included on the
CorelDRAW 12 CD that are not installed by the Setup Wizard. Weve
listed them below with instructions on how to install them.
Adobe Reader 6
With CorelDRAW 12s Publish to
PDF feature, youll want to have a
copy of Adobe Reader installed to
view the PDF files you create. If
you are reading this book, then
you have probably already found
the copy included with the book.
It is not included with CorelDRAW
12. If you are using an older version, the latest version can be
found in the Acrobat folder of the
CD where this book was found.
Figure 8: Dialog box showing that

installation has completed.
Apple QuickTime
Player 6
Figure 9: Prompt to register your

One of the file formats supported software.
in Corel PHOTO-PAINT 12 is the
QuickTime VR format as well as
the QuickTime MOV format. If you want to view these files, youll need to install Apples QuickTime 6.0. Youll find the setup program at x:\Apple\EN\QuickTimeFullInstaller.exe where x represents the letter of your
CD-ROM drive. You can also install it from the main setup screen shown in
Figure 1.
28
Corel SVG Viewer 2.1

In order to view SVG files in your
browser, youll need to have some
sort of plug-in available that supports the SVG format. Corel supplies the Corel SVG Viewer 2.1 on
the CD-ROM at x:\Corel
SVG\CSV2_1.exe. You can also install it from the main setup screen
shown in Figure 1.
Running CorelDRAW
12
Figure 10: Workspace Selector dialog

box.
Once the software has been installed, you will find a CorelDRAW
Graphics Suite 12 program group in your Start menu. From this group, select CorelDRAW 12 to start the software. The first time you run CorelDRAW
12, youll get the dialog box shown in Figure 10.
The Workspace Selector dialog box allows you to select which Workspace will
be used when you start CorelDRAW 12. It also allows you to convert
workspaces, created in CorelDRAW 11, so that your customization efforts will
be maintained. More information on Workspaces can be found in Chapter 29.
New Features In CorelDRAW 12

With each new version of CorelDRAW comes a long list of new features.
Greatly enhanced Snap to Objects including snaps to Node,
Intersection, Midpoint, Quadrant, Tangent, Perpendicular, Edge,
Center, Text Baseline or Printable Area.
Dynamic Guides provide temporary guidelines to aid in modifying
objects in relation to one another.
The import cursor now uses the active snapping options
Text objects can now be aligned to first line baseline, last line baseline
or text bounding box.
The Smart Drawing tool allows you to draw a rough freehand shape
that will be automatically converted to one of 12 predefined shapes.
29
The Eyedropper and Paintbucket tools will now allow you to copy
outline properties, fill properties, size, position and effects. Using the
Select Desktop option allows you to grab a color from anywhere on
your computer screen.
Virtual Segment Delete will remove a line segment between
intersections and/or endpoints.
Unicode support gives CorelDRAW access to all characters in a font
and text will display correctly on a system running any language.
Encode gives you the ability to map text from Unicode back to the
corresponding ASCII characters.
On screen text displays much more accurately so that it is easier to
make font and spacing adjustments.
Panose Font Matching now can be set to only show fonts that can
support the same codepage as the text missing a font.
The Insert Character Docker now will show all characters in a font. By
using the Code Page drop-down list, you can skip to the relevant
section of characters.
3 Point Rectangles and Ellipses will now have their width locked after
the second click.
3 Point Curves are locked to the line after the second click.
Symbol Libraries can now be stored externally so they arent tied to a
single document.
CorelDRAW and Corel DESIGNER will now share a common file
format. Objects not supported by one of the programs will be locked
from editing but will still display and print correctly.
CGM 4 files can now be imported while export supports versions 1 and
3.
HPGL 2 files are supported for import and font matching support is
enabled.
Visio 2000 and 2002 files are now supported.
RTF and DOC files now have full Unicode and table support.
AutoCAD DXF/DWG Import and Export have both seen many
improvements.
SVG Import and Export has been greatly enhanced.
Object Data Manager now allows you to assign data to specific objects.
30
Technical Support
Technical support focuses on the
more technical aspects of the program. Clicking Help | Technical
Support will bring up a Web page
showing how to contact Corel
Technical Support.
About CorelDRAW
When you click Help | About
Figure 11: The About CorelDRAW 12
CorelDRAW, the About
dialog box.
CorelDRAW 12 dialog box, shown
in Figure 11, appears. At first
glance, this dialog box may not appear to
be very interesting-looking. However, it is
a very important dialog box that contains
information that can be very helpful when
youre troubleshooting a problem or simply requesting tech support from Corel itself.
To begin, this dialog box shows the current version of the program youre using.
It will be shown as 12.0.0.xxx where the
xxx is the exact version of the software.
This can be extremely important informa- Figure 12: System Info dialog
tion to have if youre experiencing prob- box.
lems with the program. Often-times,
Corel sends out revised versions of the program to fix problems that surface
in early versions. Knowing which version you have will tell you if you are using
the most current version. The lower portion of the dialog box lists the name
of the person to whom the program is registered, along with the serial number. This information is required when you are asking for tech support.
Perhaps the most import information to be found in this dialog box appears
when you click the button labeled System Info at the upper right. Clicking
this button displays the System Info dialog box, shown in Figure 12. This dialog box, by default, shows you a list containing complete system informa-
31
tion about your computer system. When

you click the down arrow of the Choose a
Category list box, you can display information about four more areas pertaining
to your system and to the CorelDRAW
program itself. These include
Your computers display data
A listing of the printers installed on
your system
A complete list of all Corel .exe
and .dll files
A complete list of all the System
Figure 13: Corel EXE and DLL
.dll files
information dialog box.
Figure 13 shows the information about
Corel .exe and .dll files. Again, this is very important information as it can tell
you if a particular patch has been installed to solve problems you may encounter.
This information can be vital in troubleshooting a problem. Bet you didnt
know how important this dialog box really was!
Answers to Your Most Common Questions

With all the classes Ive taught and the support messages Ive seen on the
Internet, there are just some questions that come up all the time. So I
thought Id point you in the right direction so that you can get these problems solved first.
How Do I Set the Default Fill, Outline and

Fonts?
These are all controlled by the styles that are associated with the current document. To access the style definitions, select Tools | Options and navigate
the tree on the left side of the dialog box until you find the Document |
Styles dialog box shown in Figure 14.
In the list of styles, Default Graphic controls the fill and outline applied to objects you draw. Default Artistic Text controls all aspects of text you create with
the Artistic Text tool and Default Paragraph Text controls Paragraph Text that
you create. Select the style you wish to modify. Click the Edit button for the
32
options you wish to change at the

right side of the dialog box and
youll have changed the defaults
for the current document.
If you want to save these defaults
so that they will apply to all new
documents, click directly on the
word Document in the list on the
left side of the dialog box. Place a
check in the Save options as
defaults for new documents check
box. Then place a check in only
Figure 14: Tools Options Styles dialog
the Styles check box and remove
box.
all other checks. When you click
OK, youll have saved the defaults
for all new documents.
How Can I Install All the Fonts Supplied With

CorelDRAW?
The short answer is that you cant install them all without having serious
problems with your computer. But that doesnt mean that you cant have all
the fonts available for use with CorelDRAW at a moments notice. The key
here is to use Bitstream Font Navigator to manage your fonts and to copy
the fonts from the CorelDRAW CD appropriately. In Chapter 27 I provide detailed instructions on how to set up your fonts properly.
Why Do the Colors On My Screen Look Dull?

A few years ago the question we always heard was How come the colors on
screen dont match the colors on my printer? So the simple answer is that
the screen is an RGB device and quality color printers are CMYK devices.
Earlier versions of CorelDRAW had color management software but very few
users used it. In CorelDRAW 8 and higher, the color management is turned
on by default and that is what causes the on-screen colors to look dull. But
you should find that the colors more closely match the output of your printer.
You can easily turn off the color management so that you get the bright, unprintable colors again. Select Tools | Color Management and select Color
Management Off from the Style drop-down list. In Chapter 8, youll learn
33
more about choosing the appropriate color model for the job you are creating and how to best use color management.
How Do I Get Rid of the White Box Around

Bitmaps?
There are ways to get rid of it in CorelDRAW including the Bitmap Color
Mask, PowerClip and by just node editing the shape of the bitmap. But the
best solution involves Corel PHOTO-PAINT. Youll need to mask the area that
you wish to keep, convert it to a floating object and then save the file in CPT
format. When you import the CPT into CorelDRAW, you will find that it is a
group of objects. Ungroup the group and delete the unwanted objects (the
white box). For detailed instructions on this process, visit
http://www.unleash.com/articles/whitebox.
My Machine Crashes Quite Often, How Can I

Solve This?
If you are crashing often, the cause is most likely something that has gone
wrong in your computer. Occasionally it will be a problem with CorelDRAW itself. The most common suspects for these crashes are the drivers that control the video card in your computer. To test this theory, reboot your
computer in Safe mode. Understand that this is only a test. Youll need to
work for a while at this lower resolution with a minimum number of colors.
Did the problem go away? If so, the video drivers need to be changed. Contact the manufacturer of your video card to get a different driver.
Using the Rest of the CD-ROM

Youll find detailed instructions about the rest of the contents of this CD-ROM
as well as how to install the software included in Appendix A. Youll also find a
file entitled readme.html in the root folder that will help you to get the most
from the CD-ROM. Just load readme.html in your favorite Web browser and
enjoy all the great stuff weve provided for you.
Learning More About CorelDRAW

With nearly 450 pages, youd think that I could cover everything there is to
know about CorelDRAW 12. Unfortunately, I could fill many more pages if I
had the time and energy. Since I cant cover it all, I thought Id point you at
34
several other sources of information on getting the most from CorelDRAW

12.
Using CorelTUTOR
CorelTUTOR is an online tutor that is activated by either choosing it from the
Help menu, Help | CorelTUTOR. The Tutor provides step-by-step instructions, and in many cases interactive instruction, on how to complete specific
tasks. You can learn something as simple as creating a simple shape or more
complex tasks that require several steps. Its an excellent learning tool for the
new user and a good quick review source for the experienced user.
Corel On The Web

Corel on the Web is a method of providing up-to-date help. It allows you to
go to Corels Web site while actually working in CorelDRAW. When you click
the Help menu and then hold the cursor over the words Corel on the Web,
a flyout is revealed, offering several Help topics that can be found on Corels
Web site. When you click one of these topics, your default Web browser will
be activated. If youre currently connected, it will take you directly to the specific page you clicked on. If youre not connected, youll need to connect (on
some systems your dial-up networking dialog box will appear, asking if you
want to connect). If you click Update Links at the bottom of the flyout,
Corels Web site will be contacted and your menu will be updated with any
changes to the list of links.
Companion Web Site

There is a lot of information that I havent covered in this book and some of it
changes constantly, so I keep that information on the companion Web site to
this book. You can find it at http://www.unleash.com. There you will find lots
of free tutorials for using CorelDRAW and Corel PHOTO-PAINT, helpful utilities and a number of other training aids. To get the most out of the site,
make sure to sign up for the Graphics Unleashed Newsletter and Ill send you
an occasional informative e-mail to let you know about the latest information
added to the site.
CorelDRAW Unleashed Boot Camps

This is the ultimate CorelDRAW 12 and Corel PHOTO-PAINT 12 learning experience. You will learn all the information you need to get the most out of
35
taught by the author of this book. For detailed information on the Boot Camps, visit
http://www.unleash.com/training/bootcamp.html.
On-Site Training
I am also available for doing customized training
at your location or for speaking to your organization. For more information on this training, visit
http://www.unleash.com/training/corporate.html.
Phone Consultation
There are times when you need a little helping hand with a project and I am
available to consult with you via phone. Details on this service can be found
at http://www.unleash.com/training/phoneconsultation.html.
Add-ons and Plug-Ins

There are a wide variety of add-ons and plug-ins for both CorelDRAW and
Corel PHOTO-PAINT. As the list is constantly changing, I wont try to provide
a list here in the book. You can always find a list of the latest CorelDRAW
add-ons at http://www.unleash.com/picks/drawutils.html and
http://www.unleash.com/sd. Corel PHOTO-PAINT can work with most all
Adobe Photoshop compatible plug-ins as well as custom add-ons written
specifically for Corel PHOTO-PAINT. A list of plug-ins can be found at
http://www.unleash.com/picks/photoshopplugins.asp and one of the best
add-ons can be found at http://www.unleash.com/ufx/index.asp.
Chapter Wrap
This chapter covered a wide range of topics from a basic definition of
CorelDRAW to installation information to answering the most common questions users encounter. By now you should have the software properly installed
and be ready to embark on a creative journey through CorelDRAW 12.
36
CorelDRAW 12
The CorelDRAW Interface
To become an effective user of CorelDRAW, it is important to understand all

the elements of the CorelDRAW interface. Youll use this interface to select
tools, invoke commands, get information and create artwork.
New users of CorelDRAW can often be overwhelmed by all of the interface elements initially visible on screen. Youll soon see that each element is important to creating artwork. It wont be long before all of the elements click in
your mind. Users of recent versions will find that there are very few changes
to the interface and so the learning curve will be minimized.
The CorelDRAW Window

When working in CorelDRAW, there are three major variations in the way the
screen looks. First, is the start-up screen that appears when you start the program. Next is the window when there are no open files. Lastly is the window
when there is at least one file open. Well discuss the first and the last option
in detail. The window when no files are open is very similar to the one with a
file open except the menus dont contain as many options. Since there is no
open file, the extra menu options arent needed.
The Startup Screen

Each time you launch CorelDRAW, youll receive a startup screen (Figure 1)
with six large buttons. Each button is fairly self-explanatory as its function is
written just below the button. You can create a New Graphic, Open one of the
37
Chapter 2: The CorelDRAW Interface
Recently Used files, Open any file,

create a new file from a Template,
run CorelTUTOR or see Whats
New in CorelDRAW 12. Simply
click on any of the buttons to
continue.
As your cursor hovers over a button, a description of the function
will appear in the lower left of the
dialog box.
For users who no longer want to
Figure 1: The Startup screen you get
see this screen at startup, simply
when starting CorelDRAW 12.
uncheck the Show this Welcome
Screen at startup checkbox in the lower left of the dialog. You can also specify exactly what you would like at startup by selecting Tools | Options |
Workspace | General. At the very bottom of the dialog is a drop-down allowing you to choose what you want to happen at start-up. A good example
would be to change this so that it automatically creates a new file each time
you run the program, as I will do for these examples.
Title Bar
When there are no files open, the Title Bar will simply say CorelDRAW 12 as
shown in Figure 2. If you start with a new file, it will read CorelDRAW 12 [GraphicX] where X is a number. The first new file would be Graphic1, the
next Graphic2, etc. Once a file has been saved, the GraphicX name will
change to the file name of the file. Similarly, if you open an existing file, the
file name will appear immediately.
Menu Bar
Just below the Title Bar is the Menu Bar (see Figure 2). With no files open,
you will find there are four main menus. When a file is open, there are a total
of eleven menus. Note that the Menu Bar can be moved around on your
screen as it is considered a special kind of tool bar.
Note: It is highly recommended that you leave it in the default
location.
38
Click on any of the commands along the Menu Bar and a menu full of commands will appear. To the left of the command name is an icon. This is the
same icon that is shown on other tool bars for the same command. The middle of the menu shows the command spelled out in whatever language version of CorelDRAW you have installed. Many of the commands will also
feature a shortcut key to the right of the command name. Click on the command name to execute the desired menu item.
To the right of some commands will be an arrow that leads to another
sub-menu of more commands called a child menu. Simply click on the command name and the child menu will pop out.
Not all commands have a shortcut key assigned to them. But you can still
access them from the keyboard. If you look at any of the main menus, one of
the letters in each menu name is underlined. Press the Alt key on your keyboard followed by the underlined letter and the menu will drop-down. Now
notice that each command in the menu also has an underlined letter. Press
that letter to execute the command. These may not be as easy to remember
Figure 2: The main CorelDRAW 12 screen.

39
as the regular shortcut keys, but they might come in

handy from time-to-time.
Windows Control Menu

At the far left of the Menu Bar is an icon for the Windows Control Menu as shown in Figure 3. You can also
access this menu by clicking Alt - hyphen. On this
menu are options related to the current drawing window. You can also accomplish many of the same tasks
using the icons at the far right of the Menu Bar. The left Figure 3: The
most icon minimizes the drawing, the middle icon max- Windows Control
imizes the drawing and the right most icon closes the menu.
drawing.
Context Sensitive Pop-Up Menus

Probably the most important menus in CorelDRAW are
the ones that are the least obviouscontext-sensitive
pop-up menus as shown in Figure 4. These menus are
accessed by right-clicking on the CorelDRAW page or
directly on an object. A menu then pops up with a list
of options relative to the object on which you
right-clicked.
As an example, right-clicking on Artistic Text gives you
Convert to Paragraph Text, Convert to Curves and Spell
Check as the first three options. With almost any object
youll get options like Cut, Copy and Paste. Plus, youll
find options for reordering the objects in the stacking
order.
Tip: If you can remember to right-click on
everything, youll truly unlock the power of
CorelDRAW. There are some features that are
only available from the context-sensitive
Figure 4: An
menus!
example of a
pop-up menu.
Standard Toolbar
Just below the Menu Bar is the Standard Toolbar

(shown on top of next page), at least in the default configuration. On it you
40
will find some of the most often used commands. Below are a list of the buttons from left to right.
Button
Function
New
Creates a new file
Open
Brings up the Open dialog box
Save
Saves the current file and brings up the Save dialog if it is

the first time the file has been saved
Print
Brings up the Print dialog box
Cut
Cuts the selected objects to the clipboard
Copy
Copies the selected objects to the clipboard
Paste
Pastes the current contents of the clipboard into your

drawing
Undo
Lets you Undo the last few things youve done
Redo
After an Undo, you can Redo anything that has been

undone
Import
Brings up the Import dialog box
Export
Brings up the Export dialog box
Application
Launcher
Drop-down presents a list of other Corel applications that

can be run
Corel Online
Opens a list of Corel Web pages inside the Web

Connector Docker
Zoom Levels
Drop-down presents a number of different zoom levels
Moving Toolbars
One of the best parts of the CorelDRAW interface is that you can pretty much
make it look and work like you want. A simple modification is to move
toolbars where you want them to be. At the left edge of each toolbar are two
41
vertical lines. Note that they are at the top of horizontal toolbars
and horizontal lines on vertical toolbars. Click directly on those two
lines and then push the toolbar wherever you want it to appear. If
you are near the edge of the screen, the toolbar will snap into
place. But if you are in the middle of the window, the toolbar can
float freely. While you can not lock a toolbar in place, they can only
be moved with these two lines.
Property Bar
The most important toolbar in CorelDRAW is the Property Bar. It is
found just below the Standard Toolbar or at least it is there in the
default configuration. What makes the Property Bar so special is
that it is context-sensitive. The buttons on the Property Bar change
based upon the object or tool you have selected.
Because of the vast array of situations youll face in CorelDRAW,
there are just as many variations of the Property Bar. As we talk
about various tools in CorelDRAW, well show you the Property Bar
for that tool. If you find that your screen doesnt match ours, youve
probably just not selected the same kind of tool or object.
The key is to remember that the command
you most likely need in any situation is probably sitting on the Property Bar waiting for
you to click it. So before you look elsewhere,
check the Property Bar!
Other Toolbars
There are six other toolbars that are not displayed in the default configuration. To access
them, right-click on any currently visible
toolbar and you will get the pop-up menu
shown here. Click on the toolbar you wish to
activate or click on the name of any existing
toolbar to close it.
The additional toolbars include Text, Zoom, Internet, Print Merge,
Transform and Visual Basic for Applications.
42
Toolbox
On the left side of the drawing window is the Toolbox (shown at right on previous page). Here youll find tools used for creating shapes, modifying
shapes, applying effects and more. Because of the importance of each of
these tools, they will be discussed in detail later in the book. Below is a list of
each tool and where you can find more information on using it.
Tool
Discussed in
Pick Tool
Chapter 6
Shape Tool / Shape Edit Flyout
Chapter 7
Zoom Tool / Zoom Flyout
Chapter 10
Freehand Tool / Curve Flyout
Chapter 4
Rectangle Tool / Rectangle Tool Flyout
Chapter 3
Ellipse Tool / Ellipse Tool Flyout
Chapter 3
Polygon Tool / Object Flyout
Chapter 3
Basic Shapes / Perfect Shape Flyout
Chapter 3
Text Tool
Chapter 5
Interactive Blend Tool / Interactive Tool Flyout
Chapter 18
Eyedropper Tool / Eyedropper Flyout
Chapter 8
Outline Tool / Outline Flyout
Chapter 9
Fill Tool / Fill Flyout
Chapter 8
Interactive Fill Tool / Interactive Fill Flyout
Chapter 8
Because the Toolbox is simply a special toolbar, it can be undocked and

moved anywhere you wish on screen. When you initially undock it, the configuration changes from a vertical toolbar to a horizontal one. By resizing the
toolbar, you can even change it into a cube. Most users will prefer to leave it
docked, but it is fantastic to be able to customize it as you wish!
Color Palette
When you first start CorelDRAW, the Color Palette will be shown on the right
side of the screen. The palette that is initially shown is called the Default
43
CMYK Palette and the colors shown are affected by your color management
settings. So when you first run CorelDRAW, you might find the colors are
somewhat dull compared to older versions of CorelDRAW. These dull colors
simulate how the colors will print.
There are a number of other color palettes available through the View |
Color Palette menu flyout. Well talk about several of the most used color
palettes in Chapter 8. To learn more about Color Management, see Chapter
8.
Status Bar
At first glance, you may not notice the Status Bar lurking at the bottom of the
CorelDRAW screen (shown below). But this is something you definitely dont
want to overlook.
If you have an object selected, the Status Bar will tell you the size and location of the object, what kind of object it is, the outline color, fill color and outline thickness. Quite often there will also be a one-sentence description of the
tool you have selected. When there is a group selected, youll know how
many objects are in the group. If an effect has been applied, the name of that
effect will show in the Status Bar. If you are node editing, the number of
nodes and/or those selected will be shown.
Tip: No matter what you are doing, dont forget to give the
Status Bar a look for the valuable information it supplies.
For those of you that go back to early versions of CorelDRAW, youll remember the Status Bar was at the top of the screen. Many still find that this is the
best place for this valuable information. To move it, right-click directly on the
Status Bar. From the pop-up menu that appears, select Customize | Status
Bar | Position | Top.
Drawing Window
The drawing window is where all the action takes place. It is where you create
and modify artwork. Youll see there is a rendition of the page on screen (at
top of next page). If youd rather not see the page border, select View |
Show | Page Border. This is a toggle so those who arent seeing the border
can turn it on using the same process.
44
Dialog Boxes
No matter what software you use, it will
undoubtedly have dialog boxes. A dialog
box (below right) gives you access to
some feature of the software and the settings associated with it. CorelDRAW contains three major types of dialog boxes.
The first is the common dialog box.
While CorelDRAW triggers the appearance of the dialog, the look and feel are
provided by the operating system. A
good example of this is the Open and
Save dialogs.
Next is a dialog that is completely under
the control of CorelDRAW. When such a
dialog box is open, you can not do anything else in CorelDRAW as
it has control of the program. As soon as you
press the OK or Cancel
button, you will once again
be able to do other things.
Note that if the dialog is
applying an effect, you will
have to wait until the effect
has been applied before
other features become
available.
Lastly is a dialog that is
also under the control of
CorelDRAW. But in this
case, you can still do things like select objects while the dialog box is open. A
good example of this is the Format Text dialog box. You can have one text
block selected and format it without closing the dialog. Then you can select
another block of text and format it. Not having to repeatedly open and close
the dialog is a huge timesaver.
45
Dockers
In some ways a Docker (see examples at right) is like a
dialog box. At least they have a similar look. The name
comes from the way they can be docked to the edge
of your drawing window. When docked, they can also
be collapsed temporarily by clicking the double-arrow
at the upper left of the Docker window.
In a collapsed state, the Docker will simply be a labeled icon. Clicking on that icon or the double arrow
will restore the Docker window.
Youll also see a double line at either the top of the
open Docker window or the collapsed icon. Click and
drag on this double line and you can undock the
Docker so that it floats freely on your screen. Once the
Docker is floating, it can be collapsed using an upward
pointing arrow on the right of the title bar. After it has
been collapsed, the arrow will point downward so you
can restore it to its full size.
Floating Dockers can also be sized. Simply move your
cursor to their edge and the cursor will change to a
double-headed arrow. Click and drag to increase or
decrease the size.
At the far right of the Dockers title bar is an X. Pressing the X will close the Docker. Similarly, docked
Dockers will have an X at the upper right to close
them. If you have more than one Docker open, there
will be two separate Xs. The leftmost of the two will
close only the active Docker. The righthand X will close
all open Dockers.
Tip: If you have two Dockers floating
together, you can hold the Shift key, click
the double-lined handle and drag one of the
Dockers away from the other. Combine
Dockers by dragging them on top of one
another.
46
Chapter Wrap
Understanding the various elements of the CorelDRAW interface will help you
to become more productive. Youll more easily find commands on the
menus, toolbars or even shortcut keys. And the hidden features in dialog
boxes and Dockers will become more evident. Each time you see a new element on screen, take time to give it a long look so that youll know more
about it the next time it comes up.
CorelDRAW 12
BOOT CAMP
youve learned
(800) 736-8973
www.unleash.com
47
CorelDRAW 12
Drawing Predefined
Shapes
CorelDRAW provides a number of tools for creating predefined shapes. Many

of these tools have been around since the first version, but CorelDRAW 11
added a number of new ways to use them. In this chapter, well go over each
of the tools and show how they are used.
Rectangles
Rectangles certainly arent the most sexy shape and they may not seem like
something you would use on a regular basis. The more you use CorelDRAW,
the more youll find that rectangles can be extremely important.
Drawing Rectangles
To draw rectangles, youll first need to select the Rectangle
tool. Youll find it is the sixth tool down in the toolbox.
CorelDRAW 12 has a second flavor of drawing rectangles,
so youll want to click on the flyout arrow and select the
leftmost tool. You can also select the Rectangle tool by
pressing the F6 key on your keyboard. Well talk about the
other tool a little later.
Once you have the Rectangle tool selected, move your cursor over to the
drawing page. When your cursor is where you want the rectangle to start,
press the left mouse button and drag your cursor to the opposite corner of
the rectangle as shown in Figure 1.
48
As you are drawing a rectangle, you can

see its exact size by watching the Property Bar. If you are trying to get an exact
size, you will find it to be difficult, unless
you use Snap to Grid or Snap to Guidelines that are discussed in Chapter 12.
Youll also note that the Status Bar will
say that you have created a rectangle.
After drawing a rectangle, you can
change its size by typing the new dimensions into the Property Bar and pressing
the Enter key.
Figure 1: Rectangles are drawn
Warning: You must exercise
from corner to corner in any of
caution when doing this as it
will cause problems if you later the four directions shown.
plan to round the corners. Well
discuss this more later.
Using the Modifier Keys

When drawing rectangles, the default behavior allows each side of the rectangle to
be any size you desire. But by holding the
Ctrl key, you will constrain both sides to
be the exact same size so that you get a
perfect square. It is important that you
hold the Ctrl key down until after you release the mouse button. If you dont, the
rectangle will not be constrained. Most often you will begin drawing the rectangle Figure 2: You can draw a
and then press the Ctrl key just before
rectangle from the center
releasing the mouse button.
outwards in any of four
If you use the Shift key, you can draw a directions by holding the Shift
rectangle from the center outwards. In- key.
stead of clicking at the corner of the rectangle and dragging to the other corner, youll click at the center of the
rectangle and drag to any one of the corners. Just like the Ctrl key, it is im-
49
Chapter 3: Drawing Predefined Shapes
portant that you hold the Shift key until after you release the mouse button.
Figure 2 shows example of drawing a rectangle with the Shift key.
Lastly, you can hold both the Ctrl and Shift keys while drawing a rectangle.
The result is that you will draw a square from the center outwards.
Drawing 3-Point Rectangles

A tool added in CorelDRAW 11 is the 3-Point Rectangle tool. It is the
rightmost tool on the Rectangle tool
flyout. While it still draws rectangles, it
ish
to fin
draws them in an entirely different way.
Click
When you have the tool selected, click
and drag where you want the first side of
the rectangle to go. Once youve released the left mouse click, move the
cursor to the opposite corner of where
rag
and d
you started drawing the rectangle and
Click
click. Figure 3 shows an example of how Figure 3: The 3-Point rectangle
this works.
tool gives you another way to
Because this tool works differently, the
create rectangles.
modifier keys work differently as well. If
you hold the Ctrl key while drawing the first side of the rectangle, the side will
be constrained at an increment of 15 degrees or the constrain angle you
have set in the Options dialog box.
Rounding Corners
There is no dedicated tool to draw rounded rectangles, but it is quite easy to
round the corners of any existing rectangle. In fact, there are several ways to
accomplish the task.
Probably the most obvious way is to change the roundness value on the
Property Bar. Youll find four boxes that allow you to enter a separate value for
each corner. By default, the lock icon to the right of these boxes is locked
making all four boxes change together.
The value you enter is the percentage of the rectangles shortest side that will
be rounded. For example, 25 would round the shortest side by 25 percent of
its length and 100 would fully round that side. The amount of the longest
side that will be rounded is dependent on the difference in lengths between
the shortest and longest sides.
50
Some users will want to enter the radius of the corner in a more common
unit such as inches or centimeters. For whatever reason, there is no way to
do this without creating a script.
Warning: If you have disproportionately modified the rectangle,
the Status Bar will show the corners as being distorted. The
only workaround is to redraw the rectangle from scratch at the
desired size and then round the corners.
You can also round the corners directly by using the Shape tool. Select the
Shape tool from the toolbox. Click on a corner node and drag the corner until you are happy with the corner radius. Note that by default this automatically rounds all four corners. For those desiring an exact radius, you may
want to turn on Snap to Grid (Ctrl-Y) with the radius being a multiple of the
grid size.
To round an individual corner, click on the corner node. You should see only
that one node is highlighted. Now click and drag the radius to whatever you
like. To select more than one corner node, Shift-click on corner nodes to add
them to the selection before rounding.
Tip: The Unleashed Shapes add-on will let you draw a rectangle
of an exact size with an exact radius. For more information, visit
http://www.unleash.com/picks/corel/unleashedshapes.asp.
Ellipses
Once you understand how rectangles work, drawing ellipses should come to
you easily. The process is nearly identical with the main difference being the
shape you get when all is said and done. Youll also find that ellipses can be
extremely useful in your day-to-day work.
Drawing Ellipses
The first thing youll need to do is select the Ellipse tool flyout, seventh from
the top, and then select the Ellipse tool from the flyout. It is
the leftmost button. A quick way to access this tool is to
press the F7 key on your keyboard.
Once you have the tool selected, click and drag an imaginary rectangle on your page. An ellipse will be created with
each extreme point being tangent to the center of the imag51
inary rectangles sides. Sound confusing?

Just draw the imaginary rectangle and it
will all make more sense. Figure 4 shows
an example of how the ellipse is drawn
and the final result.
Just like with rectangles, the details of
the ellipse can be found on the Property
Bar as you are drawing it. The Status Bar
will show that youve drawn an Ellipse
when you have finished drawing. When
you need to get an exact size, guidelines
and grids will come in very handy.
Using the Modifier Keys
Figure 4: Drawing an ellipse

works just like a rectangle and
the finished ellipse is fit perfectly
inside the imaginary rectangle
you drew.
This will no doubt sound familiar. Holding down the Ctrl key will constrain an ellipse to a perfect circle and the Shift key
will draw the ellipse from the center outwards. Using both keys will allow you to
draw circles from the center outwards.
Remember that for modifier keys to work,
you need to hold the key down until after
youve released the mouse button.
Drawing 3-Point Ellipses
Another way to create an ellipse is using Figure 5: Preview of a 3-Point

Ellipse prior to the final click.
the new 3-Point Ellipse tool. Where the
regular Ellipse tool drags from corner to
corner always giving an unrotated ellipse, the 3-Point Ellipse tool allows you
to draw an ellipse that is prerotated. Deciding which tool is best for your
needs is up to your personal preference.
To draw a 3-Point Ellipse, click and drag from one side of the ellipse to the
other. That portion determines the width of the ellipse and will be indicated
by a blue line as you are drawing. Now release the mouse and click to indicate the height of the ellipse. As you move your cursor, youll notice a preview
of the ellipse as shown in Figure 5. When you finish, only the ellipse will be
shown on screen.
52
Creating Arcs and Pie Wedges

Often new users wonder how to create shapes they dont immediately find in
the toolbox. In almost all these cases it is as simple as a variation on shapes
that are in the toolbox. Arcs and pie wedges are both examples of this.
There are two ways to convert an ellipse into an arc or pie wedge. The first
method is interactive. Select the Shape
tool and click on the Ellipse. There is a
single node. Click and drag on the node.
If your cursor is inside the ellipse shape
when you release the mouse button, the
resulting shape will be a pie wedge. If the
cursor is outside the ellipse, youll get an
arc. Note that you can see the exact
Figure 6: Examples of an arc
starting and ending angle on the Property and a pie wedge.
Bar as shown below. Figure 6 shows an
example of an arc and a pie wedge created from the same ellipse.
Now that youve seen the numbers on the Property Bar, well introduce the
second way to create arcs and pie wedges. Did you guess it yet? You simply
change the values on the Property Bar. Use one of the three buttons to select
Ellipse, Arc or Pie Wedge. Then type in the values of the starting and ending
angles.
Now lets look at a feature sure to appease those of you who struggled in
math. Lets suppose you want a pie wedge that represents 22.5%. Sure you
could reach for your calculator and multiply 360 degrees by .225 to get the
exact result of 81 degrees. Or you could simply use 0 as the starting angle
and type 360*.225 as the ending angle value and let CorelDRAW do the
math for you. Pretty cool isnt it?
Polygons
With the Polygon tool you can draw a wide variety of
shapes including triangles, pentagons, hexagons, octagons, stars and much more. The exact shape you
get is dependent on the values you choose on the
53
Property Bar. Or you can simply draw something and then change the settings on the Property Bar.
Drawing a Polygon
To get started, select the Polygon tool. It is the leftmost tool on the Object
flyout. Confused? Try the eighth tool down in the toolbox and look for the
Pentagon icon. Oh heck, just press the Y key on your keyboard to get it.
Once youve selected the tool, look at the Property Bar (shown at bottom of
page) and you have two main icons. On the left is the icon for drawing polygons and on the right is one for drawing stars. Well start with a polygon.
Just to the right of the Star icon is a numbox for entering the number of
sides you want in
your polygon. By
default it is set to
five and thus you
would get a pentagon. Change the
value to eight and Figure 7: Examples of polygons with 3, 5, 8 and 12
youll get an octa- sides.
gon. Figure 7
shows examples of several different polygons.
Tip: For those who say there is no triangle tool, simply set the
value to three.
Once you have all the settings finalized, click on the drawing page and drag
out the polygon of your dreams. Note that the drawing process is identical to
that for rectangles and ellipses. And if you guessed that the Ctrl and Shift
modifier keys work the same way, youre dead on. Ctrl constrains the polygon
so that all sides are on equal lengths. This does not necessarily mean that
the width and height are equal. Shift draws the polygon from the center
outward.
Drawing a Star
Now that youve got the hang of drawing polygons, click the Star icon on the
Property Bar (shown on next page) and well learn about drawing stars. Note
54
that if a polygon is selected when you click this icon, it will change automatically to a star. Of special note, if you dont have at least five sides to your
polygon the star icon will be unavailable.
So now you have the Polygon tool selected and youve clicked the Star icon.
Next youll want to type in the number of points you want on the star. This
goes in the same numbox where you typed the number of sides on your polygon.
Ready to draw? Click and drag on the drawing page and youll get a star.
Hold the Ctrl key if you want the sides to be an equal size and hold the Shift
key if you want it drawn from the center out. You might notice that the star
contains connecting lines in the middle. For those who dont want these
lines, well show you a process a bit later for drawing stars without them.
For stars with at least seven points, you can control the sharpness of the
stars points. Just to the right of the numbox for the number of sides on the
polygon is a slider for adjusting the sharpness. It only becomes available
when you have seven or more points on your star. Look closely at your star
and youll see that the lines going through the middle of the star skip one
point by default. This is a sharpness of one. Changing the sharpness to two
means the connecting lines will skip two points as they go across the star.
Figure 8 shows examples of stars with different levels of sharpness.
Modifying Polygons or Stars

Weve already discussed some modification. You saw how you could change
the number of sides/points on the fly. And we talked about how the sharpness
of stars could be changed. Now lets take these modifications a step further.
If we start with a regular polygon, we can easily turn it into a star via modifications. With the polygon selected, click on the Shape tool. Notice that the
polygon has nodes at the end of each side as well as in the middle of the
sides. Click and drag on
one of the nodes in the
middle of the sides. Holding the Ctrl key will only allow you to move the nodes
directly towards or away
from the polygons center.
Notice how all the nodes Figure 8: Stars shown with a sharpness of 1,
2 and 3.
55
on the other sides

move in the same
way. When you let
go, bingo, you have
a star without the
extra lines.
Take this modification a step further Figure 9: Various shapes created with modifications
to polygons.
by not holding
down the Ctrl key
and by not only moving the nodes towards the center but also by moving
them approximately 45 degrees around the circle. Go ahead and wiggle them
back and forth and I bet you get a big smile. Now you are starting to see how
many possibilities you have for creating shapes.
These modifications only get more exciting when you work with stars with numerous sides. And once you learn the power of the Shape tool, you can convert the straight lines into curved lines, add more nodes to play with and
much more. Suffice it to say that the types of geometric patterns you can
create are endless. Figure 9 shows a small sampling of shapes created using
these methods.
Spirals
Spirals are the most complex, predefined shape in CorelDRAW based on their
initial shape. But, unlike the other shapes weve discussed, they are not live shapes that can be easily
modified after drawing.
Drawing Spirals
Before you draw, we need to select the Spiral tool. It
is found in the Object flyout, just like the Polygon
tool, on the far right. To select it quickly, press the A key on your keyboard.
Since you cant make modifications after you draw a spiral, it is important
that you change the settings on the Property Bar before you begin drawing.
There are two basic types of Spirals, Symmetrical and Logarithmic (see Figure 10). With a Symmetrical spiral each of the revolutions is equally spaced
from the previous revolution. Logarithmic spirals feature the distance be-
56
tween revolutions increasing

logarithmically with each revolution. By default, new Spirals will
be Symmetrical.
Next, you need to choose the
number of revolutions. This value
defaults to 4 and can be as high
as 100. Remember, you cant
Figure 10: Examples of each type of
change this after youve drawn the spiral.
Spiral.
If you have chosen a Logarithmic
Spiral, you can also adjust the
Expansion Factor slider. This
setting determines how fast the amount of spacing between the revolutions
will grow. Your best bet is to try different values until you get a feel for how
they look.
Now that you have all the settings selected, you just draw. Youll find that
things work very much like other shapes in that you click and drag from one
corner of an imaginary box to the opposite corner. And for the lady in the
back who guessed that Ctrl would constrain and Shift would draw from the
center out, you are absolutely correct.
Graph Paper
Graph Paper is really just an automated way to create
a bunch of rectangles. Like Spirals, you cant change
any settings after drawing.
Drawing Graph Paper

The Graph Paper tool is also found on the Object
flyout. It is the left most tool. Or you can just press
the D key on your keyboard to select it. On the Property Bar are two boxes
for entering the number of rows and columns you want to draw. Note that the
maximum for either value is 99.
Once you have the settings correct, click and drag your mouse from one corner to the opposite corner. Within that area youll now have a grid with the
57
appropriate number of rows and

columns. Just like the other tools,
Ctrl will constrain the overall
shape of the grid and Shift will
draw from the center out.
After youve drawn the grid, the Status Bar will indicate a Group of X Objects where X is the number of rows and columns multiplied together. Within
that group is nothing but a bunch of rectangles. These rectangles can be
modified just like any other rectangles. Beyond modifying the individual rectangles, there is no modification that can be done to the grid you created.
Perfect Shapes
It has always been very easy to change shapes in CorelDRAW. That is if you
wanted to change the shape as a whole. But what if you wanted to change
one part without changing another? Now you can if the object is supplied as
a Perfect Shape. In total there are 77 shapes supplied. This sounds great, but
it would be oh so nice if all of the symbols supplied with CorelDRAW were instead supplied as Perfect Shapes. Even
better it would be awesome if there was a
way to create our own custom Perfect
Shapes.
Drawing Perfect Shapes

Perfect Shapes can be found as the ninth tool down in the toolbox. Whichever set of shapes was used last will be shown. When you first use
CorelDRAW, the Basic Shapes will be shown.
By clicking on the tool, you will get the Perfect Shapes flyout with five separate tools on it. Each of these tools gives you access to a different set of Perfect Shapes.
Once youve selected one of the Perfect Shape tools, a drop-down list of
shapes will be available near the middle of the Property Bar. Click any of
those shapes and youre all set to draw the shape of your choice.
Youll find the process of drawing the shape to be very similar to the other
tools in CorelDRAW. Click and drag until you have the approximate shape
that you want. Of course, Ctrl constrains the shape and Shift draws it from
the center outwards.
58
Modifying Perfect Shapes

Once the Perfect Shape is drawn, glyph nodes will appear somewhere on the object. Each of the glyph
nodes will look similar to a regular node except they will
be in color. Typically they will be red, yellow or blue. No
shape will have more than one glyph node of the same
color. In the image at right, the glyph node is red.
The benefit of glyph nodes is that you
can modify the shape in some symmetrical fashion. In the smiley face, you can
change the expression of the mouth from
non-descript to happy or sad as shown in
Figure 11. With arrows, you can change
the shape of the arrowhead or the thickness of the arrow. Just click on the glyph
Figure 11: The smiley face is
node and drag it around to see how
changed to a sad face by
these changes work.
moving the glyph node.
Available Shapes
As mentioned earlier, there are a total of 77 Perfect Shapes divided into five
different categories.
Basic Shapes
The Basics Shapes dont fit into any category in particular so you will find the
widest range of shapes.
Arrow Shapes
All of the Perfect Shapes in this group are some form of arrow.
Flowchart Shapes
For those of you needing to create a flowchart, this group should have most
of the shapes you need.
Star Shapes
If converting polygons into stars doesnt give you enough possibilities then
youll probably find the star you need in this group.
Callout Shapes
While the name of the group is callouts, some of you might call them
thought balloons.
59
Smart Drawing Tool

A new tool in the CorelDRAW 12 toolbox is the Smart Drawing
tool. It allows you to draw rough shapes freehand and have
them converted into a more polished shape after you draw.
Below is the list of the shapes you can draw that will be recognized.
Line (straight)
Right-angle triangle
Equilateral triangle
Isosceles triangle
Rectangle *
Square
Parallelogram **
Diamond
Circle
Ellipse *
Trapezoid **
Arrow
* Will be converted to a native CorelDRAW object
** Will become a Perfect Shape object.
All other shapes will be a curve.
The best way for you to understand this tool is simply to try drawing a few
shapes. So go ahead and select the Smart Drawing Tool from the toolbox or
simply press the S key. Once the tool is selected, draw a circle and release
your mouse. Notice the rough shape you created is now a nice smooth circle. Repeat this with a rectangle, triangle and more.
When the Smart Drawing Tool is selected, youll get the Property Bar shown
above. It gives you the choice of how closely you want it to recognize shapes.
The higher the recognition, the lousier you can draw. You can also adjust the
level of smoothing you want applied to the objects you draw. This will mainly
affect objects that do not translate to a native CorelDRAW shape or a
PerfectShape. Lastly you can select the thickness of the outline that will be
applied.
60
A good example of the smart smoothing would be drawing a set of stairs. No

matter how hard you try, the lines will not be perfectly straight if you draw
them freehand. But the Smart Smoothing will recognize what you are trying
to do and will convert them to straight lines with right angles.
Another way that the Smart Drawing Tool works is to detect dash and dot
patterns of a line. Just draw the shape you want with varying dashes or dots
and a custom line style will be created from your pattern. To get a thicker
line, draw with multiple strokes. For example, draw over the same circle 3-4
times to thicken the outline.
Tutorial Movies
Drawing rectangles and squares
Drawing ellipses, circles, pie wedges and arcs
Drawing polygons and stars
Drawing graph paper
Drawing spirals
Drawing Perfect Shapes
Drawing using the Smart Drawing tool
Chapter Wrap
In this chapter youve gotten a look at all the predefined shapes available in
CorelDRAW. You learned how to create them, how to constrain them and the
basics of modifying the shapes. For those wanting to learn more about modifying the shapes youll want to learn more about the Shape tool in Chapter 7.
61
CorelDRAW 12
Drawing Freehand
Shapes & Lines
Users often turn to

the Freehand tool
when they first fire up
CorelDRAW. Learning
how to use the tools
for creating predefined shapes is typically a better place to start. Now that weve covered those
tools, well go over the many ways you can draw shapes from scratch. Some
of them are quite utilitarian while others could be considered very creative in
nature.
Freehand Tool
All the the tools described in this chapter are found on the
Curve Flyout, the fourth tool from the top of the Toolbox.
Many people refer to these tools as the Pencil tool collectively
because the default icon looks like a pencil.
The first tool on the flyout is the Freehand tool. When this tool is selected,
the cursor appears as a crosshair with a squiggly line to its lower right. By
holding down the left mouse button and dragging the mouse in various directions, you create a line that follows the path of the mouse. As soon as you
release the mouse button, the line ends. Once youve finished the line, it will
automatically be smoothed based on the Freehand Smoothing setting enCorelDRAW 12 Unleashed
62
tered at the far right of the Property Bar as shown at right.

This defaults to 100 which provides maximum smoothing. So
if you desire a rougher looking line, youll want to change this
to a lower value before drawing a line.
You can draw straight lines by left-clicking the starting point of a line and then
left-clicking the endpoint of the line. If you hold down the Ctrl key while drawing a straight line, you will constrain it to a multiple of the angle thats set in
Tools | Options | Workspace | Edit for Constrain Angle. This angle defaults to 15 degrees.
Tip: If you hold down the Shift key while drawing a line, you can
retrace over the line and erase what you have previously drawn.
Another really cool trick involves the Tab key. At any point you can switch to
drawing a straight line by pressing the Tab key. If you press it again, the line
will go back to being a freehand curve. It is important that the left mouse button is still pressed at all times for this to work correctly.
It should be mentioned that drawing with a mouse or trackball often creates
inaccurate curves. These devices just arent designed for creating artwork
freehand. To have the ability to create smooth strokes, you should really look
into purchasing a graphics tablet.
Bzier Tool
The second tool on the flyout is the Bzier tool. Bzier mode
enables you to create lines by connecting dots. This method
gives you complete control over where each node is placed,
and therefore the lines tend to be less complex and more accurate. If you have never used the Bzier tool, it might be difficult to get the hang of it. Click the left mouse button at each place you want
a node to appear. If you want to shape the curve while placing the nodes,
hold down the left mouse button and Bzier handles will appear. As long as
you continue to hold down the mouse button, you can make adjustments to
the handles by dragging them in any direction.
Another way to use the Bzier tool is to just click everywhere you want a
node. All the lines will be straight, so your objects will appear boxy. After
drawing the lines, you can then use the Shape tool (see Chapter 7) to edit the
lines to get the shape you want.
63
Chapter 4: Drawing Freehand Shapes & Lines
A useful trick is to hold down the C key on your keyboard. Any node you create while holding the C key will be a cusp node.
The Bzier tool is very helpful when you are manually tracing a bitmap. With
a little practice, youll find that the results are far superior to using
CorelTRACE and the total time to trace the bitmap is less than using
CorelTRACE and cleaning up the results.
Artistic Media Tool

The Artistic Media tool replaces what used to be called PowerLines. PowerLines never did seem to work as desired because
they created a large number of objects with an overwhelming
number of nodes. Youll find that the Artistic Media tool can do
everything that PowerLines could do and much more.
Presets
When you select the Artistic Media tool from the Curve flyout, the Property
Bar initially changes to the one shown here.
The first five buttons allow you to select which type of pen you would like to
use. Choices include Preset, Brush, Sprayer, Calligraphic and Pressure. Each
of these pen types are discussed in detail a little later in the chapter. Note that
as you select a pen type, the Property Bar will change to reflect settings for
that particular pen type. The Property Bar shown above is only applicable
when Preset is selected.
Just to the right of the buttons is a parameter box for freehand smoothing.
This will determine the number of nodes on the line you create and how
smooth or rough it will be. Next is the parameter box that gives the maximum
width of the line (or shape) being created. This value is used in different ways,
depending on which type of pen you are using. On the far right is a
drop-down of the various available presets. This is only available when the
preset pen type is selected.
64
OK, thats enough talk. For now, just select one of the presets from the
drop-down list at the far right of the
Property Bar and draw something on the
page. You might see a slight delay between drawing the line and actually seeing the finishing object. Can you see how
the Preset Stroke that you chose was fit
to the line you drew? The value in the Artistic Media Tool Width numbox is used
to determine the maximum width of the
line. Feel free to change the width now
and watch how the line on the page will
change. While youre at it, change to a
different Preset Stroke and the line will
change again. But what if youre not
happy with the line you drew? No probFigure 1: Three examples of
lem. Just switch to the Shape tool and
Presets applied to a line.
you can modify the actual stroke of the
line. Details on editing with the Shape
tool are provided in Chapter 7. Figure 1 shows an example of three different
Presets applied to the same line.
Brush
When you choose the second icon on the Property Bar, the Artistic Media
tool will allow you to paint with brush strokes with the settings shown on the
Property Bar below. These are similar to presets, but they allow you to take
almost any image you can create in CorelDRAW and paint with it. Just by
clicking on the Brush Stroke drop-down list, you can select from a number of
interesting brushes. Go ahead and paint with them for a little while to see
how they work. The changes we described with the presets are equally
applicable here.
The Brush Stroke that you choose will be fit to the stroke you draw with the
width of the stroke determined by the Artistic Media Tool Width setting on the
65
Property Bar. Figure 2 shows three examples of brushes applied to the same
line.
One of the neatest features is that you
can create your own brushes. Create the
shape or shapes that you want to use for
your brush. Make sure that all objects
that should be part of the shape are selected and click the Save Artistic Media
stroke button. Now you need to give the
stroke a name. Then you should see a
preview of your objects at the bottom of
the drop-down list. Thats all there is to it.
And since the strokes are in CMX format,
it is very easy for you to edit the existing
strokes to change their shapes or colors.
If you choose to design your own
Figure 2: Three different brush
brushes, you may want to consider keep- strokes applied to the same line.
ing the complexity of the brush to a minimum to avoid any output problems. If you create a series of cool brushes,
why not share them with other users? If they are really good, you could even
sell them! Id love to see the custom brushes youve created, so please feel
free to contact me and let me know what youve created.
Object Sprayer
Have you ever used the Image Sprayer in Corel PHOTO-PAINT? If so, youll
find the Object Sprayer very familiar. When you choose the Object Sprayer,
the Property Bar changes to the one shown below.
To use the Object Sprayer, youll first want to choose a Spraylist from the
drop-down list on the Property Bar. To the left of the drop-down list is the size
of the object being sprayed. You can adjust this size to fit your needs. By default, the width and height are the same, but you can click the lock icon just
to its right and adjust the two values separately. The size is based on the largest image in the list and the others are sized proportionally smaller. Figure 3
shows three examples of spraylists applied to a line.
66
Since a spraylist can contain a number of

different shapes, you can choose how
those shapes are used. The Choice of
spray order drop-down allows you to
choose from Randomly, Sequentially and
By Direction. Lets say that the spraylist
has 10 objects that it can spray. Randomly would have no particular sequence for choosing which of the 10
objects would be sprayed. Sequentially
would use the first object, then the second object, etc. By Direction would
choose the object sprayed by the direction of the line. So if you were moving
horizontally, you would get one object.
Start drawing at a 45 degree angle and Figure 3: Three examples of
you would get another object. This is es- spraylists.
pecially useful for a list containing something like arrows that point in various
directions.
Each place along the stroke that an object is sprayed, you can actually have
multiple objects. This is controlled by the number of Dabs you specify. It is
set to 1 by default. How often an object (or objects) is painted is controlled by
the Spacing specified on the Property Bar. By default it is 1 inch.
Rotation provides settings that will rotate the objects relative to either the
path drawn or to the page. Clicking the Rotation icon will bring down a mini
dialog box, shown at right, where you can enter various settings. Similarly
you can specify an Offset value by clicking on the Offset icon and entering
appropriate values in the mini dialog box. Here you can
also choose if the offset will always be on one side of
the line or alternate from side to side. Experiment with
these settings until you find something that gives you
the exact results that you want. If all goes awry and you
just want to start again, click the Reset button at the far
right of the Property Bar.
There will be times that there are objects in the spraylist
that you dont want to use. You can control which ob-
67
jects are used and their order by

creating a playlist. To do this, click
on the Spraylist Dialog button on
the Property Bar to get the dialog
On the left side of the dialog box
are all the objects within the
Spraylist. The right side of the dialog contains the Playlist that will
be used as you paint with the Object Sprayer. In the middle of the
dialog box are a series of buttons
that allow you to modify the list.
Figure 4: Playlist dialog box controls
The top three buttons allow you to
which objects are sprayed.
select an object and move it up or
down in the list. If two objects are
selected, their order can be reversed by clicking the rightmost of the three
buttons. The other buttons are clearly labeled and allow you to add objects
from the Spraylist to the Playlist or to Delete objects from the Playlist. Alternatively, you can add all the objects or clear them. Note that these changes
are only used while the Spraylist is selected and no permanent changes are
made to the Spraylist.
Creating Your Own Spraylist

This is an interesting feature, but there are only a handful of lists supplied
with CorelDRAW. So to get the most out of it, youll want to create your own
spraylists. Youll need to follow the instructions carefully so that your list
works properly.
1. First, create all the objects on your drawing page.
2. Select the Artistic Media Tool in the Object Sprayer mode.
3. Select New Spraylist from the Spraylist File List drop-down on the
Property Bar dropdown. Note that it is the topmost option.
4. With the Artistic Media Tool, click and/or Shift + click the objects on the
page. If you select more than one object, they will be treated as a single
object in the Spraylist.
5. Click the Add to Spraylist button on the Property Bar.
68
6. Repeat as necessary until youve added all the objects you want to the
Spraylist.
7. Click the Save icon to save to a named list.
So that will create the list, but what happens if you want to delete objects
from the list. With no objects selected on the page, bring up the Spraylist Dialog using the icon on the Property Bar. There is no way to delete the object
from the Spraylist, so youll just have to remove it from the Playlist. Select the
object you want removed and click the Remove button. When you get back
to the Property Bar, click the Save icon to make this change to the Playlist
permanent.
If you really want to delete the object, youll have to open the CorelDRAW
CDR file that is the Spraylist. Delete the object you dont want. Now it is
gone, but the preview is wrong. So bring up the Spraylist dialog box and
move an object up in the Playlist and then down again. When you get back to
the Property Bar, click the Save icon and the preview will be updated. This
would be much easier if you could just select the object in the Spraylist and
press the Remove button.
Calligraphic
Unlike the previous two Artistic Media tools, the Calligraphic tool just draws
fillable shapes. You can control the Freehand Smoothing and Width of the
line as with the Presets described earlier. The only unique option is the Calligraphic Angle found at the far right of the Property Bar shown below. A simple way to see how this tool works is to draw an S. Note how the thickness
of the line is determined by the direction of your brush stroke. With the default settings, the line should have little or no thickness for purely horizontal
lines and full thickness for perfectly vertical lines. As the angle changes, the
points of maximum and minimum thickness will change.
69
Pressure
Drawing pressure lines requires a graphics tablet.
Yes, you can draw them
with a mouse, but since there is no pressure, the line will have a minimum
amount of width to start. If you use the Up and Down arrows on your keyboard, it will increase and decrease pressure as you draw with the mouse. So
while it can technically be accomplished with a mouse, it isnt truly useful
without a tablet. The Artistic Media Tool Width will now be used as the width
of the line when the maximum pressure is applied. If you apply less pressure,
the line will be thinner.
Artistic Media Docker

So far weve concentrated on using the Artistic
Media Tool, but there is another way. With
CorelDRAW, isnt there always another way? You
can access the Docker by selecting Window |
Dockers | Artistic Media. The Docker is shown
in Figure 5 in an undocked state.
One benefit to using the Docker is that you can
apply a Preset, Brush, or Spraylist to a line
youve already drawn. This allows you to tweak
the original line until it is perfect before applying
the Artistic Media. Select the line where you
want to paint and then single click on the stroke
you wish to apply. If you want to change to another stroke, just click on the new stroke and
the change will happen automatically.
You can also create a new stroke by dragging an
object onto the Docker. If it is a single object
and you drop it on an existing Spraylist, it will be
added to the Spraylist. If you drop it elsewhere,
youll be asked if you want a new Brush or
Spraylist. If you plan on creating a Spraylist, it is
best to drag the first object in to get it started.
Then drag in new objects one by one. When
Figure 5: The Artistic
they can be added, youll see a small + next to Media Docker.
70
your cursor. If you just select all the objects and drag them at once, they will
all be considered a single object in the Spraylist.
Graphics Tablets
To get the most out of the Artistic
Media tool, you need a graphics
tablet. You can create some of the
effects without one, but you cant
easily simulate the Pressure effect.
Tablets are something that Ive
been recommending for years.
Sure, they cost more than a standard mouse, but they also deliver
much more in terms of accuracy.
Obviously, using a pen to draw is
much more natural than a bar of
soap. It is something that youve
used your whole life, so you can
create lines that are much
smoother than those you can
generate with a mouse.
Tablets are also better for you
ergonomically. They decrease
your chances of getting Carpal
Tunnel Syndrome, which is commonly attributed to using a
mouse. The savings in health
costs alone can make the tablet a
very worthwhile addition.
Most tablet manufacturers offer tablets in three sizes of interest to graphic designers. The smallest tablet is usually in the neighborhood of 4"5" and is
also the cheapest at less than $100. Many users are attracted by the price,
but you do get what you pay for. A bit larger is the 6"8" tablet and the 9" x
12" tablets. These give you much more room to work with, and you can
commonly find these tablets for under $300. Lastly, there are the 12"12"
tablets. If you are tracing artwork from a full 8.5"11" page, these tablets can
be useful. Most CorelDRAW users will find that the 6"8" size is optimal.
71
Tablets all have at least two buttons, just like a mouse. The left mouse button is typically the tip of the pen. Pressing down on the tip is the same as
left-clicking with a mouse. Nowadays, the tips measure the amount of pressure you use when drawing. This information is used by almost all paint programs, including Corel PHOTO-PAINT, and also by the Pressure Artistic
Media Tool described earlier. The right mouse button is found on the barrel
of the pen. This you press with your finger. Many pens have another button
on the barrel that you can program for a double-click. This feature is especially handy since it can be difficult to tap the tip twice in the same place. The
latest trend is to add an eraser to the other end of the pen. Turn the pen
over and this tip will truly act as an eraser in CorelDRAW. In Corel
PHOTO-PAINT, you can program it to activate the tool of your choice.
So, next time you have a little extra money for computer toys, put a
graphics tablet at the top of your list and you wont be disappointed.
Pen Tool
At first and even second glance, the Pen tool seems to work
identically to the Bzier tool. Youll find the Pen tool as the
fourth tool on the curve flyout. As you inspect a little deeper,
youll find that the Pen tool works exactly like the Pen tool in
Adobe Photoshop. As an example, you must double-click to
end the line where the Bzier tool automatically ends with the
last node you placed.
If you simply click with the mouse, a cusp node will be placed. Click and drag
to place a node and shape it with bzier handles on the fly.
Users familiar with Adobe Photoshop will most likely find this a handy tool.
Others are probably better off using the Bzier tool. Both tools have more or
less the same function, they just operate with a very slight difference.
Polyline Tool
The Polyline tool is the fifth tool in the curve flyout. It is somewhat of a cross between the Bzier tool and the Freehand tool.
If you simply click, a node is placed. Clicking a second time
will draw a straight line between the two points clicked. At any
time, you can also click and drag to get a freehand curve
matching your drawing stroke. To finish drawing, double-click.
72
3-Point Curve Tool

Next up is the 3-Point Curve tool. It is the sixth tool across in
the Curve flyout. If you just click with this tool, youll soon find
that nothing happens. Instead, click and drag from the beginning of the curve to the end of the curve. Then release your
cursor and watch how the curve changes shape with your mouse movement.
Click one more time to finish off the curve.
Dimension Tool
107.88"
The Dimension tool gives you five different tools for drawing
dimension lines, which are special lines that contain a measurement value as text. Youll also find tools for drawing
callouts and for connecting objects. Choosing any of these
options is done on the Property Bar when the Dimension Line tool is
selected.
Dimension lines enable you to assign various types of measurements to objects. This comes in handy when youre working with CAD-like drawings that
need to show the sizes of objects. There are four types of dimension lines,
which are used for drawing horizontal, vertical, diagonal, and angular lines. If
you use the wrong type of dimension line to draw a line, youll get a dimension of zero. For example, if you use the Horizontal Dimension tool to draw a
vertical line, the value will read zero because theres no horizontal dimension.
Diagonal dimension lines, drawn with the Diagonal Dimension tool, can be
constrained to the constrain angle with the Ctrl key. The main differences between dimension
lines and regular
lines are that there
"
43 degrees
. 21
are tick marks to in226
dicate the endpoints
of the dimension
line, and the measurement of the line
itself appears in the
middle of the line.
Figure 6 shows a
17.90 ft
sample drawing
Figure 6: Examples of each type of dimension line.
73
with each of the four types of dimension lines.

Creating horizontal, vertical, and diagonal dimension lines is a three-click
process. First, click where the line begins. Next, click where the line ends.
And finally, click in the middle of the line where the text is to appear. To measure an object accurately, make sure Snap To Objects is enabled. This causes
the dimension line to snap to the nodes and other snap points of the object
being measured. The dimension measurement can be scaled to many popular measuring systems using the Tools Options Rulers dialog box. For more
information on choosing the measurement system, see Chapter 12. The text
is displayed according to the rules set on the Property Bar, which is shown
below.
The Dimension Style drop-down on the Property Bar enables you to choose
which style of numbers you want to use. You can choose from Decimal, Fractional, U.S. Engineering, and U.S. Architectural. You can also specify the
number of decimal places and the units being measured with the Dimension
Precision drop-down. The next drop-down controls the Dimension Units and
you can choose any measurement system available to CorelDRAW. The Show
Units for Dimension button controls whether or not the text for the units are
included in the dimension line.
The next two boxes enable you to add a prefix or suffix (or
both) to the text part of the dimension lines. To the right of
these boxes is the Dynamic Dimensioning button, which allows the dimension measurement to change when the object
is resized. Next is a drop-down (shown at right) with five
choices you can use to specify how the text is positioned. The
text can appear above, below, or in line with the dimension
line. You can also choose whether the text is rotated with the
line or is always horizontal.
Dimension-line text can be formatted just like any other text.
Select the text by clicking it. The Status Bar indicates that
Control text is selected. Once it has been selected, it can be
edited just like any other Artistic text. If you click and drag the text to another
location, the lines will adjust to meet with the text.
74
The Dimension Line can be linked to an object if you have Snap To Objects
enabled while you draw the line. As youre drawing, youll see little blue rectangles appear when you snap to a point. You cant establish this link after you
draw the line. The snap point for the dimension line can be the end of a line,
a corner of a rectangle, a node on a multi-segment line, the center of a
bounding box, the midpoint of a rectangle side or any other snap point that is
enabled. The dimension is updated any time the object is moved, scaled, or
rotated as well as any time changes are made to the snap point.
The link between an object and an associated dimension line can be broken
by using the Arrange | Break Apart command. If a snap point is deleted
from an object, the associated dimension line is also deleted. Some operations such as adding perspective, applying an envelope, and applying an extrusion, cannot be performed on objects that have associated dimension
lines.
Angular dimension lines work slightly different than the other dimension
lines. They require four clicks. The first click is the center of the angle; the
next click is one end of the angle; the third click is the other end of the angle,
and the last click is where the text will appear.
Callouts
Callouts are created with the Callout tool, the fifth button on the Dimension
Property Bar. This tool links a line and associated text to an object. If the
point to which the callout is connected is moved, the callout moves with it.
To create a callout, make sure that Snap
To Objects is enabled. Click once where
the callout should start (the object being
I was here!
pointed to), click a second time where
you want an elbow, and click a third time
where you want to place the text. If you
dont want to have an elbow in the line,
just double-click as the second step. After the last click, you can type in the desired text. Figure 7 shows a callout with
an elbow in the line. Once you have
drawn the line, you can move any of the Figure 7: A callout pointed at an
object.
75
three points (beginning, elbow, and end) with the Shape tool.
Interactive Connector Tool

The Connector Line Tool Property Bar (shown below) appears when you select the Connector Line tool, the seventh tool on the Curve flyout. Connector
lines are used to link a line dynamically between two objects. If Snap To Objects is turned off, then the lines will behave as standard straight lines. But
with Snap To Objects enabled, the lines will attach themselves to objects. A
blue square appears on the object when the line snaps after you let go of the
mouse button. When the control objects are moved, the lines automatically
move with them. A Connector Line can be assigned as either an Angled Connector or a Linear Connector by choosing either of the two buttons available
on the Property Bar.
Tutorial Movies
Drawing with Freehand and Bezier Tool
Drawing with Artistic Media Tool
Draw with 3 Point Curve Tool
Drawing with Dimension and Connector Tools
Chapter Wrap
Youve now seen all of the tools for drawing shapes. The last chapter was the
predefined shapes and this chapter was all the different freehand shapes. But
there are a lot more things you can do with Artistic Media, Dimension Lines
and Callouts. The last object well discuss is text and it is in the next chapter.
76
CorelDRAW 12
Creating & Manipulating

Text
If you have been working in an older version of CorelDRAW, you will immediately notice that there is now just a single Text tool. Youll learn how this single tool can be used to create both Artistic and Paragraph Text. Special
Characters are accessed by selecting Text | Insert Character. Before you decide to use CorelDRAW for all your page layout needs, please keep in mind
that documents of more than a few pages really should be created in a package such as Corel VENTURA.
Artistic Text
Artistic Text is used when you have a short block of text that will have a special effect applied. Quite often you will use it without applying special effects,
but you must first have Artistic Text before even attempting most effects. You
can have no more than 32,000 characters in a single block of Artistic Text.
Older versions of CorelDRAW had a 250-character limit on text blocks that
could receive an effect. That limit does not apply in newer versions of
CorelDRAW, but remember that the longer the block, the more time consuming the effect will be to implement.
It is important to stress that you can use Artistic Text without an effect. If you
have a few words or even a sentence, Artistic Text is probably the best choice.
77
Chapter 5: Creating & Manipulating Text
Creating Artistic Text

To create a block of Artistic Text, you first
need to select the Text tool from the toolbox or right-click the drawing window
and choose Create Object | Text from
the pop-up menu. An even quicker way
to select the Text tool is with the F8
shortcut key.
Once the Text tool is selected, click anywhere in the drawing window and begin
typing. By default, the text is 24-point
Avant Garde Bk BT. As you type, the text
will not automatically wrap to the next
Figure 1: The Text Attributes
line. If you want a new paragraph or line, dialog box lets you choose
you must press the Enter key.
which type of text will have its
You can change the default font for the default changed.
current document by changing the font
name and size on the Property Bar when no text object is selected. After you
select the new attributes, you will be presented with the Text Attributes dialog
box, shown in Figure 1, asking whether the change applies to Artistic Text,
Paragraph Text, or both.
Note that this change will only change the default font in the current document. To make it the default in all future documents, select Tools | Save
Settings as Default. Another way is to select Tools | Options and click on
the word Document in the tree list at left. Check the box that says Save options as defaults for new documents and make sure that Styles is selected.
Artistic Text behaves like any other graphical object. It can be stretched, mirrored, rotated, extruded, contoured, and placed on a path. If you wish to directly edit the shapes of text characters, you need to convert the text to
curves (Ctrl-Q). When converting text to curves, do not allow any object to
exceed 500 nodes. Doing so can lead to serious printing problems. You can
also break apart and arrange blocks of Artistic Text. You can use Arrange |
Break Apart (Ctrl-K) to make each line of text a separate object. If you apply
this command to a single line of text, each word will become a separate object. And if you apply Break Apart to a single word, the word will become separate characters. This can all be very handy when converting text blocks to
curves to ensure that they do not become too complex. If you wish to put
78
separate lines of text together, simply use the Arrange | Combine (Ctrl-L)
command after selecting the lines of text. This will place the text in a single
block, with the first block selected being the top line in the block. And
separate words can be combined into a line of text.
If you wish to edit the text, you can simply click with the Text tool anywhere
within the text block, and a cursor will appear. If youd rather edit the text in a dialog box, choose Text | Edit Text or use Figure 2: A block of Artistic Text
the Ctrl-Shift-T shortcut key. Often it is
is selected on screen.
easier to edit the text within the dialog
box because it will automatically wrap the lines for editing purposes; for tiny
text using the dialog box is a must, since the text will always be presented in a
readable size in the correct font. An example of Artistic Text on screen is
shown in Figure 2.
Artistic Text Attributes

You can change the attributes of Artistic Text in two places: the Property Bar
and the Format Text dialog box. Not all of the attributes are available on the
Property Bar, so well only discuss the procedures for using the Format Text
dialog box. In many instances, however, when an attribute is available, it is
much quicker to use the Property Bar. You access the Format Text dialog box
by choosing Text | Format Text (Ctrl-T).
If you select the text with the Pick tool, all formatting changes will apply to
the whole block of text. You can also select individual characters with either
the Shape tool or the Text tool. Both tools allow you to change the attributes
of only the selected characters. For those of you who have complained that
you cant boldface or underline a single word in a block of text, heres the solution: simply select that word with the Shape or Text tool and activate the
Bold, Underline, or whatever effect you desire.
The Format Text dialog box in CorelDRAW is modal. This means that you can
continue working with text objects on screen while the dialog box is active.
You could then easily apply formatting changes to separate text objects or
even separate characters within a text block. In addition to the OK button,
there is also an Apply button to use in these instances.
79
Font
The first tab in the Format
Text dialog box is the Font
tab, as shown in Figure 3.
The left side of the dialog
box presents a drop-down
list of all available fonts.
PostScript Type 1 fonts are
preceded by a T1 symbol,
OpenType fonts by an OT
symbol and TrueType fonts
are preceded by a TT symbol. If the icons are
dimmed, the font has been
Figure 3: The Font Tab of the Format Text
temporarily installed by
Font Navigator. Just above dialog box for Artistic Text
the list of fonts is the name of the currently selected font. You can manually
type in a name. With each letter that you type, you are moved down the list
to the first font that matches. For instance, if youre looking for Zapf Dingbats, simply type the Z, and youll be moved to the first font that begins with
the letter Z. You can continue to type out the name until the correct font is
chosen or use the mouse to click the desired font. The typing method just
makes it easier to get to fonts farther down the list. Note that a preview of the
chosen font is shown at the bottom of the dialog box.
Below the Font is the Size spin box. Font sizes by default are shown in points.
The up arrow increases the value by 1 point, and the down arrow decreases it
by 1 point. The smallest point size possible is .001 point, and the largest is
3,000 points.
The next value is the fonts weight. Up to four values are available in the Style
list, depending on the font chosen. Only weights that exist will be shown, unlike in word processing programs, where the program will fake a bold or
italic weight. The four possible weights are Normal, Italic, Bold, and Bold
Italic. These names are based upon attributes set within the font rather than
the fonts actual name. The weight names are always reported as Normal,
Italic, Bold, and Bold Italic even though this nomenclature is not correct for
many fonts. Although this may seem to be just an irritation, it can lead to
80
problems when exporting files to

other programs that work with the
correct font names.
On the right side of the dialog box
are three drop-down lists labeled
Underline, Strikethru, and
Overline. Each of them has an op- Figure 4: Edit Underline dialog box
tion for Single Thin, Single Thick,
or Double Thin outline, and each type of outline can be applied to just words
or to the whole text block (including spaces). When you choose any of the
ruling lines, you can click the Edit button to change the appearance of the
lines in the Edit Underline dialog box shown in Figure 4.
The Thickness and Baseline Shift values are originally a percentage of the
fonts point size, but they can also be specified in specific points using the
Units drop-down list.
Below the three types of lines is the Uppercase drop-down list. By default, it
is set to none. But you can change it to either Small Caps or All Caps. The
nice thing about using the two different features for converting the text to
capital letters is that they are just effects and not permanent changes to the
text itself. To make the conversion permanent, you can use the Text |
Change Case command discussed later.
The Position selection for a
font allows you to make
the selected text a superscript or subscript. In most
instances, you will use
these options only when
you have selected characters within a text block
rather than the text block
as a whole. Note that there
is no way to customize the
percentage of these effects
in relation to the rest of the
text.
When you select individual Figure 5: The Character tab of the Format
characters within a text
Text dialog box for selected characters
81
block using either the

Shape or Text tool before
or while accessing the
Character tab of the Format Text dialog box, extra
controls will be available,
as shown in Figure 5.
These extra controls are
described next.
You can control the character shift of the selected
characters by moving them
a certain percentage in either the Horizontal or the
Vertical direction. By char- Figure 6: The Format Text dialog box with the
acter shift, we are referring Paragraph tab selected
to the amount that a character is moved above or below the normal baseline for text. These characters
can also be rotated individually.
Alignment & Spacing

When you select the Paragraph tab, six types of alignment are available for
Artistic Text, as shown in Figure 6. The default alignment is None. This selection does exactly what is says: nothing. Many people assume it is the same as
left justification, but it is not. When you have None selected, you can use the
Shape tool to move individual characters past the left margin of the text
block. Left alignment justifies everything to the left margin, leaving the right
edge ragged. Center alignment centers all of the text. Initially, the centering
will be relative to where the text cursor was first clicked in the drawing window. As you move the center-aligned text, however, it will be relative to the
center of the text block. Right alignment justifies everything to the right margin, leaving the left edge ragged. Again, the initial alignment is relative to
where the text cursor was first clicked in the drawing window.
Full justify justifies both the left and right edges of the text. If the last line is
only one word, that word will remain just left justified. Unfortunately, this format looks really strange when two words are fully justified with a huge white
area between them. Use this form of alignment with great caution. Force justify takes full justification one step further: it forces everything to be justified
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to both left and right margins. So if only one word appears on a line, a lot of
space will be added between characters to justify the word to both the left
and right margins. Again, use this option with great caution. Typically the justification options are only used with Paragraph text.
Below the alignment options are choices for controlling text spacing. With Artistic Text, you have three spacing controls: Character, Word, and Line. Character spacing is measured as a percentage of the space taken up by the
space character in the font used by the text. By default, it is set to zero so
that no extra space is added between characters. By clicking the spin arrows,
you can increase or decrease the value by 1 percentage point; you can also
simply type a value. Word spacing is measured in the same way, but since
you generally want a full space between words, this value defaults to 100
percent.
Line spacing by default is measured as a percentage of the character height.
You can also measure line spacing in points or as a percentage of the point
size. Plain and simple, the default selection is probably the worst way to measure line spacing. Line spacing (or leading) traditionally is measured in points
by graphic artists. Typically, spacing is the font size plus two points. Thus, for
10-point text, the leading would be 12 points. For point sizes over about 24
points, the point size itself tends to work fine as the line spacing measure; in
fact, you may even want the leading to be less than the point size. It is a good
habit to start measuring text in points if you do not already do so. You can
make that your default selection if you select Points in this dialog box when
no text is selected and then save that as your default font.
There are also several other ways to change the character spacing. If you
have more than one character selected, Ctrl-Shift > will increase the space
between letters (commonly called kerning) and Ctrl-Shift < will decrease the
space. Kerning the characters in this way is much more visual than using the
dialog box. With the Shape tool selected, you can click the node to the left of
the character and drag it anywhere you like. Holding the Ctrl key will constrain the movement along the baseline of the text. Lastly, you can kern with
the Pick tool. Press the Z key on the keyboard which will allow you to again
select the node to the left of the character. Once selected, drag the character
wherever you would like.
Settings for Language, Orientation and Direction apply mainly to languages
using alternate character sets such as Arabic or Chinese and thus will not be
discussed.
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Paragraph Text
Paragraph Text is used for larger blocks of text
that contain multiple paragraphs, multiple columns, or multiple frames. Because its purpose
is to handle long blocks of text, only the enveloping effect can be applied to Paragraph Text.
Each paragraph of text can have up to 32,000
characters. Each frame of Paragraph Text can
contain up to 32,000 paragraphs, and up to
32,000 frames can be linked together. If you
need that much text, you sure as heck shouldnt Figure 7: An example of
be using CorelDRAW for that particular project! paragraph text.
For projects of that size, we highly recommend
that you use Corel VENTURA.
Creating Paragraph Text

Since there is now only one Text tool in CorelDRAW, you need to actually
draw the Paragraph Text frame. Select the Text tool as described in earlier articles. Use the text cursor to drag out a marquee box that is the size of the
frame where the Paragraph Text will appear. Once the frame exists, start typing. If you have a large amount of text that already exists in your favorite word
processor, you can use the File | Import (Ctrl-I) command to bring it into
CorelDRAW.
When text is imported from a word processing file, it will create a frame that
is the same as the page size. If all of the text does not fit on the first page, additional pages and frames will be added until all text appears. There is another way to import text so that the text does not automatically flow. This
method will be explained a little bit later in this chapter.
When you are working with a Paragraph Text frame, it will have handles like
other objects. If you resize the frame, however, the text inside it is not resized.
Instead, only the container into which the text flows is resized. An example of
a Paragraph Text frame is shown in Figure 7. If you wish to resize the text at
the same time as the frame, hold down the Alt key while resizing.
Paragraph Text Attributes

Changing the attributes of Paragraph Text is much like changing Artistic Text
except that many more options are available.
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Font
The Font tab of the Format Text dialog box for Paragraph Text is exactly the
same as that for Artistic Text. It was discussed previously.
Paragraph
The Paragraph tab of the Format Text dialog box is the same as for Artistic
Text, with access to more controls, as shown in Figure 8. When Full justify or
Force justify are selected, clicking the Settings button will allow you to set.
Max. word spacing, Min. word spacing, and Max. char. spacing. The problem
we described earlier of Artistic Text creating large areas of white space can be
eliminated by adjusting these settings. Since Artistic Text was not designed
for large blocks of text, it doesnt include these controls. But Paragraph Text
is geared more towards page layout tasks and you therefore have much
greater control over the text flow within the frame.
To change the indents, use the spin boxes labeled First line, Left, and Right.
Note that the Left value indicates the left indentation of the paragraph as a
whole. None of these values can be negative, but if the First line indent is less
than the Left, you will actually be creating an outdent.
All of the spacing options that are available to Artistic Text are also available
for Paragraph Text. The Before paragraph and After paragraph settings specify the amount of extra leading, or line spacing, that will be added before or
after a paragraph. By default, the setting for spacing before a paragraph is
the same as the line spacing. If line spacing has
been changed, however,
this will not be true. If the
setting for spacing before a
paragraph is decreased,
the end of one paragraph
could overlap the beginning of the next one. Thus,
this setting should be a
value at least equal to the
line spacing value. To add
extra space, simply inFigure 8: The Paragraph tab of the Format
Text dialog box for Paragraph Text
85
crease the Before paragraph value

by the amount of extra space you
desire.
After paragraph works in much
the same way as Before paragraph. But instead of adding the
space before a paragraph, it will
add it to the bottom of a paraFigure 9: Hyphenation Settings dialog
graph. Depending on the layout of box.
your document, each of these values must be carefully adjusted to
get just the right look.
By default, the Hyphenation controls are turned off. You can activate them by
checking the Use automatic hyphenation check box. Clicking the Hyphenation Settings button displays the Hyphenation Settings dialog box, shown in
Figure 9.
By default, a break cannot occur between capital letters. To allow this type of
break, you check the Break capitalized check box. The Hot zone value indicates the size of the area at the end of the line where hyphenation can occur.
The smaller the zone, the more likely that hyphenation will occur. Changing
the default to .3 inches will produce more pleasing right margins in most applications. Min. word length specifies the shortest word that can be hyphenated. The default is six letters. Min. characters before and Min. characters
after specify the number of letters that must appear before and after a hyphen. This will prevent a single letter from being stranded on a line somewhere. If you dont want two letters to stand alone, for example, simply
change the setting to a higher value.
Youll notice that the bottom of the Format Text Paragraph dialog box has settings for Text Direction that are dimmed. These settings are only available
when running CorelDRAW on non-English versions of Windows that uses alternate character sets and flows text other than from left to right.
Tabs and Indents

When working with Paragraph Text, you have control over the tab settings.
These settings can be controlled either graphically on the ruler or by entering
values in the various parameter boxes. Figure 10 shows the Tabs tab of the
Format Text dialog box.
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The right side of the dialog

box presents a list of all the
existing tabs. The first column in the table indicates
the position of the tab.
Double-clicking a value allows you to edit it either by
typing a new value or using
the spin controls. Clicking
any of the values in the
Alignment column displays
a drop-down list from
which you can choose Left,
Right, Center, or Decimal
alignment. Left, Right, and Figure 10: The Tabs tab of the Format Text
Center tabs align text ex- dialog box
actly as you would expect.
The Decimal option aligns the decimal point in a number at the tab position.
This allows you to easily align a column of numbers. The numeric characters
in a font are usually not proportionally spaced as are the alphabetic characters. This is so that the numbers will line up properly. You will occasionally
come across a font that does have proportional spacing for numbers. If so,
you may have to change fonts if you need to accurately line up columns of
numbers.
The Leadered column indicates whether a particular tab stop uses leaders.
Leaders provide actual characters for a tab rather than just a blank space.
The most common type of leader is a dot leader, which provides a series of
dots or periods within the tab area.
You specify the leader character either by selecting it directly in the Character
box or by entering its ASCII value in the Character # box. Note than extended
characters are not available as leaders. The default leader character is a dot.
You use the Spacing parameter box to indicate the spacing between leader
characters. Spacing can vary from a very tight setting of 0 to an extremely
loose setting of 10; the smaller the value, the closer together the characters
in the leader line will be. As you adjust the value, a preview just below the
Spacing box will show you exactly how the leader will look. Note that even
though you can set leaders on more than one tab stop, all leader characters
in a paragraph will be the same.
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You can set up to 64 tabs for each paragraphnot that you would ever need
that many. To set them so they are evenly spaced, use the Add tabs every
button. Type the spacing value in the spin box and click the button. Tabs will
automatically be added at the interval you specified.
To simply add a single tab, click the + button below the list of tab settings. If
you wish to delete a single tab, you must first select the tab in the table and
then click the button. To eliminate all of the tab stops, click the X button.
Frames and Columns

All Paragraph Text is in a frame. Inside of that frame, the text can flow into
columns. This value is the first value you set on the Columns tab of the Format Text dialog box, shown in Figure 11. Each frame can contain up to eight
columns.
The dialog box displays values only for up to six columns, but a scroll bar will
appear next to the column numbers if more than three are selected. The
Width column controls the width of a single column of text within a frame.
The Gutter column controls the amount of white space between columns. If
the Equal column width check box is checked, you can change these values
only for the first column, and all other columns will use identical values. Otherwise, you can enter column widths for each individual column and gutter
widths between every pair of columns. Note that there will always be one less
gutter width than the number of columns. Youll note
that the Right-to-left columns check box is most
likely grayed out. This is
only available when using
CorelDRAW on a computer
system whose default
language reads
right-to-left.
At the bottom of the dialog
box, the total value of the
paragraph frame width is
shown. This value is simply
the column and gutter
Figure 11: The Columns tab of the Format
widths added together. If
Text dialog box
you select the Maintain
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current frame width radio button, the value of the paragraph frame must
equal the current frame width. If it doesnt, the values will be adjusted accordingly. Selecting the Automatically adjust frame width radio button resizes the
frame to match the values youve entered.
The Vertical justification value indicates how the text fits within the paragraph
frame from top to bottom. You can align text at the top, center, or bottom, or
you can choose the Full option, which will add leading between the lines of
text so that it is evenly spaced to fill the whole frame. Full justification can be
useful for fitting ad copy into an ad, for example.
As you are making the various changes, the preview window in the upper-right corner of the dialog box will give you an idea of how the frame will
look. Remember that it is only a rough preview and is not entirely a
WYSIWYG view.
Effects
The last tab in the Format Text dialog box is Effects. This is a rather deceiving
name as it is used for creating bullets and drop caps. By default, none is select in the Effect Type drop-down list and the dialog box is completely
dimmed. If you select Bullet or Drop cap, however, the tab will become
usable.
Specifying Bullet Effects
Figure 12 shows the dialog box displayed when
you choose Bullet.
A bullet is a character that
precedes a paragraph to
give it a special emphasis.
Normally, it is represented
by a symbol character
rather than an alphabetic
character. The name comes from the filled circle
that is the most common
type of bullet used. Since it
resembles a bullet hole, it
is called a bullet.
Figure 12: The Effects tab of the Format Text
dialog box when Bullet is selected
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When you choose a font, all of the characters in the font will be displayed in
the Symbol drop-down grid. Click the character you desire, and it will become the bullet character for the paragraph. If youd rather enter the characters number, you can use the Symbol # text box. This number is simply the
characters ASCII value.
Just below the Font drop-down list, you can adjust the Size and Baseline
shift. The size of the bullet defaults to the same size as the rest of the text in
the paragraph. The baseline shift indicates how far above or below the baseline the bullet character is placed. Some bullet characters need to be shifted
up or down so that they look right. Either enter a value for the shift or use
the spin buttons to change the current value. Negative values will shift the
bullet below the baseline while positive values will move it above the baseline.
The Position indicates how far the bullet character itself will be from the left
margin. You also have two placement options. Bulleted places the bullet
within the paragraph so that the second line aligns with the bullet rather than
the rest of the text. Hanging Indent leaves the bullet hanging in the margin
so that the text in the paragraph is left-aligned on all lines.
Specifying Drop Cap Effects
Selecting Drop cap from the Effect drop-down list displays the dialog box
shown in Figure 13.
A drop cap is normally an alphabetical character that is much larger than the
size of text within the paragraph. Commonly, it is
used at the beginning of a
section or chapter to place
extra emphasis on the first
paragraph. It also can provide a nice graphical
touch. The name is derived
because the character is
normally a capital letter
that drops over several
lines of the paragraph.
In the Dropped lines box,
you can select the number
of lines the first character Figure 13: The Effects tab of the Format Text
will be dropped. Thus, if
dialog box when Drop Cap is selected
90
you use the default setting of three lines, the first character will grow to the
height of the first three lines of text. Distance from text determines the
amount of space between the right edge of the drop character and the rest of
the text block. The right side of the Indents section allows you to specify
whether the character is dropped within the text block or hanging outside of
the text block.
Flowing Paragraph Text

Since Paragraph Text is usually a large block of text,
quite often it will span more than one page or two areas on the same page. In this case, text will automatically flow from one frame to another. When the text
extends beyond the bottom of a frame, the bottom-middle handle will have a downward-pointing ar- Figure 14: Icon for
row in it. Click the handle, and your cursor will look like flowing text from
the cursor shown in Figure 14.
frame to frame
Go to the place in your drawing where you want more
text to appear. If you want a paragraph frame to be created automatically, just
click at the place you want it created. Automatically created frames will be
drawn the same size as the page. You can also drag out a frame instead, to
create a paragraph frame of the size you want. Text will flow into the new
frame from the previous frame. If there is still more text, the bottom-middle
handle will again have a downward-pointing arrow inside of it. Youll also notice that the top-middle handle of this new frame will have greeked text inside of it to indicate that it is linked to another frame above it. If you check
the first frame, youll notice that it now has the same symbol in the bottom-middle handle, indicating that there is text in a frame following it. When
frames are linked, a small line will be drawn between them to indicate the
link. This line is purely for informational purposes and will not be printed.
Figure 15 shows an example of
text flowing between two frames.
If you have two frames linked and
you wish to break the link, use the
Arrange | Break Apart command. To link a frame that already
exists, click on the bottom middle
Figure 15: Paragraph text flowing
handle of the frame with text in it
between two frames
91
and use the icon, shown in Figure 14, to click on the

pre-existing frame to which you want the text to flow.
Wrapping Text Around Graphics

Text can easily flow around a graphic object. Where
some users get tripped up is in thinking that you tell
the text to avoid other objects, when in fact you tell the
objects to repel text. Select the object or group of objects that you want to repel text; i.e. the graphics you
want the text to wrap around. Now click the Wrap
Paragraph Text icon on the Property Bar. The icon is
shown at the upper left of Figure 16 along with the
drop-down menu of wrapping choices you get. If you
are wrapping around an irregular shape, you probably
want to use one of the Contour options. The most
common choice is Straddle Text.
Your next choice is how much of an offset you want
between the objects and the text. This is set with the
Text Wrap Offset value at the bottom of the drop-down
menu. Once youve made your choices, click OK to
see them in action. Note that if you move the object(s), the text will automatically reflow based on the
new position of the graphics.
Figure 16: The

Wrap Paragraph
Text icon on the
Property Bar and
the menu it shows
Tip: If you wish to wrap the text around a

bitmap or a group of objects, it is better to draw a simple shape
and wrap around that shape. Trying to wrap around a bitmap
will always give you a rectangle and wrapping around groups of
objects can take a long time with uncertain results.
Converting Between Artistic and

Paragraph Text
In older versions of CorelDRAW, if you created the wrong kind of text, you
usually had to re-create it to convert it to the other kind of text. Now
CorelDRAW provides the Text | Convert command. It will convert Artistic
Text to Paragraph Text and vice versa. The conversion is not always perfect,
but it sure does save a lot of work.
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Note that if you have Paragraph Text selected and not all of the text is displayed
in a single frame, the Convert command
will be dimmed. Also, text that has been
wrapped or in columns will not look the
same after conversion. It will be changed
to flush left in a single column.
Changing Case
You can change the case of either form Figure 17: The Change Case
of text. Choose the Text | Change Case dialog box
command. The Change Case dialog box,
shown in Figure 17, will be displayed.
Five options are available. Sentence case will
capitalize the first word of every sentence. The
lowercase option will make all of the characters
lowercase. UPPERCASE will capitalize all of the
characters. Title Case will capitalize the first letter of each word. The tOGGLE cASE option will
change the case of each character to the opposite of its current setting.
Insert Character
Special Characters are found in the Insert Character Docker. Choose Text | Insert Character
(Ctrl-F11) to display the Docker-up on screen,
as shown in Figure 18. Note that weve
undocked it.
Note: Prior to CorelDRAW 11, these
were considered Symbols and the
Docker was called the Symbols
Docker. Symbols in CorelDRAW 12
have a completely different
functionality.
Figure 18: The Insert
Character Docker
93
Many users get confused about the special characters and assume that they
are clip art. They are, but they are stored as fonts and therefore must be installed as fonts in order to be used. At the top of the window is a drop-down
list that shows each of the fonts that can be accessed. Normally, this is only
fonts that notify themselves to Windows that they contain symbol characters.
So, you wont see alphabetical fonts in the list without changing the default
settings of CorelDRAW. To make this change, click the flyout arrow to the
right of the font list and turn on either TrueType fonts or Type1 fonts depending on the font you wish to use. You can also limit the part of these fonts
shown to only the extended characters by choosing Show Special Characters
only from the flyout menu.
Just below the drop-down list are thumbnails of the characters in the selected font. A scroll bar at the right side of the window lets you scroll through
the characters until you find just the one you desire.
Once youve selected the symbol you want, simply drag it into the drawing
window. It will become a graphic within your drawing at the size specified in
the Character Size parameters box in the Docker window.
Tip: If your cursor is within a text block, you can drag the
symbol and drop it onto the cursor to automatically insert it into
the text. To take this one step further, copy any graphic to the
clipboard, place your cursor within text, and then select Paste.
This will insert the graphic into
the text. Or right-click then
drag and drop the graphic on
the place within the text where
you would like it to appear.
By default, youll only get a single symbol. But you can get several symbols tiled
onto your page by choosing Tile Special
Character from the flyout menu. If you
do choose to tile a symbol, you can control the Horizontal and Vertical grid size of
each tile by selecting Tile Options from
the flyout menu to get the dialog box
shown in Figure 19.
Figure 19: The Tile Options
dialog box
94
Tutorial Movies
Using Artistic Text
Using Paragraph Text
Using Bullets and Drop Caps
Flowing Paragraph Text
Insert Character
Chapter Wrap
Even though CorelDRAW is for illustration, text is a very important part of the
designs you will create. Understanding the difference between Artistic and
Paragraph text and knowing the many formatting options available will aid in
your designs. Using Insert Character to bring in non-standard characters and
symbols is also quite handy.
95
CorelDRAW 12
Selecting & Transforming

Objects
The Pick tool doesnt create anything, yet it is the most versatile tool in the CorelDRAW toolbox. It is used to select, position, resize, rotate, and skew objects. All of these functions can
be accomplished in a variety of ways.
Selecting Objects
Before you can work with an object, you must select it. You select objects in
CorelDRAW in four basic ways: using the mouse, marquee selection, tabbing,
and the menus.
Selecting Objects with the Mouse

The simplest way to select an object is to click it
using the left mouse button. Even if the object
has no fill, you can click within the object to select it. This wasnt always the default for early
versions where you needed to click its outline
rather than inside the object. Once selected, the
object will have eight object handles surrounding its bounding box as shown at right. (Note
that the bounding box of an object may extend
beyond the edges of the object.) Four of the
handles are at the middle of each side and are
96
the stretching handles, and four of them are at the extreme corners and are
the sizing handles.
Tip: If you do not want to select unfilled objects by
clicking inside of them, the button to turn it off can
be found on the Property Bar when nothing is
selected. It is the next to last button on the right
side.
When an object is selected,
the Property Bar supplies
valuable information about
the object, such as the
height, width, and center point. The
Status Bar provides the number of
nodes.
To select more than one object, hold down
the Shift key while clicking the object or objects that you wish to add to the selection.
With each object added, the object handles
change so that they surround all of the selected objects, as shown at right, and the Status Bar reports the number of objects that
have been selected, as shown below right.
If you find that you have selected
more objects than you want, simply
click the object you wish to remove
from the selection while holding down the Shift key. If you watch the Status
Bar, you will see that you now have one less object selected than before.
Sometimes you will want to select an object that
is within a group. You can ungroup and then select the object you want, but a simpler way is to
select the group and then the object while holding down the Ctrl key. When you do this, the object handles will be round instead of square as
shown at right, and the selected object will be
referred to as a child object on the Status Bar.
97
Chapter 6: Selecting & Transforming Objects
Tip: Another way to select an object within a group is to select it

in the Object Manager, which is described in Chapter 11.
Note: Neither method allows you to select multiple objects
within a group.
Sometimes you will have nested groupsthat is, a group within a group. In
those cases, a Ctrl-click may result in the selection of another group. Continue to use Ctrl-click until you get the object you want.
Ctrl-click can also work with some effect groups. Unfortunately, it does not
work with Blend or Contour groups. Those groups must first be broken apart
before anything other than the whole group can be selected. You can select
the control objects, but not the objects created by these effects.
Digger Tool
You can now easily select objects that are hidden behind other objects. Hold
down the Alt key and click the area where the hidden object is located. As
you click, the X in the middle of the object and the object handles appear.
This function is called the Digger Tool. If the object is several levels deep,
continue to hold down the Alt key and click until it is selected. You can also
use this method to select multiple hidden objects. Hold down Alt-Shift while
clicking and the newly selected objects will be added to the previously selected objects. Lastly, you can select hidden objects within a group by holding down Alt-Ctrl while clicking. If all else fails, you might want to change into
Wireframe view (described in Chapter 10) or use the Object Manager (described in Chapter 11).
Marquee Selection
Selecting objects by clicking them is great if you just have one or two objects.
Often, however, youll want to select a bunch of objects that are adjacent to
one another. In this case, youll want to marquee select the objects.
Creating a marquee selection is very similar to drawing a rectangle that encloses all of the objects you wish to select. However, instead of drawing the
rectangle with the Rectangle tool, you draw it with the Pick tool. As you draw,
a blue dotted box is displayed as shown in Figure 1. Once all of the objects
are within the blue dotted box, simply release the mouse button to select all
of the objects.
98
When marquee selecting objects, quite often

you may select an extra object or two. Remember that you can Shift-click an object to
deselect it. Hold down the Alt key, while marquee selecting, to select any object within the
marquee and any objects intersected by the
marquee. Using the Ctrl key constrains the
marquee to a square.
You can also use marquee selection to deselect objects. Hold down the Shift key, while
marquee selecting, and any selected objects Figure 1: A marquee box is
surrounding both objects.
within the marquee will be deselected. This
technique can be very handy if there is a
small area of objects you need to deselect within a larger area of objects that
you do want selected.
Tabbing Around
Yet another way to select objects is by using the Tab key on your keyboard.
Pressing Tab selects the next object forward in the stacking order. (Chapter
11 provides more information on stacking order.) Tabbing is a great way to
move through your drawing one object at a time to search for a problem object or a particular fill. Shift-Tab moves you through the stacking order
backwards.
Tip: If you tab through a group of objects, only objects within
the group will be selected if youve already selected a child
object.
Using the Menus

If you just want to select all of the objects, you can use the Edit | Select All
| Objects (Ctrl-A) command. Another shortcut is to double-click the Pick
tool itself. Note that there are also menu commands for selecting all text,
guidelines or nodes.
Tip: To deselect all objects, use the Esc key.
99
Manipulating Objects
Rarely will you select objects just for the sake of selecting them. Usually you
will want to make a change to the object. That change could be moving the
object, changing its size, rotating it, or skewing it. As with most functions in
CorelDRAW, there are a variety of ways to accomplish these tasks. The best
method to use depends on the results you desire.
Positioning Objects
Simply put, if you want to position a selected object somewhere else in your
drawing, push it there. Clicking a selected object or objects and then dragging them to the desired destination is all you need to do. Once you release
the mouse button, the objects are dropped into place. As you move the objects, youll notice that a blue outline appears to show you where the object is
currently located. If you pause briefly, the objects are redrawn completely. You
can set the speed at which they are redrawn in the dialog box displayed when
you choose Tools | Options | Workspace | Toolbox | Pick tool. Change
the Delay amount to the time in seconds that elapses before the objects are
redrawn. If Redraw complex objects is unchecked, this behavior doesnt exist.
During a move, you may notice that the objects begin to snap or stick at certain intervals. This happens because objects can snap to a grid, to guidelines,
or to other objects, depending on the settings in the Layout menu. Chapter
12 contains more information on these options.
To make a duplicate of the objects being moved, simply press the + key on the numeric keypad or click the
right mouse button. You must be sure to do this before
you release the left mouse button. You can also move
an object by right-clicking it and dragging. When you
release the right mouse button, youll see a pop-up
menu, as shown at right. One of the options is to copy
the object. Note that there are other options that may come in handy as well.
Depending on where you drop the object, the menu choices you see may be
different than those shown here.
Tip: You can also press the Space Bar to create a duplicate
when dragging. Users of laptops will appreciate this as they
typically dont have an easy to use numeric keypad and
therefore a + key.
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Using the methods described so far, you may

find it difficult to place objects in an exact location. If you want to place objects in an exact
place in your drawing, you can use the Property
Bar. Whenever an object is selected and the Pick
tool is the active tool, the far left side of the Property Bar shows the absolute
x and y coordinates of the objects center, as shown above.
If you change these numbers, the selected objects are moved automatically
when you press the Enter key. You can use the Tab key to move to the next
text box on the Property Bar, or you can simply click it, but the changes will
not be reflected until you press the Enter key.
Tip: After typing the number, type the abbreviation of the
numbers measurement system, and you can use any available
system regardless of the system used for the rulers. Note that
the value you enter will automatically be converted into the ruler
units after you press the Enter key.
Relative Positioning
Many times youll want to move an object an exact
amount in a particular direction. In this case, you want
the positioning to be relative to the current position.
You can achieve this by moving the object with your
mouse, but it can be difficult to move the exact amount
you desire. Select Arrange | Transformations | Position (Alt + F7) to bring up the Transformation Docker
shown at right with positioning selected.
You can enter any amount you desire for relative movement. In the middle of the Docker is the Relative Position check box. When this check box is checked, all
values you enter in the H (horizontal) and V (vertical)
boxes will be a relative amount of movement from the
current position relative to the 0, 0 position on the
page. To execute the movement, simply click the Apply
button at the bottom of the Docker or press the Enter
key. To leave a duplicate object behind, click the Apply to Duplicate button
instead.
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Absolute Positioning
The Transformation Position Docker also allows you to specify the absolute
coordinates of any of nine locations on the objects. These positions are the
four corners of the selection box, the four midpoints of the sides of the selection box, and the center of the selection box.
When you are working in the absolute positioning mode, choosing a different
check box in the coordinate grid will not move the object, but will change the
coordinates shown to the current position of the chosen location in the grid.
The idea here is that you will enter the exact H and V coordinates of where
you want a particular part of the object to be located. If you are working with
a rectangular object, this is quite easy to understand. However, if you choose
the upper-left check box in the grid and the selected object is an ellipse, then
youll be positioning the upper-left corner of the selection box instead.
Consider an example in which several objects are selected whose selection
box is exactly 2 inches square. Currently the objects are near the center of
your drawing page.
1. Uncheck Relative Position
2. Select the upper-left check box in the grid.
3. Type 0 for H and 11 for V.
4. Click Apply.
5. Notice that your objects are in the upper-left corner of the page. Now try
another example:
6. Select the lower-right check box in the grid.
7. Type 8.5 for H and 0 for V (assuming that your page size is 8.5 x 11). If
necessary, modify these numbers so that they equal your page size.
8. Click Apply.
Now the objects will be in the lower-right corner of the page. You might want
to experiment a little further with this Docker before moving on as it can take
a little while to get used to.
Nudging
There is yet another way to move objects: by nudging. Nudging is extremely
useful when you just need to push the selected objects into place. To nudge
objects, you simply press the arrow key on your keyboard that corresponds to
the direction you want to move the selection. Each press of the arrow moves
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the objects by the amount

specified in the Tools |
Options | Document |
Rulers dialog boxs Nudge
section.
The default value is 0.1 inches, which you may find too large. Modify this
number to your liking, and it will be only on the current document. A quick
way to change your nudge setting is on the Property Bar. Make sure that no
objects are selected and change the value in the text box shown above to the
desired setting. Remember to press Enter when youre done.
Another variation is the Super nudge. This allows you to use the Shift key to
multiply the amount of nudge. Again you can set the amount of multiplication with the Tools | Options | Document | Rulers dialog box. Now hold
down the Shift key as you press the arrow keys on your keyboard. Notice that
the amount of movement has increased. If this isnt clear to you, increase the
amount of multiplication. This is one of those features that wont look great
in the ads, but sure will save you a lot of work! A similar feature is the Micro
Nudge. It divides the nudge amount by a number you specify which defaults
to 2. By using the Ctrl key with the arrows, you can move objects by the
micro nudge amount.
Tip: My preferred settings for Nudge are .01 inches with Super
nudge set to 10 times and Micro nudge divided by 10.
Locking Objects
In early versions of CorelDRAW, you could place objects on a Layer and then
lock that layer. But there was no way to lock an individual object. Now an object can be locked so that it cant be moved,
transformed, filled or outlined. It can, however,
be selected so that it can be unlocked.
To lock an object, select the object and then
choose Arrange | Lock Object. An alternative
is to right-click the object and select Lock Object from the pop-up menu. After the object is
locked, youll notice that the square object handles are now small lock icons as shown at right.
If you attempt to do anything with a selected,
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but locked, object, CorelDRAW will behave as if you dont have any objects
selected.
To unlock an object, you first need to select it. Youll need to use the Object
Manager Docker to do this. Then choose Arrange | Unlock Object or
right-click and choose Unlock Object from the pop-up menu. You can easily
unlock all objects in a drawing by selecting Arrange | Unlock All Objects.
Before selecting the command, you do not need to select any of the objects.
After you select the command, all of the previously locked objects will be
selected.
Resizing Objects
When you create objects in your drawing, very rarely will they be the exact
size you need; you were more worried about making the object look correct
than getting the exact size. There are several ways that you can resize an object in CorelDRAW.
When an object is selected, you simply need to grab one of the object handles around the perimeter of the selection box and drag it in the direction you
want to increase or decrease the size of the object. If you grab a corner handle, the resized object will retain its original aspect ratio. If you instead grab a
center handle, then the object will be stretched in only one direction and will
thus become distorted.
You can also use the modifier keys to help control the resizing. Hold down
the Ctrl key while resizing to constrain the size to 100 percent increments of
the original size. Remember that youll have to resize at least 100 percent before anything will happen so it may take a fairly large mouse movement.
Dragging across the object in either the horizontal or vertical direction creates a mirror image of the object. Combined with the Ctrl key, it creates a
perfect mirror, while without the Ctrl key, it would be a distorted mirror. You
can press the right mouse button or + key before you release the left mouse
button to make a duplicate of the object being resized. Pressing and holding
the Shift key resizes the selection from the center outward. Pressing Ctrl and
Shift together resizes the object from the center outwards in 100 percent
increments.
Warning: In trying to follow Windows standards, Corel provides
the ability to use standard Windows conventions for the Ctrl
and Shift keys. By default, they work as described here, but you
can change this behavior by using the dialog box that appears
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when you select the Tools | Options | Workspace | Toolbox

| Pick tool command so that Ctrl leaves a duplicate, Shift
constrains, and Alt stretches from the center.
Exact Sizing
Sometimes youll need to make an object
an exact size. This is especially important
for technical drawings, but can also apply
to making an ad fit in a specified area.
The quickest way to resize the selected
objects is to use the controls found on
the Property Bar, shown at right.
Note: The object size shown on the Property Bar does not take
into account the thickness of the outline. So to be completely
accurate, youd need to add one half of the outline thickness to
each side of the object. This can be very important if youre
designing an ad that can not exceed an exact size. It might be
handy to convert the outline to an object so that it can be sized
to fit within the specified size.
Type the size you desire in the text box and press the Enter key. Remember
that you can use the Tab key to move between the text boxes on the Property
Bar. If you want to retain the aspect ratio, you can use
the small lock icon on the Property Bar. When the lock
icon is depressed, the aspect ratio is constrained.
Therefore, changing the number in one box will automatically change the number in the other box.
Tip: After making changes with the Property
Bar, you can use the Ctrl-R shortcut key to
repeat the changes. This is especially useful
when you use Apply to Duplicate.
Similar functionality is available in the Transformation
Docker, which you can display by choosing Arrange |
Transformations | Size (Alt + F10), as shown here.
Type the desired size in the H and V text boxes and then
click Apply. If you want to apply the changes to a dupli105
cate object, click Apply to Duplicate instead. To retain the aspect ratio of the
object being resized, simply make sure Non-proportional check box is not
checked. When you enter a number in one of the text boxes, the other will
change automatically to a proportional value.
The check box you select in the coordinate grid will remain anchored when
you apply the resizing. This is similar to grabbing the handle opposite the
point and dragging with the mouse.
Scaling Objects
When resizing objects you can also scale them as a percentage of their current size. As usual, you can do this in more than one way. The easiest way is
to again use the Property Bars scaling controls that were shown a bit earlier.
Instead of entering the exact measurement of the object, now you are entering a percentage by which the object will be scaled.
Thus, if you typed 50 percent for each value, the object
would be half of its original size, and if you typed 200
percent for each value, the object would double its size.
Again, the lock icon next to the scaling boxes can be
used to constrain the aspect ratio of the object. Note
that when you type a value, you must press Enter to
make it take effect.
These same transformations can be performed in the
Scale & Mirror Docker shown at right.
Activate the roll-up with Arrange | Transformations |
Scale command (Alt + F9). Type a value in the H and
V text boxes and click Apply to implement the changes.
Again, you can constrain the aspect ratio by
unchecking the Non-proportional check box.
The coordinate grid allows you to select an anchor
point for the scaling. Whichever check box you have checked will remain stationary, and the object will be scaled from that point.
Mirroring Objects
A true mirror requires that the size of the original object be retained. Often,
however, youll use this feature to create a shadow or reflection of the object
that is a different size. In those cases, you can create the effect with the
mouse. Simply grab one of the side handles (not a corner handle) and drag
across the object in the direction you want the mirror to appear. When you
106
are satisfied, release the mouse button. Click the right mouse button or press
the + key to create a duplicate, just as with the other transformations. As you
drag, the Status Bar tells you the exact scale, and the word Mirrored indicates that you are mirroring. You can mirror the object at the exact same size
by holding down the Ctrl key while dragging.
Tip: Mirroring is nothing more than using a negative scaling
value.
Entering a negative value into the scaling boxes also creates the mirroring effect. Thus, you can simply use the Property Bar and Scale & Mirror Docker
that were previously discussed. If you want an exact mirror, both the Property
Bar and the Scale & Mirror Docker provide buttons for this.
The Property Bar buttons are shown at right.
Rotating and Skewing Objects

To rotate or skew an object manually, you need to click the selected object a second time or double-click it as you select it.
This changes the object handles to rotation handles on each
corner and skew handles in the middle of each side. Youll also see a thumbtack representing the center of rotation. An example of an object selected in
this way is shown at right.
Drag any of the rotation handles, and the selected object will begin to rotate. As the object
rotates, the Status Bar, as well as the Property
Bar, specifies the amount of rotation. When you
release the left mouse button, the object will be
dropped. You can constrain rotation to a particular angle by holding down the Ctrl key while rotating the object. By default, it will be
constrained to multiples of 15 degrees, but you
can change the amount by choosing Tools |
Options | Workspace | Edit and selecting Constrain angle. You can make a
duplicate of the object by clicking the right mouse button or using the + key
before releasing the left mouse button.
By default, an object rotates around its true center, but you can move the
center of rotation to any place inside or outside of the objects selection box.
Simply drag the thumbtack (the circle with the dot in the middle) to where
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you want the center of rotation to be. If you hold down the Ctrl key while
dragging, the thumbtack will snap to any of the places where a handle appears or to the true center of the objects bounding box.
Precision Rotation
You can also rotate objects by using the
Property Bar. You simply type the exact
value of rotation you desire and click
Enter. The Property Bar controls are
shown at right. CorelDRAW will retain
the rotation value so that youll know exactly how much an object has been previously rotated.
You can also use the Rotate Docker, accessed with the
Arrange | Transformations | Rotate command
(Alt+F8). The Docker allows you to type a numeric
value for the center of rotation along with the rotation
angle, as shown at right.
As with the other Transformation Dockers, you can
work with the coordinate grid when measuring the position of the center of rotation. Clicking any of the nine
check boxes will automatically move the center of rotation to that point on the selected object. If you check
the Relative Center check box, the center of rotation
will be measured relative to the true center of the
objects bounding box.
Skewing
Skewing refers to distorting an object in either the vertical or horizontal direction. It makes an object look as if it is leaning. When using the mouse, simply
grab one of the skew handles and drag it. Remember that you click twice on
an object to display the rotation and skew handles. To skew vertically, you use
one of the handles on a vertical side, and to skew horizontally, you use one of
the handles on a horizontal side. As you skew, the Status Bar displays the angle of skew. This angle can be either positive or negative, depending on the
direction and the handle youve chosen to use. The following table gives you
an idea of which handle to drag in which direction to get a particular angle.
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Direction
Left
Right
Top Handle
Positive
Negative
Bottom Handle
Negative
Position
Direction
Up
Down
Left Side Handle
Negative
Positive
Right Side Handle
Positive
Negative
As when you rotate objects, you can hold down the Ctrl
key to constrain the skew to an angle that is a multiple
of 15 degrees (unless the default has been changed).
Unlike all of the other transformations, there are no
skew controls on the Property Bar.
To access the Skew Docker, select Arrange | Transformations | Skew. As shown here, you can type the horizontal and vertical skew angles.
By default, the skew is relative to the center of the object, but by checking the Use Anchor Point check box,
you can select any of the check boxes in the coordinate
grid.
Manipulating Objects with Other

Tools
When you learned how to create objects in Chapters 3, 4, and 5, you learned
about the X that appears in the center of each object and the handles that
surround it. So, as you are creating objects, you can easily transform them
without having to use the Pick tool.
Drag the X at the center of the object to move it to the desired location. This
is slightly different than using the Pick tool as you can only click the X itself
and not anywhere within the object. The handles work just the same as with
the Pick tool. The corner handles size the object and retain the aspect ratio
while the side handles distort the shape.
If you quickly click the X, the handles change into rotation and skewing handles and the X changes into a thumbtack. So you can easily rotate and skew
the object by clicking and dragging on the appropriate handle.
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You can even select multiple objects by holding down the Shift key and clicking on another object. So with all this new functionality, the Pick tool becomes less important and youll become more productive since you will
switch tools less often.
Free Transformation Tools

As if there werent already enough ways to transform objects, CorelDRAW has
a series of free transformation tools that mimic the tools found in other illustration programs. At first glance, they seem to just be a duplication of the existing tools. But, a longer look reveals that they provide a set of very useful
tools. When you select the Free Transform tool from the Shape Edit flyout,
the Property Bar changes to the one shown here.
Each of these tools requires you to click and drag. As you drag, youll see a
preview of the transformation (unless youve disabled this feature, as described earlier). The initial click sets the anchor point and the transformation
will be relative to that point. It may take you a while to get the hang of this if
you are familiar with the other methods of transforming objects.
Free Rotation
Tool
With the Free Rotation
tool, the initial click sets
the center of rotation for
the object. As you drag, a
line appears to indicate the angle of rotation relative to the original object along
with a preview of the rotated object, as
shown at right. When you release the
mouse button, the rotation is completed.
Free Angle Reflection Tool

The initial click of the Free Angle Reflection tool sets the point
around which the object is reflected. So if this point is several
inches from the objects, the result will be twice that amount in
the direction in which you drag your cursor. The original ob-
110
jects and wht plane around which it is being reflected can be seen at right along
with the dotted outline indicating the
transformed object.
Free Scale Tool

Youll probably find the
Free Scale tool the hardest to initially understand.
The first click sets the position from which the object will scale. As
you drag, the shape resizes itself based
on the original point and the direction in
which you drag. By default, the scaling is
not proportional and so the object will
become rather distorted, as shown at
right. You can hold down the Ctrl key to
constrain the aspect ratio of the original
object.
Tip: After the initial click, the
further your cursor is from the
object, the more control youll
have over the transform.
Free Skew Tool

When using the Free Skew tool, as when using the other free
transformation tools, you
begin by clicking to set
the anchor point for the
skew. As you drag, you are
skewing in both the x and
the y axis, so it is quite different from using the skew handles, which only affect
one direction. Holding down the Ctrl key
while dragging constrains the skewing to
only one direction. Here youll see the
original object and the transformation.
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The Transform Toolbar

You saw earlier how many of the transform commands are available on the
Property Bar. But, there are a few that are not available. There is a separate
toolbar, the Transform toolbar shown below, that contains the same tools as
the Property Bar plus some additional tools.
To access the Transform toolbar, right-click on any existing toolbar and select
Transform from the pop-up menu that appears.
The Center of Rotation text boxes allow you to precisely place the center of
rotation for an object. You would do this in place of moving the thumbtack.
You can also enter the skew angles as exact values rather than using the skew
handles to do your skewing interactively.
Probably the most important benefit of this toolbar is the Apply to Duplicate
button. This means that any transformations will be applied to a new object
and the existing object will be retained. The last button, Relative to Object,
controls whether the values shown on the toolbar are relative to the page or
to the object. When the button is up, they are relative to the page and that is
how the Property Bar will always work. But with the button depressed, all
measurements are relative to the object.
Undoing All Transformations

With all the various transformations you can apply, there will be times that
you decide that the original object was the best. You always have the Edit |
Undo (Ctrl-Z) command to undo the last few things youve done. But that
wont always save you if youve done many other things in the drawing since
transforming the object. But CorelDRAW does remember what youve done
and it is quite easy to get rid of these transformations. Simply choose Arrange | Clear Transformations to return the object to its original shape even
after the drawing has been saved, closed and reopened. And if you now
choose Edit | Undo, the object will return to its fully transformed state.
Tutorial Movies
Selecting Objects
112
Rotating and Skewing Objects
Chapter Wrap
Understanding all the transformations possible in CorelDRAW can be very important to getting objects in the right positions and orientation for your drawing. Study all the different methods covered in this chapter and youll be well
on your way to being an expert.
CorelDRAW 12
BOOT CAMP
youve learned
(800) 736-8973
www.unleash.com
113
CorelDRAW 12
Shaping Objects
After youve created an object,

youll inevitably need to make
changes to it. Youll want to mold
the shape so it is just perfect. You
may need to make only a minor
change or two, but youll soon discover that fully understanding how to shape
objects is essential to using CorelDRAW. The Shape Edit flyout, shown here,
includes seven tools: the Shape, Knife, Eraser, Smudge Brush, Roughen
Brush, Free Transform and Virtual Segment Delete tools. The most comprehensive of these is the Shape tool, commonly referred to as the Node Edit
tool. Chapter 6 covered the Free Transform tool.
The Shape Tool

There is no tool that youll use more than the Shape tool. It can be used on
curves, rectangles, ellipses, polygons, stars, text, bitmaps, envelopes, and
more. With each type of shape, it works just a little bit differently.
Understanding Nodes
Nodes are the building blocks of vector artwork. A node is nothing more than
a point in space that has a set of x,y coordinates. We will examine why you
need to use nodes and then see how to begin using them.
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Vectors Versus Bitmaps

To fully understand nodes, you need to understand how CorelDRAW creates
objects. All of the shapes you create are vector objects, though there are now
many bitmaps used within CorelDRAW. That means that they are drawn using
vector geometry, that class you slept through in high school. Anything you
create can be resized with no loss of quality, and large drawings take no more
file space than small ones. Each line you draw is represented by mathematical equations. When a graphic is resized, the equations are simply updated
for the new size and therefore, there is no loss of quality.
Now consider bitmaps, the domain of Corel PHOTO-PAINT. Everything you
see on the screen is composed of thousands of tiny pixels (picture elements).
Each of those dots can be one of 16.7 million colors. So to create a drawing
with thousands of pixels in full color, you need a lot of memory and hard
drive space. Consider a simple program icon that you might find on the
desktop. It may look pretty bland, but every such icon is composed of 1,024
tiny dots. Just imagine how many dots are required for artwork that needs to
be printed! With bitmaps, resizing can either leave lots of information that is
unused or a great lack of information, which leads to jaggies and/or
fuzziness.
Thus, any time you create artwork as a vector image, rather than a bitmap,
youll get higher quality and save lots of hard drive space. Some images,
such as full-color photos, are nearly impossible to re-create as vector images
and work much better as bitmaps. Artists who have created images that look
like a photograph in CorelDRAW have often spent well over 100 hours on the
project.
A common graphic that can easily be represented in either format is a logo.
To properly use a logo in bitmap format, youll need to have it available in
many different sizes. However, in vector format, the logo can be resized at will
without any loss of quality. If a logo was originally created in CorelDRAW, you
already have it as a vector, but if the logo was scanned or is in a bitmap file,
youll need to convert it. The process for converting a logo from a scan into a
vector object is covered in Chapter 21.
A Brief Introduction to Bzier Curves

Youve already seen the Bzier tool in Chapter 4. Now were going to talk
about bzier curves and youre probably wondering how they got such an interesting name. Well, they were created by a French mathematician named
Pierre Bzier. He discovered that any irregular curve can be defined by a fixed
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Chapter 7: Shaping Objects
x1,y1
x,y
x2,y2
point (well call it x,y) and two control
handles (well call them x1,y1 and x2, y2).
At right is a diagram that shows how
these points relate.
Now you know the theory, so lets put it
into plain language. The fixed point (x,y)
is known as a node in CorelDRAW. The
two control handles (x1,y1 and x2,y2) are
called bzier control handles. Well explore how these two interact as we move forward in this chapter. But there
are a couple of rules that you should follow to get the best results. There will
be certain types of nodes which will only have one control handle because
they are connecting a straight line to a curve. Your results will be improved if
you have either two control handles or none at all. All youll need to do is
change the straight line to a curve to fix this. Also try to make it so that the
bzier control handle is no more than 30% of the length of the line segment
itself. Youll find that this gives you a better looking curve.
Two Types of Lines

Although you can have a single point in space, no node can exist by itself.
When another node is added, a segment is created between the two. This
segment can be either a line or a curve. The first node will always be displayed larger than the second, and when it is selected, the Status Bar will indicate that it is the first node.
Lines
A line segment is a plain old straight line between any two
nodes. Just because a line is straight does not mean it is a line
segment. At the end of a line segment is a node, called a line
node, and this node will not have a bzier control handle on
the line segment side of the node. Remember that if the overall path contains more than two nodes, some of the segments
can be lines and some can be curves, so the nodes are what separate the
segments.
Curves
A curve segment can be straight, but what differentiates it
from a line segment is that it has bzier control points, so the
curve can be shaped. Figure 1 is an example of a curved path
with nodes and bzier control points.
116
Just as the node itself is a point in

space, so is each bzier control
point. Youll see a dotted line between the control point handle
and the node itself. This line
forms a tangent with the curve entering the node. Remember that Figure 1: A curved line with four
since there are two control han- nodes. Three of the nodes are
dles for each node, the launch
displaying bzier handles.
angle of the curve entering the
node can be quite different from the angle exiting the node.
Three Types of Nodes

There are three types of nodes: cusp, smooth, and symmetrical. The behavior of the two bzier control handles, entering and exiting a node, is controlled by the type of node. When you understand the behavior of each of
these node types, you will be able to fully control the shape of the curve you
are creating.
You can move the bzier control handles toward or away from the node, and
you can rotate them about the node. Moving the handle closer to the node
produces a very tight curve, and moving it farther away makes the curve
wider.
Cusp Nodes
In situations where a curve needs to come to a point, use a
cusp node. You can move the handles in and out to adjust the
curves shape. You can also rotate each handle independently
around the node. Figure 2 shows some examples of cusp
nodes.
Warning: You can rotate the handles so that the curve will cross
itself. This may create the effect you desire, but it can cause
problems when printing and so should be avoided if possible.
Smooth Nodes
Smooth nodes cannot be
used where two line segments meet since they will
require a cusp node. You
can use a smooth node to Figure 2: Three examples of cusp nodes.
117
connect a line segment to a curve segment, but the results

can be rather strange. Most of the time when you want a
smooth curve, youll use a smooth node.
The two bzier control handles of a smooth node always remain in a straight line. This means that rotating the handle on
one side of a node automatically
rotates the handle on the opposite
side of the node by the same
amount. You can, however, move
the handles in and out independently of one another. Just be careful as you move the handles, so as Figure 3: Two examples of smooth
nodes.
not to accidentally rotate them.
Figure 3 shows some examples of
smooth nodes.
Symmetrical Nodes
Symmetrical nodes cannot be used with a line segment on either side of the node. They can be used only with curve segments since the bzier control handles on either side of the
node must be on a straight line
and must be equidistant from the
node. Moving either control handle causes the opposite handle to
mimic that movement. Symmetrical nodes are useful when you
want perfectly symmetrical
Figure 4: Two examples of symmetrical
curvesbut you probably wont
nodes.
use them very often. Figure 4
shows some examples of symmetrical nodes.
Tip: When a node is selected, pressing the C key will toggle the
node between a Curve and a Cusp. Pressing the S key will
toggle between Smooth and Symmetrical.
Selecting and Moving Nodes

Many of the same techniques used to select objects can be used when selecting nodes. First you need to select the Shape tool itself by clicking its
icon in the toolbox or pressing the F10 shortcut key.
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Tip: Remember that in CorelDRAW 12, each of the tools will

behave like the Shape tool when the cursor is over a node.
Selecting Nodes
You can select any individual node simply by clicking the Shape tool on it. If
you hold down the Shift key, you can select several nodes or deselect nodes
if they are already selected. You can also marquee select nodes: Drag an
imaginary rectangle with the Shape tool, and all of the nodes within the rectangle will be selected. If you hold down the Shift key while marquee selecting,
you will toggle the current selection status of each node within the marquee
box. The Ctrl key will constrain the marquee box to a square. If you use the
Alt key, you can draw a freehand marquee around the nodes you wish to
select.
For those of you who are real keyboard fans, the Home key takes you to the
first node of a curve, and the End key takes you to the last node. If the path is
closed, the first and last nodes will be the same node. The Tab key moves
you to the next node on the path, and Shift-Tab moves you to the previous
node on the path. Shift-Home toggles the selection status of the first node,
and Shift-End toggles the selection status of the last node. Either
Ctrl-Shift-Home or Ctrl-Shift-End selects all of the nodes on the path. You
can also select all nodes by double-clicking the Shape tool.
Note: When all nodes on a path have been selected, line
segment nodes will be hollow and curve nodes will be solid.
Moving Nodes
Once you have selected a node, you can simply drag it to a new location. If
multiple nodes have been selected, they will all move in unison. The movement of the nodes can be constrained to only horizontal or only vertical by
holding down the Ctrl key while moving the nodes.
Just as you can nudge, supernudge and micronudge objects, you can do the
same thing with nodes. This technique is especially useful when you are
fine-tuning the shape of a curve. Use the arrow keys on the keyboard to
nudge nodes in the direction of the arrow. Use the Shift key in conjunction
with the arrow keys to supernudge a node and the Ctrl key to micronudge a
node.
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Tip: You can also use nudge, supernudge and micronudge in

conjunction with a selected bzier control handle.
Tip: If you are unable to grab a bzier control handle because it
is on top of the node itself, simply hold down the Shift key while
dragging it away from the node.
Node Editing Tools

So far, weve covered a lot of the theory behind nodes.
Now youll see how you can begin modifying things.
All of the node editing tools are found in two different
places: the Node pop-up menu, and the Property Bar.
If you right-click a node with the Shape tool, or any
other tool for that matter, CorelDRAW displays the
pop-up menu shown at right.
CorelDRAW 12 displays all of the same commands on
the Property Bar when the Shape tool is selected. The
Property Bar is shown in Figure 5.
The various commands will be described here using
the Property Bar. However, feel free to use whichever
tool is most comfortable for you.
Convert Curve to Line
Curve Smoothness
Extract Subpath
Break Curve Convert Line to Curve

Extend Curve to Close
Join Two Nodes
Reverse Curve Direction
Auto-Close Curve
Delete Node(s) Make Node a Cusp

Add Node(s)
Make Node Smooth
Stretch and Scale Nodes

Rotate and Skew Nodes
Make Node Symmetrical
Select All Nodes

Elastic Mode
Reflect Nodes Vertically

Reflect Nodes Horizontally
Align Nodes
Figure 5: The Property Bar for node editing.

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Adding and Deleting Nodes

When you are shaping curves, youll often find that more
nodes are needed to get the exact shape that you desire. To
position a new node at an exact position, click the path where
you wish the new node to appear. A round black dot will appear where you clicked. Click the + icon on the Property Bar
or press the + key on the numeric keypad and a node will appear where the circle was located.
Tip: Double-click with the Shape tool anywhere on
the line where youd like a node and presto, it will
appear!
You can also select an existing node before clicking the + icon. This will create a new node that is located at the midpoint of the segment preceding the
selected node. Note that after a node is added, both nodes will be selected.
Clicking the + icon a second time will therefore add two more nodes at the
midpoints of each of the preceding segments, and then four nodes will be selected. Thus, clicking the + icon several times quickly adds many nodes.
You can delete nodes in much the same manner. Highlight the node, or
nodes, you wish to delete and click the icon on the Property Bar or simply
press the Del key.
Tip: Double-click an existing node with the Shape tool and it
will be deleted.
Auto-Reducing Nodes
As you are creating artwork, sometimes youll
come across a situation where there is an overabundance of nodes. This can be caused by
auto-tracing bitmaps, using the Artistic Media tool
or Eraser tool, or just plain node craziness. You can
spend a lot of time selecting the least important nodes and manually deleting
themor the Curve Smoothness slider can do this for you.
To fully understand the Curve Smoothness function, you need to understand
another math term: standard deviation. The higher the Curve Smoothness,
the fewer the nodes. But this also means that the reduction in nodes will have
a higher amount of standard deviation from the original line. For you
nonmathematicians, the largest distance the node can be from the path that
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will exist after the node is deleted. The larger the amount of Curve Smoothness, the more nodes will be deleted. However, deleting more nodes can
compromise the integrity of the path. You will find that the default setting
works very well under all but the most extreme circumstances. For those who
are looking for the old Auto Reduce command, it does still exist but you will
have to customize it back into the interface.
Breaking Apart and Joining Nodes

Select any node and click the Break Curve icon (shown at
right). This will create two nodes on top of one another and
automatically split the path into two subpaths. Move either of
the nodes out of the way and youll see that they are no longer
connected. If the path had been closed (and therefore able to
be filled), it will now be open, and
any fill will be gone. There is still
only one path, however, even
though there may appear to be
two, as shown at right in two different examples.
A good example of a single object
with two subpaths is the letter O. The outside ellipse is one
subpath, and the inside ellipse is a second subpath; when
combined, they are a single object with two subpaths.
Subpaths dont have to overlap one another. They can be anywhere in a drawing.
When an object contains two or more subpaths, sometimes
you will want to combine them into a single path. Select one
of the end nodes from each subpath and click the Join Two
Nodes icon. The combined node will appear equidistant between the original locations of the separate nodes; therefore, it
is a good idea to position the two nodes together in the area
where you want the combined node to appear.
Stretching and Rotating Nodes

In Chapter 6 you saw how whole objects could be stretched
and rotated. This can also be done with selected nodes. The
commands for stretching and rotating nodes are available only
when two or more nodes are selected.
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The best way to see how these commands work

is to complete a simple project:
Draw a circle (remember to hold down
the Ctrl key).
Convert the circle to curves using the
Ctrl-Q shortcut keys.
Marquee select all four nodes and click
the + key on the numeric keypad twice so
that there are a total of 16 nodes.
Select every other node by Shift-clicking
Figure 6: Shape after
them.
nodes are stretched.
Click the Stretch and Scale Nodes icon
on the Property Bar.
Youll now see handles around the selected nodes just as if they were a
selected object. Hold down the Shift key and stretch them about
two-thirds of the way toward the center of the circle. You should now
have a shape similar to the one in Figure 6.
Click the Rotate and Skew nodes icon on the Property
Bar.
The familiar rotation handles should appear. Hold down
the Ctrl key and rotate the nodes 90 degrees.
The final shape should look similar to the one in Figure 7.
Note that the shape you just created has lines that overlap quite a bit, so it
may be difficult to print on some printers.
All of the same concepts you learned when
stretching and rotating objects also apply when
working with nodes.
Reversing Curve Direction

You also have the option to reverse the direction of a curve.
When you press the button on
the Property Bar, you wont see
any changes. And Im sure that
you may not understand the benFigure 7: Shapes after
efit of such a feature. Meanwhile, there are a
nodes are stretched and
large group of users who will be thrilled to see
rotated.
this. For those who are cutting vinyl signs, the
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direction of the curve dictates the direction of the knife cutting the vinyl. This
can be very important because if the knife is going the wrong direction, it can
cause the vinyl to buckle. If youre creating graphics for printing or for the
Web, this feature is not something that youll need.
Closing Open Paths

Suppose you draw this really cool shape and then realize that
it isnt closed. Sure, you could grab the Freehand tool and
close the shape, but just as easily you can select the end
nodes of the open path and click the Extend Curve to Close
button on the Property Bar. This will create a straight line between the two end nodes. This button is available only when you have the
two end nodes selected. Just selecting one of them will not make the button
available.
Another way to accomplish the same feat is to click the Auto-Close Curve
button on the Property Bar. It will be available when any nodes of an open
path are selected.
Extracting Subpaths
When a curve consists of more than one subpath, there are
several ways to make a subpath separate again. The traditional
way is to use the Arrange | Break Apart (Ctrl-K) command. A
problem arises, however, if the curve has more than two
subpaths. You may want to separate just one subpath from
several others, but Break Apart separates them all.
You can now simply select a node from the subpath that you wish to extract
and then click the Extract Subpath button on the Property Bar. This will extract only the selected subpath (or subpaths) and leave the others intact.
Aligning Nodes
When two or more nodes are selected, you have the option of
aligning them with one another.
Selecting the Align Nodes button
on the Property Bar will produce
the Node Align dialog box shown
at right.
You can align the nodes in either the horizontal
or the vertical direction. Deselect the option you
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dont want and then click OK. You can also align the nodes in both the horizontal and vertical directions. This will place all selected nodes on top of one
another, but the curve will look very strange because the control points will
not be aligned. Therefore, when aligning nodes in both directions, youll
probably want to align the control points as well so the curve remains
smooth.
Working in Elastic Mode

Normally, when two or more nodes are moved together, they
all move the exact same distance. When Elastic Mode is activated, the nodes closest to the node being selected will move
proportionally farther. The distance is
measured not in a straight line, but along
the path itself. A great example of this
movement is the explosion of a spiral.
Draw a spiral with eight rotations,
constraining it by holding down
the Ctrl key.
Marquee select all of the nodes.
Select Elastic Mode from the
Property Bar.
Click and drag the outermost node Figure 8: Elastic mode turns this
of the spiral to an area above the spiral into a twister.
spiral.
This should provide a twister, as shown in
Figure 8 in a before and after view.
Reflect Nodes
New to CorelDRAW 12 are the functions for reflecting nodes. Two icons are provided for reflecting horizontally or vertically. Select nodes in
separate objects and then activate one or both
of these icons. If you have the horizontal icon
selected, the node moved will have its movement mirrored on the other
node. Movement in the vertical direction would be the same for both nodes
in this example. Probably the best way to understand this function is to
actually practice with an object.
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Advanced Ellipse Shaping

In earlier chapters, you saw various methods for creating shapes. One of the
best ways is to start with an ellipse and then use the Shape tool to mold it
into the shape you desire. Before you begin to manipulate the ellipse, make
sure to convert it to curves (Ctrl-Q). If you dont, you will instead be creating
arcs and pie wedges, as described in Chapter 3.
Once you have an ellipse that has been converted to curves, just begin pushing and pulling on nodes, adjusting the bzier handles, and even adding
more nodes until the shape begins to take form. Usually youll need to add
many more nodes to the standard ellipse since it only has four to begin with.
This method is so desirable because it often gives you curves that are much
smoother than what you would get if you drew them using the Freehand tool.
In addition, you may find it easier to visualize shapes with this method.
Figure 9 is a scene that
was created using this
method. Some of the
shapes are still somewhat
elliptical, but others have
changed dramatically from
the originals. Take a little
time to try this method; I
think youll find it quite
Figure 9: A scene created by shaping various
useful.
ellipsis.
Advanced Polygon Shaping

In Chapter 3, you saw how to create some incredible designs by using the
Shape tool with a polygon. At that time, you just used the polygons existing
nodes and moved them around a bit. However, you arent limited to just the
existing nodes, and the lines dont have to be straight.
Now that you understand how the Shape tool works, draw another polygon
and begin to adjust the nodes. If you want a line to be curved, convert that
segment to a curve segment and adjust the bzier control handles. If you
want more nodes, add however many you desire. Notice that all of these
changes are reflected all the way around the polygon.
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With this capability, you can create even

more incredible shapes for your projects.
Figure 10 is an example of a shape created by adding a couple of nodes to a
polygon and just playing for a few
minutes.
Shaping Bitmaps
When you used the Shape tool on
bitmaps, in early versions of CorelDRAW,
you could crop the edges of the bitmap
only in a straight line. There was a single
node at each corner of the bitmap, and
Figure 10: A polygon after some
you could crop the bitmap to any
shapeas long as it was rectangular. In serious shaping.
the majority of cases, it is best if you still
limited yourself to this simple cropping.
Now the rules have changed. You can add nodes, change segments to
curves, and basically create any shape you wish. Remember that you are only
cropping the bitmap, so the extra information is still contained in your file; it
is just hidden from view. This is very similar to using the PowerClip effect described in Chapter 19, but for some bitmaps, it is just as easy to crop the
bitmap as it is to PowerClip it.
Tip: The best way to alter the parts of a bitmap that are visible is
to mask the bitmap in PHOTO-PAINT, save the file as a CPT
(Photo-Paints native format) file and import into CorelDRAW.
Only the area of the bitmap within the mask will display. For
more information on masking bitmaps, see Chapter 30.
The Knife Tool

The Knife tool is the second tool on the Node Edit flyout. It is similar to the
Break Curve button, except that you dont select a node prior
to using the Knife tool. Anywhere you click on a path with the
Knife tool will create a node and break the curve. If you are
working with a closed path, you will need to make two separate cuts to break it into two objects: the first cut will turn the
127
closed path into an open path; the second cut will break the path into two
pieces. By default, each object will be
closed automatically after that second
cut.
You can change the defaults by selecting the Knife tool with no objects selected. The buttons on the Property Bar (shown above) allow you to keep the
chopped-up object as a single object and you can choose not to close additional objects that are created by the Knife tool.
Freehand Knifing
Older versions just allowed you to click on the outline of an object and cut in
a straight line to another cut on the outline. Now you can do much more by
simply clicking and dragging. The following project will show you how it
works to crack an egg.
Draw an ellipse that looks something like an egg and color it blue.
Select the Knife tool and place it over one side of the egg. The Knife
cursor should rotate to indicate that it is ready to cut.
Drag the Knife across the object in somewhat of a zigzag pattern until
you reach the other side of the object. Note that the cursor will again
rotate when it reaches the opposite edge.
Before releasing the left mouse button, press the Tab key. Youll notice
that half of the egg has been removed. Press Tab again and the other
half is removed instead. Press Tab yet again and the whole egg will be
retained, but it will be cracked in two. Keep pressing on Tab until the
piece or pieces you wish to keep are displayed and then release the left
mouse button.
Figure 11: An egg that is cracked in three different ways with the Knife
tool.
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Figure 11 shows the egg prior to cracking and then each of the three stages
that can be achieved after cracking. Although this is just a simple addition, it
sure can help you to create some cool stuff!
The Eraser Tool

A few years back, someone at one of our Boot Camps commented that it would be nice to have an Eraser tool in
CorelDRAW. We looked at the person strangely and thought to
ourselves that this is a vector program,
not a bitmap program. If you want to
erase something, just delete it. Then
Corel went and added an Eraser tool,
and we can see its usefulness. It just
goes to show you that some of the best ideas dont always make sense at
first.
When you select the Eraser tool from the Shape Edit flyout, the Property Bar
will have two different settings that are relevant to the Eraser tool, as shown
above.
The first setting controls the thickness of the eraser. Just as you can buy different sizes of erasers at your favorite art supply store, you can work with different sizes of erasers in CorelDRAW. Your cursor will change to reflect the
size currently chosen, so youll know exactly how big an area you will erase.
The other setting is controlled by the Auto-Reduce on Erase button. Because
the Eraser tool can cause quite a few extra nodes to appear, you will probably
want this button depressed. It is just an automated way of using the Auto-Reduce function (mentioned earlier in this chapter) immediately after you finish
erasing. Lastly, you can choose to have a round or square eraser head.
To use the Eraser tool, you can first select the object you wish to erase. If
nothing is selected, just select the object with the Eraser tool. If you have
more than one object selected, you will receive an error message. When you
have only a single object selected and the Eraser tool is active, simply start
erasing the object. As you do this, the parts of the object youve erased will
disappear. This can be somewhat misleading as the true erasing doesnt take
place until after you release the mouse button. Then the area youve erased
will be subtracted from the object.
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At times, you may miss certain areas and leave pieces behind. Just continue
to erase those areas until you are pleased with the result.
Note: If you have a graphics tablet with an eraser, the Eraser
tool is automatically
invoked when you turn
over your penor at
least it should be. You
may need to make
some changes in the
tablets control panel so
that it is context
sensitive.
Figure 12 is an example of an obFigure 12: An ellipse before and after
ject before and after parts of it
erasing parts of it.
were erased.
Smudge Brush Tool

While the Roughen Brush has features that use a graphics tablet, the Smudge Brush really takes advantage of a tablet using
pressure, tilt and/or bearing. Dont fret, those of you who have
yet to get a tablet can still use this tool to distort your designs.
I will stop to say that a tablet makes drawing shapes in
CorelDRAW much easier and is invaluable when masking shapes in Corel
PHOTO-PAINT.
As with the Roughen Brush, the Smudge Brush is found on the Shape tool
flyout. Its icon looks like a Q-Tip. Once youve selected the tool, the Property
Bar changes to look like the one shown below.
The first setting is the Nib Size. The larger the Nib Size you enter, the larger
each smudge of the brush will be. For those with a tablet, the next icon will
use the pressure settings of the tablet when selected. If you dont have a tablet, you can enter a dryout setting in the next box. Of course, tablet users can
130
have both affect the smudging. To the

right is another tablet icon for using the
tilt settings. Next to it is where you can
enter your own tilt values. Once more, is
a button which determines if the bearing
setting of the tablet will be used. Not all
tablets will support pressure, tilt and
bearing so check with your tablet manual
to know if these options are available to
you. Lastly is where you can enter a fixed
value for bearing.
Now comes the fun part, actually smudg- Figure 13: The Smudge Brush
ing the object. If you click outside the ob- has really distorted this shape.
ject and drag into it, parts of the object
will be erased. And if you click inside the object and drag outwards, the object will be extended by your stroke. Trying both methods of dragging from
the outside in and from the inside out can really create some interesting
shapes quickly. Figure 13 shows a polygon that has been distorted with the
Smudge Brush. It really is like taking a wet paint brush and smudging the
shape of the object.
Roughen Brush Tool

Youll find the Roughen Brush on the Shape tool flyout. Its
icon looks like a rake and that is pretty descriptive of how it is
used since you rake the effect onto a shape. Once youve selected the Roughen Brush, the Property Bar will change to
look like the one below.
On the far left of the Property Bar is the setting for Nib Size. Larger settings
will produce larger spikes on the object you are roughening. Next is the frequency of spikes along an objects edge. Higher numbers will place each
spike close together and therefore produce more of them. The dryout effect
is next and it controls whether the roughening will decrease as the stroke of
the rake gets longer. Tilt controls the angle of the rake used and it will affect
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the roughening as you move in

different directions. Lastly is the
spike direction. Auto gets the setting from the direction you are
moving the stroke. Fixed roughens in a single direction and stylus
settings gets a setting directly
from a graphics tablet, if you are
Figure 14: The Roughen Brush gives a
using one.
little life to this shape.
In Figure 14, I started with the
shape on the left and then I used
the Roughen brush to add more distortion along the left side of the object.
So when you are looking to give a little more oomph to your designs, give the
Roughen Brush a try. You do have to be a bit careful as it is pretty easy to
make an object too rough.
Virtual Segment Delete Tool

The Virtual Segment Delete tool can be used to remove a line
segment between intersections and/or endpoints of a shape.
Figure 15 shows a shape on the left with various intersected
lines. By using the Virtual Segment Delete tool to click on the
upper left and lower right square, they were eliminated from
the final shape on the right.
Tutorial Movies
Working with Nodes
Stretching and Rotating Nodes
Elastic Mode and Reflecting
Nodes
Using the Knife Tool
Figure 15: Shapes before and after two

segments were deleted.
Using the Eraser, Smudge Brush

and Roughen Brush
Using the Virtual Segment Delete Tool
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Chapter Wrap
As you are creating artwork, youll find that the Shape tool is the most often
used tool in the toolbox. So if you are at all unclear about how nodes work,
you might want to go over this chapter again until you fully understand this
important concept.
CorelDRAW 12
BOOT CAMP
youve learned
(800) 736-8973
www.unleash.com
133
CorelDRAW 12
Color, Fills & Color

Management
All the shapes in CorelDRAW arent nearly as important if you cant get the
correct colors and fills. Users frequently misunderstand the different color
models, they dont take advantage of the many types of fills and they are
completely baffled by color management. Well go over each of these subjects so that you can get the most out of what CorelDRAW has to offer.
Color
CorelDRAW contains a vast array of color models and palettes. But, there are
three major types of colors that every user should understand. Each type
works very well in some cases and fails miserably in other cases.
RGB
RGB stands for Red (R), Green (G) and Blue (B). It is an additive color model
meaning that the more color added, the closer you get to White. As you enter values for each color, you can enter anywhere from 0 to 255. The higher
the value, the more of that color, the brighter it will become. If you are designing something for the screen, then RGB should be used. A variation on
this is the Web safe palette. It uses RGB colors, but only allows them to be
added in 17% increments thus limiting the number of available colors to 216.
While it is called Web safe, studies have shown that those colors arent really
completely safe. Plus, more Web visitors have the ability to display full color,
so it is less important to limit the number of colors.
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Process
The default color palette in CorelDRAW is made up of process colors. Each
of these colors is composed of a mixture of Cyan (C), Magenta (M), Yellow (Y)
and Black (K) giving the acronym of CMYK. It is called a subtractive model
because as color is added, the color becomes closer to black. Values for
each color are typically entered as 0 to 100. If you are designing a color project to be printed, then CMYK is your best choice. While there are literally millions of possible colors, not all of the colors can be differentiated.
Also, note that while a wide range of colors can be represented, the colors
you see on screen and those you get on press will not necessarily match.
Sometimes they are really close and other times there is a big disparity. Later
in this chapter well discuss color management which can help to lessen this
problem.
Spot
Where RGB and CMYK colors are both mixed from components, spot colors
are premixed. Most often they are used to produce 2-3 color jobs, or in industries such as screen printing. Often they are also used to exactly match a
corporate color. An example would be that a photograph in a job would be in
CMYK color, but the companys logo would be a spot color. This would make
the job a five color job in total.
In almost all cases, the spot colors used are part of the Pantone Matching
System (PMS) of colors. Not only can you use these colors, you can specify a
percentage of the color to create additional free colors without having to
use another color of ink. CorelDRAW contains prebuilt palettes for most of
the Pantone colors available. If not, just use a color that does exist and switch
ink on press as it will not affect the outcome of the job at all. The colors you
see on screen are simply a rough approximation of the true color and should
not be used to guess the exact look of the printed job. And for those of you
insisting the colors match on your color laser or inkjet, forget it, they wont as
they arent using the premixed inks.
Using Color
The quickest way to apply fills or outlines is to use the Color Palette found on
the right side of the screen. While CorelDRAW defaults to showing only a single color palette, you can have more than one open in CorelDRAW 12. To
open other palettes, select Window | Color Palettes and click on the one
135
Chapter 8: Color, Fills & Color Management
Figure 3: Pop-up palette for spot colors.

you want. Or you
can select Color
Palette Browser
from that same
menu to get a
Figure 2: Pop-up palette Docker window, as
for non-spot colors.
in Figure 1, which
lists all available
palettes. If a palette is already checked, clicking
on it will turn it off.
Left-clicking on a color will fill the selected object(s) while right-clicking will outline the seFigure 1: The Color
lected object(s). You can also drag colors and
Palette Browser Docker
drop them on an object, or an outline. If you
window.
click and hold on a given color, youll get a
pop-up palette with the selected color and 48
variations of it, as shown in Figure 2. Release your mouse button and then
click on the color you desire from this pop-up
palette. For spot colors, the pop-up palette contains only ten variations, as shown in Figure 3,
in ten percent increments. Ctrl-clicking on a
color will add approximately 10 percent of that
color to the objects existing color or outline.
Whew, thats a lot of functionality!
Another great way to add colors is using the
Color Docker, shown in Figure 4. You can access it by selecting Window | Dockers | Color.
At the top right are three icons for working with
color sliders, color viewers and palettes. Use either the color sliders or color viewers to specify
RGB or CMYK colors. Each method allows you
to enter the exact value for each component
color. Personally, I prefer the sliders as they give Figure 4: The Color
Docker with CMYK color
136
a preview inside the slider of how each change

would affect colors.
If you are going to be working with spot colors,
youll probably want to switch to the palettes
mode of the Docker, shown in Figure 5. From
the drop-down list, you have access to all of the
spot color palettes available in CorelDRAW 12.
As your cursor hovers over a color, the number
of that color is displayed. Below the palette is a
slider for the percentage tint of the color you
want to use. If you would prefer to see the
names of colors, this can be selected from the
flyout menu at the top of the Docker.
A third way to view the Docker is with the color
Figure 5: The Color
viewers, shown in Figure 6. Just like the sliders,
Docker with a spot color
you are able to enter values for each component
palette selected.
color. But, you can also click anywhere within
the color viewer to select a color.
By using the Fill and Outline buttons at the bottom of the Color Docker, you
can apply the color to the selected object(s). You can also drag and drop colors from the Docker directly onto an object or
an outline.
Also, note that at the upper right of the Docker
is a button for a flyout menu containing additional options. The contents of this menu vary
depending on which of the three views you have
selected.
Fills
Well start by looking into the
Interactive Fill tool. Since the
Interactive Transparency tool works very similarly, it is important to first understand how the
Interactive Fill tool works. After learning to use
this tool, youll wonder why Corel keeps the
old-fashioned Fill tool in the toolbox. Im not
137
Figure 6: The Color

Docker with a CMYK color
afraid to say that it is no longer necessary and should be removed in a future

release.
Uniform Fills
The quick and dirty way to use the tool is to select the object or objects you
wish to fill and click on the Interactive Fill tool. As you do this, the Property
Bar will change to look like Figure 7 with No Fill showing as the type of fill.
And the Property Bar can take on other looks depending on the type of fill
you choose from the drop-down list. Figure 8 shows an example of the Property Bar for Uniform Fill. This can change, again depending on the Color
Model you choose in the drop-down list. So, if CMYK is changed to RGB,
there is yet another version of the Property Bar. For those looking for yet another way to fill objects with solid colors, this is it. Combined with the Color
Docker and the Palette, these are the three best ways to do it.
Figure 7: The Property Bar immediately after the Interactive Fill tool is
selected.
Figure 8: The Property Bar for CMYK Uniform Fills with the Interactive
Fill tool.
Fountain Fills
Once again the Property Bar changes, as shown in Figure 9, when Linear
(fountain fill) is selected. The Property Bar now contains most of the settings
found in the Fountain Fill dialog box. More importantly, changes can be
made interactively. If you look at the object, youll notice that it has an arrow
going through it. By default, it is Black to White with the arrow on the White
Figure 9: The Property Bar for a 2 Color Linear Fountain Fill.

138
end. If you click on the Black box, you

can move the whole line anywhere you
desire. As you do this, the edge padding
on the Property Bar will be changed. Now
click on the White end and any movement will change the length on the line
and its angle. Again, this will make
changes on the Property Bar. Figure 10
shows an ellipse with a red to white linear
fountain fill.
OK, so this is kinda cool, but the only
benefit is in watching it happen live. Lets
Figure 10: An interactive red to
make a few changes and the power of
white fountain fill.
this tool will soon become evident. The
first change will be in color. We could
change the color from the Property Bar,
but instead lets use the palette. Instead
of just clicking on a color in the palette,
click and drag the color until it is over the
Black square. Once there, release the
mouse and the Fountain Fill should have
changed. Repeat the process and drop a
color on the White square. Nothing really
exciting has happened yet. Now drag a
third color out over the fill and drop it on
the dotted line between the other two
colors. Youll notice a small plus sign ap- Figure 11: More colors were
pears and when the color is dropped, it is added to the linear fill to get this
added to create a three color Fountain
rainbow look.
Fill. Keep repeating as much as you like
or at least until you hit the 99 color limit. Figure 11 shows the result of dropping a few more colors on the fill.
If you really want to get interactive, clicking and dragging with the Interactive
Fill tool will automatically create the dotted line for you in the exact size you
create. Since this method is much more visual than using a dialog box, your
productivity and creativity are sure to increase.
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Now click the icon, on the Property Bar,

that represents a radial fountain fill. Notice that the line with the arrowhead is
still there. The end with the arrow is at
the outside of the circle and the other
end is at the center. Moving the center of
the fill is as simple as clicking the end of
the line and moving it. If instead you
move the end with the arrow, the edge
padding will change. Just as with the linear fountain fill, colors can be added or
changed by dragging colors from the
palette. Figure 12 shows an example of
Figure 12: A radial fountain fill.
a radial fountain fill being edited.
Experiment some more with the Conical
(see Figure 13) and Rectangular fountain
fills, accessed from the drop-down list at
left. The shape of the line may change,
but the functionality remains very similar.
Moving the dotted line will affect the center of the fill, colors can be added by
dragging and dropping them on the dotted line and edge padding is controlled
by the length of the line.
One last tip that might confuse the heck
out of you. Once youve added colors to
the fountain fill, how do you get rid of
Figure 13: A conical fountain fill.
them? Simply right-click on the little
color square and it will be removed.
If you dont like this new method and prefer to enter numbers in dialog boxes,
these same values can be found on the Property Bar. And that same old dialog box (Figure 14) can be brought up by clicking the Edit Fill button at the
far left of the Property Bar.
Youll find that the dialog box contains all of the settings weve already discussed from the Property Bar. The one unique feature is the inclusion of a
number of Presets. Simply choose one of the presets to have a saved fountain fill in place. If you find that you use a particular fill often, make sure to
140
Figure 15: Interactive Pattern Fill Property Bar.

save that fill for later use by
pressing the + icon next to
the Preset list. Youll be
asked to name your new
Preset, and it will then appear in the list in the future, so that you no longer
have to create it from
scratch.
Pattern Fills
The next type of fill in the
drop-down list are the Pattern Fills. When it is selected the Property Bar will
appear, as shown in Figure
15. There are three different types of Pattern Fills
Figure 14: Fountain Fill dialog box.
listed for Two Color, Full
Color and Bitmap. To the right of the fill
type is a drop-down, where you can select the fill pattern, color selectors, tile
size buttons and measurements and a
button to scale the pattern with the object. Again, these are the same items you
would find in the Pattern Fill dialog box.
Figure 16 shows an object filled with a
two color pattern fill. Notice the box in
the lower left corner, that indicates the
size of the tile used to fill the object.
When the Interactive Fill tool is selected,
you can resize the tile, rotate it or even
Figure 16: An interactive two
color fountain fill.
141
skew it. Drag and drop colors on the two

colored rectangles to change the color of
the fill.
If you click the Edit Fill button on the far
left of the Property Bar, youll get the dialog box shown in Figure 17. It contains
many of the same settings weve already
discussed. One of the benefits of the dialog is that you can enter exact values for
the rotation and skewing of the tile. It
also allows you to offset rows or columns
of fills and to transform the fill with the
object. This means that if you resize the
object, the fill will scale by the same
amount. If you rotate the object, the fill
Figure 17: Pattern Fill dialog
will rotate by the same amount.
box.
Clicking the Create button will bring up
the dialog box in Figure 18. As two color
fills are low resolution bitmaps, this dialog allows you pixel level control of a pattern. This certainly isnt as friendly for
painting as Corel PHOTO-PAINT, but it
gives you enough control to create the
pattern you desire.
Full Color Pattern Fills

Full color pattern fills are very similar to
the two color pattern fills. One obvious
difference is the number of colors. But a
Figure 18: Two-Color Pattern
bigger difference is that the two color fills
Editor dialog box.
are a fairly low resolution bitmap,
whereas the full color fills are typically
made up of vector objects of any colors you desire. More or less, anything
that can be contained in a CorelDRAW file can also be part of a full color pattern. For many projects, the full color pattern fill is your best choice even if
you will be using only two colors. But, you cant easily modify the colors without directly editing the pattern.
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Figure 19: Bitmap Pattern Fill Property Bar.
Bitmap Pattern Fills

Weve already discussed that two color
pattern fills are a low resolution bitmap.
And of course they are limited to only
two colors. Bitmap pattern fills can use
any bitmap of your choosing. When you
install CorelDRAW, 60 tileable bitmaps
are installed. Many more are contained
on CD #2 for those who just cant get
enough. Plus, you can use any bitmap
you want to fill an object.
When you choose Bitmap Pattern from
the drop-down on the Property Bar, youll Figure 20: Bitmap pattern fill of
get the Property Bar shown in Figure 19. grass.
Again, it is very similar to the Property
Bars youve previously seen. The main
thing you want to choose is the actual bitmap to be used. If you want to load
a new bitmap, click the Edit Fill button on the far left of the Property Bar and
then click the Load button. An example of a bitmap pattern fill is shown in
Figure 20. Just using this fill, gives us a lawn full of grass.
Tip: To make the fill look best, either make the tile size larger
than the bitmap you are using for the fill or make sure that the
bitmap you are using will tile seamlessly.
Texture Fills
Change the type of fill to Texture Fill and the Property Bar will look similar to
Figure 21. Next to the type of fill is a list of the Texture Libraries, followed by
a drop-down gallery of the fills within the library. To access the detailed information about the texture, youll need to press the Edit Fill button and make
changes in the dialog box shown in Figure 22.
Youll notice that the Texture Fill dialog contains a wide variety of settings.
Some of the fills have more settings and some have fewer. Your best bet is to
143
Figure 21: Texture Fill Property Bar.

experiment as there are literally zillions of possibilities
with each fill. Just the texture number alone has
32,768 different
possibilities.
Next to each of the settings
is a lock icon. If the lock is
unlocked and you make no
changes to any setting before clicking Preview, a setting will be randomly
chosen. Unlock more settings and the fill will
change drastically.
If you are planning to output at higher resolutions, it
is important that you click Figure 22:Texture Fill dialog box.
Options to get the dialog
Choose values appropriate
for the size of the object
you are filling and the output device. To determine
maximum tile width, multiply the longest dimension
of the object you are filling
by the bitmap resolution.
Figure 23:Texture Options dialog box.
The maximum tile width
should be larger than that
number. It should also be one of the supplied values or 5097.
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PostScript Fills
The last type of Fill is the PostScript fill. This is by far the least
used type of fill, mainly because Figure 24: PostScript Fill Property Bar.
until CorelDRAW 7 it couldnt be
seen on screen. And prior to CorelDRAW
6, it could only be printed on a PostScript
printer. The only option youll see on the
Property Bar, shown in Figure 24, is a
drop-down list of each PostScript fill. As
you can see from Figure 25, they now
display beautifully on screen. Each of the
fills has options, as shown in Figure 26,
but these can only be accessed through
the Edit Fill button. When in the PostScript texture dialog box, make sure to
check Preview fill, make the desired settings changes and then press the Refresh
button to see the result of the changes. Figure 25:Stained glass
PostScript fill on screen.
When you are happy with the results,
press OK.
Keep in mind that some of these
fills are incredibly complex and
may take a long time to print if
you send them to a PostScript
printer. Before you send a file containing PostScript fills to a service
bureau, you should print it on
your local PostScript printer to
make sure it doesnt take too long
to print.
Mesh Fill
All of the fills weve seen so far
simply let you use a single fill on
an entire object. The Mesh Fill
tool, found on the Interactive Fill
145
Figure 26: PostScript Texture dialog

box.
flyout, allows you to drop different colors along a mesh grid

overlaid on an object.
When you select the Mesh Fill tool, youll get the Property Bar
shown above. On the far left are two boxes for entering the
number of rows and columns to be contained in the mesh
grid. The maximum number for either is 50. Figure 27 shows
a red circle with an 8 x 8 grid applied to it. The
Property Bar also contains some familiar icons
for node editing. Each of these options was discussed in Chapter 7.
Now comes the fun part. Drag colors from the
color palette and drop them onto any of the sections of the grid. The color dropped will now be
put into that grid section and will seamlessly
blend into the colors surrounding it.
I started with the red circle in Figure 27 and
then dropped darker shades of red along the
bottom right and white along the upper left, we Figure 27: An 8 x 8 mesh
grid on an ellipse.
are able to give this flat object some shading.
Keep in mind that you can further optimize the
look of the object by manipulating the various
nodes. The resulting circle is shown in Figure
28. With a little patience, you can get very realistic shading on an object. But be forewarned,
these fills are very complex and could cause
printing problems. In most cases they are converted to a bitmap when printed to alleviate
printing problems.
Figure 28: The same red
ellipse after several colors
have been dropped on it.
146
Secrets of Color Management

A question that arises quite often is geared towards color management. Users of graphics software are frustrated that the colors they see on screen do
not match the colors that come out of their printer. In short they will never
match, so get over it.
Why Colors Dont Match

To first understand the concept of color management, you have to understand why colors dont match. The screen on your computer displays colors
in RGB (Red, Green, Blue) colors. This is what is called an additive color
model. As you add more of each color, you get closer to white. With no color,
you get black. Printed colors are exactly the opposite. They use the CMYK
model (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black), which is a subtractive palette. The
more color you add, the closer you get towards black.
Each of these colors models has a gamut, or range of colors, that can be
represented. There is some overlap within these palettes, but you would be
surprised at how few colors are represented in both palettes. Thus, the reason that the colors you see on screen dont match your printer. If the color
you want isnt one of the colors that is within the gamut of both models, it
wont match. Well over half the colors wont match.
If that isnt confusing enough, lets throw in some other variables that further
confuse things. The colors you see on screen are dependent on the video
card and monitor that you use on your system. And as monitors age, the colors change. So two separate users wont even see the same color on their respective screens, unless their equipment is identical, and the stars above are
in alignment. Then we throw in different brands of printers, different brands
of ink and different kinds of paper. So many variables to consider and it all
leads up to colors that just wont match.
Color Management Settings Within

CorelDRAW
The next step towards understanding color management is controlled by the
software you use. CorelDRAW has had color management built in to the software for many versions now. But since so few users understand even the basics of color management, all those features are lost on them. By default,
color management was turned off in CorelDRAW 7 and lower. It was turned
on in CorelDRAW 8 and higher. So if you are upgrading from a much older
147
version of CorelDRAW, you

will notice an immediate
difference in the colors you
see on screen. In short,
they will look muddy and
muted.
The idea is that, if you understand color management, you can make the
colors you see on screen
more closely imitate those
that come out of your
printer. When it was off, few
users turned it on and then
complained that colors on Figure 29: Color Management dialog box.
screen werent even close
to their printer. Now that it is turned on, users complain that the colors on
their screens are dull and washed out. They are dull, because that is what you
will get from your printer.
By selecting Tools | Colors Management, you can change the settings for
how colors look on screen and how they are printed. The resulting dialog box
is shown in Figure 29.
If you do plan on using the color management technology within CorelDRAW,
the next step is to set up profiles for all of your devices. Pictured in the dialog
box are each of the devices that can be managed. Click the arrow next to the
device you wish to manage and select the appropriate profile to use.
Corel supplies a very limited number of profiles with CorelDRAW, but it is best
if you get them directly from your hardware vendor or generate them yourself. They are often supplied on a disk or CD that comes with the hardware. If
not, you can probably get them from the vendors Web site.
The arrows between devices indicate if color management will be used between those devices. As an example, the arrow between your desktop printer
and the monitor would indicate that the monitor will approximate the output
of your desktop printer. If the arrow from the separations printer to the desktop printer is highlighted, then the desktop printer will approximate the output of the separations printer and then the monitor will represent the desktop
printer. Got it?
148
In the lower left of the

Color Management dialog
box are a list of styles that
can be specified. Once you
have things set as you desire, it is probably a good
idea to save a style for future use, so that you dont
have to specify the same
settings more than once.
Now we come to the part
where you actually print
and things can get a bit
tricky. CorelDRAW has
color management built in, Figure 30: The Print Misc dialog box showing
but so do most color print- where color management is activated.
ers. You only want to use
the color management in one of these
devices. In CorelDRAW, youll find the
color management on the Misc tab of the
Print dialog box, as shown in Figure 30.
If you plan on using the color management in your printer, uncheck this box. If
you leave it checked, make sure to turn it
off in your printer. Ill discuss that process
next. Note that it is disabled in Figure
30, as color management was turned off
in Figure 29.
Sometimes it can be tough to find the
setting in your printer driver and the
method is different with each operating Figure 31: Tektronix Phaser 850
system and brand of printer. I have found Advanced Options dialog box.
the setting for the Tektronix Phaser 850,
running under Windows XP, and highlighted it in Figure 31. If you plan on
using CorelDRAWs color management, youll want Color Correction set to
None. If you turn it off in CorelDRAW, the printer should be set to the color
correction method that provides the best results. Keep in mind that the dialog for almost every printer is different, so youll probably need to consult the
149
manual for your printer to learn where to find the color management settings.
Confused yet?
Creating Device Profiles

CorelDRAW provides no facility for creating or editing color profiles. For that
we must turn to other hardware and software. To properly calibrate your
printer and scanner, you can use software. This software will ask you to print
out a sample, attach a defined IT8 target and then scan it back into your system. Since the software knows what colors are in the IT8 target, it can determine the color shift of both your printer and scanner. Given those shifts, it will
build profiles for each device. This software costs anywhere from $250 on up.
To profile a monitor, you need a hardware device that can measure the displayed colors. Such devices start at around $250. So, you are looking at a
minimum cost of $500 to properly profile the devices on your system. To
learn more about the software and hardware I recommend, visit
http://www.unleash.com/color.
Swatch Books
There is a much easier way for most users. Forget about all this color management stuff. Choose your colors from a printed swatch book. If youll be
printing on your own printer, use one of the palettes you can download from
http://www.unleash.com/articles/colorchart, or follow the instructions provided on that page to create a file for the palette of your choice. Once youve
printed the palette, select the color you want from the printout, and dont
worry about how it looks on screen. What is important is that it will look the
same when printed the next time.
Tip: Make sure to print the palette on the material on which you
want colors to match. If that is paper, great. But it could also be
a t-shirt, coffee mug or a ceramic tile.
For those who jobs will go to a printing press, get either a Pantone
swatchbook (available from http://www.pantone.com) or Agfas PostScript
Process Color Guide (available from http://www.agfa.com). Again, youll pick
colors from the swatchbooks and the color you see on screen are not important.
150
Tutorial Movies
Filling with Solid Colors
Interactive Uniform Fills
Interactive Fountain Fills
Interactive Two Color Pattern Fills
Interactive Full Color Pattern Fills
Interactive Bitmap Pattern Fills
Interactive Texture Fills
Interactive PostScript Fills
Mesh Fills
Color Management
Chapter Wrap
Youve now seen the different color models, some of the color palettes, the
fills available in CorelDRAW and ways to manage your colors. All this can be
a bit overwhelming at first, but by digging in a bit youll soon find that you
can get your colors in control.
151
CorelDRAW 12
Outlining Objects
When you create a new object in CorelDRAW, by default it will have a thin
black outline. And text objects will default to no outline. CorelDRAW presents
a wide variety of outline attributes that you can change, including these defaults, so that you can get the exact look you want. You even have the ability
to convert the outline into a fillable object for even more options.
Setting Outline Attributes

The quickest way to add an outline to an object
or to change the outline color is to right-click a
color in the color palette. If there had been no
previous outline, a hairline outline will be added
in the color upon which you right-clicked. For
objects that already had an outline, the color will
be changed.
Outline Defaults
Figure 1: The Outline

defaults dialog box.
It has already been mentioned that graphics objects will have a black hairline outline by default and text will have no outline.
But you can easily change these defaults by changing outline attributes with
no objects selected. When you do this, the dialog box in Figure 1 will appear.
152
Youll see there are three choices in the defaults dialog

box. You can select Graphic, Artistic Text or Paragraph
Text. Whichever choices are checked, the outline
changes you make will be applied to those type of objects after clicking OK. Well talk about those changes a
bit later in this chapter.
There is one occasion where a default outline can
cause a problem. Typically it is best not to have an outline on text by default as it will distort the characters. If
you have a thick outline, it can make the text completely unreadable. And if that outline has a white color,
it could make the text disappear altogether. Figure 2
shows an example of text with a thick black outline.
Since there is nothing to see with a thick white outline,
it is not shown.
Acme
Acme
Figure 2: The
problem caused by
a thick outline on
text.
Note: Changing the defaults only applies to the current

document. If you want to change all new documents as well,
select Tools | Save Settings As Default.
Using the Property Bar

When you have an object selected,
there are sometimes choices on
the Property Bar for changing the
outline thickness and sometimes
there will also be settings for arrowheads and line styles. Which
options you see are completely dependent on the type of object selected. As the Property Bar doesnt
have a complete set of choices,
were going to focus most on the
Outline Pen dialog box, as we describe each of the options that is
available.
Figure 3: The Outline Pen dialog box.
153
Chapter 9: Outlining Objects
Outline Pen Dialog Box

To bring up the Outline Pen dialog box shown in Figure 3, click on the Outline tool to get the flyout and then click the leftmost icon. Or you can simply
press F12.
At the top left of the dialog is the color selector. The default CorelDRAW palette is easily available by clicking the down-arrow just to the right of the color.
If you would prefer to select a color that is not in the default color palette,
click the Other button. This would most often be used if you needed to specify a Pantone spot color. A swatch of the color you select will be shown in the
main Outline Pen dialog box. If a white square appears in the lower left of the
swatch, a spot color is selected.
Just below the color selector are the controls for selecting a line width. On
the left is the drop-down listing several of the most used widths. If you cant
find the one you need, simply type it in. To the right of the width is a
drop-down for selecting the units. It defaults to points, though you can select
any unit of measurement you prefer.
Your next choice is the line style. This refers to whether the line is solid, dotted or dashed. The drop-down list shows rough examples of each of the
types available. If you cant find a style that meets your needs, click the Edit
Style button to get the Edit Line Style dialog box shown in Figure 4. Youll
find instructions on how to use this feature right in the dialog box.
Corners
Below the line style are three radio buttons for choosing the corner style.
When a shape turns a corner, the choice you make here will determine how
the outline looks on the corner. The default is a sharp corner but many times
youll get the best
results by choosing
a round corner (the
middle option). This
is because the
sharp corners can
often create large
spikes on some
angles.
Figure 4: The Edit Line Style dialog box allows you
to create dotted and dashed lines to meet your
needs.
154
Line Caps
AL
AL
AL
ER
NATI
VE 20
TI
AL
AC
AC
30
IN
ER
NATIO
30
IN
155
ER
The Scale with image checkbox determines if the width of the outline should
increase or decrease at the same rate as
the shape itself. Lets suppose that you
create a logo where the width of the outline is an integral part of the design. If
you didnt use Scale with image, the
outline would be too thick if you de-
AC
IN
IN
Scale with Image
VE 20
TI
30
30
AC
To the right of the corner styles are the

styles for line caps. Inside each of the examples, you will see two dots which represent the nodes at the end of the line.
Note that the top line cap ends exactly at
the node where each of the two other
caps extend beyond the nodes. If you
arent sure which type works best for you,
then try different types until you get the
Figure 5: The Top example
look you need.
shows a two point outline on 72
point text. On the bottom, the
Behind Fill
outline is behind the fill and the
At the bottom left of the dialog are two
characters are much sharper. If
very important checkboxes. First, you
need to understand that as CorelDRAW you still want a thicker outline
then increase the width.
creates an outline, half of the outline
goes inside of the defined shape and half
goes outside. Therefore, the inside half of
the outline will cover the fill by default. If
you check the Behind fill checkbox, the
VE 20
TI
outline will go behind the fill so that only
the outside half is displayed. This is particularly useful with detailed artwork such
ER
N
as script fonts when thick outlines are
NATIO
used. If you dont put the outline behind
the fill, the object could look pretty bad.
An example of this is shown in Figure 5.
IVE 20
NATIO
ON
crease the size of the shape and too thin if you

increased it. An example is shown in Figure 6.
Arrowheads
At the top right of the dialog box are choices for
the arrow to be displayed at the end of each
line. Note that the box on the left is for selecting
the arrow at the beginning of the line which is
not necessarily the left end. And the box on the
right selects the arrow for the end of the line.
Figure 7: Edit Arrowhead
Youll find quite a few sample arrows are already dialog box
included. If you want to create your own, draw
the shape in CorelDRAW and select Tools | Create | Arrow. The new arrow
will then appear at the end of the list. With the Options button under each arrow selector, you can remove arrowheads, edit them and even swap them
from one end of the line to the other. Editing an arrowhead allows you to
modify the size of the arrowhead, placement relative to the line and more as
shown in Figure 7.
Calligraphy
The last section of the dialog box is for applying calligraphic styles to the lines. This is done by changing the
shape of the pen nib. You can do this by decreasing its
thickness from the maximum 100% to any smaller
amount or by changing the angle of the nib. If you have
chosen squared off corners, the nib will be square by
default. If you have instead chosen rounded corners,
the nib will be round. The best way to see how this afFigure 8:
fects the outline is to draw a curve shaped like an S
Calligraphic outline
and then to apply a thick outline with calligraphic effects. Youll see that the thickness of the outline will vary depending on the
angle of the line at any given point. Figure 8 shows an example of a shape
with calligraphic outlines.
Removing Outlines
The quickest way to remove an outline is to right-click on the X at the very
top of the color palette. This will set the outline width to 0.
156
The Outline Flyout

Some of the more common outlining tasks can be accomplished simply by
pressing a button on the Outline flyout. Weve already talked about how the
first button will bring up the Outline Pen dialog box. The next button brings
up the Outline Color dialog box. This can be quite handy if you only want to
change the outline color and the color you want is not on an active color palette. Eight buttons follow, that can set the outline width at preset sizes. These
sizes are no outline, hairline, 1/2 point, 1 point, 2 points, 8 points, 16 points
and 24 points. Unfortunately, you can not customize them to any other sizes.
The icon on the far right brings up the Color Docker that was discussed in
Chapter 8.
Converting Outlines to Objects

There are some users who cant use outlines in their normal work. Good examples are those who cut vinyl signs or those who do engraving. Their output devices just dont support outlines. But there is an easy way to change an
outline into a shape. Simply select Arrange | Convert Outline to Object
(Ctrl-Shift-Q) and the outline is converted to a shape. That shape can then
have any fill applied or even get an outline of its own. And since it is a shape,
it will be cuttable on a vinyl cutter or engraved on an engraving machine.
Miter Limit
A common problem that
users encounter is that
they get large spikes in
their outlines on corners.
These spikes are related to
the Miter limit setting. To
access the dialog box in
Figure 9, select Tools |
Options | Workspace |
Edit. The default setting
for Miter limit is 45 degrees. If you change this
setting to 10 or 15 deFigure 9: Tools Options Edit dialog box which
grees, you should see that allows the Miter limit to be changed.
157
almost all corners, which previously had spikes, will now be spike free. Only
corners with an angle smaller than this setting would still have problems.
Tutorial Movies
Outlines
Convert Outlines to Object
Chapter Wrap
Not every object you create will have an outline, but outlines can certainly
add to an object by giving thickness, color, dots, dashes and much more.
Learning to properly use outlines to their maximum potential will maximize
your productivity and creativity in CorelDRAW.
158
CorelDRAW 12
10
Viewing, Zooming &

Panning
If you havent upgraded in a number of versions, youll certainly notice that

many more view types are available, the Zoom tool works differently, and the
Pan tool has been added. Youll find that these improvements will provide a
higher-quality display in less time.
Viewing Types
Early versions of CorelDRAW had only two viewing types; now there are five:
Simple Wireframe, Wireframe, Draft, Normal, and Enhanced. Well examine
each type in this chapter, from the crudest display to the best. The quality
can be selected from the View menu.
Simple Wireframe view does not show the fill of any objects but, rather, an
outline. The outlines all appear in the layer color, regardless of the color of
the outline. Normally, the layer color is black. For any effects such as extrusions, contours, and blends, only the control objects appear. All bitmaps are
displayed in grayscale, except monochrome bitmaps which are displayed in
monochrome.
Wireframe view displays all objects as outlines using the layer color. Bitmaps
are all displayed in grayscale, except monochrome bitmaps which display in
monochrome. Long-time CorelDRAW users know this view; this is the
Wireframe view that has been around since the first version. It is also impor-
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Chapter 10: Viewing, Zooming & Panning
tant for newer users to realize that this view can be very useful for finding objects and troubleshooting a drawing.
Draft view shows all objects. Solid fills are displayed normally. Fountain fills
are displayed as solid colors. Texture fills, two-color pattern fills, full-color pattern fills, and bitmap pattern fills are all displayed with a distinguishing default
pattern. Bitmaps are displayed in low resolution. Lenses are displayed as a
solid color. The contents of PowerClips are not displayed at all.
Normal view displays all objects and fills without any changes. Bitmaps are
displayed in high resolution. This full-color preview has been available since
CorelDRAW 3. Note that PostScript fills are displayed as a series of PS
characters.
Enhanced view creates a fully anti-aliased version of all objects using 2X
Supersampling (Corels official name for oversampling). Enhanced view can
even display PostScript fills on the screen, but they will cause the display to
take a long time to appear. The viewing of PostScript fills is turned on by default, but it can be turned off in the Tools | Options | Workspace | Display
dialog box. Enhanced View is the default view in CorelDRAW 12.
When you want to see only your drawing and nothing else, you can select
View | Full Screen Preview (F9), and the preview will cover your whole
computer screen. Even if CorelDRAW is not using the whole screen normally,
other applications will now be covered. The view quality used by Full-Screen
Preview can be set in Tools | Options | Workspace | Display. By default it
is set to Enhanced.
Display Options
There are a number of options that are related to the
way an image is displayed
on your screen as shown in
Figure 1. To get this dialog
box, select Tools | Options | Workspace | Display.
Preview Colors
The colors used to display
a drawing on screen can
Figure 1: The Display Options dialog box
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be dithered from either the Windows palette or Corels own 256-color palette.
If you are using a video adapter that displays only 256 colors, it is best to use
Corels palette. If your system can display 16-bit or 24-bit color, youll want to
use Windows dithering. With the high number of colors, there usually isnt
any dithering at all. If you have a 24-bit display, this option will be unavailable
as dithering isnt used.
Refresh
Any time you make changes to your drawing, CorelDRAW will attempt to redraw the screen. Sometimes this can take a while if you have a slower system. However, the part you want to see may have been the first thing drawn,
or you may not even need to see a redrawn screen to continue your work. If
you check the Interruptible refresh check box, you can stop screen redrawing
by clicking anywhere on the screen or pressing any key. For example, suppose youve finished a complex drawing and are ready to print, but the drawing will take thirty seconds to redraw. With this option checked, you can just
use the Ctrl-P shortcut and start printing right away.
If you dont want CorelDRAW to redraw the screen until you specifically tell it
to, check the Manual refresh check box.
Offscreen Image
CorelDRAW 12 builds a bitmap version of your display off of the screen and
then draws it all at once. So when you make changes to your drawing, only
the parts that have changed will be redrawn. It will also instantly redraw after
youve had a dialog box or Docker on screen above the image. By default this
method is active, because Use Offscreen image is checked. But, if you want
to return to the redraw methods used in previous versions, just uncheck this
selection.
Auto-panning
Suppose youre right in the middle of moving an object and realize that it
needs to end up just off the edge of your screen. If you have Auto-panning
checked, the screen will scroll automatically when you near the edge of the
drawing window. If you go too far and place your cursor above the scroll bars,
the cursor will change to the international No symbol, indicating that you
cant drag and drop to that location. However, if you stop just short of the
scroll bars, the screen will scroll in the direction that you are moving. There
are quite a few situations in which auto-panning will help you. The key is to
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move your cursor just short of the scroll bar (within about 7 pixels) so the
screen is panned correctly.
Show ToolTips and PostScript Fills

A graphical user interface forces icons upon us. Sometimes icons are very
easy to understand, but some icons just cant be deciphered. Tool Tips can
help solve this problem. If your cursor hovers over an icon, a little yellow text
box will pop up, providing the name of the icons function. As long as the
Show Tooltips check box is checked, this help will be provided.
You have the ability to display PostScript fills on the main screen when working in the Enhanced view. This provides great functionality, but the display
can be very slow. By default, the Show PostScript fills in enhanced view option is activated, but those with slower systems may want to turn it off. Note
that this option has an effect only when you use PostScript fills.
Node Tracking
One of the nice features in CorelDRAW 12 is the ability to manipulate objects
and nodes when you have a drawing tool selected. If you do not want the
ability to edit nodes with drawing tools, remove the check mark from the Enable Node Tracking check box.
Antialiased Bitmaps
When you are using Enhanced view, you can have all bitmaps shown with
antialiasing. Your bitmaps will have smoother edges and will generally look
better this way. But they may look a tad blurry and will take longer to display.
Check the Use antialiased bitmaps in enhanced view to enable this feature.
Enable Selection After Drawing

As you are drawing objects, you have the option of having the object immediately selected after youve drawn it. So if you draw an ellipse, the sizing and
stretching handles will appear just after you finish drawing the object, even
though you havent selected the Pick tool. This option is on by default.
Highlight Outline for Selected Objects

As a further visual indicator, you can have a dotted blue outline added to selected objects. This option is especially helpful if you are selecting objects
that do not have an outline. It has only a minor effect on objects that are already outlined. By default this option is off.
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Full-Screen Preview
In Full-Screen Preview mode, only your document will be displayed. You have
the choice of using Normal view or Enhanced view when you are in this
mode. By default, the Enhanced view is used. Checking the Show page border check box will display the border of the page in this preview screen. This
feature can be helpful when you want to know where objects are located in
relation to the edge of the page.
Preview Fountain Steps

You want everything displayed on the screen with the maximum quality, but
you also want it to get there as fast as possible. Gradient fills are one of the
slowest fills to redraw. Their quality is controlled by the value in the Preview
fountain steps box. The default in CorelDRAW 12 is the maximum value, 256
steps. Even at this maximum setting, the redraw speed is still much faster
than in earlier versions. However, if you want to speed it up even more, lower
the setting to 50, which provides good quality, although it leaves gradient fills
visibly banded.
Note: The value specified for the number of preview fountain
steps is also used when you export to many different file
formats. For the best exports, make sure to change this value to
256 before exporting. If you are converting to a bitmap, it is
usually easier to just open a .cdr file in Corel PHOTO-PAINT, as
the file will then always be created at the highest quality and you
can select even more steps for your fountain fills.
Zooming
As you are creating a drawing, youll want to zoom in to work on details and
zoom out to see the whole image. You may change views hundreds of times
before a particular drawing is finished, so using these tools efficiently is very
important.
Using the Zoom Flyout

The Zoom flyout simply contains the Zoom and Hand tools
as shown at right. Each of them can be used in many ways
and well go over each of those options.
The Zoom tool works just like the Zoom In tool of older versions. If you simply click with your left mouse button, the
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screen will zoom in by a

factor of 2 centered around
the point where you
clicked. The other option is
to drag a marquee box
with the left mouse button.
The drawing window will
zoom to encompass as
much of the marquee box
as possible.
Clicking the right mouse
button with the Zoom tool
active will zoom out to the
last view by a factor of 2 or Figure 2: The Options Zoom, Pan Tool dialog
display a menu (at right). box.
You can change the behavior of the right mouse button in Tools | Options | Workspace | Toolbox | Zoom, Hand
Tool as shown in Figure 2. If you select Context
Menu, right-clicking will give you the menu
shown at right. Otherwise, you can select Zoom
Out.
An extra click or two will be required to zoom
out, but this method gives you excellent control
of the drawing window. The Zoom tool now has
functionality that didnt exist in the old Zoom tool.
The right-hand tool on the flyout is the Hand tool; it will be discussed later in
this chapter.
Using the Zoom Toolbar

The Zoom toolbar is available in several different places. You can display it as
a toolbar by right-clicking the gray area around any existing toolbar and selecting Zoom from the pop-up menu. It is also available at the top of the View
Manager Docker discussed later in this chapter. Regardless of how you
choose to display it, it is by far the best method for using the Zoom tool. The
Zoom toolbar is shown below.
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Zoom In
Selecting the Zoom
tool automatically
gives you the
Zoom In tool. The
cursor will change
to a magnifying glass with a + in the middle, just like on the tool itself. Clicking the screen with the left mouse button will zoom to 200 percent of the current view. Dragging a marquee box will zoom to the area within the marquee
box.
Zoom Out
Right-clicking with the Zoom tool selected will instantly zoom out to the previous zoom level or show twice as much information if there is no previous
zoom level. Note that if youve made several slightly tighter zooms, the Zoom
Out tool may seem to have little effect since there wasnt much change in
views.
Zoom To Selected
Using the Zoom To Selected tool requires that you first select an object or
objects. Otherwise, nothing will happen since there is not an object around
which to zoom. When you do have something selected, this tool will change
the zoom level so the selected objects completely fill the drawing window. You
can also access this tool from the keyboard using the Shift-F2 shortcut key.
Zoom To All Objects

The Zoom To All Objects tool zooms in or out until all objects in the drawing
fill up the drawing window. Every now and then objects get placed quite a
ways from the page itself and cause frustration when printing. You know they
exist, but you cant find them. Using the Zoom to All Objects tool can help
you to locate them so you can move or remove them. You may also see this
command referred to as Zoom To Fit. It can be accessed from the keyboard
using the F4 shortcut key.
Zoom To Page
In the drawing window is a graphical representation of the page size youve
selected. Using the Zoom To Page tool will zoom the drawing in or out so
that the page will be as large as possible in the drawing window. You can also
access this tool from the keyboard using the Shift-F4 shortcut key.
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Zoom To Page Width

Zoom To Page Width will zoom in or out so that the width of the onscreen
page fills up the drawing window. You will not necessarily see the top of the
page, but rather, a part of the page relative to the previous view. This means
that if you were zoomed in near the bottom of the page, the bottom part of
the page will be represented.
Zoom To Page Height

Zoom To Page Height works just the same as the Zoom To Page Width tool
except that it will adjust the zoom so that the entire height of the page will fit
in the drawing window.
Using the Standard Toolbar

The standard toolbar has a drop-down list of zoom
levels, shown here.
Many of these zoom levels have been previously described. Some of the other levels that are available
here are common ones, such as 25%, 50%, 200%,
and 400% of the page. The current zoom level will always be the first choice and will not necessarily be a
round number. You can also type in any level you
want, using a value as small as 1% or as large as
405651%. When zoomed to 1%, you can see nearly
100 feet in both the horizontal and vertical directions,
while at 405651%, you can see only a few thousandths
of an inch in both directions.
Tip: If you are at a zoom level you wish to save, type a name
into the drop-down list and press Enter. It will be saved in the
list for later use as the name you entered followed by the zoom
percentage.
Zooming with an Intellimouse

You have most probably seen an Intellimouse or something similar. Between
the two buttons is a roller wheel. Initially, the roller simply enabled you to
scroll through a document in a word processor or Web page. But Corel has
added support for the wheel as a way to zoom in and out of your drawing.
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If you roll the roller towards

you, the display will zoom
out by 10 percent for each
click of the roller. For
those who are unfamiliar
with the Intellimouse, the
roller will give a definite
click after a certain amount
of rotation. Roll the roller
away from you and the display will zoom out by a factor of 50 percent for each
click of the roller. And if
you roll it faster than half a
second between clicks, the
zoom will double itself. OK,
so that is the technical deFigure 3: The Navigator is popped up in the
scription. But the best way
lower right (shown highlighted in red).
to understand how it works
is to roll the roller in each direction and watch what happens. Although a
graphics tablet is still the best input medium for CorelDRAW users, for those
using mice the Intellimouse does have this cool feature.
Navigator
The Navigator is a great feature that saves you from having to zoom in and
out as often. Unfortunately it can be a bit tough to find at first. Look towards
the lower right of the CorelDRAW window where the two scrollbars meet.
Youll find a small white square there. When you click on the white square,
youll be presented with a thumbnail of the page as shown in the lower right
of Figure 3 (surrounded by red box). When this pops up, you can move the
visible area of the page around as you desire. Releasing the mouse will move
your drawing to the location youve chosen.
Tip: You can also press the N key on your keyboard to activate
the Navigator thumbnail. If you use this method, the thumbnail
will appear where your cursor is currently located.
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Panning
Panning is used to move the drawing window so that the objects you are
working with are displayed. If the screen is zoomed out for all objects, you
wont need to pan, but if it is zoomed in tight, youll frequently need to move
around to see other objects or to move the object you are working with.
In older versions of CorelDRAW, panning was accomplished by moving the
thumb buttons on the scrollbars or simply by zooming out and zooming back
in on something else. Now you have the Pan tool, the ability to pan with the
keyboard and panning support with the Intellimouse.
Using the Hand Tool

The Hand tool will change your cursor into a hand, which is appropriate.
Simply use the hand to push (drag) the page where you want it. Thus, if you
dragged from the bottom of the screen toward the top, the drawing would
move upward on the screen to show the part farther down on the actual
page.
Using Keyboard Panning

If you are familiar with the nudge actions available in CorelDRAW, keyboard
panning will be extremely easy. Hold down the Alt key and press one of the
arrow keys on the keyboard. This will scroll the screen in the direction of the
arrow you selected. You can even call it a nudge for the whole page.
Panning with an Intellimouse

Again, the special roller on the Intellimouse will activate a special mode of
panning. Remember, you can roll the special wheel in the middle of the
Intellimouse to zoom in and out. To pan, depress the roller, just as with the
other mouse buttons. Your cursor will change to a four-headed arrow. Now
move the mouse in the direction you want the screen to pan. The
four-headed arrow will change into an arrow pointing in the direction you are
moving and the screen will begin to pan.
Once youve moved to the desired view, click the roller wheel again and the
screen will stop panning. Basically, youre just treating this roller as a third
mouse button that will activate and deactivate the panning mode.
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The View
Manager
The View Manager provides an
easy way to store the views of a
drawing that you use often. The
information stored includes the
zoom level and page number. Figure 4 shows the View Manager
floating in an undocked state with
several saved views. The View
Manager is accessed by choosing
Window | Dockers | View Manager or by pressing Ctrl-F2.
Figure 4: The View Manager Docker
To create a new view, first you
after several views have been saved
need to select the page and zoom
to the magnification level you want to save. Then click the + icon in the View
Manager Docker or select New from the flyout. The view will be added to the
main display window of the Docker. To delete a view, simply click the icon
or select Delete from the flyout.
In the leftmost column of the View Manager is a Page icon. This controls
whether the specific page of the view will be applied when the view is selected. If the page icon is dimmed, only the magnification of the view will be
used. If you needed to zoom in on the lower-left corner of every page, you
would definitely want to turn off the Page icon. Similarly, the Magnification
icon controls whether the magnification information of the saved view is
used. If all you need is a view of page 5 and youve saved a view of page 5,
deselect the Magnification icon so that it is
dimmed.
Initially, a new view will be named View x, where
x represents the number of the view created.
Click the name to highlight it or right click and
select Rename from the pop-up menu (shown at
right), and you can then type a more descriptive
name, as in Figure 4. The next two columns
show the page number and magnification level
of the saved view.
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By dragging a particular view, you can rearrange the order in which views are
listed. Right-clicking any of the views displays the same menu as on the
flyout except that it will appear right at your cursor. If you double-click a view
or select Switch to View from the menu, your main display window will
change to the selected view.
Tip: If you will be sharing a drawing with others, creating saved
views would be a great way for you to point out certain items in
the drawing.
Chapter Wrap
Without the Zoom tool, it would be very tough to work on a drawing. Sometimes youd only see a tiny part of what you needed and other times youd
see so much that you couldnt work with a detailed area. Understanding the
Zoom tool will allow you to always work at exactly the view you need.
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CorelDRAW 12
11
Object Ordering, Layers &

the Object Manager
Your first few CorelDRAW projects probably wont require knowing much
about object ordering or layers as there will be a small number of objects.
But as you move deeper into the software, youll have many more objects in
a drawing. At that point it is very important to understand the stacking order
of objects as the front objects will hide objects behind them. This concept
goes even further when we add layers to the mix. Not only can objects be reordered within a given layer, the layers can be reordered and the objects on
that layer can be reordered.
Ordering Objects
To fully understand object ordering, we need to turn a drawing on its side.
The first object you draw will go on the bottom of the pile and will thus be the
backmost object. Each new object you draw will then get put on the top of
the object stack meaning that it is in front of previous
objects. Figure 1 shows an example of a drawing as
you would normally see it on the left and with a side
view showing the stacking order on the right.
Things would be pretty difficult if you were limited to
drawing objects in the exact order you needed. The
good news is that it is very easy to reorder objects at
any time. If you select Arrange | Order, you will get the
flyout menu shown at right. You can also get this menu
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Chapter 11: Object Ordering, Layers & the Object Manager
Figure 1: A simple drawing is shown on the left. On the right is a

diagram showing the stacking order of the same drawing from top to
bottom.
by right-clicking on an object and selecting Order from the pop-up menu
that appears.
Note: Any changes you make in the stacking order will only be
applicable to the current layer. So you might move an object To
Front and still find it is behind objects on a layer higher in the
stacking order.
Selecting To Front (Shift-PageUp) and To Back (Shift-PageDown) are fairly
self explanatory. They would send the selected object to either the top or bottom of the stacking order. Similarly, Forward One (Ctrl-PageUp) and Back
One (Ctrl-PageDown) will move the selected object one position up or down
in the stacking order.
Choosing In Front Of or Behind will bring up an arrow on screen. Use this arrow to select the object that you want to place your selected object, either
above or below, in the stacking order. If you dont click on an object, youll
get a dialog telling you that you didnt click on an object and youll be given
the opportunity to try again.
The last option is Reverse Order and it requires that you have at least two objects selected (see Chapter 6 for details on selecting objects) before it becomes available. When selected, it will reverse the stacking order of the
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selected objects. This is pretty simple when only

two objects are selected. With more objects it
becomes a little more complicated. The front
most object goes to the back and the back
most object comes to the front. Objects in between will also shuffle. The good news is that
you will typically only use this command with a
small number of objects, most often with only
two.
The Object Manager

Now that youve learned the basics of the stacking order, well look at the Object Manager
shown in Figure 2. It provides a visual represenFigure 2: The Object
tation of every object in your drawing as they
Manager Docker in an
appear in the stacking order. Where the main
undocked state.
drawing page shows a graphical representation,
the Object Manager is a list of objects and their
basic attributes.
Using Object Manager

To bring up the Object Manager Docker, select Window | Dockers | Object
Manager. Along the top of the Docker are three icons. On the left is Show
Object Properties. When it is depressed, details of each object are shown. If it
is in the up position, youll only see the type of object and nothing more. By
default it is depressed and Id suggest you keep it in that position. The middle
icon is Edit Across Layers. When it is depressed, you can edit any object no
matter the layer on which it is drawn. If the button is up, you can only edit
objects on the currently selected layer. By default, this icon is depressed so
you can edit objects on any layer. Unless you are working with complicated
drawings with multiple layers, Id suggest you leave the icon depressed. On
the right is the Layer Manager View icon. By default it is in the up position so
that you see layer and object information. When it is depressed, youll only
see layer information. If you are doing a lot of work with layers, then it might
be good to be in the Layer Manager View, otherwise leave it at the default.
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Working with Objects

Within the Object Docker, every object in your document is listed in a
tree-based structure. This is broken down by pages, layers and even within
groups. The higher an object appears in the list, the higher it is in the stacking order. Thus an object listed before another would also appear in front of it
if they overlap.
In Chapter 6, you learned a number of ways to select objects. Yet another
way is to click on an object in the Object Manager Docker. When you do this,
the object in the drawing window will also be selected and vice versa. This is
especially handy when you are having trouble selecting an object in the
drawing window.
Each object in the Object Manager will have a small icon indicating the type
of object. After that will be the object name, which defaults to a generic name
based on the type of object. To change to a different name, right-click on the
object and select Rename from the pop-up menu that appears.
Following the object name will be information about the objects fill and color.
If you are ever looking for a stray color in a drawing, this is a great way to find
it. And, of course, once an object is selected in the Object Manager, you can
change the color using any method you prefer.
Moving Objects
Earlier in the chapter you learned about the
stacking order and how to move an object up or
down in the stacking order. This can also be
easily done within the Object Manager.
Click on an object in the Object Manager and
drag it up or down in the stacking order. As you
do this, a line will appear, as shown in Figure 3,
indicating the new position of the object if you
release the mouse. This same technique can be
used to drag objects to a new layer or a new
page. But you have to be careful. If you drop an
object directly on top of another object or on a
group, it will be grouped with that object or
group. In many cases, it is probably easier to re- Figure 3: An object being
order objects within the Object Manager rather moved to a new position
174
than by using the menu options described earlier.
Working with Layers

A lot of the users I train are convinced that they arent using CorelDRAW to its
full potential because they are not using layers. That just isnt the case. For
many users, layers are just not necessary. For those who create very complex
drawings or have very specific sets of objects, layers are a very useful feature.
In some ways, layers provide another way to group objects. But rather than
having the objects grouped and moving as one, each object is still an
individual object.
When you change the stacking order of an object, you are only changing it
within the layer on which it is located. Similarly, you can also change the
stacking order of layers.
Lets first talk about the two different types of layers. Anything drawn on a
master layer will appear on every page in your document. Layers such as the
Guide, Grid and Desktop are master layers. If you open a new file, there will
also be a layer named Layer 1. By default, it is not a master layer. So objects you draw will only appear on the page on which you drew them.
Desktop is a special layer that holds all objects that are not specifically on a
page. Lets say you have an object on Page 1 and you drag it outside of the
drawing page and go to Page 2. Youll find that the object has been moved
automatically to the Desktop layer and will appear outside of the drawing
page on every page until you move it back within the drawing page.
The Grid layer is where information on the drawing grid is stored. More information on grids can be found in Chapter 12. Nothing else can be stored on
this layer.
Guides is where guidelines are stored. Again, you can get more information
on guidelines in Chapter 12. Anything you draw on the Guides layer will become a guideline. And if you wish guidelines to print, you simply need to
make the layer printable (see later for details on how to do this).
Controlling Layers
There are two different ways to add layers. You can either click on one of the
icons at the bottom of the Object Manager Docker, or you can bring up a
menu of options by clicking the arrow near the upper right of the Docker.
When creating a layer, you can choose whether it is a Master Layer or not.
Most of the time youll want to create a regular layer. Only create a master
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layer when you want everything on that layer to repeat on every page. To delete a layer, right-click on it and select Delete from the pop-up menu.
Next to each layer are a series of icons as shown at
right. The leftmost icon indicates whether a layer is visible or not, the middle icon determines whether a layer
will print and the rightmost icon determines if the layer
can be edited. The icons shown are all active. If they are not active, they will
be dimmed.
The benefit of making a layer invisible is to hide all elements from view on
screen. Remember that a layer can be printable even if it is not visible. Lets
say that you have some complex elements on a layer and you have everything just right. At that point you can turn the layer off so that you dont accidentally make changes to the layer or just so you can concentrate on the
other layers. A good example of layering would be architectural plans for a
house. One of the layers could contain the electrical plan. By using the visible
icon, you can toggle it on or off.
Making a layer printable or not is very similar to what was just discussed regarding the visibility of a layer. Layers can be visible without being printable
and vice versa. It all depends on which icons are active.
Lastly, the pencil icon determines if you can edit a layer. If a layer is not
editable, you cant draw or select objects on that layer.
Warning: If the active layer is not editable, you will get warning
messages every time you attempt to draw something. Make
sure to check the Object Manager to verify which layer is active
before you get too frustrated.
To make a layer the active layer, you simply need to select it in the Object
Manager. Once it is active, it will either be highlighted or be shown in red.
Just as you could drag objects to change their stacking order, you can also
do the same thing with layers. The important part is to make sure you click
on the layer name first to select it, then click and drag it to the location in the
stacking order you desire.
By default layers are named Layer X where X is a number. It is quite simple to
rename a layer. Either click twice on the layer name or right-click and choose
Rename from the pop-up menu. Id highly suggest that you rename layers as
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soon as they are created to a name that

is meaningful for how the layer will be
used.
Layer Properties
Weve already discussed some of the
properties of layers. But there are others
that are only accessible from the Layer
Properties dialog box shown in Figure 4.
To access it, right-click on a layer in the
Object Manager and select Properties
from the pop-up menu that appears.
The first half of the dialog has settings
that have already been discussed. You
can change the name, visibility,
Figure 4: The Layer Properties
printability, editability and whether the
dialog box.
layer is a master layer.
Changing the layer color by itself will only
affect the color of objects on that layer when shown in Wireframe view. So if
you make the Layer color blue, all objects on that layer will have a blue outline in Wireframe view. Checking Override full color view will also change all
objects in Draft, Normal and Enhanced view. All objects on that layer will display in wireframe, no matter which view type you choose.
The last setting, Apply all property changes to the current page only, means
that changes you make to the layer properties will only take place on the current page.
Tutorial Movies
Object Ordering
Chapter Wrap
Understanding the stacking order is a very important concept for using
CorelDRAW. Layers can aid in this task but can also confuse matters for users
inexperienced with layers. The Object Manager Docker allows the user to visually see how objects are stacked and allows their order to be easily
changed.
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CorelDRAW 12
12
Rulers, Guidelines &

Grids
In this chapter, well explore Rulers, Guidelines, Grids and the many snapping
options that are available in CorelDRAW 12. By using these features, you will
be able to more accurately place, move rotate and transform objects. They
are especially useful for those doing technical illustrations, but are also useful for
those doing more artistic types of
images.
Rulers
When you first start CorelDRAW, rulers
will be showing at the top and left side of
the drawing window as seen in Figure 1.
As you move the cursor around the drawing window, the position of the cursor will
be indicated on the rulers with a moving
tick mark. If the rulers are not visible, select View | Rulers from the menu to
activate them.
Figure 1: Rulers are displayed
above and to the left of the
drawing page.
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Measurement Systems
Many different units of measurement are available with the rulers. The following measurement units are available.
Inches
Inches are the default unit of measurement. In versions shipped outside of
the United States, the inch may not be the default unit, but it is still deeply ingrained in the product. The inch is the smallest unit in the measurement system used in the United States. It is equal to 2.54 centimeters.
Millimeters
A millimeter is a very small unit of measurement in the metric system. It is
equal to one tenth of a centimeter.
Picas, Points
Picas and points are measures used in typography and design. Traditionally,
there were just over 72 points to an inch, but this definition has been altered
so that there are exactly 72 points in an inch. A pica is 12 points. Rather than
a decimal point, a comma is used to mix these two measurements together.
Thus, the measurement 1,3 means 1 pica and 3 points, which is the same as
15 points.
Points
Usually, points are used alone only when measuring type size and line spacing, as the numbers can get rather large in other situations.
Pixels
The word pixel is short for picture element. When you are zoomed in very
close to a bitmap, a pixel is one of those itty-bitty squares you see. It is the
basic unit of all bitmaps. Pixels are extremely useful for creating drawings that
will eventually be converted into bitmaps, such as Web graphics. Note that
while you can choose this unit of measurement, CorelDRAW will not display
images in a pixel for pixel display to how an image will appear when exported
to a bitmap.
Ciceros, Didots
One didot is equal to 1.07 points, and there are 67.567 didots in an inch. A
cicero is 12 didots. This system is used by the French and is similar to the
system of picas and points.
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Chapter 12: Rulers, Guidelines & Grids
Didots
Didots are used alone, like points, to measure type size and line spacing.
Each didot is equal to 1.07 points.
Feet
A foot is a larger unit of measurement in the measurement system used in
the United States. One foot is equal to 12 inches.
Yards
There are 3 feet to a yard.
Miles
There are 5,280 feet to a mile.
Centimeters
A centimeter is a unit of measurement in the metric system. A centimeter is
equal to 10 millimeters. It is also equal to .394 inches.
Meters
A meter is equal to 100 centimeters.
Kilometers
A kilometer is equal to 1,000 meters.
Q
Equal to 4 mm, primarily used in Japan.
H
Equal to 4 mm.
Working with the Rulers

The origin point of the rulersthe point where each ruler equals zerois the
lower-left corner of the page by default.
Tip: You can drag the rulers out into the drawing window by
holding down the Shift key while pushing the ruler along. Hold
down Shift while double-clicking the place where the rulers
meet, and they will return to their docked positions.
To make changes to the ruler defaults, you need to access the Options Rulers
dialog box, shown in Figure 2. Double-click either one of the rulers to bring
up this dialog box.
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Nudge Settings
The first group of settings
in the Options Ruler dialog
box are related to the
nudging of objects. By
pressing the arrow keys on
your keyboard while an object or node is selected,
you can move the selected
item by a set amount. That
amount is controlled by the
value specified in the
Nudge numbox. The default setting of .1 inches is
Figure 2: Options Rulers dialog box
considered high by many
users so you may want to change it to a smaller value. By pressing Shift in
conjunction with the arrow key you will Super Nudge the selected item. By
default the super nudge is 2 times the amount specified for nudge. Again,
many users prefer to change this to a higher value. Pressing Ctrl in
conjuction with the arrow keys will give you a Micro Nudge. The default
value for micro nudge is one half of the nudge value. Again, many users prefer to have the nudge divided by a larger value.
Tip: My preferred settings are Nudge at .01 inches with a
mulplier of 10 for Super Nudge and a divisor of 10 for Micro
Nudge.
By checking the Same units for Duplicate distance, Nudge and Rulers; the
same measurement system will be used for each of these items. The default
is to have it checked.
Ruler Units
You can separately set the units of measurement used in the horizontal and
vertical directions using any of the measurement units previously described.
By default, the units will be the same since the Same units for Horizontal and
Vertical rulers check box is checked. If you want to use different units, simply
uncheck this box.
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Ruler Origin
You can also set the origin of the ruler by typing the exact coordinates on the
drawing page where you want the origin to be. A positive horizontal value will
move the horizontal point to the right, and a positive vertical value will move
the origin up.
Another way to change the origin is to click the little box where the rulers
meet and drag the crosshairs that appear to the position where you want the
origin to be. Youll notice that the rulers change as soon as you release the
mouse button. Simply double-click the place where the rulers meet, and the
origin will be reset to the default position.
The Options Rulers dialog box also allows you to change the tick divisions on
the ruler. The number of ticks you want displayed may depend on the measurement system you are using. Just below the Tick Divisions box is the
Show Fractions check box, which is checked to show fractions instead of
decimals on the ruler. When youre working in inches, seeing the fractions on
the rulers can be quite handy. This setting is especially useful when youre
working with inches, as fractions such as half an inch or quarter of an
inch are often used. With the metric system, the units all divide cleanly by 10
and therefore decimals are the more reasonable choice.
Drawing Scale
Click the Edit Scale button to display the Drawing Scale dialog box shown in
Figure 3.
The Typical Scales drop-down list provides drawing scales. For example, if
you use the scale 1 inch equals 1 foot, the standard page of 8.5" x 11" will
equal 8.5 x 11. The rulers will display measurements according to this scale,
as will any dimension lines
you draw.
Some of the drawing
scales just have numbers
such as 1:1 or 1:2. The
first number indicates the
size of the unit you are creating and the second number indicates the size that
will be indicated by the rulers. So with 1:1, a one inch Figure 3: The Drawing Scale dialog box
182
object is a one inch object. With 1:2, a one inch object will be shown on the
rulers to be two inches. In fact, a standard 8.5" x 11" page will be displayed
as 17" x 22" if you choose the 1:2 scale. Other drawing scales follow this
same formula.
If you cant find the scale you need in the Typical Scales drop-down list,
choose Custom (at the bottom of the list) and create your own scale. In the
Page Distance boxes, type the number of units and the type of units. In the
World Distance box, type the value that you want the page distance to equal.
Using the example where 1 inch equals 1 foot, youd enter 1 inch as the page
distance and 12 inches as the world distance. The world distance units are
based on the units that are currently set for the rulers. If youre not happy
with the units showing, simply change them in the Options Rulers dialog box.
Guidelines
Quite often when you are working within CorelDRAW, there are boundaries
you have to follow. Or maybe you are just trying to align a number of items.
While there are various ways you can accomplish these tasks, one of the
better ways is to use guidelines.
Guideline Basics
A guideline is a special type of object. By default it doesnt print, but it can be
printed if you so desire. When it is displayed, it will show as a dashed line. But
the most important characteristic is that guidelines are magnetic. As you
draw objects near a guideline, they will snap to the guideline. If you move objects, they will also snap to the guideline as they get close. And sometimes
you simply use them as a visual reference.
To create a guideline, click on the ruler at either the left or top of your screen
and drag the guideline onto your drawing page. Wherever you release the
mouse is where the guideline will be placed. Initially, the guideline will be red.
This indicates that it is selected. As it is just like other objects, you can do
lots of things with it. First, you can press the Delete key and delete it. Users
of older versions will note that you can no longer drag guidelines off of the
drawing page. Clicking and dragging on the guideline will allow you to move
it wherever you want. And if you click on it a second time, youll get rotation
handles so that you can rotate the guideline. You can deselect a guideline by
either clicking on the drawing page or pressing the Esc key on your key-
183
board. When you do this, the

color of the guideline will change
to Gray by default.
Guidelines that are dragged from
the top ruler will be in the horizontal orientation and those dragged
from the left ruler will be vertically
oriented. There is one other orientation and that is a diagonal
guideline. Well discuss it more a
bit later. Figure 4 shows several
guidelines on the drawing page.
Figure 4: Horizontal, vertical and
For those situations where you
have to place guidelines at an ex- diagonal guidelines are shown on the
drawing page. Note that one of the
act position on the page, this is
quite easy to do using the Prop- guidelines is Red, indicating that it is
erty Bar. When a guideline is se- still selected.
lected, its position in shown in the
x, y values at the left end of the Property
Bar as shown in Figure 5. Vertical guidelines will have the y value dimmed and
Figure 5: Moving and rotating
horizontal guidelines will have the x value guidelines is as simple as
dimmed. So select the value that is avail- changing the position on the
able and change it to the exact position Property Bar.
where you would like the guideline to
move. After changing the number, press the Enter key and the guideline will
jump to the new location.
Rotating guidelines can also be done on the Property Bar as shown in Figure
5. Just next to the position values is the amount of rotation. By default, horizontal guidelines have 0 rotation and vertical guidelines have 90 degrees of
rotation. Highlight the amount of rotation and type in any value you want.
Once you changed the value, press the Enter key and the guideline will be
rotated to the new value.
One last change you can make is to the guidelines color. Remember, guidelines are just a special type of object. So with the guideline selected,
right-click on any color in the color palette and the guidelines color will
change to that color when it is deselected. Also note that you can select mulCorelDRAW 12 Unleashed
184
tiple guidelines by selecting one

and Shift-clicking to add others to
the selection. Once you have mulFigure 6: The Snap to Guidelines
tiple guidelines selected, you can
button toggles the magnetic nature of
move them together, rotate them
guidelines on and off.
together or change the color of all
of them at once. Pretty cool, eh?
Using Guidelines
So far weve spent time creating guidelines, now it is time to put them to use.
For them to be magnetic, you have to turn on Snap to Guidelines. This can
be done on the Property Bar when nothing is selected by clicking the Snap to
Guidelines button shown in Figure 6. Its the one that has a blue dashed line
to the left of a mini page. Youll find the same icon on the Property Bar used
when a guideline is selected. Another method is to select View | Snap to
Guidelines. Lastly, you can use the shortcut key of Alt-V U. Snap to Guidelines is a toggle setting, so you can turn the snapping off using the exact
same methods. Seeing the icon depressed is one way to know that snapping
is turned on. Another indication is that a checkmark would be next to Snap
to Guidelines in the View menu.
Now, draw a rectangle on your drawing page that is not close to the guideline. After you draw the rectangle, switch to the Pick tool. Click on the X in
the middle of the rectangle and start moving it towards a guideline. Note that
as you get close, the rectangle will jump and stick to the guideline. If you
continue to drag, it will eventually unstick and continue to move past the
guideline. Now draw another rectangle and this time draw it near the guideline. Notice how it jumps to the guideline as you draw.
Obviously these are simple examples of how guidelines can be used. Go
ahead and try using other shapes, some text, and even moving nodes. Youll
find that in every case, modifications are affected by the guidelines. Text is a
special case as the bottom of text is considered the baseline. Therefore,
descenders will go below the guideline. And you might find that text doesnt
snap to the exact left or right. Instead, it snaps to the bounding box surrounding the character. After youve worked with text and guidelines a few
times, these special exceptions will be second nature to you.
185
Guideline
Options
Detailed information on the
guidelines in your document can be found by selecting Tools | Options |
Document | Guidelines.
Once in this part of the
Options dialog box, you
will find four major
choices. Well start by looking at Horizontal as shown
in Figure 7.
Figure 7: This dialog box shows all horizontal
If you select a guideline
that already exists, you can guidelines in your document and lets you
delete it by pressing the
Delete key in the dialog box. Another option is to type in a new location and
press the Move button. Or you can simply type in a value and press the Add
button to add a guideline at that location. If you simply want to get rid of all
horizontal guidelines, press the Clear button. The dialog box for Vertical
guidelines works just the same.
If we select the Guides tab,
youll find that the options
are still the same as shown
in Figure 8. But all horizontal, vertical and diagonal guidelines will be listed.
The big addition here is diagonal guidelines. They
can be specified with a single point and an angle or
by two points. Any diagonal guideline will automatically be listed with both
methods. Besides the
slight difference in how di- Figure 8: The Guides tab shows all
guidelines, including those on a diagonal.
186
agonal guidelines are

listed, all the other options
are the same as those
shown before.
Guideline
Presets
Things start to get really
exciting when we get to the
Presets. First up are the
Corel Presets shown in
Figure 9. Each of the options provided is fairly
self-explanatory. Check the Figure 9: Corel Presets give seven different
options you want and click options for creating sets of guidelines.
the Apply Presets button.
Note that the guidelines created as presets will be green instead of the normal blue. For the last three options, you just have to try them to see exactly
what they create. My preference would be to use the User Defined Presets instead for those options.
By selecting User Defined Presets, you get the dialog box shown in Figure
10. Note that I have activated all options just to make the dialog easier to
read. The first setting controls guidelines defining
the page margins. They
default to zero meaning the
guidelines would be right
at the edge of the page.
Also, the default is that top
and bottom margins are
equal as well as left and
right being equal. By
checking the Mirror margins checkbox, you can enter values for all four
margins.
Figure 10: User Defined Presets give you
more control over defining sets of guidelines.
187
Below the margins is the area for defining columns. This section alone can
save you the hassle of getting out a calculator. Type in the number of columns you want and how much space you want between the column guidelines. Automatically CorelDRAW will do the rest of the math for you.
Last up are the settings for a grid. You can either define the frequency of
guidelines or the spacing between them. Horizontal and Vertical can be defined separately so that you get whatever kind of grid you like.
Obviously you can use all of these settings, or you could choose to use only
some of them. Once you have everything the way you want it, click Apply
Presets and watch the guidelines start appearing on your page. Again, the
preset guidelines are created in green to distinguish them from guidelines
you create.
The Guidelines Layer

Guidelines are a special type of object and they
have a layer all to themselves. To view the layers,
select Windows | Dockers | Object Manager
and youll get something similar to Figure 11.
Ive purposely shown a very simple document
with a minimal number of objects. Note in the
Master Page section is a layer named Guides.
Typically this is where all guidelines are stored.
As with any other layer, you can define several
properties. By default, the Guideline layer is visible (the eye icon) and editable (the pencil icon)
but it isnt printable (the printer icon). If you do
Figure 11: Information on
want guidelines to print, simply click on the
printer icon. For times when you dont want the Layers can be found in
the Object Manager
guidelines to be altered, click the pencil icon
Docker.
and the layer will be locked.
One of the cool things about the Guideline layer is that any object you put on
it will become a guideline. So if you want a guideline that is a circle, square or
any other shape, simply draw that shape on the guideline layer.
Local Guidelines
A feature that is often requested is the ability to have different guidelines on
each page of a CorelDRAW file. Although it is undocumented, you can do
188
this in CorelDRAW 12. On each page where you desire guidelines, youll need
a layer. So select the page in the Object Manager and add a layer. Now name
that layer Local Guidelines. With that layer selected, drag any guidelines
you want from the rulers. Now follow the same procedures to create a Local
Guidelines layer on other pages.
Dynamic Guidelines
New to CorelDRAW 12 are Dynamic Guidelines. They are
turned on by clicking the button shown at right on the Property Bar or selecting View | Dynamic Guides (Alt-D). So far
all the guidelines weve discussed have to be placed on the
page. Dynamic Guidelines
appear automatically at
specific snap points.
As you draw, move and size
objects, Dynamic Guidelines will appear at snap
points in objects including
center, node, quadrant and
text baseline. This makes it
easier to align and draw
objects relative to other objects in your drawing.
When a Dynamic Guide
appears, you can continue
to drag your object and the Figure 12: Tools Options Guidelines dialog
distance from the snap
box.
point will be shown.
By selecting Tools | Options and then choosing Dynamic Guides from the
Workspace section of the tree menu, youll get the dialog box shown in Figure 12. Here you can customize the settings that determine when Dynamic
Guidelines appear and what information they provide.
Grids
Grids provide yet another way to add precision to your drawings. To turn on Snap to Grid, press the button shown at right
on the Property Bar or choosing View | Snap to Grid (Ctrl-Y).
189
This only turns on the

snapping, but you can also
make the grid display by
selecting View | Grid. If
grid snap is turned on, any
objects drawn, moved,
sized and otherwise modified will be affected by the
grid.
To modify the grid settings,
select Tools | Options
and then choose Grid from
the Document section of
the tree menu that apFigure 13: Tools Options Document Grid
pears. This will bring up
dialog box.
the dialog box shown in
Figure 13.
The first choice is whether you want the grid measured by Frequency or
Spacing. By default, it is set to Frequency with 4 gridlines each inch. If you
instead wanted spacing, this would change to .25 inches. At the bottom of
the dialog you can specify if you want the grid to be shown and whether it is
active for snapping. Typically, it is easier to do this with the commands shown
earlier. Lastly, you can select whether it is shown as a series of dots where
gridlines intersect or whether the gridlines themselves are shown.
Snap to Objects
Users have been complaining for years that Snap to Objects
wasnt as accurate as they desired. And snapping was limited
to only nodes and midpoints. CorelDRAW 12 starts by improving the accuracy of snapping as well as allowing you to snap
to Node, Intersection, Midpoint, Quadrant, Tangent, Perpendicular, Edge, Center, Text Baseline or Printable Area. With all of these new
options, snapping should no longer be a problem.
Snap to Objects it activated by pressing the button shown above right on the
Property Bar or by selecting View | Snap to Objects (Alt-Z).
190
Visual feedback is given by telling the

user what type of snap is being performed as shown in Figure 14.
Tip: If you are importing files,
the import cursor will use the
snapping options you have
selected. This can make it
much easier to place and size
files being imported.
Figure 14: A line being drawn is
You have complete control over what
points are used for snapping, the accu- shown snapping to the midpoint
of a curve.
racy of the snapping and more. Select
Tools | Options and then
choose Snap to Objects
from the Workspace section of the tree menu to
get the dialog box shown
in Figure 15. Youll note
that you can choose which
points are used for snapping. So if you dont want
Tangent to be used, simply
uncheck it. Snapping
threshold determines at
which point the snapping
will kick in. The higher the
threshold, the more snap- Figure 15: Tools Options Workspace Snap to
ping youll get. You can
Objects dialog box.
also choose whether you
see the snap location marks and screen tips.
Tutorial Movies
Guidelines and Dynamic Guides
Snap to Objects
191
Chapter Wrap
CorelDRAW 12 has added a number of new options for accuracy, most notably with Dynamic Guides and all of the new Snap to Object settings. Combine these new features with the existing Guidelines and Grids and you have a
wealth of tools for getting your drawings extremely accurate.
CorelDRAW 12
BOOT CAMP
youve learned
(800) 736-8973
www.unleash.com
192
CorelDRAW 12
13
Combining, Grouping &

Converting to Curves
As you work in CorelDRAW, the number of objects in a drawing can sometimes grow quite large. Therefore it makes sense to logically group some of
those objects together. In this chapter, well talk about grouping as well as
combining and the differences between these two similar commands for
putting multiple objects together. Well also discuss converting objects to
curves and the situations where it can be most useful.
Combining
In order to use the Combine command, you
must have at least two objects selected. When
this happens, the Property Bar will have a Combine button available in addition to choosing Arrange | Combine (Ctrl-L) from the menus.
Once objects have been combined, they are a
single object and will have the attributes of only
a single object. Figure 1 shows two objects before and after combining. This means that two
distinct shapes would only be able to have a single fill once they are combined. The last object
selected is the object which controls the fill of
the combined object. While the shapes look to
193
Figure 1: On top are two

objects before being
combined with the
combined object on the
bottom.
Chapter 13: Combining, Grouping & Converting to Curves
be separate, they would indeed be a single object.

Tip: If you want each of the objects to retain a distinct fill and
other attributes, use the Group command instead of Combine.
If objects are overlapping. when combined, the
area of the overlap will become a hole in the
new object as shown in Figure 2. Oftentimes,
this allows you to create some interesting effects. To get a different behavior, explore the
Weld, Intersect and Trim commands.
Knowing When Objects Are

Combined
The easiest way to tell when objects have been
combined is to look at the object handles when
selected as well as the Status Bar. On the Status
Bar, you will see that only one object is selected;
and the object handles will surround the entire
shape; even if parts of it are not directly
Figure 2: Two overlapping
connected.
objects shown before and
after they are combined.
Using Combine to Create
Effects
The oldest way for shapes to interact is the Combine command. Its been
around since the very first version of CorelDRAW and still gives you the ability
to create shapes that cant be created with Weld, Intersect or Trim. Youll find
that the most common use is to knock a hole in an object.
Lets work through a simple project for making a donut.
1. Draw two circles to represent the inner and outer edge of a donut.
2. Select both objects and press the Combine button (see below) on the
Property Bar. Fill the combined object with a golden brown.
194
3. So that you can fully understand what

weve done, draw a long skinny
rectangle that only covers part of the
donut holes width. Fill this rectangle
with red.
4. Move the rectangle to the back and
notice how it is only visible outside
the donut and within the donut hole
Notice how where the two objects overlapped a hole was created. In this exam- Figure 3: Combining leaves a
ple, one object fully overlapped the other hole in the middle of the object.
so it was completely cut out. But remember, only the overlapping parts are cut
out.
Lets now try another example
1. Draw the two circles side by side that
overlap approximately halfway.
2. This time, Combine the two circles to
get the result shown in Figure 4. Ive
again thrown a red rectangle behind it Figure 4: Combining
so you can more easily see the hole. overlapping objects creates a
Now lets create a really neat special ef- hole in the overlap.
fect with text. It is relatively easy to create, yet still creates a great effect.
1. Draw a two inch square and fill it with black.
2. Create a duplicate of the square on top of the original by pressing the +
key on your numeric keypad.
3. Convert the new square to curves by selecting Arrange | Convert to
Curves.
4. Choose the Shape tool in your toolbox and select the node at the upper
left corner of the duplicated square. Press the Delete key on your
keyboard and youll be left with a triangle. Color it white.
5. Using the Text tool, create a capital Q. Change the font to something very
bold and 144 point. Fill the text with Red.
195
6. Select the Q and the original black

rectangle. Press the C and E keys on your
keyboard to center them with one another.
You should see something similar to Figure
5.
7. Select the Q and the white triangle.

8. Press the Combine button on the Property
Bar and the result should look similar to
Figure 6.
By adding a few nodes to the diagonal line of
Figure 5: The original
the triangle and moving them around a bit, we objects.
can make the design every more interesting as
shown in Figure 7.
Just by changing this one line, you can create a
wide variety of great effects.
Breaking Apart
Breaking Apart an object is the opposite of
Combine. If there are multiple distinct shapes
within a single object, those shapes will be broken into individual shapes. Select the object you
wish to work with and choose Arrange | Break
Apart (Ctrl-K). One
Figure 6: Objects after
thing to keep in
combining.
mind is that after
objects are broken into individual pieces, each
of those pieces will have the attributes of the
original object. If you had earlier combined objects with different attributes, only the attributes
of the combined object will be retained.
Warning: If you convert text to curves
and then use Break Apart, the holes
in letters will then be separate objects.
So youll need to select the pieces of Figure 7: Another
interesting example of
each letter with a hole and use the
combining objects.
196
Combine command. This same rule applies to any objects

which completely overlap.
Breaking Apart Effects

The Break Apart command is also used with groups created by Effects. For
example, if you were to blend two objects together, a Blend Group is created.
Select Arrange | Break Apart to break the blend into the two control objects
and the group created by the blend command. If you have been using
CorelDRAW for several versions, you may remember that at one time this was
the Separate command. It was changed to Break Apart to provide more
naming consistency.
Grouping and Ungrouping

Where combining objects is more of a permanent change, grouping objects
does not change the objects involved in the
group. By putting objects into a group, it gives
you a way to logically work with all objects as
one. A good example would be that if you drew
a car, you would group all of the objects depicting the tire and all of the objects involving the
body of the car. Then you would group each of
the previous groups into one big group containing the whole car. By doing this, it is easy to
work with just the parts you need and to move
things around as a single object. Figure 8
shows objects before and after they are
Figure 3: Objects before
grouped. Notice there is no change.
and after being grouped
are identical.
To group objects, first you must select more
than a single object. When you do this, the
Group button will become available on the Property Bar. You can also select
Arrange | Group (Ctrl-G) from the menus.
Unlike Combine, all objects within a group retain their original attributes. A
group of objects can not span multiple layers so the group will end up on the
currently selected layer. Beyond that, the only change would be that the
group of objects will be transformed as a single object.
197
If you select a group of objects and you want them to be individual objects
again, select the Ungroup button from the Property Bar or Arrange |
Ungroup (Ctrl-U). An alternative would be if you had multiple groups selected
or groups within groups selected. Then you might want to select Arrange |
Ungroup All. The result of ungrouping all would be that no groups would be
left among the selected objects.
Tip: Before ungrouping a group, you may want to move it off to
the side so that it would be easier to reselect the objects and
regroup later.
Selecting Objects Within a Group

There are times when you wish to modify an object inside of a group without
having to ungroup everything first. In this
case, hold the Ctrl key down and click on
the desired object. Youll notice that the
selected object has round handles surrounding it instead of the normal square
handles as shown in Figure 9. If you look
on the Status Bar, youll see the object is
referred to as a Child Object. Make any
desired changes to the object and then
deselect the object. Youll find the
changes will get made and the object will
always remain within the group.
Figure 9: An object selected
within a group has round
Many of the objects you draw and the ef- handles.
fects you apply are treated differently
than a normal curve in CorelDRAW. For
example, if you try to use the Shape tool on a rectangle, it will round the corners instead of letting you modify the nodes. Thus, the Convert to Curves
command exists to convert these native objects and effects into an editable
curve.
Converting to Curves
Converting Objects to Curves

First, select the object you want to convert to curves and then press the Convert to Curves button on the Property Bar or select Arrange | Convert To
198
Curves (Ctrl-Q). If you have an ellipse selected, the result will look identical to
the original ellipse except that you will now have four nodes at each of the
tangent points of the object.
Figure 10 shows an example of an original ellipse (in Red) that gets converted to curves and modified to create the Yellow shape. By using this
method to create objects, youll
find that the quality of the resulting shape is usually higher than if
you try drawing it with the Freehand tool. And for those non-artists, you might also find that you
are more creative this way.
Figure 10: The original ellipse is shown
in Red. By converting to curves and
Using the Convert to
modifying, the yellow object was
Curves Command to
created.
Modify Text
There are two distinct situations

where converting to curves comes in quite handy with text. First, it can be
used so that a special font is no longer required. Once the text is converted
to curves, it is simply a group of objects that looks like text. You wont be able
to edit it as text, change the font or anything else. But this also means the
font is no longer required. For longer blocks of text, be careful as the number
of nodes could get quite large to the point where there could be printing
problems.
The other situation where converting text
to curves is useful would be to physically
modify the shape of characters. Sometimes this could be done to match a custom font in a logo or it could simply be
done for artistic effect as in Figure 11.
COLD
Tutorial Movies
Combining Objects
Figure 11: By converting the text
to curves and modifying nodes,
we gaive the effect of cold on
the bottom sample.
199
Chapter Wrap
It is very important that CorelDRAW users understand the difference between
Combining and Grouping objects. Each plays a very important role in creating quality artwork. While they are similar, they are also very different. It is
also important to understand when converting something to curves can be
useful. It could be to save yourself from supplying fonts with a job or it could
be for artistic effect.
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CorelDRAW 12
14
Weld, Trim, Intersect &

More
When you first start to use CorelDRAW, it can be intimidating. You see the
shape you want to create and yet there is no obvious tool for creating what
you want. Most users gravitate towards the Freehand tool and try to draw the
shape from scratch. This will only increase the frustration.
The real key is to break down the complex shape into a series of simple
shapes. Once youve done that, you can draw the rectangles, circles and
other shapes. Those are easy. Then you use Weld to turn the simple shapes
into the desired complex shape. Before long youll see that any shape you
imagine can be easily created. After
working through the samples provided in
this chapter, youll have a good idea of
how to break down the complex shape as
we will use nothing but rectangles and
circles to create our examples.
Add Shapes Together

with Weld
The best way to understand the Weld
function is to tackle a simple project.
Well start by drawing three circles as
Figure 1: Three ellipses before
shown in Figure 1. We just want the out- welding.
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Chapter 14: Weld, Trim, Intersect & More
lines without having a fill. You should get

this by default. If not, simply left-click on
the X at the top of the palette to remove
the fill or right-click on Black to create a
hairline outline.
Now lets turn these three circles into
something more. Select all three circles
and press the Weld button (see above) on
the Property Bar. Notice that any parts of
the shapes that overlapped are no longer
visible. Only the outermost outline was
kept. Fill the shape with black and youll
get something that looks like Figure 2. Figure 2: Three ellipses after
welding.
Looks a lot like a famous mouse we all
know. Note that some of you may not
see the Weld button. It is only available when more than one object is selected. So if you arent seeing it, you didnt select all three circles as directed.
Ive seen lots of frustrated users in classes searching desperately for this button only to see them slap their heads when they found out they didnt have
multiple objects selected.
Look again at what we just created. It is important to understand that the
outermost outline of the object was kept and any lines inside were removed.
To create this shape without such a command would be time consuming
even though it wasnt that complex. Dont believe me? Go ahead and try to
draw this shape with the Freehand tool. Lets explore another example that
can be created with only circles and rectangles. There are a few more steps,
but it is still very basic.
Start out by drawing a rectangle that is five inches high and half an inch wide.
To make this easier, turn on Snap to Grid before drawing. Now select the
Shape tool and click on any corner of the rectangle. Drag the handle so the
corners are completely rounded. Select Arrange | Transformations | Rotate to get the Transformation Docker open on your screen. With the
rounded rectangle selected, type in 15 degrees for the angle and press Apply
to Duplicate. Select Edit | Repeat Rotate (or just press Ctrl-R) until the rect-
202
angles form a complete circle, as in Figure 3. If you want to count, that will be
eleven presses of Ctrl-R.
If nothing else, we have an interesting
pattern now. One more object needs to
be drawn. Draw a circle that is four and a
half inches in diameter. You dont really
need to worry about its location right
now. Double-click the Pick tool to select
all objects in the drawing. Now press the
C key, then the E key. Just press the letters, nothing else. The result is that all
objects will be centered with each other.
Figure 3: A series of rounded
For reference, C centers objects horizonrectangles.
tally and E centers them vertically.
The last step is to again press the Weld
button on the Property Bar. Again, youll
see that all of the inside complexity is removed with only the outermost outline
remaining as shown in Figure 4.
Now that weve finished this shape, give it
another look. If I had shown you that
shape in advance, the task would have
seemed very difficult. Now that youve
seen it done, you can better break down
other shapes into more basic components.
Both of the projects weve worked
Figure 4: The rounded
through so far created solid shapes. Now
rectangles after welding.
lets work through another project that
leaves some holes in the final object.
Think of creating a map. If you draw streets as overlapping rectangles, the
outlines look really funny in the intersections. By using Weld, we can avoid
that problem.
Start out by drawing a series of horizontal and vertical rectangles. Add to that
another rectangle that youve rotated and well have a diagonal street. Be as
203
creative as you want on this one. Youll

see my grid before the Weld in Figure 5.
Select all the objects with a quick double-click of the Pick tool and then press
the Weld button on the Property Bar.
Presto, chango, all the overlapping lines
are gone and you are left with the grid
show in Figure 6. Note that Ive filled my
finished shape with gray so that you can
more easily see the holes left behind. If
there were other objects behind the grid,
they would be visible through these
holes.
Figure 5: A series of rectangles
Certainly we can go through even more prior to welding.
projects showing off Weld. But Id like
you to try to create some shapes on your
own. The more you experiment, the easier it will get to create even the most
complex shapes imaginable. Try to use
only rectangles and circles for a few
more projects. Then throw in some
shapes youve drawn with the Freehand
tool or maybe something youve created
with the Polygon tool.
Weld Options
In all of our examples, weve simply used
the Weld button on the Property Bar. This
will most likely be the method you use
Figure 6: The rectangles after
the vast majority of the time. But there
welding give us a map.
will be times when you want to keep the
original objects and the new welded object. To use these options, bring up
the Shaping Docker shown in Figure 7 by selecting Windows | Dockers |
Shaping.
If you are using this option, the objects you have selected in the beginning
are considered the Source objects. Then you click the Weld To button and
a big arrow will appear in place of your cursor. Using this arrow, click on the
204
objects to which you want to Weld. This second

group is considered the Target object. Usually
it is just a single object. Clearly this method requires more steps and thus more work. So the
only time youll want to use this is if you want to
save either the Source or Target objects.
I personally find it easier to copy the objects to
the clipboard before Welding and paste copies
of them back after Welding. You may find the
Docker to be the easier method. Part of
CorelDRAWs popularity is that it does provide
multiple methods to do the same thing. The
best method for you is the one that makes you
the most productive. Try using both methods
Figure 7: Shaping Docker
and decide which one is your preferred method. with Weld selected.
When people talk about the most important features in a product, Weld is what they were talking about. To me, it is one of
the features that I couldnt live without. The first few versions of CorelDRAW
didnt have it and I still dont know how I got any work done back then.
Slicing Off the Perfect Shape with Trim

Youve now seen how we could take a series of simple circles and rectangles
and turn them into something much more complex using the Weld function.
Now well look at the function that is the exact opposite, Trim. Instead of adding shapes together, Trim will let you use shapes to cut away from another
shape. Just think of a cookie cutter.
A Simple Project
To give you an idea of how Trim works, were going to walk through a simple
project together. Again, well stick to rectangles and circles so that anyone
can draw the shapes. Start out with a large rectangle. Just to dress it up a bit,
Im going to fill it with the pattern of a brick wall. Then we need a circle. We
want half of the circle to overlap the bottom part of the rectangle. Ill fill the
circle with Black so it resembles a wrecking ball. Figure 8 shows you these
two pieces.
205
With everything created, it is time to get

down to business. With Weld, it wasnt
important to select objects in any particular order. Trim is just the opposite as the
order is very important. Using a metaphor makes it very simple to remember
the correct order. The first object(s) you
select is the knife, the last object you select is what gets cut. What we want to do
is create an archway in our brick wall. So
the circle (wrecking ball) is the knife. Well
select it first. Then well shift-click to seFigure 8: Two objects before
lect the brick wall (rectangle) last. Now
click the Trim button on the Property Bar trimming.
(see above) and the wrecking ball will
crash through the wall creating an archway. To see the result, youll have to
move the wrecking ball out of the way.
Ive deleted it completely for Figure 9.
Take a close look at the finished wall. It
doesnt look very complex, but getting
the archway perfect without using Trim
would be very time consuming.
Figure 9: An archway was
Multiple Cookie Cutters trimmed out of this brick wall.
If you were really paying attention earlier,
you may have seen my reference to having more than one object to do the
cutting. Again, well start with a rectangle. Then were going to add a circle
centered on each corner. If you turn on Snap to Objects, the circles should
snap right into place. The rectangle and four circles are shown in Figure 10.
Now comes the tricky part as we have to select all the circles and then the
rectangle. The long way is to select one circle and then Shift-click on each of
the other circles and lastly the rectangle. Remember that the first objects you
select are the knife and the very last object is what gets cut. So with the rectangle being selected last, it will get cut when you press the Trim button on
206
Figure 10: A rectangle and four

circles before trimming.
Figure 11: Fancy corners on the

rectangle after trimming.
the Property bar. But there is a sneaky way to select things a bit quicker. Use
the Pick tool to marquee select all five objects. The problem is, you dont
know what was selected last. So Shift-click on the rectangle and it becomes
deselected. Immediately Shift-click on it again and it will get reselected as the
last object. That wasnt quick enough? OK, Shift-double-click on the rectangle! Youll see the rectangle after it has been trimmed in Figure 11.
One of the side benefits of this method is that you can choose the radius
carved out of each corner. How do you control the corner radius? It is as simple as using that radius to draw the circles.
We can take this a bit further. Figure 12 shows a rectangle surrounded by 50
small circles. By using these circles as knives, we can easily create a serrated
edge using Trim. The finished object is shown in Figure 13, along with a little
decoration to create a stamp.
During a training class once, this same procedure was discussed and one of
the students nearly fell off his chair. He told us that he had recently spent a
whole day creating the same postage stamp shape.
207
Figure 12: A large number of

circles and a rectangle before
trimming.
Figure 13: After trimming we get

a stamp with serrated edges.
Trimming Multiple
Objects
So far weve focused on trimming a single object and that will take you a long
ways. But every now and then youll want
to trim more than one object, maybe
even hundreds of them. CorelDRAW 8
was the first version to bring the ability to
trim a whole group of objects and a
whole new world of possibilities was
given to us.
A good example is the clip art supplied
Figure 14: The donkeys body
with CorelDRAW. Even with all the imwill be trimmed by the red
ages, you still may not find what you
shape.
want. Figure 14 shows a donkey image
taken from an earlier version of the clip art. It is perfect except that our project only needs the head. To get this effect, the red shape was drawn using
the Bzier tool. It represents the area we dont want. One of the keys to this
208
process is to make sure the objects being

trimmed are grouped into a single object.
Select the red shape and then Shift-click
on the donkey. Press the Trim button on
the Property Bar and watch the body of
the donkey disappear.
The original donkey image had 256 objects. After trimming, the head in Figure
15 has only 134 objects. So not only did
the remaining objects get trimmed by the
red shape, many objects were just plain
deleted.
Figure 15: Only the donkeys
head is left after trimming.
In order to get this trick to work just
right, youve got to draw the shape
around the stuff you dont want. And just as important is that the shape
needs to be a closed shape. If you simply draw a line where the cut should
happen, nothing will disappear.
Warning: Notice that the donkey has a tumor on his neck
instead of being cleanly trimmed. This is caused by the lines in
the image having round end caps that extend beyond the shape
of the head.
The Trim Docker

Youve probably noticed that after trimming,
weve always had to delete the knife object(s).
There is another method for trimming that
would solve this problem and that involves using
the Shaping Docker shown in Figure 16.
To use this method, youll need to open the
Docker. Do this by selecting Window | Dockers
| Shaping so that the Docker is on screen. Now
select all the knives in your drawing. After they
are selected, click the Trim button in the Docker.
Your cursor will change and youll use this special cursor to click on the object to be trimmed. Figure 16: Shaping
Docker with Trim
selected.
209
Source Object is the confusing term for the knives, Target Object is the
thing being trimmed. So if you dont want the knives after trimming, simply
uncheck the Source Object checkbox.
Using the Docker isnt nearly as quick as using the button on the Property
Bar in most cases. But if you find that you are constantly deleting the Source
Objects, you might just find the Docker method to be your best bet.
Intersecting
Weve looked at the Weld and Trim features. Youve seen how complex
shapes can easily be created from rectangles and ellipses. Well continue that
theme by looking at the third tool in the
group, Intersection. It doesnt have quite
as many tricks up its sleeve as Weld and
Trim.
Intersection
Youll remember that Weld allowed you to
take multiple objects and turn them into Figure 17: Two circles prior to
a single object. Trim allowed you to use intersection.
multiple objects to cut away from an object. Intersection creates a shape from
the overlapping area of multiple objects. To best understand this, lets work
through a very simple project.
1. Draw two circles side by side so that approximately half of the circles
overlap, as shown in Figure 17. Go ahead and give them different colors
such as blue and yellow, so they are easy to distinguish.
2. Select both circles and press the Quick Intersect button (see below) on
the Property Bar.
The result is that a football like shape is created based on the area where the
two circles overlapped. If you think of the circles as balloons and color that
new piece green, it would represent the mixture of the two colors youd get.
210
Still confused? Figure 18 shows the result with the object created by Intersecting shown in green.
Now lets try something a little more
complex to create a special effect with
some text. What we want to create is red,
white and blue text with the white being
like a wavy river flowing down the middle.
1. Type the word AMERICA in all
Figure 18: The circles after
capital letters. Select a very bold font intersecting have a third piece.
like Futura XBlk or Arial Black. Make
it 144 points so that it is about an
inch and a half high.
2. Draw a rectangle that fully covers the
top half of the text as in Figure 19.
Figure 19: Text and a rectangle
3. Select the text and the rectangle, then prior to intersection.
press the Intersect button on the
Property Bar.
4. You should now have a new object
representing the top half of the text.
Figure 20: Text after it has been
Fill it with red.
split with intersection.
5. Grab the top middle handle of the
rectangle and drag it downwards until
the rectangle covers the bottom half of the text.
6. Select the rectangle and the original text. Press the Intersect button and
youll have a new object representing the bottom half of the text. Fill that
with blue.
You should now have something that looks like Figure 20. On some occasions, youll stop with what youve got. But we want to take it a bit further and
create a wavy white river down the middle of the text.
7. Draw a wavy line that goes back and forth over the middle of the text. Be
careful not to make it too wavy or the effect wont work very well. Make
sure the line extends beyond the text on both the right and left sides.
8. Give the line a 24 point outline and make the outline white.
AMERICA
AMERICA
211
9. Select Arrange |
Convert Outline to
Object and youll see
the outlined squiggly
line is now a fillable
Figure 21: The finished text with three colors.
shape and it should be
filled with white. If not,
go ahead and fill it with white.
The problem we now have is that the squiggly line expands beyond the text.
So well use Intersect again to fix the problem.
10. Select the original text and the squiggly line. Press the Intersect button on
the Property Bar. Fill the resulting object with white.
11. Delete the original text and the squiggly line that expands beyond the text
as they are no longer needed.
Your finished text should look similar to Figure 21.
As you can see Intersect can give you the ability to create even more complex
shapes without much difficulty. You probably wont use it nearly as often as
Weld and Trim, but it certainly can come in handy from time to time.
The New Functions

CorelDRAW 11 added three variations on Trim. When you select Back minus
front, the front object is treated as the knife and cuts away the overlapping
part of the back object. Selecting Front minus back will use the back object
as the knife and cut away the front object. Lastly, Simplify will trim away any
overlapping areas of the selected objects. Think of this as the opposite of
Intersect.
Tutorial Movies
Weld
Trim
Intersect
212
Chapter Wrap
Youve now seen how Weld, Trim and Intersect work to create very complex
shapes from simple circles and squares. Now add a bit of your imagination to
the mix and you can create some phenomenal designs with minimal effort
and artistic talent. The real key to becoming an expert with these commands
is to break down a complex object into a series of simple shapes and then
figure out which order of commands will get you to the finished shape. It will
take a little bit of thinking up front, but the results are definitely worth the
effort!
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CorelDRAW 12
15
Align, Distribute,
Duplicate, Copy, Paste, &
Symbols
Getting everything in just the right place in your drawing is truly an art form.
Using the rulers, guidelines and grids can certainly help you get things right.
In this chapter, well explore some more ways to accomplish the task by using
the Align and Distribute commands. Youll also learn ways to copy, paste and
duplicate objects. Lastly, Ill show you the Symbols library and show how you
can use it to store commonly used elements that can easily be reused.
Aligning Objects
It is pretty common that youll want objects to line up with other objects in
your drawing. Maybe you want
them all to align to their left edge.
This type of task can be accomplished with a guideline and snapping everything to it. But often it is
better to use the alignment commands. There are two different
ways to bring up the Align and
Distribute dialog box shown in
Figure 1. First, you can select Arrange | Align and Distribute |
Align and Distribute from the
Figure 1: The Align and Distribute
menus.
dialog box.
214
Note: If any of you go way back with CorelDRAW, you might

remember that you used to be able to use the Ctrl-A shortcut
key to bring up this dialog. Now Ctrl-A is designated as Select
All to match other applications and there is no shortcut key
assigned to Align and Distribute by default. Alt-A-A-A will bring
it up, but that is a bit much. Chapter 29 will teach you how to
assign any shortcut key to any function so you might want to
use it to assign Alt-A or something like that to Align and
Distribute.
Another quick way to bring up the Align and Distribute dialog
box is to press the Align and Distribute icon shown at right on
the far right of the Property Bar. Note that this icon only appears when you have multiple objects selected.
With CorelDRAW 12, theres a number of new alignment options in the dialog box. Youll note there are two drop-down lists. The first list
lets you choose the reference point for aligning the objects. Choices include
Active objects, Edge of page, Center of page, Grid and Specified Point. If you
are working with text, you can choose what part of the text is used for alignment with the other drop-down list. Those choices include, Bounding box,
First line baseline and Last line baseline.
Well start with the first choice, Active objects. It is important to select objects
in the correct order. The last object you select is the anchor object. All objects selected prior to the last object will move based on the location of the
last object selected. Note that it is important to have at least one object selected or everything in the dialog box will be unavailable. You can easily select
objects while the dialog box is open in any way you choose.
Tip: If you marquee select objects, the lowest object in the
stacking order is considered to be the last object selected.
The destination of the objects move is based on the checkboxes along the
top and left of the dialog box. Horizontal options include Left, Center and
Right, while Vertical options include Top, Center and Bottom. You can select
only a horizontal choice, only a vertical choice or one of each. For example, if
you select Top from vertical and Left from horizontal, all selected objects will
be aligned to the top left corner of the bounding box, of the last object selected. An exception to this rule would be text objects, if you selected one of
215
Chapter 15: Align, Distribute, Duplicate, Copy, Paste, & Symbols
the baseline choices. Figure 2 shows three objects

before and after alignment
if Top Left had been chosen and the blue rectangle
was the last object
selected.
Choosing Edge of page
changes the game a bit. Instead of aligning objects to
the last object selected, the Figure 2: The three objects on the left are
shown before alignment. On the right are all
selected objects will be
aligned to the edge of the three with Top Left alignment and the blue
drawing page based on the rectangle as the anchor object.
horizontal and vertical selections youve chosen. Selecting Center of page is just a special variation of
Edge of page as both of the Center checkboxes are automatically checked.
Grid will align the selected objects to the designated grid in the document.
Each object will be moved so that the corner of the objects bounding box
will be moved in the horizontal and vertical direction to match the choices
checked. So again, lets say that Top and Left are chosen. The top left corner
of each object will be moved up and to the left until it is aligned on a gridline.
The last choice, Specified point, is the only one that requires you to do
something else after clicking Apply. You can then take your cursor and click
somewhere on the screen. Wherever you click will be designated as the anchor point to which the selected bounding box location of all objects will be
aligned.
Now if you are working with text objects, whether mixed with other objects or
only text, the text alignment options are also available. Ive referenced the
bounding box in all the previous examples. If a text object is involved, remember that you can replace bounding box with either the first or last line
baseline of the text. The baseline of text is the imaginary line on which it sits.
Descenders of lower case characters will go below the baseline. So without
this options, the descender would be the lower edge of the bounding box
where the baseline options change that.
216
Aligning with the Keyboard

While the Align and Distribute dialog box gives you a wide variety of options
for aligning objects, youll rarely need to use it if you memorize a few keyboard shortcuts. For more complex alignment tasks, you will still need the dialog box. But, for simply aligning objects quickly to one another, the shortcut
keys will do the trick. With these shortcut keys, you simply need to press a
letter on your keyboard. There is no need to press Ctrl, Alt, Shift or any other
key. Below is a list of the keys and the alignment that happens when you
press the key.
T=Top
B=Bottom
L=Left
R=Right
C=Center horizontally
E=Center vertically
P=Center to page
All of the keyboard shortcuts require that you have at least two objects selected, with the exception of center to page.
Distributing Objects
As you can probably guess, the Distribute options work best when used with
the Alignment options weve already discussed. By clicking the Distribute tab
in the dialog box, you get the options shown in Figure 3.
Warning: The options
selected on the Align
tab of the dialog box will
affect the results when
you click Apply even if
you are looking at the
Distribute tab.
If you dont know the function of
distribution, quite simply it is the
even spacing of objects. To measure the distance between objects Figure 3: The Distribute tab of the
you have four choices in the hori- Align and Distribute dialog box.
217
zontal and vertical directions. For horizontal you can choose left, center, right
and spacing. If you were to choose left, then the spacing is measured from
the left edge of one objects bounding box to the left edge of another objects
bounding box. Spacing uses the space between two objects as its measurement. In many cases, the result of distribution will be identical no matter
which choice you select.
There are also two radio buttons in the dialog box which determine the extent
of the distribution. If you select Extent of selection, the total width or height
of the selection will remain the same. All of the objects selected will be evenly
spaced within that distance. Choosing Extent of page will space the objects
evenly across the width or the height of the page.
Smart Duplication
First, we need to at least mention the Duplicate command. It is found on the
menus as Edit | Duplicate or simply by pressing Ctrl-D. Selecting Duplicate
will create a copy of the selected object. By default the new copy will be located .25 inches up and to the right of the original. You can easily change
this offset on the Property Bar when
nothing is selected by typing new values
into the boxes shown at right. Note that
changing this setting will only affect the
current document.
Tip: If you want the values for Duplicate to be changed in all
new documents, it is quite easy to do. First, change the values
on the Property Bar to the offset you desire. Then, select Tools
| Save Settings As Default and the offset will be the default in
all new documents you create. Note that this will not affect
documents you have previously created.
Many users simply want to create a copy of an object on top of the original.
There is a quick way to do this without using the Duplicate command. Just
press the + key on your numeric keypad. Note that this is not the plus key
along the top of your keyboard. Laptop users may have to use a special function key as the numeric keypad is usually embedded within the regular keys.
218
Now that you understand

what the Duplicate command does, lets talk about
Smart Duplicate. You wont
find this feature in the
menus, on a toolbar or
anywhere else. So, well
call it a hidden feature.
Figure 4: The result of Smart Duplicate.
For Smart Duplicate to
magically appear, you first have to duplicate an object using the Edit | Duplicate command (Ctrl-D). When you do this, the newly created duplicate object is automatically selected. Any modification you make to this object will
be remembered by the Duplicate command. Then if you select Edit | Duplicate again while the duplicated object is still selected, the same modifications will be made to the newly created object.
This will make more sense if we look at an example. Well start with a two
inch blue circle. Press Ctrl-D to make a duplicate. Note that I changed the
offset to zero in both directions so the duplicate was on top of the original.
Just so that we can reference the objects by color, Ill change the color to red.
I then moved the object 2.5 inches to the right and reduced the size to 1.5
inches. Press Ctrl-D once again to get another duplicate and Ill color this one
yellow. Youll note the yellow object was automatically moved another 2.5
inches to the right and was reduced in size to one inch as shown in Figure 4.
Tip: Smart Duplicate can include much more than just
movement and sizing. Try skewing, rotating, mirroring and
more.
Most users find Smart Duplicate by accident the first time and arent always
excited that theyve found it. If you dont want Smart Duplicate to apply transformations to more duplicates, just deselect the object that was originally duplicated and the smartness will go away.
Copy and Paste

A close cousin to Duplicate is to use Copy and Paste. Yes, they can be found
in the menus as Edit | Copy and Edit | Paste. And there are buttons for
them on the Standard toolbar. But I strongly encourage everyone to quickly
219
learn the shortcut keys of Ctrl-C for Copy and Ctrl-V for Paste. Why are these
shortcut keys so important? Quite simply, they are the universal shortcuts in
almost every Windows program
and even in places where there is
no way to select the commands
from a menu.
Paste Special
In many situations you will be using Copy and Paste to transfer information either into CorelDRAW
from another program or out of
Figure 5: The Paste Special dialog box
CorelDRAW to another program. I
when pasting text from Microsoft
highly recommend that instead of
Word.
using Paste that you select Edit |
Paste Special. When you do this, you will be presented with a dialog box
similar to Figure 5. In the middle of the dialog box will be several choices
that are dependent on the capabilities of the program from which you copied
and the capabilities of the program into which you are copying. So the
choices you see in any given situation could be radically different from what
is shown in Figure 5. The most important thing for you to remember is that
you have choices. The top choice listed is always the one that is used by using the Edit | Paste command. Sometimes, it does provide the best results.
But many times it is not the best choice. I strongly encourage you to get in
the habit of choosing Paste Special and trying different choices until you find
the one that works best in a given situation.
Symbols
Symbols took on a new meaning in CorelDRAW 11. The old version of symbols are now found by select the Text | Insert Character command which
was discussed in Chapter 5. Now symbols are a lot more powerful and their
definition is more in line with symbols found in other graphics software. In
short, most anything you can create in CorelDRAW can become a symbol
even large groups of objects. Where this will be most useful is for elements
that are commonly repeated in your drawings. A perfect example of this
would be a logo. The power in using symbols becomes evident if you ever
220
need to make a change. Editing the symbol will cascade the changes to all instances of the symbol.
Another benefit of symbols is that they will be retained
as symbols when you export your file to formats that
support symbols such as Flash or PDF. This can help
to keep file sizes small. As an example, if you used a
particular symbol ten times in a drawing, it would only
be stored once in a Flash file saving the size of storing
the other nine copies.
To get started with Symbols, we should first take a look
at the Symbol Manager Docker shown in Figure 6. You
can access it by selecting Edit | Symbol | Symbol
Manager or selecting Window | Dockers | Symbol
Manager. You can also press the Ctrl-F6 shortcut key.
When you first access the Docker, it will most likely be
empty. Only after you have created or imported a symbol will
you see something in the Docker.
Lets create a symbol so that we Figure 6: The
Symbol Manager
can see the Docker in action.
Docker
Draw something that you will
want to use multiple times in a
document. Ive drawn the star shown at right. Nothing
fancy, just a group of two objects. Dont worry, you can
create something much more complex if you desire.
Select the object or objects you wish to convert to a
symbol and select Edit | Symbol | New Symbol. This
will bring up a small dialog box (shown at right) asking
you to name the symbol. I chose Red and Blue Star
for the symbol Ive created. After you click OK, youll
find the symbol that you just created in the Symbol
Manager Docker. Note that there are several potential
locations for the symbol shown in the middle of the
Docker. Make sure to click on the name of the file that
you currently have open or you wont find your symbol.
Figure 7: Our
Once you find the symbol in the Docker, you should
symbol in the
see something similar to Figure 7. At the top of the
Docker.
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docker is a small preview of the symbol with information about it to the right
of the preview. Here we can see the name of the symbol, the number of times
it is used in the document as well as other information.
At the bottom of the Docker is a list of all symbols in the currently selected
document or library. Each symbol will be shown with a pencil icon in the
leftmost column. Double-clicking the pencil will allow you to edit the symbol.
If the pencil has a red slash through it, the symbol cant be edited. The next
column has a small preview of the symbol. After that is the name of the symbol followed by the type of symbol. The last column shows a description of
the symbol. By default it will be blank. Just double-click in the column and
type the description youd like. Often you wont need a description. In this
case we only have a single symbol, though you can have a long list showing if
you have created more.
Using Symbols
Once you have symbols in the Symbol Manager Docker, they are quite simple
to use. Click on the symbol you want and drag it from the Docker onto the
drawing page. After you do this, youll notice the number of instances of the
symbol will be increased by one in the Docker. Go ahead and drag a few
more onto the page and watch the number of instances continue to increase.
Are you starting to see the usefulness of symbols? If not, the power will make
more sense once you make a few edits.
Editing Symbols
OK, youve created a document that contains fifty instances of a particular
symbol. After showing the drawing to your client, you are told that the colors
need to be changed. That would be a daunting task if you had to make the
changes on all fifty instances. But it is quite easy to change since symbols
were used. Go to the Symbol Manager Docker and select the symbol that
needs to be changed. Either double-click on the pencil icon next to the symbol or press the Edit Symbol icon at the bottom of the Docker and you will
have a copy of the symbol on the drawing page ready for editing. Make all the
changes you want to the symbol. Change the color, edit the text, resize it, add
objects, delete objects, any changes that you want or need. At the bottom
right is a button labeled Finish Editing Object. Click the button and the
changes you made will be reflected in all copies of the symbol throughout the
drawing.
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Deleting symbols is done by pressing the Delete symbol button at the bottom
of the Symbol Manager Docker. Another way to delete symbols you arent using is to press the Purge Unused Definitions button at the bottom right of the
Docker. It will look for any symbols in the library that arent used anywhere in
the current document and delete them. For those with drawings using drawing scales, there is also a button at the bottom of the Docker that will let you
Scale to World Units.
Symbol Libraries
Probably the biggest change to symbols in CorelDRAW 12 is that symbols
can now be stored in external libraries and shared between documents and
computers. Even better, the symbol libraries are also compatible with Corel
DESIGNER.
There are two different ways to create a new symbol library. One way is to
choose File | Save As and then save the file in the Corel Symbol Library
(CSL) format. The other method is to click the Export Library button in the
Symbol Manager Docker. Either method provides the same result.
In the Docker, you can also import symbol libraries. First click on either Local
Symbols or Network Symbols in the middle of the Docker. When you do this,
the Add Library button should become available. When you click it, youll get
the dialog box shown in Figure 8. By default, symbol libraries are referenced in
their original location. You can select the
Copy libraries locally checkbox to have
the symbol library copied to the current
users symbol folder. If you check recursive, symbol libraries in subfolders of the
selected folder will also be added. This
would allow you to easily add a whole
collection of symbol libraries.
If you are using symbols from a library,
they can not be edited directly. To edit
symbols in a library, choose File | Open
and choose Corel Symbol Library (CSL)
format. Once youve done this, you can Figure 8: The Browse for Folder
add symbols, delete symbols or modify dialog box for adding a symbol
symbols. When done, save the file again library.
223
and the library will be updated. You can also break the link between a symbol
and the external library. Choose Edit | Symbol | Break Link and the symbol
will be stored in the local file. Any symbol where youve broken the link will
then be listed in the Symbol Manager Docker as part of the current filename
and can therefore be edited.
Tutorial Movies
Symbols
Chapter Wrap
Weve covered a lot of ground in this chapter. First we discussed the various
methods for alignment and distribution to get objects exactly where you
wanted them. Then, we looked at how to duplicate objects and use the smart
duplication feature. You then learned to copy and paste and the importance
of paste special. Lastly, we went over the use of symbols and libraries. Each
of these features can help you to be more productive and can be quite useful
in drawings requiring precision and repetition of objects.
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CorelDRAW 12
16
Enveloping, Distortion &

Perspective
In this chapter we are going to start exploring some of the many effects that
are available in CorleDRAW. All of the effects described in this chapter will
somehow change the shape of an object or objects. Enveloping allows you to
warp the selected object(s) in a number of predefined as well as free-form
shapes. With the Interactive Distortion tool, you actually have three separate
tools for distorting objects with only a minimum of effort. Lastly, you can add
Perspective to objects to give your drawing more of a three-dimensional look.
Enveloping
Enveloping is one of the most useful effects in CorelDRAW
and it is very easy to use. You have the ability to warp either a
single object or a group of objects. There are some exceptions
to this rule, most notably that you cant add an Envelope to a
bitmap. If you wish to warp images, youll have to do it in
Corel PHOTO-PAINT.
There are two distinct ways to create an Envelope in CorelDRAW. One is by
using the Interactive Envelope tool (shown at right) found on the Interactive
Tool flyout. The other method is to select Effects | Envelope (Ctrl-F7) and
use the Docker shown in Figure 1. All of the instructions provided in this
chapter will use the Docker though you can use the same techniques to use
the Interactive Envelope tool.
225
Chapter 16: Enveloping, Distortion & Perspective
Envelope Modes
The first choice you need to make when applying an envelope is which mode to use of the
four that are
available. At
right are the
four icons
as they appear on the Property Bar. As you change the
shape of the envelope, the mode chosen will determine if the lines are straight, curved and, if
curved, what type of curve. After you use any of
the modes described below, click the Apply button in the Docker and youll see the result of the
envelope on screen.
On the left is the Envelope Straight line Mode.
As the name implies, all lines of the envelope
will be straight lines. For a quick test, add some
text to the page in a large bold font. Apply a
Figure 1: The Envelope
straight line envelope to the text. Now click the
Docker.
top middle
node and
drag upwards. Notice how the top is in a
tent shape, with all lines of the envelope
being perfectly straight as shown at right.
The next type of envelope mode is Envelope Single Arc Mode. Follow the same
steps as we just used and apply a single
arc envelope to the text. When you pull
up on the node, notice that the top of the
text forms a semi-circle as shown at
right. Each of the curves on the envelope
has only a single arc.
Now select the Envelope Double Arc
Mode and apply it to the same text as youve used before. This time when
you pull up on the top middle node, notice how the curve changes direction
and looks more like a bell curve as shown on the next page. So far weve simCorelDRAW 12 Unleashed
226
ply pulled up on the single node. Dont

be afraid to move it left or right or even
to pull on other nodes.
On the right is the Envelope Unconstrained Mode. When you repeat the
same steps, youll notice that the nodes
create completely unconstrained curves
as shown at right. Feel free to play with
the nodes using the techniques you
learned in Chapter 7. Add nodes, change
the node types and modify the shape of
the envelope to your hearts content.
Modifier Keys
Youve now gotten a chance to create a few basic envelopes using the various
modes. Each of the examples we tried involved moving just the top node.
Hopefully you tried moving a few other nodes. In many cases, youll want opposite nodes to move the same amount. Sometimes youll want them to go
in the same direction and other times in the opposite direction.
It is quite easy to get the nodes to move the same amount by using some
modifier keys. If you hold the Ctrl key down while moving a node, the opposite node will move the same distance in
the same direction. Using the Single Arc
Mode, try again to pull up on the top
middle node while holding the Ctrl key
and notice how the bottom middle node
will move up by the same amount so that
you get something similar to the graphic
at right.
Now try the same exercise while holding
down the Shift key. This time the bottom
middle node will move the opposite direction of the top middle node by the
same amount giving you something similar to the graphic at right. And if you are
really feeling creative, try holding down
227
Ctrl and Shift while dragging a node. Admittedly

the results arent that useful, but it is certainly an
interesting trick.
Using Presets
There are times that you see a feature and it
looks pretty cool. But when you actually try it
the results arent nearly as exciting as you
thought they would be. Presets are a good example of this. If you click the Add Preset button
in the Envelope Docker, youll be presented with
a number of preset envelope shapes as shown
in Figure 2. Find the preset that you want to apply to your selected object. Click on the preset
and click the Apply button at the bottom of the
Docker. Did you get what you expected? A perfect example of this would be applying the circle
preset to a word of text. It doesnt turn out as a
circle, but rather an ellipse squeezed into the
bounding box of the text. While it might be a
Figure 2: Envelope
nice effect, it just seems a bit deceptive. So if
Docker with Add Preset
you choose to use presets, just know that the reselected.
sult may turn out to be a different shape than
what is shown in the Docker. For those who
want an exact shape, the Create From command is the magic button you
desire.
Create From
The name Create From is very descriptive. First you create a
shape that you want to use for an envelope and then you use
that shape on the object you want enveloped. Lets go back to
the example of using a circle on a word of text. Well use the
word BUBBLE in a nice bold font. Draw a perfect circle. Select
the text and click the Create From button (shown at right) in
the Envelope Docker. Once you do this, a large arrow will appear asking you to click on the shape you want to use for the envelope. Use it
to click on the circle and click Apply. Now the text is truly fit to the circle as
shown at the top of the next page.
228
Lets work on a project that shows off Create

From a bit more. Open the file named
envelopeblock.cdr on the books CD-ROM. In it
youll see a 3D looking cube with yellow, green
and cyan sides. There are also separate
squares with the same colors which are
grouped with artwork. We want to take each of
the artwork squares and place them onto the
3D cube in the proper perspective. For this,
well use the Create From envelope function.
Select the yellow square and click the Create
From button in the Envelope Docker. When the arrow appears, use it to click
on the yellow side of the cube and press
the Apply button. Make sure Snap to Objects is active and drag the newly modified yellow square onto the cube. Now
select the cyan square and repeat the
process. Notice how the artwork of the
cyan square is also enveloped perfectly.
Once again repeat with the green square
and slide it into place. See how easy it is
to take 2D artwork and put it into a 3D
view using Create From?
Mapping Modes
Just like there are four modes of envelope, there are also four mapping modes. Lets go back to the Bubble example to see how each of these works. So far weve
always been using the Putty mode. Youll remember that when we first created the bubble
that the word was at an angle. Using the Original mode gives almost exactly the same results.
In fact, Ive yet to find an instance where I can
see the difference between Putty and Original.
The other two modes are Horizontal and Vertical
and they are both fairly easy to explain. Using
the bubble example, choose horizontal and
youll get something like the example at right.
229
Note how all the horizontal lines in the text stay

horizontal while the vertical lines are distorted to
fit the envelope. Now switch to Vertical and
youll get the example at right. In this case the
Vertical lines are mostly unmodified and the horizontal lines are the ones distorted to fit the
envelope.
In most instances, youll stick with Putty as it
gives the best overall results. But youll find
there are some instances where either Horizontal or Vertical will give you the results you desire.
Just experiment until you get the perfect envelope.
Enveloping Graphics
Most of the examples weve explored so far involve text. But that doesnt
mean that you cant apply an envelope to graphics. A perfect example is the
tiger shown below right. This is a file that used to be supplied with
CorelDRAW as clipart. Each year I travel to a trade show and see this exact tiger image printed on shirts, coffee mugs, mousepads and more. Not a single
company makes any changes to the image so they are all showing the same
example. Yet, it is very easy to modify the tiger by adding an envelope.
By adding an unconstrained envelope and pulling
down and to the left
on his chin, nose
and mouth; the
graphic can easily
be converted to a
more menacing
looking tiger. In only
a minute or two I
was able to create
the tiger shown at
right from the original on the left. So next time that you are working with a
stock piece of clipart, keep in mind that you can make yours look a little bit
different by simply applying a quick effect.
230
Distortion
By now, we can all create simple shapes in CorelDRAW. But creating shapes
that are truly unique distinguishes the more experienced users of the product. One way to take shapes to that next level is with the various distortion
tools CorelDRAW provides. Even better, these tools are very
easy to use.
All of the distortion tools about to be described are accessed
by first selecting the Interactive Distortion tool (shown at right)
from the Interactive Tool Flyout. It is the third tool from the left
and looks like a rumpled sheet of paper.
Once youve selected the Interactive Distortion tool, the Property Bar will
change (see below) to reveal all of the options that are available. By default,
the Push and Pull Effect will be selected.
Push and Pull Effect

With the Push and Pull Effect, there is really only one setting on the Property
Bar and that is the Push and Pull Distortion Amplitude. To best see what can be
done with this effect, it is easiest to try a
simple project.
1. Draw a circle in the middle of the
page.
2. Select the Interactive Distortion Tool
and make sure the Push and Pull
Effect is selected on the Property Bar.
3. Click in the middle of the circle and
drag to the right. The result should be
a diamond-like shape similar to the
one in Figure 3.
Figure 3: A circle has been
This showed the Push part of the effect. transformed into a diamond-like
Notice that in the center of the shape is a shape by the Push and Pull
diamond. It represents the center point Effect.
231
from which the effect is applied. Going

off to the right is a blue dotted line with
an arrow. This indicates the direction and
amplitude of the effect. Now lets continue with the project with a pull.
4. Click on the diamond shape in the
center of your object and pull it to the
left. When done, you should have
something similar to Figure 4.
So by clicking and dragging twice on this
object with the Push and Pull Effect, we Figure 4: After a Push and a Pull
ended up with this winged creature start- Effect has been applied, we end
up with this winged creature.
ing with a simple circle. Go ahead and
experiment with different starting shapes
and different pushing and pulling to see all the interesting shapes that
can easily be created.
Zipper Effect
One great thing about the Zipper Effect is that it is a bit more predictable
than the other Distortion effects. Its claim to fame is giving an object a rough
edge. It could be random roughness or it could be very uniform. Again, lets
work through a project to see how it works.
page.
2. Select the Interactive Distortion tool
and make sure the Zipper Effect is
selected on the Property Bar.
3. Click in the middle of the circle and
drag to the right just as you did with
the Push and Pull Effect.
The result should look similar to Figure
5. Again, the diamond indicates the spot
from which the effect is centered and the
blue arrow indicates the direction of the
effect. Youll also see a slider which corre- Figure 5: A circle with a simple
Zipper Effect applied.
232
sponds to the frequency of the Zipper. Drag it to the right and youll get more
bumps on your curve.
Look at the Property Bar and youll find several ways you can adjust this effect. First is the Zipper Distortion Amplitude of the effect. This controls the
size of the bumps. Next up is the Zipper Distortion Frequency (the same as
the slider) and it controls the number of bumps. These are followed by three
buttons. The first, Random Distortion means that the bumps are of random
sizes. Next up is Smooth Distortion which rounds the bumps off. Last is Local
Distortion which applies more of the effect closer to where you clicked with
the mouse. Once again, experiment with different shapes and different settings to learn all of the neat things you can do. I find this effect particular
useful for creating borders.
Twister Effect
As the name implies, the last distortion
effect will twist our original shape. And
once again the results are sometimes
hard to predict. To see it in action, well
once again use a small project involving
a circle.
page.
2. Select the Interactive Distortion tool
and make sure the Twister Effect is
selected on the Property Bar.
3. Click near the top of the circle and
Figure 6: A circle with the
drag your mouse in a circular motion Twister Effect applied.
one and a half rotations. Your result
should look similar to Figure 6.
The more rotations you make with the mouse, the more distorted the original
shape will become. Note that you can select, on the Property Bar, whether
the rotation should be in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction. You
can also specify the number of rotations along with the rotation in degrees
past a full rotation. Next to those settings is a button that will center the distortion. Doing this with a circle will leave the shape almost unchanged. This
isnt so with other shapes. Experiment with your own shapes and settings until you have a good grasp of what can be done with the Twister Effect.
233
Perspective
The best way to describe perspective is to look to the movies. At the beginning of each Star Wars movie is the text that scrolls off into the distance. That
text is using Perspective as it vanishes at some point in the distance. And
there is also the cowboy that always rides off to the sunset in a Western.
Again, there is some point where he vanishes thus showing distance from the
camera. CorelDRAW is able to create the appearance of 3D by adding perspective to graphics so that they appear to get smaller at some point in the
distance. This section will show you how to create both one point and two
point perspective quite easily in CorelDRAW.
Adding Perspective
Were going to start with a very simple example of adding perspective to text.
I used the word COWBOY to go along with our movie theme. To add perspective, make sure the text is selected and then choose Effects | Add Perspective. When you do
this, a red grid will appear
over the word (or whatever
object was selected) as
shown in Figure 7. At each
corner of the grid are
nodes that can be adjusted
to give the object
Figure 7: The Perspective grid over the word
perspective.
COWBOY.
The type of perspective
you apply will depend on how you drag the node. If you hold the Ctrl key
while dragging, the movement will be constrained to either horizontal or vertical movement and the result will be one point perspective. Holding Ctrl-Shift
will not only constrain the movement but also move the opposite node in the
same distance mirrored to again give one point perspective. As nodes get
closer, the vanishing point will appear on screen as an X. There is always a
vanishing point, it just may be so far off the page that you dont see it. Once
it appears, you can also click and drag the vanishing point directly and the
nodes will adjust to that movement.
If the node movement is not constrained by holding the Ctrl key, you will get
a two point perspective. This means that there will be a vanishing point in
both the horizontal and vertical direction. Again, the vanishing point may not
234
appear on screen if it is too far

1 point perspective
away from the object. But once it
does appear on screen, you can
click on it and directly move it.
Figure 8 shows the word
X
COWBOY with both one point
and two point perspective applied
along with the original word.
Editing Perspective
2 point perspective
Once youve applied perspective

to an object and then later worked
on other parts of your project, you
may want to go back and modify
original text
the perspective. To do this, simply
select the Shape tool and the per- Figure 8: Examples of one and two
spective grid and vanishing points point perspective.
will again appear for editing.
COWBOY
Using Perspective
Now that you understand how perspective works, lets put it to use in a sample project. Well design a little scene with a road and a billboard and we want
everything to be in the same perspective.
First, we need to design the various elements without perspective. The road
is nothing more than a long black rectangle with several yellow rectangles down
the middle to represent the lines on the
road. For the billboard, well start with a
unleash.com
rectangle, add a logo and some text. You
For all your
can make the billboard as simple or as
graphics needs!
complex as you like. Group each of these
objects together so that you have two objects left in your drawing, the billboard
and the road. Figure 9 shows the original drawing before we added perspective.
So that you can have a common vanishFigure9:Ou rbill boardan d
ing point for both objects, drag out a
horizontal and vertical guideline that in- roadbe foreweaddper spective.
235
tersect where you want the vanishing

point. Turn on Snap to Guidelines so that
the vanishing point will snap to the intersection. In my example, I created the
vanishing point to the right of the road.
Start with the road and select Effects |
Add Perspective. Click on the top right
node and drag it towards the center of
the road while holding down Ctrl-Shift.
Once you see the vanishing point, click
directly on it and drag it until it snaps on
the intersection of the guidelines. Now
Figure 10: The road and
add perspective to the billboard and drag billboard after adding
down on the top right node while holding perspective.
Ctrl-Shift. Once again, when you see the
vanishing point, drag it onto the intersection of the guidelines. When done,
you should see something similar to Figure 10.
Removing Perspective
Just like with any effect, sometimes you go a little bit too far and you want to
start over. Sure you can undo a few steps. But a quicker way is to select Effects | Clear Perspective and the object will return to the way it looked before any perspective was added.
Tutorial Movies
Enveloping
Envelope Presets and Create From
Fun with Envelopes
Interactive Distortion Tool
Perspective
Chapter Wrap
Each of the effects we explored in this chapter allowed you to easily modify
shapes, sometimes radically, with only a few clicks or a quick drag. The great
thing with each of these effects is that you often get happy accidents even if
236
you didnt do something exactly right. And when you are looking for some
creative inspiration, try the Interactive Distortion tool to get something really
cool with a minimal effort.
CorelDRAW 12
BOOT CAMP
youve learned
(800) 736-8973
www.unleash.com
237
CorelDRAW 12
17
Extruding
Make no mistake about it, CorelDRAW is a tool for

two dimensional illustration. But by using the Extrude effect, you can create the illusion of three dimensions. This is quite useful to give a little extra
boost to a design or even for technical illustrations.
In this chapter, well cover the many facets of the
Extrude effect both through the use of the Docker
and with the Interactive Extrude Tool. Well finish up
by looking at a third party add-on for CorelDRAW
that takes Extrusion to a whole new level.
Extruding Objects
There are two distinct ways to Extrude object in
CorelDRAW. Im going to explain most of the options using the Extrude Docker. For those who prefer the Interactive Extrude Tool, the same options
are available to you and will be covered briefly later
in the chapter.
Lets start with a square so that we have an object
to Extrude. Select Effects | Extrude to bring up the
Figure 1: The Extrude
Docker shown in Figure 1. If the first icon at the
top of the Docker is not selected, make sure to se- Docker.
238
lect it. After you have done other things, the settings in the Docker may not
be available. In those situations, click the Edit button and everything will be
available for making changes.
Extrude Types
Youll see that the Docker shows a very rough preview of the Extrude Type
chosen. Note that this preview is always the same no matter what objects you
have drawn. Look closely at the preview and you will see a darker outline on
one of the rectangles. This is symbolic of your original object(s). There are
also two arrows which indicate the direction in
which the object(s) will be
extruded. The image at
right shows examples of
Small Back
Small Front
each type with the original
object in red and the objects created by the Extrude in blue. By default
Big Back
Big Front
Small Back will be selected from the Extrude
Type drop-down list. With
it selected, the original object will be in front and the
extrude will be created behind it so that it gets
Back Parallel
Front Parallel
smaller the farther it goes
towards the vanishing
point.
Selecting Small Front will leave the original object in the back with the extrude seeming to come out of the page and getting smaller. Big Back and
Big Front are the same as Small Front and Small Back with the difference being that the extruded objects get larger than the original.
The last two choices are Back Parallel and Front Parallel. With these two objects, the extruded object is the same size as the original. Choosing Back Parallel means the extrude object will be behind the original while Front Parallel
puts the extruded object in front.
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Chapter 17: Extruding
Vanishing Point
The best way to explain a vanishing point is to talk about a movie. Youve all
seen a western where the cowboy rides off into the sunset at the end. As he
continues to ride, he gets smaller and smaller until he vanishes. That is the
vanishing point. When extruding, there are various lines on the object that get
extruded. If those lines are all followed, at some point they will meet. The
point at which they meet is the vanishing point.
Properties
Below the Extrude Type drop-down is the Vanishing Point Properties
drop-down list. It contains four options: VP Locked to Object, VP Locked to
Page, Copy VP From and Shared Vanishing Point. By default the vanishing
point is locked to the object. If you make any changes, those changes are
measured relative to the object. Changing to VP Locked to Page will mean
that you are measuring the vanishing point relative to the page instead of the
object.
In order to use Copy VP From, youll need at least one previously extruded
object plus one other object. With your new object, select Copy VP From and
a question mark will appear with your cursor. Use this to point at the object
from which you wish to copy the vanishing point. Shared Vanishing Point
works just like Copy VP From as far as how it is created. Once you have
shared a vanishing point, you can move any of the extruded objects and the
other will adjust automatically. Using this would be most useful if you were
drawing a whole scene that needed to be in the same perspective.
Depth
The Depth is set to 20 by default. This indicates that the Extrude will span
twenty percent of the distance from the original object to the vanishing point.
Making the depth larger will make the extrude deeper and thus closer to the
vanishing point. For a very simple three dimensional look, using a depth of 5
or 10 will work just fine.
Coordinates
Coordinates for the vanishing point are the next setting to adjust. They can
either be measured from the Object center, the default, or from the Page
original. You can either enter exact values into the horizontal and vertical
boxes, or you can click the X on the drawing page and move the vanishing
point manually. If you choose the manual method, you can see an example
240
of how the extrude will look immediately. Click the

Apply button in the Docker to make the change
permanent.
Rotation
Selecting the second icon at the top of the Extrude
Docker will take you into 3D Rotation mode and the
Docker will change to look like Figure 2. To rotate
the extruded object, click on the big block 3 and
drag in the direction you want rotation. As you do
this, a dotted outline of the object will appear in the
drawing window. When it is rotated the way you
want, click the Apply button. Remember to make
further edits, you may
need to press the Edit button to make the rest of the
Docker available.
At the lower left of the big
block 3 is a reset icon to
reset the object to its original rotation. At the lower
Figure 2: The Extrude
right is an icon that
Docker in Rotation
changes the Docker to
mode.
look like Figure 3. For
those who prefer to work
with numbers, you can enter the exact rotation values into the Docker.
Lighting
Figure 3: Extrude
Docker for entering
rotation values.
241
The middle icon at the top of the Extrude Docker

brings up the Lighting settings shown in Figure 4.
On the left are three light bulb icons. Clicking on
any of the icons will turn on the respective light on
the simulated preview. Once the light has been
turned on, you can move the location of the light by
dragging it around on the preview. Below the preview, you can adjust the Intensity of the light with
the slider. The higher the intensity, the brighter the

light. To get a wider range of colors, make sure the
Use full color range checkbox is selected. If it is not
checked, only a limited
number of colors are used
for shading the extruded
object. The image above
shows an example of one
light applied to a simple
extruded object.
With three separate lights,
you can create some fairly
Figure 4: Extrude
sophisticated lighting.
Docker with Lighting
Each of the lights can
come from completely dif- selected.
ferent directions or you
can concentrate the lights in one particular direction. If you want to turn off a light, just click again
on its icon.
Fills
Figure 5: Extrude
Docker with Fills tab
selected.
Moving on to the fourth icon at the top of the

Docker brings us to the various types of fills that are
available. Figure 5 shows the Docker with the fill
options selected.
The first option is Use object fill. When this is selected, the objects created by the extrude will be
filled with the same fill as the original object you ex-
242
truded. By default, Use

object fill is selected. If the
Drape fills checkbox is
checked, all objects will be
treated as a single object
by the fill. But if you
uncheck the box, each
object in the extrude will
be treated as a separate
object by the fill. Try each
to see which gives you the most realistic look.
Selecting Solid fill will add a color drop-down selector that will allow you to choose any single color to
fill all the objects created by the extrude.
Warning: A bug in the initial release of
CorelDRAW 12 limits the bevel color to
the same color as the extrude. It is hoped
that this will be fixed in a future service
release.
Bevels
The tab on the far right of the Extrude Docker will
allow you to create a Bevel on your object using the
Docker, shown in Figure 6. The first two
checkboxes allow you to turn on the Bevel and to
determine if it is shown with an Extrude or simply as
a Bevel. Above right is a sample with only a Bevel
using the settings shown in the Docker.
To change the Bevel and the Bevel angle, you can
either enter values into the text boxes or you can
click and drag the node in the preview window. It is
Figure 6: Extrude
probably best to modify the preview first and then
Docker with Bevel
tweak the values in the text boxes after you have
selected.
something close to what you want.
243
Interactive Extrude Tool

An alternative to using the Docker is to use the
Interactive Extrude tool (highlighted in the
flyout at right). With the Interactive tool, you
simply click and drag out the Extrude you want.
If you want to change any of the settings, you
do this on the Property Bar shown above. All of
the settings we discussed on the Docker can either be accessed directly or by pop-up dialogs
by clicking icons on the Docker.
Some users will find the interactive method to
be the best choice, while others will prefer to
use the Docker. Try out both ways and determine which way is best for you.
EZ Metrics
Users charged with creating technical drawings
are probably intrigued by the Extrude feature.
But wed like to present a more powerful alternative in the EZ Metrics add-on for CorelDRAW.
EZ Metrics runs inside CorelDRAW as a VBA
Macro with all its functions in the easy-to-use
dialog box shown at right. It can convert 2D orthographic illustrations into a 3D isometric illustration with only a few clicks. The image at
the top of the next page shows how a 2D gear
was transformed to a 3D illustration in less than
a minute.
A copy of the trial version of EZ Metrics is included on the books CD-ROM. It
is fully functional with a 14-day time limit. After that time, you can purchase a
serial number to continue using it for only $69.95.
For more information on EZ Metrics along with several utilities on how to get
the most from it, visit http://www.unleash.com/ezmetrics.
244
Tutorial
Movies
Extruding
EZ Metrics
Chapter Wrap
CorelDRAW is not a substitute for 3D design software. But using the
Extrude effect will allow
you to get the 3D look in your designs. When using Extrude in your designs,
use it cautiously as many users overuse the effect to the point that their drawings look unprofessional.
245
CorelDRAW 12
18
Blending, Contouring &

Drop Shadows
Each of the effects discussed in this chapter can be used for shading. And
like many of the effects in CorelDRAW, they are live. This means that if you
make a change, the whole effect will be updated automatically. Youll also find
that these effects have some areas that could cause problems so you need to
use them with care to avoid the problem areas.
Blends
Another name for Blends would be polymorphic tweening. OK, so that probably doesnt help you understand them. If we break down the name a bit,
maybe things will become clearer. Blend creates a morph between two objects with a user defined number of steps. Not only does it morph between
the two end shapes, but also the color of those shapes.
With any Blend, there are three major elements. The first two elements are
the objects with which you start. Once you have those two control objects,
you create the Blend Group between them. These three elements are dynamically linked. If you move either of the two control objects, the Blend Group
will update based on the new position. If you change the color of a control
object, the Blend Group will once again be updated to reflect the new color.
This is one of the great benefits of effects in CorelDRAW as you can make
changes at the last minute to get exactly the look you desire.
246
Tip: Often Blends can be used for

shading in areas where a Fountain Fill
just wont do the trick.
Blend Docker
Well start out learning Blends using the old
school method of the Docker shown in Figure
1. To bring up the Docker, select Effects |
Blend. By default, a Blend is created with a
specified number of steps starting at 20. Sometimes youll want only two or three steps while
other times you may want hundreds of steps.
So that you can see exactly how a Blend works,
lets create something very simple.
1. Draw two circles several inches apart. Fill
one with red and the other blue.
2. Marquee select the two circles and open the
Blend Docker with Effects | Blend.
3. Leave the Number of steps at the default of
20 and press Apply.
The result should be something similar to Fig- Figure 1: The Blend
ure 2. Before you move on, try moving either of Docker.
Figure 2: A simple Blend between a red and blue circle with 20 steps.
247
Chapter 18: Blending, Contouring & Drop Shadows
Figure 3: Our blend with 360 degrees of looping rotation.

the original circles and notice how the rest of the Blend updates. Now
change the fill of one of the circles. Again, everything else updates.
Rotation
The next option in the Docker is Rotation. If we use this option with our circle, you wont really see any difference because a rotated circle still looks the
same. Look closely and you can notice that the node on the circle does rotate by the specified amount. With objects other than circles, you will see the
object rotate as it morphs between the two control objects.
Next to the rotation amount is a checkbox for Looping. If we use the same
example of the circles and apply 360 degrees of rotation with Loop checked,
the result is shown in Figure 3. So depending on the desired look, you can
use rotation by itself or with looping.
Blend on a Path
All of the blends youve seen so far have gone directly between the two control objects. There is another way to Blend objects and that is along a path.
In addition to the two control objects, youll also need to create a path along
which you want the objects to be blended.
248
Figure 4. Path and two circles

before blending.
Figure 5: The blend after being

attached to the path.
Lets work through a project making a

coil of rope. Youll see it is a lot easier
than you might think.
1. Draw a spiral with six uniform
revolutions and two small brown
circles as shown in Figure 4.
2. Blend the two circles with 300 steps.
3. Click the Path button at the bottom of
the Blend Docker and select New
Path from the pop-up menu.
4. Using the arrow that appears, click on
Figure 6: Our finished coil of
the spiral. The result should look
rope.
similar to Figure 5.
As you can see, the Blend doesnt cover
the entire path so it looks a bit funny. One more step will solve that.
5. Check the Blend along full path checkbox and then press the Apply
button.
Now you should have the coil of rope as shown in Figure 6. If you want to
take this project a little further, go ahead and modify the path and notice how
the Blend will automatically adjust to the new shape.
249
Blend Acceleration
In doing Blends so far, there was even distribution between objects and their fills/outlines.
Click on the second icon at the top of the
Blends Docker and you get the Blend Acceleration tab shown in Figure 7.
There are two main sliders on the Docker. The
left side of the slider indicates the beginning of
the Blend and the right slide is the end. Initially
the two sliders are linked by having the Link accelerations checkbox checked.
The Accelerate objects slider controls the spacing between objects. If you slide it to the left,
more objects will
be near the beginning of the Blend
and fewer will be
near the end. Sliding it to the right
does the opposite.
By default, this only
controls spacing, Figure 7: Blend
Acceleration tab of the
but by checking
the Apply to sizing Blend Docker.
checkbox it will
also apply to the size of objects.
Similarly, the Accelerate fills/outlines slider controls how quickly the fills and outlines change
between objects.
Blend Color
As weve discussed color changes in Blends, the
assumption has been made that the default settings were in use. If you click on the Blend Color
icon at the top of the Blend Docker, you get the
Figure 8: Blend Color tab tab shown in Figure 8. The top option blends
directly between the two fill/outline colors of the
of the Blend Docker.
control objects. Below that is an icon that uses a
250
clockwise path between the colors of the control

objects. And the last choice is a counterclockwise blend between the colors. As with many of
the effects, try the various options to see which
one works best for the project at hand.
Miscellaneous Blend Options

There are a handful of other options available
when blending. Each of them is shown on the
Miscellaneous Blend Options tab of the Blend
Docker in Figure 9.
When you blend two objects, CorelDRAW automatically matches the first node of the control
objects. Sometimes, this will create a crazy looking result. If you click on the Map Nodes button,
an arrow will appear that allows you to select a
specific node on each of the control objects so
that the Blend is more predictable.
Pressing Split will also give you an arrow when
pressed. Use this arrow to click on any of the
objects, within the Blend, to create a new control object. After doing this, youll have what is Figure 9: Miscellaneous
called a compound blend. Now you can control Blend Options tab of the
each of the multiple Blends separately with re- Blend Docker.
gards to shapes, colors and positions.
Fuse Start and Fuse End do the opposite of Split. While holding the Ctrl key
down, click on the part of the Blend you want fused. Based on what you select, one of the two Fuse buttons will become available. Click the Fuse button
and the extra control object will once again become part of the Blend and will
have no control over the Blend.
Interactive Blends
When I first started to explain Blends, I mentioned that I would
do it with the old school method of using the Docker. Newer
versions of CorelDRAW also allow you to create Blends with
the Interactive Blend tool. It is the left most icon (shown at
right) on the Interactive Tools flyout. Once you have selected
it, the Property Bar will change to the one shown in Figure 10.
251
Figure 10: The Interactive Blend Tool Property Bar.

All of the options we discussed on the Docker are also available on the Property Bar, so you can use whichever method is easier for you. There is one
main difference and that is in the creation of the Blend itself. Instead of selecting the two control objects and pressing the Apply button, youll use the
Interactive Blend Tool to click on the first control object and drag to the other
control object. When you have done this, you should see blue dotted outlines
of the objects that will be created. If they look correct, go ahead and release
the left mouse button. Of course, you can continue dragging to another spot
if it doesnt look correct.
Contour
In Chapter 9, we talked about the many things
you can do with outlines. One of the things discussed was how to convert an outline to a
fillable shape. In many ways this is just an automated combination of two contours. So now
well step back and look at all the things you can
do with the Contour feature. Youll soon find that
the Contour feature is quite useful as yet another way to create shapes.
Contour Docker
The Contour feature first appeared in
CorelDRAW 5 and has worked more or less the
same in every version. To bring up the Contour
Docker shown in Figure 11, select Effects |
Contour (Ctrl-F9).
The first page of the Docker contains the most
important settings. Lets start by talking about
the Offset value. For simplicitys sake, well talk
about a circle. Contour will start at the original
circle and move the offset value inside or outFigure 11: The Contour
side and draw another circle. With a circle this
Docker
252
isnt very complex. But take that same ability to

a more complex shape and youve got something quite interesting.
Not only can you specify the offset distance, but
also the number of steps. So for our circle, you
could specify the number of circles to draw inside or outside of the original. You are limited to
999 though I doubt anyone would ever use that
many. Plus, you would find it takes quite a while
to draw that many even on a fast computer.
There is one more setting to choose on this
page and that is the direction of the Contour.
Outside and Inside are self explanatory as they
draw the desired number of shapes inside or
outside of the original shape. To Center will continue drawing shapes inside of the original
shape at the desired offset until the center of the
shape is reached. This could be 2-3 new shapes
or it could be hundreds. A word of caution is
due when using To Center. If you specify a small
Figure 12: Contour Color
offset on a large object, CorelDRAW may take
quite a while in creating the effect. So check ev- tab of the Contour
Docker.
erything carefully before clicking Apply.
Contour Colors
The next page of the Docker, see Figure 12, allows you to choose colors for
the outline and fill of the shapes created by the Contour effect. This setting is
very straightforward, if you have only one step. When you have more than
one step, the steps of the Contour will blend from the original colors to the
ones you choose in the Docker.
At the top of the Docker, you can choose how the colors transition. The first
choice will go directly from the original colors to the ones chosen in the
Docker. Youll see a straight line indicating the range of colors involved. Below that are choices for Clockwise and Counterclockwise color changes. With
either of these choices, the colors will go around the color wheel in the chosen direction between the two colors. To get something really interesting, select the same color for the original object and the Contour. The Contour will
now go through the whole color spectrum.
253
Contour Acceleration
There is one more tab in the Contour Docker as
shown in Figure 13. Normally the size of the
steps between objects and colors is uniform.
But you can use the two acceleration sliders to
make the changes vary with a logarithmic pattern. For acceleration to have its full effect, you
would need to have several steps in your
Contour.
Interactive Contours
Starting with CorelDRAW 9, Corel
also provided the Contour features as an Interactive tool. This is
simply a different way of getting
the same results. With the traditional feature you choose the settings and press
Apply. Using the Interactive method, you use the
mouse to draw the Contour and it is applied
automatically. If the settings need adjustment
they can be found on the Property Bar.
Figure 13: Contour
To get to the Interactive tool, bring up the Inter- Acceleration tab of the
active tools flyout. Youll find it just below the
Contour Docker.
Text tool. Interactive Contour is the second tool
from the left and looks like a pyramid. If you didnt already select an object to
which you want the Contour applied, youll need to do that by clicking on the
object. Once an object is selected, click and drag, with the Interactive Contour, in the direction you want the Contour to be created.
The downside to the Interactive method is that rarely do you get the look you
want the first time. Fortunately, all the settings for making adjustments can
be found on the Property Bar as shown in Figure 14. Youll find that each of
these settings works exactly like those found in the Docker.
Figure 14: The Interactive Contour Property Bar.

254
Contour Examples
Now that you understand the nuts and bolts of Contour, lets go over some
examples of how to use it. One of the most common uses is as a way to decorate text.
Metallic Text
The key to the illusion of metallic objects is the reflections they create. Most
often the top portion is various shades of blue as it would be reflecting the
sky and the bottom portion would be brown from reflecting the ground.
While Ill suggest some colors to use, feel free to modify the colors to meet
your idea of the correct metallic look.
1. Create the word CHROME in 100 point Futura XBlk BT or a similarly
heavy font. Fill the text with yellow and give it a 1 point black outline.
2. Modify the character spacing using the Format Text dialog box to add
20% more space between characters.
3. Apply a 3-step Contour to the Outside with a .06 inch offset. Change the
Fill color of the Contour to Brown.
4. Separate the Contour from the original object by selecting Arrange |
Break Contour Group Apart.
5. Select the objects created by the Contour and Ungroup them by pressing
Ctrl-U or selecting Arrange | Ungroup.
Figure 15 shows the original text and the result as it stands after the first five
steps. Now that we have the main shapes, well add some shading and other
touches to finish off the metallic look.
CHROME
CHROME
Figure 15: The original text before and after the Contour was applied.
255
6. Draw a wavy line that splits the middle of the text. Give it a 12 point
outline.
7. Select Arrange | Convert Outline to Object so that the line is now a
fillable shape.
8. Intersect this new shape with the original text. Fill that shape with a
medium shade of brown. The fillable outline can now be deleted.
9. Trim the original text with the original wavy line. The original line can now
be deleted.
10. Break the trimmed text apart. Most likely you will have to recombine the
top part of the R so the hole shows through.
11. Combine all of the top parts of the text together and fill with a gradient fill
from white at the top to pastel blue at the bottom.
12. Combine all of the bottom parts of the text and fill with a gradient fill from
brown at the top to white at the bottom.
13. Fill the innermost Contour shape with white and the outermost with
pastel blue. There is one more between those two and it should be filled
with a fountain fill from white at the top to pastel blue at the bottom.
This is obviously a very simple example. Given a bit more time you can easily
create some complex metallic looks with multiple contours and gradient fills.
For those who work strictly in black and white, you can still create some great
effects with grayscale gradients. And remember, feel free to change the colors used to whatever you like to get the best effect for your project. You may
also want to go with more or fewer steps in the Contour to suit your project.
Advertising Frame
Another common use for Contour is to create some sort of frame. Often you
will need the outside of the frame to be an exact dimension. Well say we
want a square that is exactly four inches on each side. If an outline were ap-
Figure 16: Our finished chrome text.

256
plied, the overall size of the

square would be slightly larger
than four inches. In some cases,
that little extra is unacceptable.
Contour to the rescue.
1. Draw a 4 inch square.
2. Contour the square to the
inside with a single .25 inch
step.
3. Select Arrange | Break
Contour Group Apart so that
we can work with the
individual objects.
4. Select both objects and
combine them together.
Figure 17: An interesting frame
5. Fill with the color of your
choice and remove the outline.
The result is that you get a frame with an exact outside dimension. Not the
most exciting effect, but certainly a useful one. Lets take it one step further
to give our frame a bit more flair. Go ahead and start with steps 1-3 and well
pick it up from there.
4. Select the inside shape.
5. Select the Interactive Distortion tool from the Interactive tools flyout. It is
just to the right of the Interactive Contour tool.
6. From the Preset list at the left of the Property Bar, choose Zipper 1.
Change the Zipper Distortion Frequency to 15 and press Enter.
7. Combine the two shapes and fill with the color of your choice. Then
remove the outline. You should end up with the graphic in Figure 17.
Creating this fancier frame only took one extra step and immediately made a
finished piece that is a lot more interesting. By varying the effects applied to
the inside shape you can come up with an infinite variety of frames. Go
ahead and take some time to experiment to see what you can create.
257
A Downside to Contour
So far weve talked about the good things that Contour can do for you, now
well explore its dark side. Luckily the only downside is that it tends to create
shapes with lots of unnecessary nodes. On the surface, this doesnt seem to
be a big problem, but those extra nodes can lead to complexity and complexity can cause problems with output.
The good news is that there is an easy fix for extra nodes.
1. Select Arrange | Break Contour Group Apart so that we can work with
the individual objects.
2. Now well follow the same process for each shape created by Contour.
Using the Shape tool, marquee select all nodes.
3. Click on the Curve Smoothness slider (far right of the Property Bar) and
drag the slider to the right until you are happy with the number of
remaining nodes.
I realize the last step may be vague, but there is no perfect setting. As you
drag to the right, more and more nodes are removed. The real key is to look
at the object and decide when you feel that it still looks good without having
all the extra nodes.
Drop Shadows
Drop shadows are often used to give a drawing more depth. One thing not
always understood by CorelDRAW users is that the Interactive Drop Shadow
tool creates shadows in a bitmap format. This can create larger output files
and will often create color problems. For example, if you put a drop shadow
over a spot color, the resulting area will be output in process color. Often,
there can be a slight halo around shadows as well. So before you dig deeper
into drop shadows, make sure you understand the limitations so that you
dont run into problems on press.
Simple Shadows
Before we start using the Interactive Drop Shadow tool, lets look at a much
simpler way to create shadows that often looks every bit as good and will output a lot better.
1. Type the word SHADOW in Futura XBlk at 72 points and fill it with red.
2. Copy (Ctrl-C) and Paste (Ctrl-V) the text and fill the copy with a light gray.
258
SHADOW
Figure 18: A simple drop shadow that prints perfectly.
3. Place the copy in the back using Arrange | Order | To Back.

4. Use the arrow keys to nudge the shadow down and to the right.
The result of this simple shadow is shown in Figure 18.
Tip: A quick way to create shadows of this type is the Unleashed
Shadow Maker add-on for CorelDRAW. With one click you can
add a simple shadow.
Interactive Drop Shadows

The Interactive Drop Shadow tool (shown at right) is found in
the middle of the Interactive tools flyout. It is quite simple to
use. Click on the object to which you want to add a shadow
and drag the direction and amount of the shadow you desire.
Before you release the mouse, youll see a blue outline of
where the shadow will appear. When it is in the right place, release the mouse
button and the shadow appears. Using the same red text as the previous example, Ive added an interactive shadow as shown in Figure 19.
Once the shadow is added, there are some on object controls for modifying
the shadow as shown in Figure 20. Notice there is an arrow that is pointing
down and to the right in this example. At the end of the arrow is a black box
which defines the color of the shadow. Drag any color you like from the color
palette and drop it on the box to change the color of the shadow. In the middle of the line is a slider that controls the opacity of the shadow. Drag it to-
SHADOW
Figure 19: A drop shadow created with the Interactive Drop Shadow
tool.
259
wards the color square to increase the

opacity and away from the color square
to decrease the opacity and thus increase
transparency.
Remember, I said that drop shadows are
bitmaps? It is important to know this so
that you can work directly with the
bitmap at times. Select Arrange | Break
Drop Shadow Group Apart to separate
the original object from the bitmap drop
shadow. In almost all instances, the drop
Figure 20: On screen drop
shadow will be reported as a CMYK
shadow controls.
bitmap after it has been broken apart
from the original object. As many drop
shadows are black, you may want to convert the bitmap to grayscale to make
it smaller. You can also add transparency to the bitmap to help it blend better
with objects behind the shadow. Or you can select the shadow and objects
behind the shadow and convert them all to a bitmap to make sure that everything will print correctly.
Options
When the Interactive Drop Shadow tool is active, the Property Bar will have a
number of options available for adjusting drop shadows as shown in Figure
21. At the far left is a drop-down list of presets. Scroll through the list and
you will see previews of what type of shadow will be created. You can also
create your own presets by clicking the plus button, next to the drop-down
list, when you have the settings you wish to save. Passing over the size, the
next setting is for the Drop Shadow Angle. This is often dimmed, though by
moving the origin of the shadow on screen you will be able to edit it. It is especially important if you want to put the shadow in perspective.
Tip: Experiment by moving both ends of the on screen controls
to different locations to see all the different possibilities for
shadows.
Figure 21: Interactive Drop Shadow Property Bar.

260
Moving to the right is the Drop Shadow Opacity control. We adjusted this
earlier by using the on screen slider. With this box you can enter a numeric
value. Next is the Feathering amount. In short, this controls the softness of
the edges. You can also click the next option to control the Feathering Direction. A drop-down will appear with choices of Inside, Middle, Outside and Average. Try each option to decide which works best for you. If you choose
anything other than the default of Average, the next drop-down for Feathering
Edges becomes available. It offers choices of Linear, Squared, Inverse
Squared and Flat. Two more num boxes are available for controlling the Drop
Shadow Fade and Drop Shadow Stretch. Lastly, there is a drop-down color
selector for choosing the color of the drop shadow. Experiment with all these
settings to see the many options that are available to you when creating drop
shadows. But remember that no matter what options you choose, there
would be printing issues.
Tutorial Movies
Blends
Contours
Drop Shadows
Chapter Wrap
This chapter has shown you three different effects for shading objects. Each
does it in a unique way and each can create some fantastic results. Just keep
in mind that sometimes these results are at the expense of potential printing
problems. There is nothing that cant be worked around by a savvy user who
knows the pros and cons of each effect.
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CorelDRAW 12
19
Lens, Transparency &

PowerClip
In this chapter, we are going to discuss some of the effects that deserve the
title of special. They also share the dubious distinction of being some of the
most difficult effects to print. Well go through how to get the most from each
of these effects as well as talking about ways to eliminate the potential of
printing problems.
Lens
The lens gets its name from its counterpart in
the photographic world. When a lens is applied
to an object, the lens distorts the object in some
fashion. CorelDRAWs lenses can provide transparency, magnification, brightening of color, inversion of colors, limiting of color, addition of
color, conversion to grayscale, infrared imaging,
mapping to custom colors, wireframe and fish
eye views.
You can find all the lenses in the Lens Docker
(shown at right), which you access by selecting
Effects | Lens or the shortcut key of Alt-F3.
The Docker contains a crude sample of what an
effect will do to the selected object, as well as a
choice of lenses, the rate at which they will be
262
applied, and, on some lenses, a

color selector. All the lenses have
the option of being frozen or being linked to a viewpoint.
You apply lenses to an object that
covers an object or objects that
the lens will affect. The object to
which you apply the lens cant be
part of a group, but you can apply
the lens to a whole group at once.
Each object then acts as a separate lens. You cant apply more
than one lens to an object, but
you can have multiple objects
stacked on top of each other with
a different lens effect in each one. Figure 1. The green and blue circles
have transparency lenses.
Be forewarned that stacking
lenses makes it more difficult to
print the image; therefore, it is not a good idea to stack them too deep.
Transparency
The first lens well cover is Transparency. When an object with this lens applied to it is floated over other objects, it gives the illusion that the lens object
is transparent. If you apply a color, the objects behind the lens are affected by
that color. You can adjust this lens by changing the rate at which it is applied.
When you set the lens to 100 percent, the object is completely transparent,
and the color setting has no effect. On the other hand, a setting of 0 percent
makes the object opaque, and the color setting becomes its fill.
Figure 1 shows three circles. The red circle does not have a Lens applied.
There is a 50% transparent lens applied to the green and blue circles. As they
overlap the red circle and themselves, you can see how the Lens affect the
image.
Magnify
The Magnify lens makes objects behind it appear larger by the factor set in
the Amount box. Any color applied to the Magnify lens object is ignored because its always completely transparent. The amount can range anywhere
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Chapter 19: Lens, Transparency & PowerClip
from 1.0 to 100.0 and is

accurate to one decimal
place. Figure 2 demonstrates how the Magnify
lens works by showing a
magnified area of a map.
Figure 2 also demonstrates one of the limitations of lenses if applied
directly. In this case, the
magnified object blocks
important areas of the
map. There are two features for lenses that adFigure 2. A portion of the map is magnified
dress this problem. The
two times.
first option is to check the
Frozen check box before
applying the lens. After you
have applied the lens, you
can move the object anywhere, and it will retain its
image. An example of this
capability is shown in Figure 3. A circle was also
drawn on this map to
indicate the area
magnified.
The other feature is the
ability to change the viewFigure 3. The magnified portion is frozen and
point of the lens. First,
click the Viewpoint check moved to the top left of the map.
box; an Edit button appears on the Docker. Click the Edit button, and an X appears in the middle of
the lens. Move the X to the area on the page from where you want the lens to
draw its image from and then press the Enter key to set that location as the
new viewpoint. Figure 4 shows how the viewpoint is being moved on the
map example. Ive circled the X in red so that it is easier to locate.
264
Brighten
The Brighten lens actually should be
called the Brighten and Darken lens. Although you can apply a color to it, the
color is not used. Instead, the lens either
brightens or darkens the objects behind
it by the amount set in the Rate box.
Amounts between 0 and 100 brighten
the object, and amounts between 0 and
100 darken it. A setting of 100 makes
any lens object solid white, and 100
makes it solid black. But the rate affects
each color differently because it is based
on the RGB values of the colors beneath
the lens. Figure 5 shows how the
Brighten lens applied to text affects the
underlying image.
Figure 4. Moving the viewpoint

of the lens on the map.
Figure 5. The Brighten lens at 25 percent applied to text over a

photograph.
265
Note: Ive mentioned that

lenses can be very complex to
print. Each of the lenses used
in this chapter was converted
to a bitmap to make them
easier to print. The original
CorelDRAW files can be found
on the CD-ROM if you wish to
examine them.
Invert
The Invert lens shows the CMYK complementary colors when you place it over
objects. The resulting image is basically a
photographic negative. Invert is an
all-or-nothing lens because theres no
rate or color to adjust. Figure 6 shows
the Invert lens applied to a photograph. Figure 6. An example of the
The black border is due to the Lens in- effect of the Invert lens.
verting the paper color of the document.
Remove Face Option

One of the problems you might run into with
some lenses is that they will also have an effect
even when over a blank page. In these situations
you might want to check the Remove Face option. When checked, the lens will only affect objects you have drawn and not the blank page.
Figure 7 shows the same example as in Figure
6 but this time the Remove Face option is
checked. Notice that the black border does not
appear in this image.
Color Limit
The Color Limit lens works much like the color Figure 7: The Invert Lens
filter on a camera. At its full strength, it allows
with Remove Face
only the color of the lens and the color black to checked.
show through. But unlike the color filter, the
266
Color Limit lens is adjustable in strength. In

the Docker, you can choose the tint color of
the lens, at a rate between 0 and 100 percent. It approaches black as you increase the
strength of the lens. The only exceptions to
this are white objects; they are the color of
the lens itself. Objects that are the exact
same color as the filtered lens are unaffected
altogether. Figure 8 shows the effect of the
Color Limit lens when placed over an object.
Color Add
The Color Add lens adds the color of the
lens to the color of the objects behind it. Remember that, in an additive color model
(RGB colors), the sum of all colors is white,
and therefore white is unaffected by this
lens. If you add red to blue at full strength, Figure 8. An example of the
you get magenta. Green added to red at full effect of the Color Limit lens.
strength gives you yellow. Green added to
blue at full strength gives you cyan. Coincidentally (not really), those three colorsmagenta, yellow, and cyanare the backbone
of the subtractive color model. The color
black is added to that model only because of
impurities in printed inks.
This lens is one of the most difficult to understand because the colors that result may
not be what you expect. With Color Add, as
with other lenses, you can adjust the percentage of the lens color from 0 to 100 percent. Figure 9 shows the effect of a 70%
purple Color Add lens placed over a photo.
Youll notice the whole image takes on a
purple tint.
Figure 9. An example of the
effect of the Color Add lens.
267
Figure 10. An example of the effects of the Tinted Grayscale lens.
Tinted Grayscale
The Tinted Grayscale lens changes a color object to its grayscale equivalent.
Giving the lens a color makes that color the darkest shade in the object, and
makes all other colors lighter shades of the lens color. For example, you can
easily change a color photograph into a sepia-tone by putting a brown lens
over the bitmap. When you place the Tinted Grayscale lens over objects with
black as the Color, this lens produces an effect much the same as what you
get by printing a color image on a black-and-white laser printer.
Note: If you use spot colors with this and other lenses, they will
be converted to CMYK colors for output; therefore, you should
not use this method to get a duotone effect.
Figure 10 shows the effects of a brown Tinted Grayscale lens applied to a
color photograph. To make it interesting, I drew a shape around one of the
men and cut it out from the Lens so that the color would show through.
268
Heat Map
The Heat Map lens enables you to produce the
effect of infrared imaging. A color palette of
white, yellow, orange, red, blue, violet, and cyan
is used to map the various heat levels. By adjusting the rotation setting, you can control
which colors are cool and which are hot. Basically, hot colors in the original image are
mapped to red and orange; cool colors, to violet
and cyan. Figure 11 shows the effect of applying a 0 percent rotated Heat Map lens over a
picture of the sun setting over the ocean.
Custom Color Map

The Custom Color Map lens enables you to
choose two colors, and all colors of the underlying image will be mapped to the range of colors Figure 11. The effect of
between those two. If you want to reverse the or- the Heat Map lens.
der of the colors, simply click the button.
Where this lens really gets interesting is that you
can use Forward
Rainbow or Reverse
Rainbow. This
means that colors
will be mapped using a rainbow of
colors between the
two colors you have
chosen. Figure 12
shows the effect of
applying a Forward
Rainbow Custom
Color Map lens from
blue to green to a
photograph.
Figure 12. The effect of the Custom Color Map with
a Forward Rainbow Palette.
269
Wireframe
The Wireframe lens shows
the outline of any objects
behind it just as with
CorelDRAWs wireframe
view. Options in the Docker
enable you to choose the
color you want for both the Figure 13. The effect of the Wireframe lens
outline of objects and their over a portion of a logo.
fill. If you dont want to see
either the outline or fill, then simply uncheck the appropriate check box. Figure 13 shows an example of the wireframe lens over a logo.
Note: Objects that do not have an outline applied will not
appear in a Wireframe lens.
Fish Eye
The Fish Eye lens outwardly distorts and magnifies the objects behind it
when you specify a positive amount. But you also can enter negative
amounts that shrink and inwardly
distort the objects. You can specify up to 1000 percent in either
the positive or the negative direction. Figure 14 shows the effects
of the Fish Eye lens on a square
group of objects.
No Lens Effect
The last lens type is No Lens Effect. You use this when you want
to remove a lens effect from an
object. Note that objects with
lenses applied to them dont behave the same way that normal
objects behave.
Figure 14. The effect of the Fish Eye
lens on a group of squares created by
the Graph Paper tool.
270
Printing Lenses
Lens are definitely one of the most difficult types of effect in CorelDRAW to
output correctly. Remember that the original objects must be output by
themselves and then a second copy for the lens. So, if you have a bitmap
with 50 different lenses on top of it, the bitmap would be output 51 times and
the resulting print file would be enormous. Often, the best option is to select
the lens and convert it to a bitmap (Bitmap | Convert to Bitmap), as Ive
done for this book, so that there wont be any printing problems at all. Yes,
this could decrease the quality slightly if the original objects were vector. If
this is the case, save a copy of the file before converting the lenses to
bitmaps so that you can always go back and edit the file if necessary. Since
the most complex lenses are those over bitmaps, converting the lens to a
bitmap wont lose any quality.
Interactive Transparency Tool

Youve already seen the Transparency Lens and it can give you very limited
transparency. But the Interactive Transparency Tool has so many more options that you will use it in almost any situation requiring transparency. Rather
than having a separate lens, the transparency is applied directly to an object.
And you arent limited to a single level, you can have varying levels of transparency based on the grayscale level of the colors chosen. This means any
given object can have as many as 256 different levels of transparency. Along
with this comes great complexity and the potential for printing problems.
Uniform Transparency
The Interactive Transparency Tool is found on the far right of the Interactive
Tools flyout and looks like a wine glass with a shadow. After you select it,
youll notice the Property Bar (shown below) changes to the various transparency options. The first drop-down list is the Transparency Type and youll
have the same options you had with the Interactive Fill tool with the exception
of PostScript fills. Lets start out with Uniform.
Next is the Transparency Operation drop-down and well save that for later in
the chapter. For now, leave it set to Normal. Now you have the Starting Trans-
271
parency slider. By default, it is set to 50%. If you slide it towards 100%, you
will have more transparency and the object will fade away. Setting it to 0% will
make the object opaque and is basically the same as not having applied
transparency at all. Adjust the slider until you are happy with the effect created. The next choice you have is the Transparency Target. It can be applied
to the fill, the outline or all of the object. The last icon is the Freeze icon. If
you press it, the transparent object will freeze the current view. Then, if you
move the object, it wont change. This can be very handy if you want a particular view but dont want to leave the object covering up something else.
Fountain Transparency
To fully understand the use of Fountain Transparency, youll want to have a
good grasp of the fountain fills covered in Chapter 8 as they are almost identical in functionality. You can apply Linear, Radial, Conical and Square transparency using the Transparency Type drop-down box. Where fountain fills
went from one color to another, fountain transparency goes from one level of
transparency to another. Lets work through a simple project that shows how
it works.
1. Draw a red circle that is approximately 3 inches in diameter.
2. Press Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V to make a copy of the circle on top of the original.
3. Fill the new circle with black.
4. Apply a radial fountain transparency by first creating a linear transparency
via dragging on the object and then selecting Radial from the Property
Bar.
5. Move the center of the radial transparency towards the upper left of the
circle.
6. Adjust the outside edge of the radius to be the outside of the circle and
change the ending transparency to a 40% gray.
You should now see that the flat red circle has a three dimensional quality,
thanks to the shadow we just created by adding transparency. Lets add another step to make the ball look even more realistic.
7. Make another copy of the ball using Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V.
8. Change the color of this new ball to white.
9. Once again, add a fountain transparency.
272
10. Change the

transparency color in
the center to white and
the outside to black.
Adjust the size to fill
only about one third of
the diameter of the ball.
Now, you should have a
highlight on the ball that
makes it even more three
dimensional. The coolest
part about this effect is that
the original red circle is still
in the back. If we change
the fill of that red circle to
something else, the whole
ball will change to the new
fill.
11. Hold down the Alt key Figure 15: The progression from red circle to
and dig down until the three dimensional marble.
red circle is selected.
12. Use the Interactive Fill tool to change the fill to one of the many bitmap
pattern fills.
Figure 15 shows the progression from the red circle through to the three dimensional marble ball. A copy of this file is supplied with the book as
balls.cdr if youd like to look it over.
Youll note that you can use other types of transparency on objects, though
they arent nearly as useful as uniform and fountain transparency. For that
reason, they wont be covered here. But, if you understand how each of the
fill types work then the use of the corresponding transparency should be very
easy to use.
Transparency Operations
There is one more option on the Property Bar that weve yet to discussTransparency Operation. There are nineteen different operations that
you can apply: Normal, Add, Subtract, Difference, Multiply, Divide, If Lighter,
If Darker, Texturize, Hue, Saturation, Lightness, Invert, And, Or, Xor, Red,
273
Green and Blue. So far weve only worked with the Normal operation. Probably the best way to understand these options is to just try them. In short, they
will affect how the transparent object will be merged with the objects beneath
it. So, if you were to choose Multiply, the colors of the objects would be multiplied to give a result. Rather than trying to understand all the options, just
try them and you are sure to end up with a few happy accidents.
Printing Transparencies
Just like Lenses, Transparencies can create some real printing headaches.
The simplest way to solve the problem is to convert the object containing
transparency to a bitmap. With that one step all of the complexity is gone.
Just remember to save the file between doing this in case you want to go
back and edit the transparency later.
PowerClip
PowerClip is just a fancy name for paste inside. Youll draw a shape that becomes the container and then paste other objects inside that container. If the
objects you are pasting extend beyond the edge of the container object then
they will be clipped at the containers edge.
Before we get started, one of the default settings needs to be changed. Select Tools | Options | Edit and make sure there is not a checkmark in
Auto-center new PowerClip contents. Unfortunately, it is checked by default
and leads many users to be confused.
Creating a PowerClip
We need to create both the container object into which we will be clipping
other objects and the content object that is to be clipped. For the content object, lets draw three long rectangles and fill them with blue, white and red.
Then create a piece of text with a nice bold font. I chose the word FRANCE.
It is very important that you create the container object exactly where you
want it positioned with relation to the objects which
will be clipped inside of it.
So make sure the text is
centered on the rectangles.
Figure 16 shows the ob- Figure 16: Several objects before being
PowerClipped.
FRANCE
274
jects before they are clipped.

Select the three rectangles and choose
Effects | PowerClip | Place Inside Container. When you do that, a large arrow
will appear on screen. Use the arrow to
point at the text. Youll
probably get an error message like the one shown at
right. It is telling you that
the text is an invalid object.
Figure 17: The text after being PowerClipped.
Go ahead and say no to
the error message. Select
the text and convert it to curves (Ctrl-Q). Now try to PowerClip the three rectangles into the text again. This time you should have more success and you
should end up with something like Figure 17. The file france.cdr on the
CD-ROM has a before and after copy of the objects I used.
Tip: You can PowerClip into a group of objects. If you then
ungroup the objects, a full copy of the contents will be in each
object and you can move them wherever you want. A good
example of this would be to create a puzzle, PowerClip an image
inside of it and then unassemble the puzzle pieces. Be warned
that the more pieces, the larger and more complex the file will
become.
Editing PowerClips
Many times you will get objects positioned in a PowerClip just perfectly the
first time. But that isnt always the case and youll want to move things
around a bit. Sure, you could use the Undo function and try again. Rather
than doing that, lets look at how you can edit the contents of a PowerClip.
Use the example we created before and select Effects | PowerClip | Edit
Contents or simply
right-click on the object
and choose Edit Contents
275
Once you do this, the container object will appear in a light-gray as shown at
right. Each of the content objects can now be moved individually or together,
if they are all selected. Use the gray container object as a reference and move
everything exactly where you want it to be. Once everything is placed perfectly, click the Finish Editing Object button at the lower left of the drawing
window.
If you simply want the objects out of the PowerClip, select Effects |
PowerClip | Extract Contents or right-click and choose Extract Contents
Converting PowerClips
One way to convert a PowerClip into objects that are truly trimmed is to export it and then immediately reimport it.
1. Select the PowerClip
2. Choose File | Export
3. Find the Encapsulated PostScript format from the Save as type
drop-down list.
4. Click OK when the EPS Export dialog box appears.
5. Choose File | Import and find the file you just exported.
6. Select PostScript Interpreted from the Files of type drop-down list. Click
OK to the dialog box that appears.
You should now have each of the objects that were inside of the PowerClip
trimmed to the shape of the PowerClip. As the objects are no longer in a clipping path, they should be much easier to print.
Tutorial Movies
Lens
Transparency
PowerClip
Chapter Wrap
We covered some of the most complex effects in CorelDRAW in this chapter.
You can use them in your projects as long as you are careful and take the
276
proper steps before printing. If you are creating content for the Web, then the
printing issues arent a concern at all.
CorelDRAW 12
BOOT CAMP
youve learned
(800) 736-8973
www.unleash.com
277
CorelDRAW 12
20
Fitting Text to a Path
CorelDRAW is loaded with effects but it is probably Fit Text to Path that gets
used the most often. And maybe the fact that it is used often explains why it
tends to baffle so many people. There are only a handful of settings and
missing just one of them can change the look of the effect dramatically. Well
go over all those settings so that you can get the perfect effect every time.
The Basics
Just by the name of the effect we can see there are two major components.
Youll need a path and some text. The effect will put the two together. One
variation involves a closed path, meaning something that is completely enclosed like a circle. For this situation, you can fit the text to the path itself or
you can fit a block of text within the path. The other variation is an open path
meaning that the path has a visible beginning and end that do not connect.
Some users may confuse Fit Text to Path with Envelope. Enveloping text distorts the text into the shape of the closed curve where Fit Text to Path does
not distort the text at all.
What makes this feature really fantastic is that it is completely dynamic. Want
to change the shape of the path? No problem, the text will automatically adjust to the new shape of the path. Or maybe youve got the wrong words and
want something different. Still not a problem, just edit the text as if the path
wasnt even there. Decide that you want a different font or font size? Still not
a problem as the newly formatted text will once again refit itself to the path.
278
Using Menu Commands to Put Text on a

Path
In early versions of CorelDRAW, there was only one way to get text on a path.
As this way can still be used, well briefly cover it first. In this method, you create the text and the path. Once youve gotten them both created, select them
both and choose Text | Fit Text to Path. Youll see the text automatically
jump to the path and then you can change the settings on the Property Bar.
Well go over those settings in a second.
Interactively Putting Text on a Path

Today, the preferred way to put text on a
path is to do it interactively. In this
method, you start by creating the path.
Then select the Text tool and your cursor
A
AB
changes to the standard text cursor.
Regular
Text on
Text in
a Path
a Path
Move the cursor so that it sits on the path Text
Cursor
Cursor
Cursor
where you want the text to begin. Notice
that the cursor changes to the text on a Figure 1: Cursors for text, text
on a path and text in a path.
path cursor. Once you get this cursor,
just click and start typing. Notice how the
text will automatically follow the path as you type. Examples of the various
cursors can be seen in Figure 1.
Text on a Closed Path

First lets talk about the various options on the Property Bar and then well
work through a project where we put these options to use. Youll see the
complete Property Bar in Figure 2. On the far left is Presets and well discuss
those a bit later. After Presets is the Text Orientation and you have four
choices. By default, the top choice is chosen. With this option, the text rotates relative to the angle of the path. Youll find that this choice is used the
vast majority of the time. Below that is the choice that angles the text in-
Figure 2: Text on a Path Property Bar for a closed shape.

279
Chapter 20: Fitting Text to a Path
wards. Next is the choice that angles the text outwards.

Last is the choice the moves the text along the path,
but always keeps the characters upright. Figure 3
shows examples of the same text using each of the four
options.
MPLE
SA
The next choice you have to make is where the text sits
relative to the path and you have five choices. The first
option is to have the text on top of the path, so that the
descender of any character is below the path. Next up
is an option that puts the text below the path, so that
the very top of the ascenders will touch the path. Then
SAMPLE
you have a choice very similar to the first one with the
text again above the path, but so that the bottom of the Figure 3: Text
descender touches the path. Fourth is the option where Orientation
the path is right through the middle of the text. Last is Options.
the choice that allows you to move the text any distance you want above or below the path. Youll see the
first four choices in Figure 4. Since the last option can
go anywhere, it is not pictured.
One more drop-down and it controls the quadrant
where the text will appear. Remember that this is a
closed path so it theoretically has four distinct sides. So
the Text Placement drop-down allows you to choose
the Top, Right, Bottom or Left side of the object. Probably the option that causes the most confusion is the
one putting the text on the bottom of the closed object.
Figure 4: Vertical
This can typically be remedied quite easily with other
options. Well work through a project that will show you Placement Options.
exactly how to get the text where you want.
All the drop-down choices are behind us and the next option is the distance
from path. You can either type in the value of your choice or use the up and
down arrows to add or subtract .05 inches from the current value. Often
youll just leave this value alone as the text is already in the current location.
But there will be times it does need to be adjusted and sometimes the adjustment seems to be in the opposite direction than you want. A little practice will
show you the correct direction to use.
Sample
mple
Sa
Sample
mple
Sa
280
Figure 5: Fit Text to Path Property Bar with Presets shown.

Another text box is for the Horizontal Offset. A feature added in recent versions of CorelDRAW allows text to start wherever you click on the path. While
this can be a help, it can also be a major hindrance. Please check the setting
for Horizontal Offset as you will find that most often it should be set to exactly
zero. Any other setting can cause problems later if you dont get it changed.
On the right end of the Property Bar is the Place on Other Side button. When
everything looks wrong, this is probably the button that will get it fixed. Its
name is fairly self-explanatory in that it moves the text to the other side of the
line from where it is currently located.
I skipped over Presets earlier as they are of limited use out of the box. Where
they can be useful is by creating your own presets. Using a Preset is as simple as choosing the desired Preset from the drop-down list as shown in Figure 5. To save one of your own, first you must create the appropriate effect.
Then click the + icon and youll be asked for a file name. The file name will
serve as the name of the preset and a small thumbnail of the text on a path
will be created. Keep this in mind when you create the preset so that an informative thumbnail will be created for future use.
Closed Path Tutorial

Now that weve covered all the different options for putting text on a closed
path, lets work through a tutorial that puts everything to use. Our goal is to
create something that looks like a patch. In the middle will be a logo or other
graphic. Surrounding that will be a double ring of circles. Centered between
the circles will be text at both the top and the bottom. If you cant picture that
in your head just yet, it will all come into focus as we work through this
tutorial.
1. Draw a circle 3.5 inches in radius.
281
2. Draw a second circle 5.0 inches in radius.

3. Select both circles and press the C and E
keys on your keyboard to center the circles
with each other.
4. Change the outline of the circles to 4 points.
5. Import a graphic or logo and center it inside
the smaller circle.
So far, so good. Your graphic should look similar
to Figure 6. Now were ready to start adding the
text. Because of the way things work, we want to Figure 6: The paths have
add the text for the bottom of the circle first.
been created.
6. Move the cursor over the top edge of the
smaller circle. Wait for the cursor to change
to the Text on a Path cursor and then click.
Type UNLEASHED in all capital letters.
7. After you type the text, change to the Pick
tool. On the Property Bar, change the font to
something relatively bold. Ive chosen Futura
XBlkCn BT at 48 points.
UN
8. Press the Esc key so that everything gets
D
E
L
H
E
A
S
deselected.
Figure 7: Text placed on
9. Click on the text.
the bottom of the paths.
10. On the Property Bar, change the Vertical
Placement to under the line, change the Text
Placement to the bottom of the circle, verify that Horizontal Offset is set
to zero and then click Place on Other Side.
You should now see the text on the bottom of the inner circle. Our goal is to
center it so well go back and make another change.
11. Click the down arrow on the Distance from Path text box. Initially, youll
see the text jump up instead of down. No problem. Keep clicking until the
distance is -.6 inches and the text should be pretty much centered
between the lines. You can manually change the value if it isnt quite right.
The graphics should now look like Figure 7.
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12. Now well add the second piece of text.

Select the text tool and hover over the top of
the smaller circle again. Wait for the cursor
to change to the Fit Text to Path cursor and
click. Type the word GRAPHICS.
APHICS
GR
13. Select the Pick tool and change the font and
size to the same as the first piece of text.
Youll remember we used Futura XBlkCn BT
UN
at 48 points.
LEASHED
14. Press Esc to deselect everything again. Now
click on the new text. If you look carefully at Figure 8: Our finished
the Status Bar, it will say Compound Object project.
of 3 Elements. This means that it has the
two pieces of text and the path all lumped together. Hold the Ctrl key and
click on the top text again. Now the Property Bar will change and youll
have the familiar Text on a Path options.
15. Click the Distance from Path up arrow two times so that the distance is .1
inches. Verify the Horizontal Offset is set to zero. Thats it, youre done.
The finished graphic is shown in Figure 8.
Now lets suppose you want to change the text or the formatting. The real key
is getting it selected. Click on the text you want to change and youll probably
get a message on the Status Bar saying Compound Object of 5 Elements.
Hold the Ctrl key and click on the text again. Continue to Ctrl-click until just
the text is selected. Once you see the object handles surrounding only the
text, you can edit to your hearts content.
Text on an Open Path

As we study the options for putting text on an open path, youll see that the
majority of the options are identical to those for putting text on a closed path.
Figure 9 shows the full Property Bar. So in this section, the only options covered are those unique to text on an open path. For information on Presets,
Figure 9: Text on a Path Property Bar for an open path.

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Text Orientation, Vertical Placement, Distance From Path, Horizontal Placement and Place on Other Side; see the Text on a Closed Path section above.
That leaves Text Placement as the only unique option. When we talked about
Text on a Closed Path, Text Placement was divided into the four sections of
the path. Here youll see it has three options: left, center and right. It simply
aligns the text to one of those three positions on the path. For more precise
control, the other options will certainly give you that.
Interactively Moving All Text

When you have the Text on the Path selected, look just before the text starts and
there is a red diamond icon as shown in
Figure 10. By clicking on this icon, you
can easily drag the text along the curve
to exactly where you like. Note that as
Figure 10: The red diamond to
you do this the Horizontal Placement
the left of the text allows you to
value on the Property Bar will be
move the text along the path.
changed.
Interactively Moving Characters

In some cases youll find that letters need
to be adjusted individually. This is actually quite easy to accomplish. First, select
the text. Then change from the Pick tool
to the Shape tool. When youve done
this, a node will appear to the lower left
Figure 11: Nodes showing for
of each character (upper right for anything upside down) as shown in Figure moving individual characters
11. Use the Shape tool to either select a along the path.
single character by clicking on the node
or several characters by marquee selecting all their nodes. When you have
made your selection, simply click and drag to move the characters wherever
you want.
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Hiding the Path

Over the years, Ive heard stories from people who found that their files
changed drastically when reopening the files later. It seems they had deleted
the paths after they had the text in the proper position. The goal of deleting
the path was simply so that it wasnt seen. Sadly, it is much easier to accomplish this task without deleting the path. Simply select the path by clicking (or
Ctrl-clicking for compound paths) and then right-click the no outline X at
the top of the color palette. This will remove the outline and the path will be
hidden. But more importantly, the path is still there if you ever need to make
changes.
Editing the Text and Path

A little earlier, we talked about Ctrl-clicking on the text element to isolate it.
Once you have the text isolated, you can format or edit the text to your
hearts desire. Simply use the either the shortcut keys of Ctrl-T for formatting
text and Ctrl-Shift-T for editing text. Or if you prefer, you can use the icons on
the Property Bar. Any changes you make will automatically update the text
along the path. This means that you dont have to reapply all the settings to
get the text placed correctly.
The same goes for paths. Typically you can just click directly on the path and
it will be selected. If not, use the Ctrl-click trick to select it. Once the path is
selected, resize it, move the nodes around and do whatever you want. The
text is dynamically linked so it will update itself to the new path.
Fit Objects to Path

While it is not possible for CorelDRAW 12 to Fit Objects to Path in the default
feature set, there is a macro available that will do this. For more information
on this macro, visit http://www.unleash.com/picks/corel/fitobjectstopath.asp
Tutorial Movies
Fit Text to Circle
Text on an Open Path
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Chapter Wrap
Youve now seen all of the major options for placing text on a path. If youve
had troubles in the past, they should all be cleared up now. Just practice
each of these techniques and youll be putting text on all kinds of paths.
CorelDRAW 12
BOOT CAMP
youve learned
(800) 736-8973
www.unleash.com
286
CorelDRAW 12
21
Scanning & Tracing

Bitmaps
Some of you rely heavily on software that automates this process such as
Corel TRACE. I feel very strongly that you will get a better quality result in less
time if you do it using the method described in this chapter. Admittedly it will
take more time until you get good at the process. And there will be some
very complex logos for which the automated software will work better.
Start with a Scan

One of the most important steps is to get a good scan. Most likely, youll
want to scan in black and white. Remember that the scan is only important
for giving us a guideline for creating the vector graphic. Therefore the colors
arent that important. If you get a lousy original to scan then youll have a lot
more work to do in order to get a good vector copy. Do whatever it takes to
get a high-quality original from the client. This doesnt mean a JPG or GIF of
their logo from the Web site.
For the project were going to work through, I got a copy of the logo on the
back of a package. It was a clear print that was about 1.5 inches square. I
would obviously prefer a larger original, but this works fairly well. If your clients are giving you business cards, you need to explain to them the extra
cost for such a lousy original.
If you scan in black and white, then you can run the resolution up as high as
600 dpi. If you are scanning in grayscale or color, 300 dpi is more than
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Chapter 21: Scanning & Tracing Bitmaps
enough. I cant stress enough the

benefits of scanning in black and
white. Not only to get clear lines,
but also because you have more
control over the image in
CorelDRAW.
Figure 1 shows the scan we will
be using for this project. We want
Figure 1: The scanned logo.
to import it directly into
CorelDRAW and place it on the
page. Normally it is a bad idea to enlarge bitmaps in CorelDRAW, but well
make an exception this time and enlarge the bitmap so that it is about 10
inches wide.
If youre working with a black and white image, right-click on a 30% gray in
the color palette. Note that all the black lines are now gray. Cool. For those
using grayscale or color, select Effects | Color Adjustment | Hue-Saturation-Lightness. Slide the Lightness slider to somewhere between 50 and 70
and click OK. This will fade out the image making it easier to draw on top of
it.
Now comes a pretty cool feature that youve probably not used. Select Arrange | Lock Object and the bitmap will be locked so that you cant move it,
recolor it or resize it. The only thing you can do is select the object. At that
point, you can choose Arrange | Unlock Object. But leave it locked as it
makes this project much simpler to complete.
Vectorizing Text is the Easiest

Some of you may feel it is more difficult because of the large number of letters and curves involved. But since it is text, we can almost always match the
font that was used to create the original. In our example, youll see that we
can come close, but that we also have to make a few minor corrections.
In a previous life, I worked at a font foundry and so Ive got a pretty good
handle on identifying fonts without having to do a lot of research. So my initial guess was that the font used came from the Futura family. For those who
have to do more research, a great way to do this is in the Bitstream Font
Navigator utility supplied with CorelDRAW. It is a great tool for managing the
fonts on your system and comes in very handy when you need to look at lots
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of fonts in a short period of time. Another fantastic tool for identifying the
font in a scan is Font Expert though it is not included with CorelDRAW.
After testing a few weights of Futura I found that Adobes Futura ExtraBold
matches most of the text exactly. Strangely, it doesnt match the intial G and
the C. So I created the text as four separate pieces. The G and C were both
created at the exact same point size and the ATOR and LIP were also created at the same size. This meant that they dont match the scan exactly, but
the client was fine with this very minor change.
Next I converted the G and C to curves by selecting Arrange | Convert to
Curves. This allowed me to work with the individual nodes and bzier handles as discussed in Chapter 7. By starting with text, it was easy to make minor modifications while retaining the high quality of the original curves. One
of the neatest tricks is selecting the nodes and use the arrow keys on the keyboard to nudge the node in the appropriate direction. This tends to give you
a better result than if you move the node manually. Within only a couple of
minutes, I had the text matched exactly.
Weve gone over the steps necessary to scan and import our image into
CorelDRAW. Ive even shown you the tricks for getting the text nailed with a
minimum of work. Next, well go over the final steps of tracing the alligator.
This will require extensive use of the Bzier tool, so get lots of practice so you
can follow along.
Digitizing the Artwork

Weve made a lot of progress on digitizing our logo, but we still have the task
of digitizing the non-text elements. Well do this by using the Bzier tool. If
youve been practicing, this will go smoothly. Without practice, you may find
it a tad difficult.
Zigging and Zagging on the Tail

Well start the digitizing process at the end of the tail. Using the Bzier tool, I
placed a node at each point where there was a change in direction. In the
case of the tail, this was fairly straightforward as it zigged and zagged back
and forth. One point was required at each zig or zag. Even if you dont get the
nodes exactly right, you can always edit them into the correct position later
using the Shape tool
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Figure 2 shows how the line looks

in wireframe view as it is overlaid
on top of the original scan. By doing the process manually, you can
make intelligent choices of where
to place the line that isnt possible
if you rely on the automated tools.
Note, as you look at Figure 2 that
there is another line that kind of
splits the middle of the tail and
Figure 2: Wireframe view of the first
seems really out of place. This
makes more sense if you look at line I drew on the tail.
Figure 3. It is the boundary of the
lighter green color. Since that object will be placed at the back of the stacking
order, the line is not visible and it wasnt important to follow it perfectly. If I did
need to make it line up, I could always use the Trim command to chop it off
perfectly with the other tail portion.
Following the Curves

With the rough nature of the tail, it was fairly easy to decide where to place
nodes and all the lines were straight. Things get a bit more complicated as
we outline the head. Remember that you click wherever you want a node. If
you continue to hold down the mouse button, you can drag out the bzier
handles to shape the curve. Youll get the best results if you place a node at
each 30 degree change in curvature. Again, dont expect perfect results the
first time. Youll need to make a
minor editing pass to fix some of
the nodes. But there will be fewer
fixes to make than using the
automated methods.
One other thing you may notice is
that there are several short lines
that extend inside of the basic
outline. You should draw the outline as a whole first and then create each of these other lines
separately. As we put the finishing Figure 3: The same lines as Figure 2
touches on the drawing, youll see shown in color.
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that these lines do not necessarily

need to touch the main outline.
There are also a series of smaller
shapes for the eyes, nostrils and
teeth that should be created separated. The eyes and nostrils can
easily be created as a slightly rotated ellipse. Figure 5 shows the
same view as Figure 4 in living
color.
The rest of the alligator and bag
will follow the same steps that
weve already covered. So that
leaves us with a few minor details
to finish things up. For this logo,
the client wants it to be in color. I
chose the colors based on a sample package that was supplied to
me. While Figures 3 and 5 had
color in them, the color wasnt actually added until the very final
step so that I could clearly see the
lines against the original scan.
More important than color is to
get the outline correct. I tried various thicknesses until I felt that the
lines matched the original. But
there are a few other settings in
the Outline Pen dialog box that
are extremely important. Figure 6
shows the dialog box.
The color of the outline varies depending on the object outlined.
For this project, the majority of
the outlines were black and the
outlines of the bread bag were in
red. I found a thickness of 4
291
Figure 4: Wireframe view of the head.
Figure 5: Enhanced view of the head.
Figure 6: Outline Pen dialog box

showing the settings used.
points to be a close match to the original artwork. So that the curves look
right, it is very important to choose rounded corners and rounded line caps.
If you leave the defaults, youll get some pointy corners that just look awful.
Using the rounded line caps will also make up the gaps when lines dont
completely touch such as the small shading lines that we discussed earlier on
the head.
Tutorial Movies
Tracing a Scanned Logo
Chapter Wrap
When we first started this project, I explained how this topic is one of the
most asked questions I get at Boot Camps. And Ill continue to tell people
that the real key to doing it right is understanding node editing and the Bzier
tool. These are areas that can really only be learned through practice. This
article explains what the various functions do and how to attack the project.
So if you combine the information that I gave you with practice, youll find
that digitizing logos isnt such a tough task after all.
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CorelDRAW 12
22
Opening, Importing,
Saving & Exporting Files
This chapter is all about getting artwork in and out of CorelDRAW. One of
CorelDRAWs biggest strengths is the vast number of file formats that can be
imported and exported. It is important for users to note that not all formats
work as well as others. Sometimes, the format itself is limited and other times
it is Corels implementation that is limited. Ill go over some of the most popular formats along with their strengths and weaknesses.
Opening
Whether it is a file you originally created or one that
comes from another user,
opening files is one of the
most used functions in
CorelDRAW. You can either
select File | Open, press
the Ctrl-O shortcut key or
press the Open button on
the Standard toolbar to get
the dialog box shown in
Figure 1.
New to CorelDRAW 12 are
the buttons on the left side Figure 1: The Open Drawing dialog box.
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Chapter 22: Opening, Importing, Saving & Exporting Files
of the dialog that make it

easier to get to various locations on your computer.
These are the same buttons found in many other
Windows programs. At the
top of the dialog is a
drop-down list of drives
and folders on your machine. To the right of that
drop-down list is a Back
button for going to the previously selected folder, an
Up button for moving one
level up in the folder hierarchy, a new folder button
and a button for choosing
the type of view you desire. Figure 2: The Open Drawing dialog box after
pressing Options.
If you click on a
CorelDRAW file, a preview
of that file can be shown on the right side of the dialog box if you have
checked the Preview checkbox. It is checked by default. Other file formats
may show a preview, but it is quite possible that the format cant be opened.
Instead, you should import.
Warning: Often users will attempt to open files that should be
imported rather than opened. If you do so, you will get an error
message. To be clear, if it is not a native CorelDRAW (CDR) file,
you should probably be importing it rather than opening it.
At the bottom of the dialog box, the name of the file you have selected will be
shown in the File name text box. Below that, you can select the format of the
file being opened. As mentioned above, you should only open CDR files. This
drop-down is much more important when importing files. The last button is
the Options button. When pressed, the Open Drawing dialog box will expand
to the one shown in Figure 2. Sort Type lets you choose how the file types
are sorted. Code Page is mostly important to users working with files using
alternative character sets. If keywords and notes are stored in the file, they will
294
be displayed in the next two sections. At the lower right are two checkboxes
for extracting an embedded color profile and maintaining layers and pages.
The latter is mostly used when importing.
Above the checkboxes you will find information on the file being opened. This
includes the version of the file, the version from which the file was saved, the
compression ratio and the language. If any of these fields come up as unknown, the file is probably several versions old and was created before this information was available. Pressing Options with the expanded dialog box will
take you back to the original dialog shown in Figure 1.
Press the Open button to open the selected file or Cancel to close the dialog
without doing anything.
Import
CorelDRAW can import many different files types. So many that they cant all
be discussed here. Instead, Ill cover the most popular formats for imported
files. Ive listed them in the order closely matching best to worst formats for
importing. There are certainly exceptions to these rules depending on the
project at hand.
CDR (CorelDRAW)
Obviously, if you can get someone to supply you with a CorelDRAW file, that
is the best choice. This doesnt mean you will be without problems. You
wouldnt be able to import a file from a newer version of CorelDRAW than you
are using. This alone is one reason it is important to upgrade on a regular basis. Also important is that the file isnt from a really old version of CorelDRAW.
CorelDRAW 5 was the last version to work with files from v1 and v2. While
newer versions can supposedly work with v3 files, there are often problems.
Another issue is fonts. Youve got to make sure you have the same fonts
available that are used in the file being imported. If there is a problem, make
sure the user on the other end has converted text to curves. You can also use
Bitstream Font Navigator to automatically install missing fonts if you have
them on your hard drive. Occasionally, youll also see effects change from
version to version.
There is one other potential problem that can be very dangerous. Each
CorelDRAW file contains a style sheet for text and graphic objects. Very few
users take advantage of the feature, so they dont even know it exists. The
295
problem is that the styles of an imported file will

be added to the styles in the existing file. Over
time, the number of styles can grow dramatically to the point where youll have technical
problems. It is a good idea to check the styles
list (Ctrl-F5) shown in Figure 3 from time to
time and delete anything that is not necessary.
CMX (Corel Presentation

Exchange)
In many ways, CMX is a better format for a pure
import. Styles arent an issue, as they are not
supported. Effects are not live, so they arent an
issue either. For example, a blend would no lonFigure 3: Graphics and
ger update automatically as it wouldnt be a
blend anymore. Since the effects arent live, they Text Styles Docker loaded
cant be edited either. You would have to recre- with extra styles.
ate the effect if you want to make changes. The
font issue would be the same as described for CDR files.
AI (Adobe Illustrator)
With Adobe Illustrator files, it is very important to know a little bit about the
file. Corels import filter does not support the latest versions of Illustrator,
though the files can often be imported if they dont use any of the newer features. If possible, have the person supplying the file save it to as old a version
as possible before sending the file to you.
Commonly AI files will be saved with the EPS extension. Again, it is important
to know that it is truly an AI file, so that you can choose to import using the
AI filter. If you dont, the file may not import at all.
Note: Newer versions of Adobe Illustrator base their file format
on PDF. So if you are unable to import a file as AI, you might be
able to import by using the PDF import filter.
EPS (Encapsulated PostScript)

Before we discuss EPS files in depth, it is important to understand that there
are multiple ways to import files with EPS as the extension. We already saw
that sometimes AI files are labeled with the EPS extension. This particular filCorelDRAW 12 Unleashed
296
ter is to be used for placeable EPS files. The idea is that you are simply
placing the EPS file in your CorelDRAW file for output purposes. Other than
sizing, you will not be able to make any changes whatsoever. On screen you
will see the low-resolution header included with the file. If a header isnt present, you get a gray box instead. This header is only used for display purposes
as the actual data will be used when printing.
There is one big caveat when printing EPS files. They must be printed to a
PostScript printer as the data is raw PostScript inside the file. Files printed on
non-PostScript printers will get the low-resolution header instead. So if you
dont output to PostScript, you should probably use the PostScript Interpreted filter instead.
Warning: Many users see the low resolution header and
mistakenly think the file will look horrible. Remember, the
header is only used for a rough idea of the data inside the file.
As long as you print to a PostScript printer, the file should look
as good as the original from which it was created.
PS, EPS, PRN (PostScript Interpreted)

When EPS files were first created, they were never really meant to be edited.
They were created for printing purposes. So the fact that CorelDRAW has the
ability to turn EPS files into editable objects is quite a feat. Note that this filter
is designed to work with three different
extensions.
When you import PostScript files, youll
be presented with the dialog box shown
in Figure 4. Your first selection is the
amount of virtual memory. Simple files
work fine with the default 3.0 MB of
memory, more complex files will require
more memory. Try each file at the default
and only increase the memory if the import has problems. You also have a
choice of having text converted to curves
or coming in as editable text. If the text is
to remain editable, youll need to have
the correct fonts or the look of the file will Figure 4: Import PostScript
change. Youll also notice that text will be dialog box.
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broken down into individual lines and possibly

as separate words or letters. Remember these
files arent really meant to be edited.
Typically it would be best to import the PostScript file into a blank CorelDRAW document
and fix anything that doesnt import correctly.
Save that file and then bring it into other files
that require the data.
PDF (Adobe Portable

Document Format)
There are a number of similarities between PDF
files and PostScript files. In fact, they work the
same except for the dialog box. Again, PDF files
Figure 5: The Select
werent meant to be edited so dont expect to
truly manipulate a PDF file as you would other Pages dialog box.
formats. But if there are very minor corrections,
you do have the ability to work with them.
Note: If a PDF file contains more than one page, youll get the
dialog box shown in Figure 5, which allows you to select the
pages you wish to import.
WMF (Windows MetaFile), EMF (Enhanced

MetaFile)
Each of these file formats were created by Microsoft as the default vector
graphics format for use in their products. WMF was the original format and
EMF came several years later with more capabilities. Either should import
into CorelDRAW quite well. Most of the time, you will find the the graphics
use RGB color so you may have to convert the objects to CMYK if you wish
to print the file with accurate color.
CPT (Corel PHOTO-PAINT Image)

All of the rest of the import formats discussed are bitmap based. For the
most part, this means they are one rectangular picture. The idea would be
that the files are edited in Corel PHOTO-PAINT or some other image editor
before being brought into CorelDRAW.
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Corel PHOTO-PAINT files are somewhat of an exception in that any objects

in your CPT file will be retained when imported into CorelDRAW. Youll find
the file comes in as a group if it has objects within it. You can then ungroup
the objects and move them around. The only time you should really do that
is if you have a single irregular object youll be working with. Otherwise, flatten the file in PHOTO-PAINT before importing into CorelDRAW.
A benefit is that masks and/or alpha channels can also work as clipping
paths. Most of the time youll use this feature as another way to bring in irregularly shaped bitmaps. Occasionally youll forget about an alpha channel and
be frustrated when something gets clipped.
Warning: Lenses created in Corel PHOTO-PAINT will not
import into CorelDRAW. You will need to combine them with
the background in order for them to work correctly. Also, text
may not import correctly.
PSD (Adobe Photoshop)

Everything mentioned with Corel PHOTO-PAINT files is also true of Adobe
Photoshop files. Youll find that there are two things that dont work well.
First, any objects that are stored as text by Photoshop wont convert well at
all. Also Layer Effects and Adjustment Layers will be completely lost. It would
be a good idea to flatten such files before importing.
TIF (TIFF Bitmap)

As TIFF files dont support objects, they should all import just fine. The main
thing to watch is masks and/or alpha channels. If they are stored in a TIFF
file, they are used to clip the graphic to an irregular shape. For bitmap files
where you dont need to manipulate multiple objects, TIFF is by far the best
format available.
JPG (JPEG Bitmap)

How can I say nicely that this is an absolutely horrible format for print? Unfortunately, there are a number of users who choose JPG because it makes
small files and the Internet has made it popular. The files are small because
of the lossy compression involved. This means data is permanently lost.
Youll also find that the compression will create artifacts in the file that will
only be magnified when printed. If you are printing color separations, JPGs
299
are particularly troublesome. They might be better than nothing at all, but
they are a very poor choice.
GIF (Compuserve Bitmap)

GIF files dont use lossy compression so in some ways they are better than
JPG. Then again, they are limited to no more than 256 colors. As with JPGs,
they are better than nothing. But if at all possible get things in a better format.
Save
Once you have created some artwork, youll no doubt want to save it so that
you can use it later. Plus, it is important to save often, in case something
should go wrong with your computer. When you choose File | Save, press
the Ctrl-S shortcut key or click the Save button on the Standard Toolbar,
youll get the dialog box shown in Figure 6.
In looking at the Save Drawing dialog box, you should see a number of similarities to the Open Drawing dialog box discussed earlier. All of the buttons
along the side of the dialog and along the top are identical. For an explanation of these buttons, turn back a few pages to when I discussed opening
files.
If you wish to save to an existing filename, highlight that file in the main part
of the dialog. Otherwise, type the name you desire in the File name text box.
Below that is a drop-down list for selecting the Save as type. While there are
a number of formats available, stick to CorelDRAW
(CDR) and/or CorelDRAW
Template (CDT). For other
formats, you should be exporting rather than saving.
On the right side of the dialog, you can choose
which version of
CorelDRAW to use when
saving. CorelDRAW 12 can
save as far back as
CorelDRAW 7. Remember,
Figure 6: The Save Drawing dialog box.
300
that not all features existed in the older versions so the files may not look or
work exactly the same when saving backwards.
Tip: Users of Corel Ventura 10 should save in CorelDRAW 11
format if they wish to use the files in a Ventura publication.
Below the version, you can select the type of thumbnail to save with the file.
The thumbnail is seen in the Preview of the open dialog, as well as in the
scrapbook. A better quality preview does not make the file any better, it just
makes the preview easier to see.
If you click the Options button at the bottom of the dialog box, it will expand
to look like Figure 7. This will give additional choices for how the file types
will be sorted through the Sort type. Text boxes are also available for adding
keywords and notes to the file.
To the right of the new text boxes are a series of checkboxes. If Selected only
is checked, only the objects selected in the drawing will be saved. This is useful if you want to save a part of an image, such as a logo, to a separate file
from the image as a whole. When Web_safe_filesnames is checked, files being saved will have their names modified to something that would be safe to
use on the Internet. For example, spaces would be replaced with underscores. Embed Fonts using
TrueDoc will embed any
fonts that allow embedding
into the CorelDRAW file, so
that the person opening it
would not need to have the
fonts installed to see the
file correctly. For files that
have a VBA macro, the last
option will allow the macro
to be embedded in the file.
If there is no VBA macro,
this option will be dimmed.
As if there havent been
enough options already,
you can click the Advanced
button to bring up the dia- Figure 7: The Save Drawing dialog box with
log box shown in Figure 8. all Options shown.
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Save presentation exchange (CMX) will include

CMX data in addition to the
CDR data in a single file.
This is especially useful if
the file will be opened in
Corel PHOTO-PAINT or
used in Corel Ventura. Use
current thumbnail will not
change the thumbnail
when the file is saved. So if
the drawing looks different,
the thumbnail will not
match.
Figure 8: Advanced Save Options dialog box.
Under File optimization,
you can choose whether
you want bitmaps and/or graphic objects to be compressed. By selecting
these options, your files will be smaller. The downside is that other programs
that claim to read CDR files may not be able to read the files.
In the Textures section, saving the textures with the file will make the file
larger though it will open much faster. Alternatively, you can have them rebuilt
when the file is opened. If you are e-mailing the file or need it to fit on a small
storage device, this is probably your best choice. Note that these refer to texture fills which were discussed in Chapter 8.
The last option deals with Blends and Extrudes. They can either be saved
with the file or rebuilt when the file is opened. By saving them with the file,
the file will be larger and will open faster. Rebuilding them will keep file size
down while requiring a bit longer to open.
Export
Many users think that there is one magic format to use when in fact there is
no such thing. The best format to use is highly dependent on how the file will
be used. Ill talk about several different formats and list the ways they work
best. In addition, Ill show where these formats should not be used.
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PDF (Portable Document Format)

This format allows for a number of different settings so that the resulting file
can be targeted for the Web, screen or print. For the times when you simply
need to give someone a file for their approval, PDF is a fantastic format. It
can also provide a way to send files out for printing. There is no need to
worry about fonts as they can be embedded into the file.
Everything sounds pretty good here. It works for a number of types of projects. People can view it on most any computer with the free Adobe Reader.
The main downside is that the file cant be easily edited.
When deciding which options to choose during export, keep in mind how the
file will be used. For files that will be printed, you dont want to use JPG compression and youll most likely choose either CMYK or Grayscale color models. It is also important to embed fonts so that the printed file will look exactly
as you see it. For files that are simply being sent for screen display, JPG can
save dramatically on file size if bitmaps are involved. And using the RGB color
model will typically make things look more vibrant on screen.
Ill cover the creation of PDF files in more detail in Chapter 25.
EPS (Encapsulated PostScript)

Just like PDF, EPS is not meant to be edited. It is a format geared towards
printing. The idea is that
the recipient of the file will
place the EPS graphic in
their page layout program
of choice and then print. If
the recipient has a PostScript printer, the printout
will look exactly like it
would had you printed the
CorelDRAW file directly. If it
isnt printed on a PostScript
printer, the low quality
bitmap header is printed
and most likely it looks
horrible. For this exact reason, I always use a very
Figure 9: The EPS Export dialog box.
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low-resolution black and white header so that it is even easier to see when it
was printed incorrectly.
The EPS Export dialog box is shown in Figure 9. Your first choice is the type
of header you wish to include, if any. Files without a header will display as a
gray box when placed in another application. See the EPS import information
earlier in this chapter for more details. TIFF format gives the file a bitmap
header, while WMF gives it a vector header. Since WMF is a Windows file format, it will not work if the file is used on a Mac. Type allows you to select the
color depth of the bitmap header, if you have chosen TIFF. While it might
make sense to use best setting possible, this has absolutely zero effect on the
quality of the EPS data. It is simply a header so you can place the file on
screen. Resolution defaults to 72 dpi and this is more than enough for a
rough header. A transparent background would allow the header to be
non-rectangular.
Text can either be converted to curves for maximum compatibility or left as
text with the fonts embedded in the file. Either should work fine, but Curves is
rock-solid reliable where problems could occur if the text was left as text.
Note that if you convert to curves and someone else imports the EPS for editing, they wont be able to edit the text.
In the Color management section, you have the option to embed an ICC profile. If you choose to do this, you can choose which profile to embed.
Bitmaps in the EPS file can be stored in CMYK, RGB or Grayscale. Choose
the format most appropriate for how the file will be output. Maintain OPI link
would be appropriate if your service bureau has given you bitmaps to place
using Open Prepress Interface. Those of you needing this will know you need
it. Otherwise leave it unchecked. The last two settings will automatically increase the number of fountain steps to whatever is appropriate for the output
device. You can also manually enter a value. I would suggest leaving this at
the default of 128 unless you have a large area covered by a gradient fill in
which case 256 would be more appropriate.
Even more settings can be found on the Advanced tab (not shown). Rarely
will you need to use these options and they will be discussed in Chapter 24
on Printing.
Export For Office Wizard

New to CorelDRAW 12 is the Export For Office Wizard. You select it by choosing File | Export For Office and this brings up the dialog box shown in FigCorelDRAW 12 Unleashed
304
ure 10. The idea is that the

wizard will decide on the
appropriate size and file
format based on the selections you choose from the
three drop-down lists.
The first choice is Export to
and the choices are
Microsoft Office or
WordPerfect Office.
Choose which package you
will be using and move on
to the next choice. Is it
more important to have
the best compatibility or
editibility? Make your
choice from the second
drop-down. Last, should
the graphic be optimized
for Presentation, Desktop
Printing or Commercial
Figure 10: The Export For Office wizard.
Printing? Select what you
need and youre almost done.
On the left side of the dialog are tools for zooming in, zooming out and panning. The graphic will be displayed in the middle of the dialog with a checkerboard showing anywhere there is transparency. Once youve made all your
selections, press OK and the Save dialog will appear. Then move over to your
favorite office software and put the file to use.
WMF (Windows Metafile)

Windows Metafiles can be used in almost any Windows program. For programs that have editing capabilities, they are editable. And they are vector
files so they can be scaled to any size without any loss of quality. The real
problem is that CorelDRAW supports a number of features that are not supported in Windows Metafiles. So you may find that the look of your graphic
changes drastically. If you avoid the fancier fills and effects, you shouldnt
have any problem with WMF.
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When you select WMF as your export

type, youll get the dialog box shown in
Figure 11. You can either save the text
as text or as curves. If fonts are going to
be an issue, it is best to convert the text
to curves. You also have the option of including a header though it isnt terribly
important for most software that
supports WMF.
AI (Adobe Illustrator)
Figure 11: WMF Export dialog

box.
This is an oft requested format because it

is the native format of Adobe Illustrator. It
is a step above Windows Metafile as far
as supporting advanced fills and effects,
but it still lacks many of CorelDRAWs
features. If the file you create is to be edited in Illustrator, this is your best bet.
Otherwise, youre probably better off with
something else.
When you select AI format, you get the
dialog box shown in Figure 12. The first
choice is which version of Adobe Illustrator with which you want to have compatibility. The older the version you choose,
the more compatible the file will be
though fewer features will be supported.
You can choose whether the file will be
used on a PC or Mac as well as whether
text will be converted to curves or kept as
text. Fonts could be a problem if text re- Figure 12: Adobe Illustrator
mains text. The six checkboxes are fairly Export dialog box.
self-explanatory and may not all be available if you have chosen an older version of Illustrator.
SWF (Flash)
The SWF format is the dominant vector format on the Web today. Most of
the time, it is used for animations. But CorelDRAW only exports a static imCorelDRAW 12 Unleashed
306
age. This is great if you have a detailed map that you want to put on
a Web site. Viewers can zoom in
to see all the detail they want.
Even better, the vector image will
be printed so that you get a much
better printout than a small
bitmap. SWF files can not be edited, they are purely for display. If
you need an animated SWF file,
you sould use Corel R.A.V.E. The
SWF format will be covered in
more detail in Chapter 28.
Exporting Bitmaps
All of the rest of the formats Ill
discuss are bitmaps and thus they
share a common element. The
Figure 13: Convert to Bitmap dialog
vector CorelDRAW data must first box.
be converted to a bitmap. S,o
when you choose any of these formats, youll first get the dialog box shown in
Figure 13.
First of all, you need to choose a size. Many users prefer to work in inches
and Im going to encourage you to work in pixels instead, since this is the
true measurement of any bitmap. If you are using pixels as the unit of measurement, resolution is used to tell other programs the dimension in inches.
If your measurements are already in inches, resolution determines the
number of pixels.
Note: Not all file formats store resolution information. For
example, GIF. In these cases, it just doesnt matter what value
you use.
The options you see for Color Mode is dependent on the file format youve
chosen. Not all modes are available for all formats. Choose the mode appropriate for how the file will be used. If you are unsure, study the various color
modes in Chapter 8.
307
Below that, you will see an estimate of the file size. Remember that this is an
uncompressed file size, so the actual file could be much smaller if you are
saving to a compressed format.
Lastly there are a number of checkboxes. Anti-aliasing is used to smooth the
edges of a bitmap. In general, it is a good thing. But it does add colors and
some people may consider it a tad blurry. If in doubt, try with and without until you find what you like. Dithering keeps the number of colors down by putting two colors next to each other to simulate a third color. While it keeps the
number of colors small, it doesnt compress well. Only use it when you have
something with a lot of colors that has to be saved in a paletted format.
Transparent background indicates the file will have an irregular shape based
on the original objects in CorelDRAW. If that isnt clear enough, it wont have
a white box around it. Apply ICC profile indicates the currently selected color
profile will be used for any color transformations. Maintain aspect ratio will
keep the width to height ratio the same if you change the size at the top of
the dialog. Maintain original size will keep the same number of pixels if you
change the resolution or size in a measurement system other than pixels.
And the last setting, Maintain layers, is only available when exporting to Corel
PHOTO-PAINT (CPT) format and Adobe Photoshop (PSD) format. Each layer
in CorelDRAW will be converted to an object (CPT) or layer (PSD).
CPT (Corel PHOTO-PAINT)

If you want to get the most out of your bitmaps and you plan to work on
them in Corel PHOTO-PAINT, then CPT is the best format to use. You might
also find PSD (Adobe Photoshop) good, if the files are headed for Photoshop.
TIF (TIFF Bitmap)

The TIFF format can be read by almost every program available today. If you
need to use a flexible bitmap format, this is the one to use. It will retain all
data as the compression used is lossless. But bitmaps do have their issues.
Files will be much larger than the same file in vector format. They dont look
good at all when enlarged and can look bad when decreased in size. So
make sure to export at the exact size needed for the project. In most cases,
youll want to select LZW compression. The exception would be if the program with which the TIF would be used does not support LZW compressed
bitmaps. Most newer programs should have no problems.
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JPG (JPEG Bitmap)

People love this format because the files are so small. But beneath that small
size lurks lots of evil. JPG is good for one thing and one thing only! It should
be used to e-mail graphics and to place them on Web pages. You should always save a copy in another format. JPG gets its small size because it is a
lossy compression. In short, that means data gets thrown away every time a
file is saved. So if you continually open, edit and save a JPG file, it will continue to look worse each time. JPG works best on photographic images destined for the Web. It will make text look horrible. Ill give you more details
about exporting to JPG and JPG 2000 in Chapter 28.
GIF (GIF Bitmap)

GIF is another format geared towards the Web and only the Web. It gets files
small by limiting them to 256 colors or less. And it works best on line art images containing a limited number of colors. Unlike JPG, it is good for text.
But again, it should only be used for e-mailing files and placing them on the
Web. And you should always keep an original in a more robust format. Once
again, Ill cover it in depth in Chapter 28.
Why Copy/Paste Can Be Bad

Most people use Copy and Paste a
lot. That by itself is not bad. But if
you plan on using it as a way to
take graphics and place them in
other programs, danger is lurking.
You should not use Paste. Instead,
there is most likely a Paste Special
command that should be used.
When you do, a dialog box will appear. Figure 14 shows the result
in Microsoft Word. Note that there Figure 14: The Paste Special dialog
are several choices for how to
box.
paste the file. Your best bet is to
choose Metafile or Enhanced Metafile depending on the application and the
choices presented. For more information on Paste Special and Paste in general, look to Chapter 15.
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Chapter Wrap
Ive covered a number of ways to get files into and out of CorelDRAW, yet Ive
only scratched the surface. The formats covered are by far the ones youll use
most often. Occasionally, there are situations where other formats are
required.
The key is that you understand how each of these formats work so that you
can either request the best possible formats from your clients or you can
supply them with the format they need. If the wrong format is used, the project could suffer in terms of time or quality.
CorelDRAW 12
BOOT CAMP
youve learned
(800) 736-8973
www.unleash.com
310
CorelDRAW 12
23
Page Setup
It doesnt really seem all that important when you first start using CorelDRAW
to properly set up your page size. But as you start working on more projects
youll soon learn how many different ways you can set up the page and the
importance of getting it just right.
Using the Property Bar

The simplest way to change the page size is to use the Property Bar when
nothing is selected (shown below). On the left is the Paper Type/Size
drop-down containing the most used sizes throughout the world. By default
Letter is selected. If you cant find the size you want, the next setting Page
Width and Height allows you to type in the exact dimensions you need. Lets
say you are working on an ad and you were provided with an exact size. Simply type in that size and press Enter and youre all ready to go. The last
choice on the Property Bar is whether you want the page oriented in Portrait
or Landscape button. Press the appropriate button and the page will change
automatically. Portrait indicates the page is taller than it is wide while Landscape indicates the page is wider than it is tall. Even though those are the
typical definitions of Portrait and Landscape, sometimes you will set up a
page against those definitions to meet printing needs.
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Chapter 23: Page Setup
Adding and Deleting Pages

To quickly add pages, you can use the
icons at the bottom left of the drawing
page (shown at right). Youll see a + icon
on either side of the current page. If you click
the + icon on the left, a page will be created before the current page, while clicking the one on
the right will create one after the current page.
You can also use the Layout | Insert Page
menu selection which gives you the dialog box
shown in Figure 1. The dialog box allows you to
specify how many pages to add, where they
should be located and their size. Remember, every page in your document does not have to be
the same size.
Choosing Layout | Delete Page will allow you
to select which pages to delete using the dialog Figure 1: Insert Page
box in Figure 2. It defaults to only deleting the dialog box.
current page but can be easily changed to deleting any number of pages in your document.
Another way to add or delete pages is to
right-click on the page markers at the bottom of
the page. This gives you a pop-up menu with
options to add a page, delete a page and even
to rename the page. Renaming can be quite
handy if you have several drawings contained in Figure 2: Delete Page
a single file. For example, you could have a page dialog box.
named logo and others named letterhead
and envelope if you were doing a complete identity package in a single file.
Tip: If you click and drag on the page markers, you can
rearrange the page order however you like.
Page Setup Dialog Box

If you are in a situation that calls for more detailed changing, regarding page
size, then select Layout | Page Setup to get the dialog box in Figure 3.
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Size
The first page you see has
all the different options for
changing the page size.
Many of these same options were already covered
on the Property Bar. Additionally you can choose to
only resize the current
page if the Resize current
page only checkbox is
checked. Again, if you are
working on an identity
package this could be
Figure 3: Page Setup dialog box.
quite handy. Another option is to set the amount of bleed. Bleed is how far the graphics will extend
beyond the edge of the page when printed. This will affect where lines appear
if you choose View | Show | Bleed. Many times you will just set a bleed
amount in the Print dialog box.
If you want a page size the exact same as the default page size in the currently selected printer, press the Set From Printer button. Lastly, you can
press the Add Page Frame button to have a rectangle the size of the page
created in the back of your
drawing. Remember, you
can do this same thing by
double-clicking on the Pick
tool.
Layout
One of the great features
in CorelDRAW is that you
can design multiple pages
and then have them imposed on a single page of
paper for printing. While in
the Options dialog box,
click on Layout to get the
dialog box shown in Figure Figure 4: Page Layout dialog box.
313
4. In the Layout drop-down

list youll find choices for
Full Page, Book, Booklet,
Tent Card, Side-Fold Card
and Top-Fold Card. As you
select each one, the preview to the right of the list
will change to show you
how the page will be laid
out. Figure 4 shows a
Side-Fold Card and if you
look carefully at the preview it shows where each
page is located on the
printed page and how the Figure 5: Labels dialog box.
paper should be folded.
Checking the Facing pages
checkbox will display two facing
pages on screen at a time. Well
look at even more options for imposing pages when we talk about
printing in Chapter 24.
Labels
Yet another feature that many users overlook is the ability to design
for almost any kind of label available at your favorite office supply
store. Select Label from the tree Figure 6: Customize Label dialog box.
list at the left side of the Options
dialog box. Then choose the Labels radio button at the top of the dialog box
and youll get something similar to Figure 5. In the middle of the dialog box
is another tree list showing most major manufacturers of labels. When you
select a manufacturer, the list expands to show each type of label they sell.
Once you click on a particular label, a preview of the label sheet is shown on
the right side of the dialog box.
For situations where you cant find the label you have in the dialog box, click
the Customize Label button and youll get the dialog box shown in Figure 6.
314
As you can see, you can specify the size of the labels, the margins, the gutters and how many rows and columns should appear. Most label packages include a sheet showing the measurements to use in software so this dialog
should be a matter of typing in the numbers provided. If not, youll have to
get out a ruler and do a bit of measuring yourself. After youve entered the information, press the + icon at the top of the dialog box and you can name
the label sheet youve just created so that you dont have to enter the
information again in the future.
Designing labels may be a little confusing the first time you try them. Each label on the sheet is a separate page in CorelDRAW. If you only provide a design for one page, that page will be repeated on each label. So if you are
designing return address labels for a sheet containing 30 labels, youll only
design a one page document. When you print, every label on the sheet will
get that same design positioned perfectly on the labels.
If you want a different design on each label, create a separate page for every
label with a unique design. Then when you print, each design will be positioned on a label. Just peel and stick!
Background
If you are designing for pages that have a predefined background, you may
want to have that background available on screen or even when you print.
Select Background from the tree list at the left of the Options dialog box to
get the dialog shown in
Figure 7. At the top you
can choose No Background, Solid or Bitmap.
Solid is chosen in Figure
7. To the right of Solid is a
color drop-down that allows you to select the color
of your choice. A good example for this would be
someone designing an ad
for the yellow pages.
Theyll want a yellow background to simulate the
phone book.
Figure 7: Page Background dialog box.
315
By selecting Bitmap, you can then Browse to any bitmap file on your computer. Once something is selected the Linked and Embedded options in the
next section will be available to choose. By default, Embedded will be chosen
with a path to the file you selected shown in the text box to the right. This just
means the bitmap will be embedded inside the CorelDRAW file. If you plan to
share the file with someone else, youll most likely want the file embedded.
You can also choose Linked but this will look for the file on the hard disk
each time the file is opened. If it isnt in the exact location specified, it wont
work. So this is only a good option if you know the file will stay on the same
machine.
If you use a Bitmap, by default the Default Size option will be chosen. This
will use the pixel and resolution information stored within the file to size it accordingly. If youd prefer to enter your own size, select Custom Size and enter
the values you desire. To keep the file in the proper perspective, make sure
Maintain Aspect Ratio is checked.
For situations where you want the chosen background to be printed and exported, check the Print and Export Background checkbox. Often youll be
printing on colored or textured paper so you only want the background to
display. In those cases, uncheck the Print and Export Background checkbox.
Page Sorter
For many versions of
CorelDRAW it was a major
chore to change the order
of pages. Earlier we talked
about how you could drag
the page tabs at the bottom of the screen anywhere you want. Another
way to rearrange pages is
to select View | Page
Sorter View to get something similar to Figure 8.
For those of you familiar
with Microsoft PowerPoint,
you may immediately recFigure 8: Page Sorter View.
ognize this as the slide
316
sorter view. Each page is represented by a thumbnail of the pages contents.

To rearrange pages, just click on a thumbnail and drag it to the desired new
location. Once you are done, select View | Page Sorter View again to return
to the normal drawing window.
Chapter Wrap
In this chapter we talked about many of the ways you can set up your page
including the size, layout, labels and background. We also discussed ways to
add pages, delete pages, rename pages and rearrange them. Many users of
CorelDRAW overlook all of the options discussed in this chapter and they are
truly missing out on some of the most powerful features available.
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CorelDRAW 12
24
Printing
This is probably the most important topic of all when working with
CorelDRAW. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most difficult for most users.
This chapter covers everything needed to produce a color separation, but the
techniques used are the same as for black and white with just a couple of extra steps. Youll also find the steps for spot color and process color are nearly
identical. So, no matter what colors, if any, that you output; you will get valuable information on improving the quality of your output.
Potential Problems
There are a number of problems that can occur in the process of outputting
a CorelDRAW file. Well describe several of the problems and the way to properly work around them.
Misregistration
Misregistration can occur when each of the color plates is printed. Typically,
one color is knocked out of another color so that when printed, the edges
will butt up against one another. When they dont line up correctly, you will
see the paper color showing through in some areas and overlapping colors in
other areas.
To solve the problem of misregistration, you need to create a trap where two
colors are touching. This is done by outlining one object with a thin outline,
making the outline the same color as either the object or the adjoining backCorelDRAW 12 Unleashed
318
ground and then setting the outline to

overprint. The width of the outline is dependent on the amount of trap desired.
Your printer (the person) can provide this
number for you. Set the outline to twice
the desired trap amount. If you desire a
spread trap, set the outline color to the
same color as the inner object. If you desire a choke trap, set the outline color to
the same color as the background. Figure 1 shows how a perfectly registered
character would fit and Figure 2 shows
the same character with an overprint.
Complexity
R
Figure 1: How perfect
registration works.
Keep in mind that there may be effects

that you can create in CorelDRAW that
are too complex for your output device.
As I covered effects in this book, Ive tried
to point out potential problem areas.
Some of these limits may surprise you.
Lets take an engraving machine as an
example. It will only record the outlines of
an object and not the fill. But when our
output device is a desktop printer, the fill
is usually not a problem. Some fills when
combined with a very complex shape can
overwhelm a printer. The limits change
with each type of device.
Figure 2: How an overprinted
If you will be using CorelDRAW to output outline will look when printed.
to a particular device, you must get to
know the limits of that device. And it is better to learn these limits long before
you are working on a deadline.
Scan Resolution
The most common problems here are user errors. Users tend to scan at a
very high resolution because the scanner can do it when this actually can
319
Chapter 24: Printing
create lower-quality output and

huge files. The following formula (LDO x LS) x 1.5
= OSR
should be used to determine the
LDI
proper scan resolution!
This formula assumes that you
use inches as your unit of measurement.
LDO: Longest dimension of output image.
LS: Line screen to be used in the final output.
LDI: Longest dimension of input image.
OSR: Optimum scanning resolution in DPI.
For most projects, youll find that you can use a much lower resolution than
you originally thought. If you are printing to an ink jet printer, you definitely
dont need to scan at the same resolution as the printer outputs. For ink jet
printers, use a line screen of 100 in the formula.
Quite often, users also want to know why they are unable to set the line
screen in CorelDRAW. This is not a limitation of CorelDRAW, it is a limitation
of your printer. Only PostScript printers allow users to set a line screen and
therefore, Corel only gives you the options when a PostScript printer is
selected.
Color Models
One of the most common complaints from users is that colors they see on
screen are radically different from the colors that get printed. The best tip
that I can give you is to deal with it. It is no surprise that the colors dont
match. It is very important that you fully understand how each color model
works. Once you understand, youll be much more likely to get predictable
output. For all the details, see Chapter 8.
If you are creating artwork for print, use either CMYK or spot colors. And it is
best to choose from a swatch book. Dont trust your screen, it will never be
perfect. Dont trust the output from your desktop printer as it will never
match the press. But, if you use a swatchbook, the results from the press
should match the swatchbook.
Users also complain that the printout from their desktop printer doesnt properly match spot (Pantone) colors. Sure, the printer may claim to be Pantone
Certified, but that really doesnt mean much. These spot colors are premixed
320
inks made up of a number of tints that just cant be matched on desktop

printers.
Dealing with the Service Bureau

Many times CorelDRAW users are not treated well at the service bureau. This
is usually because the service bureau has had one bad experience with a
CorelDRAW file, at some time in the past, and because of some service bureaus refusal to work with CorelDRAW users.
Getting proper output involves communicating with both the service bureau
and the printer, who are sometimes the same. First, contact your printer and
find out what they require to print your file. This is almost always some sort of
film.
Once this is known, contact the service bureau to find out what they need to
produce the film that the printer requires. They will most likely ask you for
one of the following types of files which we have ranked from the worst to the
best.
Adobe Illustrator (AI)

This means that the service bureau does not care about your business. Even
some simple CorelDRAW files will not properly convert to Illustrator files. This
is because the Illustrator file format doesnt support many of the features
found in CorelDRAW. Under no circumstances should you work with a service
bureau that insists on Illustrator files. In some cases, an Illustrator file can
work, but you would want to make sure to run tests before trusting a service
bureau.
Encapsulated PostScript (EPS)

Typically, this means that the service bureau will place the file into another application with which they are more familiar. But, mistakes can arise. They can
mistake the file for an Illustrator file and complain that something is wrong
with the file when it is just fine. They can also try to open the file in the wrong
program and strip out the TIFF header. In this case, you get a low resolution
bitmap instead of the correct file. This last scenario happens all too often by
even the most unlikely sources. Therefore, we highly recommend that you do
not provide EPS files to a service bureau unless you know they will know how
to use it properly.
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CorelDRAW (CDR)
This may seem to be the optimum solution and in the right hands, it is. But
will the service bureau have the fonts you used? Remember that it is illegal to
give them your fonts. Do they have the exact same version of CorelDRAW
that you do? And if they have the software, do they know how to use it properly? If all the answers are yes, then send the file and make sure to check the
samples carefully before signing off on a print run.
Portable Document Format (PDF)

Almost anyone can read a PDF file and it can store all the effects that
CorelDRAW can create. Fonts get embedded as well as prepress information.
Since CorelDRAW can publish files directly to PDF, you might want to consider this for your next trip to the service bureau. More details on how to create a PDF file can be found in Chapter 25.
PostScript Print File (PRN)

If you choose this option, all the burden of properly preparing the file falls
upon your shoulders. But any service bureau can output this file. They may
claim otherwise, but this is because they are afraid that you will make a mistake and blame them. Ill describe all of the steps so that you wont make a
mistake.
Warning: Some users test the quality of a PRN file by importing
it back in to CorelDRAW. This is not a good way to test the file.
The best way is to print the PRN file on a PostScript printer.
Another good way is to open the PRN file with Acrobat Distiller
and turn it into a PDF file.
Steps for Creating a Color Separation

Following are the steps you need to take to create a quality color separation
when printing. Some steps must be taken in the design of a document before
the printing stage. This includes making sure that youve trapped the objects
needing to be trapped, and chosen the colors consistently. For example, you
should decide to use spot or process colors before beginning. There will be
times when you want to use process and spot but you will also get more
pieces of film that way.
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With any printing

job, the first dialog
box that you will see
is the one shown in
Figure 3. You can
specify certain
pages to be printed,
but you will most
commonly select to
print them all. If you
are working with
large files with multiple pages, you
may want to print
them one page at a
time as print files
Figure 3: Print dialog box.
get very large.
The next item to choose is which
printer you will be using for this
job. It may be a printer next to
your desk or it may be an
imagesetter at your service bureau. You must print to the same
device that the final output will be
printed or errors may occur.
If you are going to create a PostScript print file (PRN file) for your
service bureau (this is our recommended method) then you should
check the Print to File checkbox.
It is also recommended to select
Figure 4: Properties dialog for an Agfa
For Mac, from the pop-up menu,
imagesetter.
so that the file can output correctly from Macs as well as PCs. Another feature allows you to use the PPD
(PostScript Printer Definition) for your printer rather than the Windows driver.
For those of you with a good PPD, this is a very good solution.
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The next step is to make sure that

the selected printer is setup correctly. Click on the Properties button and you will see a dialog box
similar to the one shown in Figure
4. Every printers dialog box is
slightly different due to the capabilities of the printer and the operating system you are using, but
the basic settings are the same.
Most should have an Advanced
button that will bring up a dialog
Check the paper size list to make
sure that you have selected a paper size bigger than the document
you are printing. If you dont, then Figure 5: Advanced Options for the
Agfa imagesetter.
you will not have room for crop
marks, registration
marks, bleeds, etc.
One of the most
useful settings is
Custom Paper
which allows you to
define the exact
page size you need.
Not all drivers have
a Custom Paper option though. The
other thing to check
is the page orientation. It should be
correct since Corel
will give you a message to correct the Figure 6: Layout tab of the Print dialog box.
orientation if it is
different from that of your document.
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Once youve made

any necessary
changes, return to
the main Print dialog box by clicking
OK.
The Layout Tab of
the Print dialog box,
shown in Figure 6,
controls where the
image will appear
on the page. For
most color separations you will not
need to change
anything in this part Figure 7: Separations tab of the Print dialog box.
of the dialog box.
But, you do have the ability, in CorelDRAW 12, to control the amount of
bleed and the imposition of pages, which can be very important for
separations.
The first settings allow you to size and position the graphic you have designed on the page. For small or very large graphics, Fit to page can be very
useful so that things are sized perfectly on the printed page. If you choose to
Reposition images, the settings below that will become available and can be
set for each page individually.
The ability to tile pages allows you to take a huge graphic and divide it over a
number of printed pages. You can choose to overlap the tiled pages either as
an exact amount or as a percentage of the page width.
A bleed allows graphics to extend beyond the edge of the finished page, so
that a minor error in trimming the pages doesnt expose blank paper. The default setting of .125 inches should be sufficient for most projects needing a
bleed. Ill talk about Imposition a bit later in the chapter.
The Separations Tab, shown in Figure 7, starts out with the option to Print
Separations. If you are creating a separation, then this box should be
checked. You have the option to print them in their own color, rather than
Black, but this would be a very rare occurrence. By checking Hexachrome
plates, you have the ability to print Hexachrome separations. This is a type of
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separation that uses six

colors instead of four to
provide more accurate colors. Spot colors can be
converted to process color,
when creating a separation, but again this is not a
good idea. If you are expecting an exact color that
you have chosen from a
swatch book of spot colors
you will be very disappointed. You also have the
option of Printing Empty
Plates. If you want to pay
Figure 8: Advanced Separations settings.
for a blank piece of film,
then you want to check
this box. It is not a good idea in almost all circumstances. Some postprocessing software does expect to find plates, even if there is no data, and that
would be the only situation where it would be good to check this box.
Custom halftone angles and line screens can be controlled by checking the
Use advanced settings box and then clicking on the Advanced button. Note
that the button is grayed out if you dont have a PostScript printer selected.
This is especially important if you want to change the screen angle of spot
colors. Ill go over the Advanced Separations Settings dialog box a little later.
CorelDRAW provides two tools for automatically trapping a document. The
Always overprint black checkbox will make any black fill or outline overprint
any color hidden beneath it. The idea is that black on top of another color is
still black. Beware that it will actually be a shinier, darker black than just plain
black. Auto-Spreading will use artificial intelligence to add spread traps where
it feels they are necessary. The amount of trap added is controlled by the
number in the Maximum text box. You can also specify to trap text only if it is
above a specified point size.
Note: Do not use the Auto-Spreading function if you have
created manual traps in your document.
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The Advanced Separations Settings dialog box shown in

Figure 8 allows you
to choose from several pre-defined
Screening Technologies or to input
your own custom
frequencies and angles. Most
imagesetters will automatically change
the frequencies and
angles from the generic settings,
Figure 9: Prepress tab of the Print dialog box.
shown here, to
those appropriate
for the imagesetter. That means this box is usually not necessary. It is best to
ask your service bureau if in doubt. If you dont know, dont change anything.
The Print Prepress dialog box, shown in Figure 9, controls the various marks
that youll want to have when outputting a color separation.
The first two settings can usually be left off (unchecked). The first setting
controls whether the image is printed as a positive or negative, and the next
one controls if the job is printed emulsion up or emulsion down. You will
need to ask your printer what type of film they desire. Then ask your service
bureau what type of file they need to give your printer the correct film. Once
you have that information, you will know whether or not these boxes need to
be checked.
An example of this is that for our promotional fliers, the printer wants to receive right-reading emulsion down negative film. This would mean that both
buttons would need to be depressed to get the file correct in the preview window. But, our service bureau prefers us to send them a file without these settings activated. These options are something that they can change when
processing the job. If we were to activate these settings, then the film would
get ruined. Make sure you communicate with both your printer and your service bureau to get these settings correct for each job.
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The next setting

turns on the printing of file information. Any job output
from an imagesetter
should have this
setting activated.
The information can
be printed within
the document by
checking the Position within page
checkbox. This is
very handy for
stamping a printout
with the file name, Figure 10: PostScript tab of the Print dialog box.
time and date
printed and more.
You can also add a page number to the bottom of each page, if you like.
Note, that this is outside the page and therefore will not affect the look of
your finished document.
The next two settings are for crop marks. Again, crop marks should always
be present when outputting a job for the service bureau. This allows them to
know the page boundaries. By checking Exterior only, any crop marks within
the page boundaries will not be printed. This is especially useful when youve
created impositions.
Registration marks are just as important as crop marks, when creating a
color separation. They give your printer a way to line up the multiple sheets
of film accurately. The style of registration marks can even be chosen graphically. If you are unsure of which registration marks to choose, always leave it
at the default.
The next two settings are for the calibration bar and the densitometer scale.
These allow your printer and service bureau to make sure that their equipment is working properly. Both of these should be activated for service
bureau output.
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Many of the most important settings are now found in the PostScript dialog
box shown in Figure 10. Remember, if you dont have a PostScript printer,
you wont see this dialog box.
Select the level of PostScript to be used for your output device. CorelDRAW
tries to determine this from the selected printer driver. Other default settings
in this dialog box are determined from this initial selection.
When Level 2 or higher is selected, you can use JPEG compression on any
included bitmaps. Remember that JPEG is a lossy compression and that it
may decrease the quality of your output. The slider lets you choose the level
of the quality. The lower the quality, the more compression that you get.
Make sure to use this option with great caution.
OPI stands for Open Prepress Interface. If you have been provided with low
resolution images for placement purposes, using OPI, make sure to check
Maintain OPI links. DCS stands for Desktop Color Separation and allows you
to place pre-separated images. If you have done this, make sure to check Resolve DCS links. In any case, it does not hurt to leave both of these options
checked even if they are not used.
Earlier, we were able to set the Screen frequency in the Advanced separations
settings dialog box. If it was not set there, you can also set it here on the
PostScript tab. If it was set in the Advanced separations dialog, it will be
dimmed out on the PostScript tab, as in Figure 10.
If you are using a PostScript printer (for professional work this is an absolute
must), then make sure to check both the Download Type 1 fonts and Convert
True Type to Type 1 checkboxes. This will make sure that any needed fonts
(other than the basic 35) will be downloaded to the printer or file.
Rarely will you use the PDF marks options, as these types of things are rarely
created in CorelDRAW. When they are done in CorelDRAW, you will probably
want to use Publish to PDF instead.
The flatness setting controls how smooth each curve is drawn. The best setting is always 1, but complex jobs may not be able to print with this setting.
Your best bet is to leave the setting at 1 and check the Auto Increase Flatness
checkbox. This will try the flatness at 1, then 3, then 5, etc. until it reaches
11. It will always go to 10 plus the number typed in by the user. Anything
higher than 11 will probably be visible to the naked eye and could cause
problems. One way to avoid changing the flatness, is to adjust the Number of
points in the curve from the default of 10000 down to 200. Lower numbers
329
are allowed, but

they can cause
printing to take a
much longer time. If
a file will not print,
feel free to attempt
a complexity as low
as 20.
There are now several checkboxes to
optimize the fountain steps and fountain fills. It can be
helpful to check
these, in case you
made a mistake
Figure 11: Misc tab of the Print dialog box.
elsewhere. These
boxes will correct those mistakes. Also, you can turn on warning dialog boxes
for complex objects. If you are new to color separations and high-resolution
output, these will help you to understand where problems may occur.
The next to last tab in the dialog box is the Misc Tab, as shown in Figure 11.
Our first choice is whether or not we want to use a color profile when printing. If you are using an inkjet printer, you probably will find that the results are
better if this is not checked. When creating files for a service bureau, it is best
to ask which profile should be used, if any. To learn more about color profiles,
look to Chapter 8.
It is very helpful if you print the Job Settings. These are very valuable in determining errors and also in assisting your service bureau and printer. Some of
the details of its contents are shown in Figure 12. You can choose which options will be printed and also which printer they should be printed on. They
print immediately after you print the main file. Make sure that you dont select
the imagesetter as your output destination because it would be very expensive to print these things to film.
Various proofing options are available. Keep in mind, these settings are for
proofing and not the final output. For example, if you need to proofread text
on a flyer and it is white text on a dark background, you might check only
Print text and Print all text in black. That way you dont print the things you
330
dont need and the

text would actually
be visible. Remember, the text was
originally white so if
that was all you
printed, you would
get a blank page!
For a quality color
separation, it is desirable to have the
Fountain Steps at
256. The number of
fountain steps possible can be calculated with the
Figure 12: Job Information dialog box.
following formula:
Fountain Steps = [(DPI)/(LPI)]2 where DPI refers to the printer resolution and
LPI refers to the screen frequency.
Newer versions of CorelDRAW have settings for bitmap downsampling and
rasterizing of the
whole file. If you
have a very complex
file, it might be best
to just rasterize
(converting to
bitmap) the whole
file. If there is a lot
of small text, then
this probably isnt a
good idea.
Downsampling will
resample bitmaps
to a lower resolution. This helps
speed printing and
often the extra resoFigure 13: Issues tab of the Print dialog box.
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lution isnt needed anyway especially when printing a proof on your local
printer.
The last tab is the Preflight tab, as shown in Figure 13. It tells you about any
potential problems you might encounter and makes suggestions for how to
fix them. If you are new to printing, study these suggestions very carefully.
Print Preview is also available in CorelDRAW. It is accessed by clicking the
Print Preview button in the main dialog box. This allows you to see the file exactly as it will print, including the various printers marks. Youll notice that
color separations default to previewing in black, as shown in Figure 14. This
is because that is how they print. You can choose to display the preview in
color, but then it isnt very realistic.
Figure 14: Print Preview showing a color separation.

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There is an Options button so that you can activate the Options dialogs, discussed previously, to make further changes. When youre all ready to print,
simply click the Printer icon and the file will be output.
Once youve done a successful color separation, save the settings for that job
and you can reuse them in the future.
Making the Most of Imposition

One of the features that
CorelDRAW has had on
Foster D. Coburn III
other programs, for quite a
President
while, is the imposition enfoster@unleash.com
gine. This feature allows
you to take multiple pages
and have them output on a
Unleashed Productions, Inc.
single sheet of paper or
38049 N. La Canoa Drive
film. Or you can take a sin- Cave Creek, AZ 85331
(480) 5950065 Phone
gle page and have it re(480) 5950084 Fax
peated multiple times on a
sheet of paper or film.
Figure15: Asamplebus inessc ard.
Lets look at some practical
ways for the average user to take advantage of this tool. There are a number
of ways to use this professionally, but were going to stick with stuff that anyone could use.
Im going to walk you through creating a business card from scratch. Ive discussed the printing requirements with our printer before I started. So Ill use
the information provided by the printer in setting up our file.
I created a page that is 3.5 inches wide and 2 inches tall. Ive decided to use
my business card, as you can see in Figure 15.
Now weve got to get the card to repeat eight times per page, complete with
crop marks and registration marks. Again, well select File | Print Preview
and there we can make the final adjustments. Youll probably
be asked about changing the printers orientation. You dont
want to do this, as you want the page in portrait orientation.
Once in Print Preview, you need to change to the Imposition
Layout tool. Its the one just below the Pick tool. That will
make the Property Bar change to the one shown in Figure 16.
unleash.com
333
Figure 16: Imposition Layout tool Property Bar.
Figure 17: Another variation of the Property Bar for specifying gutters.
About two thirds of the way
across are num boxes that
allow you to specify the
number of rows and columns. Youll note that in
Figure 16, Ive already
changed this to 2 columns
and 4 rows, which will give
us 8 business cards on the
page.
The cards we designed did
not have a bleed and so it
is probably OK that the
cards are touching each
other. But the situation
changes if the cards we design require a bleed. Note
the little scissor icons surrounding the page. These
indicate the cut lines. Click
directly on one of them
and the Property Bar will
change to the one shown
Figure 18: Our updated Print Preview.
in Figure 17.
Near the right end of this
Property Bar is the setting for the gutter width. So, if we need to separate the
cards, we just need to give the gutter enough width. Youll need to click on
each cut line and adjust the gutter. Thus, you can have unequal gutters, if
you so desire. After adding more cards, adding prepress marks and adjusting
the gutters, Print Preview now looks like Figure 18.
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Remember that we are just scratching the surface of the imposition tools. For
those of you doing high-end prepress, there is much more in here to explore.
Tutorial Movies
Printer Setup
Print Layout
Print Separations
Print Prepress
Print PostScript
Print Misc
Print Issues
Print Preview
Print Imposition
Chapter Wrap
While all of the other features covered in this book are important, remember
that if it doesnt print, it is just a video game. This chapter has covered a wide
variety of problems and solutions you may face when printing from
CorelDRAW and Corel PHOTO-PAINT. Once you understand all these settings, your output will be much more reliable.
335
CorelDRAW 12
25
Publishing PDF Files
PDF stands for Portable Document Format and was created by Adobe to
make document distribution easier. Files can be shared by anyone while retaining the exact look of the original. While Adobe created the standard, the
specifications are available to all developers. CorelDRAW 12 provides you a
fantastic tool for designing along with the abilty to create a PDF file from your
designs.
The Adobe Acrobat Family

Adobe Reader: Available for free download on a
number of computer platforms. Allows for viewing
and printing of PDF files. Does not allow creating or
editing of PDF files. You will find the latest version
on this books CD-ROM.
Acrobat Distiller: Converts PS, EPS and PRN files
to PDF files. Any program that can print to PostScript can thus be used with Distiller to create PDF
files.
Acrobat PDF (Distiller) Printer Driver: When creating files for Acrobat Distiller, this printer driver should be used in most situations.
Acrobat: All of the functionality of Adobe Reader. Adds ability to do minor editing of PDF content with numerous tools for adding interactivity.
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Preparing a File for PDF

Some software includes extra features geared towards creating PDF files.
CorelDRAW and Corel Ventura both include such features. Ventura includes
many more, especially for those creating longer documents.
You should select colors and color models based on how the PDF will be utilized. As an example, a PDF file meant for onscreen viewing should be designed with RGB colors where one designed for printing should use CMYK
colors.
Optimize the page size, fonts and other design elements for how the PDF will
be viewed and/or printed. If the main focus is for the file to be read onscreen,
the page size should probably be smaller than letter and in landscape orientation to match the monitor.
Publish to PDF
Youll see that the options available when publishing to PDF in CorelDRAW
and Corel Ventura are nearly identical to those in Adobe Distiller and yet you
dont have to purchase anything to get those options. The one area where
Distiller outperforms CorelDRAW/Ventura is when a placed EPS file is involved. Corels method will embed the EPS file but it wont be visible on
screen. If you print PDF files with embedded PDF files to a PostScript printer,
they will print just fine. But
obviously this method
wouldnt be good if you
want to work with the file
on screen.
In order to start the process of creating a PDF file,
select File | Publish to
PDF and youll be presented with the dialog box
shown in Figure 1. Once
you have the system down,
you can simply type in a
file name, select a PDF
Style and press the Save
button. So that you can
Figure 1: The Save as PDF dialog box.
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Chapter 25: Publishing PDF Files
fully understand everything, were going to explore all the wizardry behind this
dialog. Click the Settings button at the lower right of the dialog box and youll
get the Publish to PDF dialog box.
General
Figure 2 shows the General tab of the Publish to
PDF dialog box. The two
most important settings
are Export range and Compatibility. Note that PDF
style is the equivalent of
Job Options in Distiller, if
you are familiar with
Distiller.
Selecting the Export Range
is self-explanatory. Choose
the options that describes
what you wish to have con- Figure 2: General tab of the Publish to PDF
dialog box.
verted to a PDF.
Compatability gives you
choices of which version of Adobe Reader will be able to read the file you are
creating. Choices include Acrobat 3.0, Acrobat 4.0 and Acrobat 5.0. Also
listed are PDF/X-1, PDF/X-1a and PDF/X-3. The PDF/X formats are geared
towards the prepress industry. PDF/X-1 is the standard format for ad distribution and adds support for Zip bitmap compression. All objects will be converted to CMYK and spot colors will be maintained. PDF/X-1a is a subset of
PDF/X-1 which also supports Zip bitmap compression and the conversion of
objects to CMYK. PDF/X-3 is a superset of PDF/X-1 which allows both CMYK
and non-CMYK data. Check with your output service bureau to see if you
should be using one of these special formats.
Tip: The vast majority of people have at least Acrobat Reader 5
on their system and the number with Adobe Reader 6 is
increasing every day. For that reason, it is safe to choose
Acrobat 5.0 under Compatibility with confidence that most
users will be able to read it.
338
Below Compatibility, you have the option to enter the Authors name and any
Keywords you may want to include in the file. The last choice is the ability to
either choose an existing PDF style or to create a new one. If you click the +
icon, you are asked to name a new PDF style. Clicking will delete the currently selected style.
Objects
How the various objects in a PDF file will be handled can be set in the Publish
to PDFs Objects dialog box tab shown in Figure 3.
Bitmap compression is very important for keeping file size manageable. Zip
or LZW compression gives the best quality, JPEG gives the smallest files. If
you choose JPEG, you can also choose the level of quality. Higher quality
means bigger files. If you plan on printing the file for reproduction, it is best
not to use JPEG.
Bitmap downsampling can also greatly affect file size. Choose a resolution
appropriate for the usage of the PDF file. Files to be viewed on screen will
look good at 100 to 120 dpi. Files for printing should be 150 dpi or higher.
Note that if the file contains screen shots, you may not want to downsample
those files.
It is best to embed all fonts unless you are really worried about file size. You
can also convert text to
curves, though this could
increase file size and decrease the quality of PDFs
viewed on screen. Saving a
subset of a font only includes characters youve
used and thus will decrease file size. But if
someone edits the file and
wants to add unused characters, then you are out of
luck.
Compress text and line
art should always remain
checked as it decreases file Figure 3: Objects tab of the Publish to PDF
dialog box.
size without any loss of
339
quality. Binary encoding will also help to decrease file size without any negative effects.
Document
If you have not created
anything especially geared
towards a PDF file, the
Document tab (see Figure
4) wont be that useful. But
if your documents includes
hyperlinks or bookmarks,
make sure to check the
Include hyperlinks and/or
Generate bookmarks
checkboxes. Use of these
settings is most useful
when you have used Corel Figure 4: Document tab of the Publish to PDF
dialog box.
Ventura to create an
e-book complete with Table of Contents, Index and other features geared towards creating links in
PDF files. Generate thumbnails will make the PDF bigger and is not necessary as Adobe Reader will create them automatically when the file is opened.
Note: This book was output to PDF using the Publish to PDF
function in Corel VENTURA. The table of contents in Corel
VENTURA was automatically converted to bookmarks in the
PDF file.
When the PDF is first opened by a viewer, you have the On start, display
choices of Page Only, Full Screen, Bookmarks and Thumbnails. I suggest
you leave this at Page Only. If you need more control over the look of the file
when opened, it is best that you use Adobe Acrobat to change those settings.
You would need to purchase Adobe Acrobat for that capability.
Prepress
The Prepress tab (see Figure 5) is mainly useful if you will be sending the
PDF to a print shop for output. Adding extra space for bleeds, crop marks,
registration marks and more will prepare the file for output to film. This is
quite handy if you are dealing with a service bureau that claims they wont acCorelDRAW 12 Unleashed
340
cept files from CorelDRAW

or Corel Ventura. By handing them a PDF, youve
given them a file all ready
for output.
Advanced
Probably the most important setting on the Advanced tab (see Figure 6)
is the Color Management
setting for objects. With
this drop-down you can
specify if all objects are to
be stored in Grayscale,
Figure 5: Prepress tab of the Publish to PDF
RGB or CMYK format.
dialog box.
Choose the format most
appropriate for how the
PDF will be used.
Render complex fills as
bitmaps can be quite useful if you have used any
complex gradients. Because of the way they
would be saved in the PDF,
they could render faster
and take less space as
bitmaps. In those situations, youll want to check
this box. Obviously, if you
have spot colors or specified a line screen, youll
Figure 6: Advanced tab of the Publish to PDF
want them preserved, es- dialog box.
pecially if you plan on having the job printed.
For files destined for the Web, make sure to check Optimize for Web. This
will allow individual pages to be downloaded in any order instead of simply
341
from first to last page. For

larger files and long documents, this is especially
important.
Issues
The Issues tab (see Figure
7) warns you of anything
that might affect the output of your PDF file. It is a
good idea to look over the
issues. Sometimes they are
nothing more than warnings, sometimes they are
very important. The first
Figure 7: Issues tab of the Publish to PDF
few times you get a partic- dialog box.
ular issue, read the details
and the suggestion carefully. If you find a particular warning to be bogus, check the Dont check for
this issue in the future box and you wont see that particular warning again.
Modifying PDFs with Acrobat

There are a wide variety of things
you can do to a PDF in Adobe Acrobat that you cant directly do in
CorelDRAW. Note that in order to
do the things described below,
youll have to purchase a copy of
Adobe Acrobat. Listed here are
some of the most common uses.
Security
Security can be added or changed
on a document to limit how it can
be used. The passwords are not
strong protection, but they do
Figure 8: Password Security dialog box
prevent casual piracy. Figure 8
in Adobe Acrobat 6.
342
shows the two places for adding security

and the options that are available to you.
There are two separate passwords to set.
One that you would distribute to people
who can read the document and the
other is the master password that lets
you modify the file and the security. Most
likely that password would not be passed
around.
Links
If you planned ahead, links were created
automatically from your CorelDRAW or Figure 9: Adobe Acrobats
Corel Ventura document. You can also
Create Link dialog box.
create them manually in Adobe Acrobat.
Use the Link tool to draw a box around
the object you want linked and then use the dialog in Figure 9 to determine
the behavior of the link. As you can see, you can control the appearance of
the link as well as what happens when the link is clicked.
Forms
Similarly, you can use the Form tool to draw a form field and use a dialog box
to describe how the field should work. Clearly there are many options available when creating form fields.
Web Capture
One of the most interesting uses of Acrobat is to convert Web pages to a
PDF file. Simply set the starting URL and how deep you wish to mine the site.
Note that this can take a very long time if you specify a lot of pages on a slow
connection. Use this feature carefully!
Tutorial Movies
Publish to PDF
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Chapter Wrap
By now you should understand that PDF is a very important file format for
sharing files with print service bureaus, publishers, clients and more. Understanding the many options available when making PDF files is extremely important so that you can get the best quality at the appropriate file size for the
intended use.
CorelDRAW 12
BOOT CAMP
youve learned
(800) 736-8973
www.unleash.com
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CorelDRAW 12
26
Writing Tools
This chapter discusses several of the writing tools found on the Text menu,
each of which relates to word processing functions. Well also explore other
text related commands found elsewhere in CorelDRAW. While CorelDRAW is
certainly not a word processor, it has many of the same features as popular
word processing software on the market. These features make it easier to
work with larger amounts of text without leaving CorelDRAW. But I will also
recommend that users do most of their heavy text editing in a dedicated
word processing program and then import the text into CorelDRAW for layout. In fact, it may be better to do the layout in Corel VENTURA as it is better
suited to documents with lots of text.
Find and Replace

The Edit | Find and Replace |
Find Text command provides the
capability to search for text strings
anywhere within a document. The
search can be for Artistic Text,
Paragraph Text, or both. Clicking the Match case check box (shown above)
will limit the search to only text that matches the case of the text youve entered. Once text is entered, just click the Find Next button, and the next occurrence of that particular text will be highlighted. If the text is not found, you
will be presented with the error message Search text not found.
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Chapter 26: Writing Tools
Tip: When text is found within a Paragraph text frame, the

whole frame will highlighted rather than just the text within the
frame.
Instead of just finding the text, you can use the Edit | Find and Replace |
Replace Text command so that
once the text is found, it can be
automatically replaced. Using this
option, you can choose to find the
text and replace the next instance,
or you can replace all instances of
the text. Again, you can make the
search case sensitive or not. The
Replace Text dialog box is shown
at right.
QuickCorrect
The QuickCorrect feature
performs several different
functions. Each of these
functions serve to improve
your typing skills without
requiring a typing course.
For example, QuickCorrect
can correct mistyped characters for you. It also can
help speed up your typing
by replacing a short abbreviation with longer text.
QuickCorrect works with
Figure 1. The QuickCorrect dialog box.
both Artistic and Paragraph
text.
Figure 1 shows the QuickCorrect dialog box brought up by selecting Text |
Writing Tools | QuickCorrect, with all of its options checked. The first option is Capitalize first letter of sentences. This capitalizes the first letter of a
sentencethat is, the first letter following a period (.), exclamation mark (!),
question mark (?), or the Spanish symbols [] and []. Youll find that this alCorelDRAW 12 Unleashed
346
ways capitalizes the first letter even in cases where you dont want it. For example, it will capitalize the H in http at the beginning of an Internet address.
If QuickCorrect is capitalizing in the wrong places, simply uncheck this
option.
The next option is Change straight quotes to typographic quotes. This option
automatically converts the () and () keystrokes to their curly equivalents on
the fly. This can be quite handy, because you dont need to remember the
keystrokes required to get the typographic quotes. Be careful, though, because there are times when this feature can get in the way. For example, notice that curly quotes were not wanted in the first part of this paragraph.
Tip: To type curly quotes without needing this feature, type
Alt-0145 and Alt-0146 for curly left and right quotes
respectively. Alt-0147 and Alt-0148 are the equivalent
keystrokes for left and right double quotes.
The next option, Correct two initial consecutive capitals, is for those times
when you accidentally capitalize two letters at the beginning of a word. When
activated, this feature automatically changes the second letter to lowercase if
its not followed by a space or period. This option doesnt apply to two-letter
words. While this feature can be quite useful, it can also get in the way if you
often type three letter acronyms. So if you find you are redoing text often, to
fix what QuickCorrect has changed, you may want to turn this off.
The next option, Capitalize names of days, is self-explanatory. It automatically
capitalizes the names of any days typed. Note that this also applies to
months. Its multilingual, so feel free to type names in your favorite language.
The last option, Replace text while typing, is the most powerful QuickCorrect
option. This comes in handy if theres a word you have trouble typing. An example is typing teh instead of the. You enter the incorrect spelling in the
Replace text box and the correct spelling in the With text box. Click the Add
button to put the word in QuickCorrects database. This database is saved
when you exit CorelDRAW, not immediately after you click the Add button;
therefore, the additions wont be made if CorelDRAW crashes. Another way to
use this feature is to associate an abbreviation (for example, E.T.A.) to be
spelled out (estimated time of arrival). If something is in the database that
you dont want, just select it in the bottom window and click the Delete
button. It will no longer be corrected.
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The Type Assist feature

stores this database in a
file named coreldraw.tpa,
which is found in the \Custom Data folder. It cannot
be edited outside of
CorelDRAW. If you have a
large database of correc- Figure 2. The Spell Check dialog box.
tions and abbreviations,
you can distribute it to other CorelDRAW users quite easily.
Spell Checker
A full-featured spell checker is also included for checking the spelling of both
Artistic and Paragraph text, as shown in Figure 2. You can access it by selecting Text | Writing Tools | Spell Check. When spell checking, you can
choose which range to check: Highlighted Text, Paragraph, Selected Text,
Sentence or Word. If nothing is selected, the whole file will be checked.
When a misspelled word is found, it is shown in the Not found box at the bottom of the dialog box. The suggested replacement is shown in the Replace
with box and any other potential replacements are shown in the Replacements box. You can either select one of the suggested replacements or type
something else in the Replace with box. Once the correct word is entered,
press the Replace button and the change will take place. You can also use the
Skip Once to skip the current occurrence of the word or the Skip All button
to ignore all occurrences. If you want to add the word to the dictionary so
that it doesnt get flagged in the future, press the Add button.
Using Auto Replace will automatically replace words reported as misspelled
words with the suggested replacements
without any user input. For those who
want even more options, click the Options button to get a drop-down menu.
While this feature is available in
CorelDRAW, I would suggest doing large
spell checks in a word processor before
bringing the text into CorelDRAW.
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Automatic Spell Checking

Oftentimes a better option for spell checking is to use the automatic settings.
If a word is suspected to be spelled wrong, it will be underlined with a red
squiggly line as shown at
right. If you right-click on
the word with the text tool,
you will get a list of suggested replacements as
well as the choice to ignore
the word or bring up the
Spell Checker dialog box.
Given that CorelDRAW is
not really built to handle large amounts of text, most users will find the automatic spell checker to be the best way to ensure accurate spelling.
Grammatik
Just like you can check for
spelling errors, Text | Writing Tools | Grammatik
will bring up the
Grammatik grammar
checker shown above. This
is the same tool included Figure 3. The Thesaurus dialog box.
with Corel WordPerfect.
Youll find that not only does Grammatik find grammar errors, it can also correct spelling along the way. All of the options discussed earlier for Spell
Check are equally applicable for using Grammatik.
Thesaurus
The Text | Writing Tools | Thesaurus
command brings up a fully functional
electronic thesaurus, as shown in Figure
3.
To use the thesaurus, simply type a word
in the text box and then click the Look
Up button. A list of replacement words
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and definitions will be provided for you. In cases where the word you looked
up is not found, you will receive an error message.
Language
Users who need to work with more than
one language can easily switch to another language. Just choose Text | Writing Tools | Language to get the dialog
box at right. Choose the language you
want to use. If there are more languages
listed than you have available, make sure
to check Show available languages only
so that you dont see something you
arent able to select. If you check Save as
default Writing Tools language then the
chosen language will become the default.
Text Statistics
Choosing Text | Text Statistics
provides you with many statistics,
such as the number of linked
frames, paragraphs, lines, words,
and characters in the text block
you have selected. It will also list
the number by language as well
as fonts being used. Remember
that the fonts could simply be part
of a style and not necessarily a
font applied to text in the docuFigure 4: Document Information dialog
ment. If you want to see style in- box.
formation, you can check the
Show style statistics checkbox. An example of these statistics is shown above.
Document Info
If the text statistics just dont give you enough information, then youll want to
choose File | Document Info to get the dialog box shown in Figure 4. In it
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you will find details about the file, the document, graphic objects, text statistics, bitmaps, styles, effects, fills, outlines and much more. It is a very good
idea to check this list before printing a file to make sure you have all the fonts
identified, all the correct color models and anything else that might not be
right. Even better, you can press the Print button to print out the document
information for a thorough review.
Chapter Wrap
Even though CorelDRAW is not a word processor, the features discussed in
this chapter give you same tools available in Corel WordPerfect. This allows
you to make sure the text you have included in your files is as error free as
possible.
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CorelDRAW 12
27
Fonts, Font Management

& Typography
When Corel first started as a company, it introduced a product called Corel

Headline as an add-on to Ventura Publisher. Headline had the ability to apply
numerous special effects to one of the many fonts that were included. Back
in 1988, many fonts meant less than 50. Corel Headline later became
known as CorelDRAW, and the number of fonts included is now well over
1,000. Working with a large number of fonts provides great freedom for a designer, but managing the fonts can be tricky.
I find that most users dont understand the various formats of fonts that currently exist in the marketplace. So, Ill explain each of the formats and give
you some guidelines on how each format is best used. With the plethora of
fonts available, the problem of font substitution crops up quite often. Quite
often CorelDRAW users will install all of the included fonts and find that their
system screeches to a halt. Ill explain the correct way to use the fonts that
come with CorelDRAW.
What Is a Font?
The definition of a font has changed since type became available on computers. A font used to be a specific size and weight of a specific font family. For
example, Helvetica 12 point was a single font, Helvetica 14 point was another
font, and Helvetica Bold 12 point was yet another font.
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Now a font is a specific weight of a specific font family. The point size isnt
part of the definition because digital fonts are fully scaleable to any point size.
No longer are fonts metal blocks of a specific size. Now fonts are stored as
mathematical equations that can be reproduced on the screen and in print.
Font Formats
When you purchase a computer, you choose which operating system to install. There are several popular operating systems to choose from, each with
its pros and cons. Likewise, you can choose among fonts. There are two major formats in the world of fontsPostScript and TrueTypeand a third format, OpenType, will soon replace the existing two. A few other fonts and
technologies are available as well. Most people are aware that these different
formats are available, but they dont understand the benefits of each and how
to make an intelligent choice between them. The result is that most users
choose a font format to use without considering the consequences of that
choice. Many times this misinformed choice will cause future problems that
can get very expensive.
TrueType Format
TrueType was invented by Apple Computer to compete
with the PostScript technology. For historians, the original
name was Royal Type. It was less expensive for Apple to
create its own font format than to license the PostScript
technology from Adobe. TrueType was later licensed by
Microsoft to include in Microsofts operating systems. Unlike PostScript fonts, TrueType fonts have no corresponding page description
language.
TrueType characters are created using quadratic B-splines. Thus, when a
TrueType character is converted to curves in CorelDRAW, it has more nodes
than the same character in a PostScript font.
TrueType support is built in to Windows 3.1 and higher. It has become the default standard on Windows platforms because of Microsofts influence, but
has been very poorly received on the Macintosh.
TrueType fonts are rasterized by the operating system except when they are
printed on a PostScript printer. In that case, they are converted to a Post-
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Chapter 27: Fonts, Font Management & Typography
Script font and then downloaded. This conversion process causes a degradation in quality and a slight delay in printing.
When TrueType fonts were released, the market was flooded with new fonts.
Many of these fonts were of extremely low quality and bundled in large quantities. While the temptation to purchase these font packages is very high, be
very careful as they can cause problems when you use them. This is true of
any of the font formats bundled in large quantities for a very low price. Remember that the cost of a font for a major project is minimal compared to
the cost of having to reprint film.
PostScript Fonts
The PostScript Type 1 font format was invented by Adobe
Systems in the 1980s and became the worldwide standard
for digital type software. Although it is the font format used
in the PostScript page description language, it does not require a PostScript printer to be used. When used with a
PostScript printer, the font is directly downloaded to the
printer rather than being rasterized (converted to a bitmap)
and then sent to the printer.
Characters in a PostScript font are constructed using bzier curves, which
just happens to be the same method CorelDRAW uses to create curves. This
approach is especially beneficial when you convert a font to curves, as fewer
nodes are needed to accurately describe the shape.
To display PostScript fonts on the screen (and print them on non-PostScript
printers), the Adobe Type Manager (ATM) utility is required for Windows.
Starting with Windows 2000, it was built directly into Windows and so you
dont have to install anything extra.
PostScript fonts are supported across many different operating systems, and
more than 30,000 different fonts are available. Some of these fonts are what
are called expert sets that include extra characters such as old-style figures,
small caps, ligatures, and other variations. Expert sets are
extremely useful for professional typography.
OpenType
After years of battling over font formats, Microsoft and
Adobe called a truce in the spring of 1996. The result of
the truce is the OpenType font format. In essence, it comCorelDRAW 12 Unleashed
354
bines the PostScript and TrueType formats into one single format. This
means that either font format is fully supported by current versions of
Windows.
This new format is really an extension of TrueType called TrueType Open v2.
Fonts designed for TrueType Open will support much larger character sets,
and applications will be able to perform great typographical tricks with them.
Strangely, it does not include typographic characters such as ligatures in the
thousands of characters it supports. Note that while the technical name is
TrueType Open, the more common name is OpenType. This is mainly to
avoid the bad reputation that TrueType has earned among graphics
professionals.
TrueDoc
TrueDoc is not so much a font format as a technology. It works with the other
formats to create a synthetic variation on the font that can be embedded in
your CorelDRAW file.
When you embed a font in your file, the character shape recorder (CSR) is invoked, and it creates a synthetic glyph for each character necessary. This
synthetic font is called a portable font resource (PFR). The recipient of your
file can load it, and the character shape player (CSP) will re-create the font
data from the PFR. It can be re-created as either a bitmap or a vector. When
sent to the printer, it can even be sent in PostScript format so there are no
printing problems associated with it. In addition, you should see no degradation in quality, although, because of the conversions, the conversion may not
be exact.
Font embedding using TrueDoc is available in the File Save dialog box of
CorelDRAW, as described in Chapter 22.
Choosing a Font Format

Most users do not make a conscious decision regarding which format to use.
Instead they just use the format that is forced upon them.
Before deciding which format to use, keep the following points in mind: Both
TrueType and PostScript are just as easy to install and use when you use the
Font Navigator utility program described a little later in this chapter. All of the
fonts included with CorelDRAW are supplied in both TrueType and PostScript
format. There is no extra cost to use either format. You can even use both
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formats at the same time and in the same document. Or you can begin a
document with one format and finish it with the other just by loading the
other font formatthe fonts have exactly the same internal names.
If you will be using a PostScript printer at any time, either in your own office
or at a service bureau, you really should use PostScript fonts. Many service
bureaus will refuse jobs that use TrueTypeand for good reason. Files that
use only a single TrueType font can cause output errors and can even cause
the imagesetter to crash in rare instances.
If you will be using Adobe Acrobat Distiller to create online documents, this
program will behave much better if you use PostScript fonts. TrueType fonts
generally become embedded under a really obscure font name that will not
always be recognized by other machines.
If you have other software that supports only TrueType, you may need to use
TrueType. An example of this is fax software and 3D rendering programs.
Many of these do support both formats, but there are exceptions.
Even after considering these issues, many users may still be tempted to use
TrueType no matter what since it is endorsed by Microsoft and it just seems
easier. Ive worked with several clients in the sign cutting industry who complained about the quality of the lettering in the signs they generated with
CorelDRAW. The problem was more noticeable to sign cutters as they commonly output letters that are several feet high. After researching the problem,
I realized that it was TrueType that was causing the awful output. The clients
switched immediately to PostScript and saw a dramatic change in the quality
of their signs. Note that the fonts in question are from the same foundry and
are the fonts supplied with CorelDRAW.
Font Management
No matter how often I cover the subject of fonts, people are always having
trouble keeping their fonts under control. Computer programs tend to install
fonts without even asking your permission. And then there are users who feel
obligated to install every font they own. However they get there, these fonts
can all create serious problems with your system. In a worst case scenario,
Windows will not even start due to font problems.
Managing your fonts is necessary for this reason: if your fonts are installed,
theyre always in your computers memory and always available to every program, eating up valuable space and resources. But its not necessary to have
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every font available to every program. Not only do you not use every font every day, but some fonts wont work with some programs, so all those extra
fonts sit there, needlessly taking up space and slowing down your computer.
If we move these unnecessary fonts out of Windows, we can control them.
Cleaning Things Up
Some of you will be reading this and thinking Yeah, hes right. I should clean
up my fonts. But then youll put the book aside and forget about it. Trust
me: If you spend a little time now to get your fonts in order, youll find that
you and your computer will be much happier in the future.
To start, lets move many of the
fonts out of your Windows Fonts
folder. This is definitely the most
difficult part of the task. Go to
your Start menu and bring up
Settings | Control Panel |
Fonts. Within the Fonts window
(see Figure 1), you will see as
many as four different types of
icons representing different formats of fonts.
Lets go over each of the four
types of fonts identified in Figure
Figure 1: Control Panel Fonts window.
1. I have placed big numbers in
black circles to the right of the
font icon being discussed. The first font is a PostScript Type 1 font, and it is
always indicated by the lowercase letter a. Another thing to notice about
our PostScript font is the small arrow at the lower left of the icon. This indicates that it is just a shortcut and that the actual font files are stored outside
of the Fonts folder. This is definitely a good thing!
The icon Ive labeled number 2 is the icon for a TrueType font. These fonts
are supported by all versions of Windows 3.1 and higher. Some TrueType
fonts can have extended character sets that require a newer version of Windows and an application that supports the extended character set (to get at
the extra characters).
Fonts with the red A icon (number 3) are screen fonts. Most modern programs will not use these fonts for anything but text in dialog boxes.
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CorelDRAW definitely does not use them for artwork. Since they are generally
required by the system for dialog boxes, they should not be deleted when
cleaning up your system.
The last font Ive labeled is the OpenType font identified with the number 4.
OpenType fonts are only supported by Windows 2000 and Windows XP. Inside of an OpenType font, the data can be in either TrueType or PostScript
format and can also contain extended character sets. As OpenType is technically an extension of TrueType, many programs will see these fonts as
TrueType.
There is one other type of font that I havent labeled or discussed. Single line
fonts are often used by engraving software, but they cannot be used in
CorelDRAW. I know this is something thats often requested, but they just
wont ever work because they have no shape. If you do find them and want
to use them, leave them where you found them.
Deleting Fonts
Now that each of the major font types has been identified, we need to start
deleting things. Do not delete screen fonts they are quite essential. You
should also make sure to keep a small number of TrueType fonts that are
supplied with Windows. These include Arial, Courier New, Symbol, Times
New Roman and Wingdings. Another group is quite often used by software;
that group includes Comic Sans, Marlett and Tahoma. If possible, just move
these fonts to another folder (Ill tell you how in Adding Your Fonts below).
Ive found that sometimes youll have trouble doing this because the fonts are
in use. To work around this, boot the operating system to a command
prompt (DOS) and move them from there by using either the Copy or Move
command. Any fonts that I havent already mentioned probably can be deleted. If you are apprehensive about deleting fonts, you can always move
them to another folder before deleting. This way youll always have a copy if
you need it later.
Sometimes you cant figure where a font has come from, so you dont know
whether to keep it or not. In those cases, Microsoft has a very nice list on
their Web site you can check. Youll find it at
http://www.Microsoft.com/typography/fonts/default.asp. If you cant find your
mystery fonts there, check the installation CDs of any other programs you
have installed. Figuring out which program the fonts belong to will help you
determine whether or not to keep them installed. Remember, our whole goal
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is to get the fonts out of the Windows Fonts folder to help your computer run
more smoothly.
Adding Your Fonts

Once youve cleaned out the Fonts folder, its time to start adding fonts back
to your system. But this time were going to do it the correct way. Instead of
installing the fonts, were simply going to copy them to your hard drive. For
CorelDRAW users, the fonts will take up somewhere between 50 MB and 70
MB of space. In a world filled with multi-gigabyte hard drives, this is a very
small amount of space. If you are using other programs that supply fonts,
you can follow this same procedure with only minor modifications. What you
do need to monitor is installation programs that automatically stick fonts in
the Windows Fonts folder without giving you a choice. If that happens, immediately move them to another folder so they can be properly managed.
1. Create a folder named Fonts and then subfolders entitled TT (for
TrueType), PS (PostScript) or both in the Fonts folder to which you will
copy the files. It is important that the names be as short as possible.
2. On the CorelDRAW 12 CD #3, locate the Fonts folder. In this folder you
will find another folder Type1. Go into either the Ttf or Type1 folder,
depending on which type of font you wish to use. Ttf contains the
TrueType fonts and Type1 contains the PostScript Type 1 fonts. You
dont need both, because they are the same fonts in two different
formats.
3. Copy all of the folders from within the Ttf to your newly created TT folder
or from the Type1 folder to your PS folder. This may take a few minutes.
Youve now copied all of the fonts to your hard drive. There are just a couple
of steps remaining. All of the files you copied from the CD-ROM are still
marked as Read-Only, if you are using Windows 2000. This isnt the case for
Windows XP users. So, the first thing we need to do is remove the Read-Only
attribute. This will take a few minutes, but you only have to do it once. It is
important to remove this so that you have the ability to delete them or replace them with newer versions in the future. Plus if you want to delete the
AFM files mentioned later, you cant do it without removing Read-Only.
Removing Read-Only
1. Go into one of the folders that you copied. For example, the first folder
inside of TT or PS should be A. Select all of the files inside of that folder
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by clicking on the first one, scrolling to the end of the list and
Shift-clicking on the last one.
2. Press Alt-Enter to bring up the
Properties dialog box. Youll probably
notice a checkmark in the Read-only
checkbox, as shown in Figure 2. If it
isnt there, great. But if it is, click on it
to remove it.
Repeat these last two steps for each
folder of fonts. It will only take ten minutes or so. For those who choose to copy
the PostScript fonts, there will be some
extra files copied that can be deleted.
They all have the AFM extension, and you
would only need them if you planned to
use the fonts in a DOS program. If you
go into each folder again, order the
folder by extension and then mass-delete
the AFM files. This is a little bit more of a
hassle, but it will free up some wasted
space on your hard drive. For those who Figure 2: Properties dialog box
with Read-only checked.
choose TrueType, this isnt necessary.
If you have other programs that supply
fonts, repeat the whole process for each program. In less than an hour, you
should be able to copy all fonts from all programs. It is very important to note
that we have done nothing more than copy these fonts to your hard drive.
They are not taking up Windows resources, and they can not immediately be
used by any of your software. That will be the next step we take.
Even though it may seem as if you havent accomplished much, you have
made your system run much more efficiently. Youve also put all your fonts
on your hard drive so that they can be used in the future.
Managing Your Fonts

Ive talked about how to rid your system of excess fonts on your computer
and the proper way to copy fonts onto your hard drive. Thats only half of the
battle. Now we need to use another program to manage your fonts.
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Bitstream Font Navigator

Probably the best feature about Bitstream Font Navigator is that you already
own a copy. It is automatically installed with CorelDRAW 12 unless you specifically chose not to install it. First, check and see if you have a copy. The
shortcut would be stored in the Start menu as CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
12 | Bitstream Font Navigator.
Go ahead and run Font Navigator.
The first time you do this, youll
get a dialog box explaining that it
needs to find all the fonts on your
system as shown in Figure 3.
Read through everything and click
Next. Now youll see the dialog
box in Figure 4. Here you can select where it will find fonts on your
system.
It is important to only select deFigure 3: Font Navigator Welcome
vices that can not be removed.
Dont select floppies, CD-ROMs or Screen.
network drives. You also want to
make sure to select Include
subfolders. This way everything
on the selected drives will be
found. Click Next to this dialog
and then Finish on the dialog box
that follows. Once the search
starts, it will take anywhere from a
couple of minutes to as much as
half an hour. It depends on the
speed of your system, the size of
the drives selected and the number of files on those drives. Typi- Figure 4: Font Navigator Wizard dialog
cally, it only takes five to ten
for selecting where to search for fonts.
minutes. As Font Navigator is
searching, youll have a dialog similar to the one shown at right that indicates
how many fonts have been found.
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When the search for fonts is finished youll be presented with the
main Font Navigator window
shown in Figure 5. The upper left
window shows the fonts found on
your system. Unless there is a
checkmark next to them, they are
not installed and are not using any resources on your computer. In the upper
right window is a list of all installed fonts. Just above the window is the number of fonts currently installed. Keeping the number as low as possible is a
good thing and you
definitely dont want
it to exceed 300.
Well discuss the
other two panes as
we learn more
about Font
Navigator.
To install fonts, you
simply drag them
from the upper left
window to the upper
right window.
Uninstalling fonts is
just as easy, simply
drag from the upper
right window to the Figure 5: The Font Navigator main screen.
upper left. You
might notice that by adding or removing a font, the number of installed fonts
jumps by more than one. This is because each font listed can represent a
family of four fonts. To know for sure how many fonts are represented, look
at the preview of the font(s) in the lower right window.
Preview, did I say preview? The cool thing is that you can preview any font on
your hard drive regardless of whether it is installed. Right-click in the preview
window and you can select the size of the preview, the text used in the preview and much more.
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Want even more details on a font?

Right-click on the font name in the upper
left window and choose Properties from
the pop-up menu. The first thing youll
see is general info on the font as seen in
Figure 6. Even more interesting is the
Character Chart, shown in Figure 7,
which shows every available character in
the font. Click on the character you want
to use and the keystroke for that character is shown at the bottom of the dialog.
While adding and removing fonts one by
one is a great feature, it is even better if
you use Font Groups. You may have noticed several groups listed in the lower
left window of Figure 5. To create a
Figure 6: Font Properties
group, right-click in the window and se- General dialog box.
lect New Group from the pop-up menu
that appears. Once you have the group,
give it an appropriate name. Then drag
fonts from the font list onto the group.
The idea is that you would create a group
for a particular project or client. When
you work on that project, drag the font
group to the installed fonts window. After
the project is finished, uninstall the
group. This is certainly one of the most
powerful features of Font Navigator.
One other feature worth pointing out is
the ease with which you can print sample
sheets. Select any fonts for which you
want sample sheets and select File |
Print Samples. There are three types of
sample sheets available; sample, family Figure 7: Font Properties
and character charts. I would suggest
Character Chart dialog box.
you print all three of a single font so that
you can see what each contains. Then
decide which samples to use when printing larger numbers. Note that you
363
can print samples of every

font, but it will take quite a
long time and use a lot of
paper.
Youve undoubtedly seen
some great features already, but Ive saved the
best for last. Font Navigator is integrated with
CorelDRAW. This means
that if you open a
CorelDRAW file that is
missing fonts that are in
your Font Navigator cata- Figure 8: Options dialog box for linking Font
log, they will be installed
Navigator and CorelDRAW.
automatically. To make
sure this option is turned on, go to Tools | Options | Workspace | Text |
Fonts to get the dialog box shown in Figure 8. Make sure Use Font Navigator Catalog on Open is selected. Unless someone has changed this setting,
it is on by default.
Basic Typography
To design a font, it is important to at least understand the basics of typography. By no means will this briefing make you an expert, but hopefully it will
help you on your way to understanding the intricacies of designing a font and
make it easier for you to create a good font on the first try.
Typographical
Terms
Cap Height
X Height
HOqd
Figure 9 shows several

Baseline
characters and how they
Descender
relate to some basic typographic terms. The baseFigure 9: Basic typography terms.
line is an imaginary
horizontal reference line
upon which the characters align themselves. Note that some characters will
extend slightly below this line. The cap height line is another imaginary line
364
that defines the height of the capital letters. Again, notice how some characters extend slightly above this line. The cap height is usually about 2/3 of the
point size, but this is not true of fonts from all foundries. The x-height is defined as the height of a lowercase letter. Characters with ascenders include b,
d, f, h, k, l, and t. The descenders include g, j, p, q, and y. In old roman typefaces the ascenders will extend above the cap height. Descenders are not
necessarily always the same, some may descend farther than others.
Ligatures
Figure 10 shows several of the more common ligatures, and below are the
same characters typed in the normal way. There are five different ligatures
shown (fi, ff, fl, ffi, and fflnote that most Windows programs dont support
these characters unless they are remapped into non-standard locations which
is commonly the case in expert set typefaces). Ligatures were created for
these characters so that they could be set closer together. They also have
been shown to increase legibility. Diphthongs (see Figure 11) also are considered ligatures. There are occasionally
several other ligatures within a typeface,
but they are not very common.
Old Style Numerals
Numbers come in two forms (shown in Figure 10: LIgatures.

Figure 12). The top showing is called
Old Style or nonaligning, and the bottom
showing is called Modern or lining. These
should be used in a style consistent with
your document. Numbers under 100 are
usually spelled out, unless they relate to
references and they should always be
spelled out at the beginning of a senFigure 11: Diphthongs.
tence. Some style books change this rule
to ten and under, so consult the style
book for your particular project.
Small Capitals
Small capitals (see Figure 13) are designed to match the x-height of a particuFigure 12: Old style and modern
lar typeface. Many fonts do not include
numbers.
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true small capitals and so they are created by reducing the point size by two
sizes (or 80%). These characters very often appear lighter and look out of
place, as in the first line of Figure 13. True-cut small caps are the same
height as the x-height and are usually
equal to the normal cap width. Small
caps should be used for abbreviations of
awards, decorations, honors, titles, degrees, etc., following a persons name.
They should also be used for time as
shown in Figure 13.
Swash Characters
Swash characters (see Figure 14) are alternate characters with extra flourishes
on them. They are meant to be used for
an initial capital or an occasional alternate character, but they should be used Figure 13: Small capitals.
conservatively.
Tips for More Attractive Documents

Quotes and Apostrophes: Do not use the and keys to indicate quotes
and apostrophes. Instead use Alt-0147
for open quotes and Alt-0148 for close
quotes. The single quotes are Alt-0145
for open and Alt-0146 for close.
Dashes: The em-dash, Alt-0151, is used Figure 14: Swash characters.
to separate two thoughts in a sentence.
An en-dash, Alt-0150, is used to separate two dates or times. Sometimes a
space is added before and after an em-dash or an en-dash. This is incorrect.
If you must have space, use a thin space.
Spaces: Always put a single space between sentences. Two spaces were necessary when using a typewriter with its monospace type, but when using proportional type, it looks horrible.
All Caps and Underlining: Again, this was necessary when using a typewriter
to give emphasis to a section of text. But, it looks hideous when using proportional type. Use bold or italic type instead, and if you must have all caps,
set them in small caps.
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Bullets: No more asterisks, hyphens, lowercase os, etc. Now you can use
real bullets. But, dont go overboard. Stick to bullets, circles and squares.
Avoid pointy fingers, arrows, snowflakes, etc. unless you have a very good
reason to use them. For example, you might use a snowflake bullet for a
skiing brochure.
Punctuation: Punctuation should go after a parenthesis if what is inside the
parenthesis is part of the sentence. This applies to periods, commas, semicolons and colons. Question marks and exclamation points are normally
exceptions to this rule.
Typing numbers: Dont type a lowercase L (l) when you need a one (1), or a
lowercase O (o) when you need a zero (0). This not only looks bad, but it creates problems for a spell-checker.
Abbreviations: Spell out words rather than abbreviating them whenever possible. Its rarely necessary to abbreviate a word or state names. If you abbreviate a state, then use the postal form of two capital letters with no period.
Where to Get More Information

Ive presented a brief overview of typography and several situations that often
confuse electronic publishers. Should you need more information, the following books might be of interest.
The Chicago Manual of Style, The AP Style Book, a style book relevant to
your company or the company youre doing a project for.
The PC is not a Typewriter by Robin Williams. Suggested price is $9.95.
The TypEncyclopedia by Frank J. Romano. This one might be a little more
difficult to find, but worth searching out if you want to learn more about type
and typography.
Type and Typefaces by J. Ben Lieberman. This probably is even harder to
find, but it is an excellent source for learning about the origins of type, how to
identify typefaces, and to see specimens of more than 1000 faces.
Tutorial Movies
Font Navigator
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Chapter Wrap
This chapter has taught you about the various types of fonts, the best way to
manage them for use in CorelDRAW and provided tips for making your type
look good. With this knowledge, your system should run better and the look
of your documents is sure to improve.
CorelDRAW 12
BOOT CAMP
youve learned
(800) 736-8973
www.unleash.com
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CorelDRAW 12
28
Web Graphics
When we talk about creating something for the Web, quite often there is confusion about what this really means. So lets first go over the two major options. Then, well focus on the different ways of creating graphics for a Web
site.
Web Pages and Sites

CorelDRAW does have the ability to create Web pages. If you are in a hurry
and need to show a quick comp to a client of what their Web site will look
like, then CorelDRAW can create that page, but it should not be used for the
finished page. There are a number of reasons for this, most of which involve
the lack of ways to optimize the contents of the page: the HTML code will be
bloated, the page wont contain any keywords or descriptions, the graphics
will be larger than they need to be and not all features are supported.
Now, there will be a number of you who like this option because it seems
easy and you dont want to learn how to use another program. The old saying
about using the appropriate tool for the job comes into play here. Sure, youll
have the learning curve of a new application, but it will allow you to create
higher-quality work leading to happier clients. Not to mention that youll have
the tools to create a much richer Web page.
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Chapter 28: Web Graphics
Web Graphics
Again, CorelDRAW does have the ability to create Web graphics. In some
cases, it is the best tool for the job. But were going to use CorelDRAW and
Corel PHOTO-PAINT together to get the results we desire. The reason for
this is that Web graphics, for the most part, are bitmaps. Corel
PHOTO-PAINT is a bitmap editor. So it gives us a larger set of tools for getting the highest quality bitmaps at the smallest size. And that is the key to
Web graphics.
That doesnt mean that we cant use good old CorelDRAW to create our
graphics. In our first project, were going to do exactly that. But, well finish
the project in Corel PHOTO-PAINT so that we can best optimize the artwork
we created in CorelDRAW.
Which File Format

There are two major file formats in use on the Web today. It is important for
us to decide which file format to use. Sometimes this is a decision that is
made before even creating the graphic. Other times, youll create the
graphics first and then decide which format works best.
If your artwork has a limited number of colors, large areas of solid color or
contains text, then youll probably want to use the GIF format. GIF files are
limited to no more than 256 colors so they dont work as well for photographic images but will give the best looking and smallest files. GIF also supports a single transparent color. This means that the resulting image can
have an irregular shape. With only a single color of transparency, you cant
have things like drop shadows that blend with the background of your Web
page. GIF also supports animation. This is just a way of storing multiple images within a single file and having the frames change at specified intervals.
Artwork that is photographic is best saved in JPEG format. JPEG uses lossy
compression to make full-color images very small. But this lossy compression means that data is thrown away and can never be recovered. The result
of the compression is usually some fuzziness in the image but is particularly
destructive to text. JPEG does not support any form of transparency or animation. It should only be used for plain old square photographs.
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Using the Correct Colors

Graphic artists are used to designing things in full color; and we have systems that show us the artwork in full color. Keep in mind that all users are not
seeing things in 24-bit color. If we were designing a site for graphic designers,
then we could assume that the vast majority could see things in full color.
Most sites, though, need to be developed with the masses in mind. So we
need to use colors that work for everyone. There are a set of 216 colors
called Web safe colors that will do the trick. In CorelDRAW we want to load
the color palette labeled Web-safe colors. Now that weve mentioned the
Web safe colors, well also tell you that they arent nearly as important as
they once were. Why? Because more and more users are using a 24-bit display. Today you can safely use other colors. One thing that will always be important is to choose colors in RGB because that color model is optimized for
screen display.
How Big is the Browser Window?

That is a really tough question to answer. Remember that most statistics you
see only tell us the size of the monitor. That doesnt mean that users run their
browser full-screen. As an example, I use a monitor with a resolution of 1600
x 1200 pixels. But, I prefer to keep my browser window running at 800 x 600
pixels, so that I can have other applications open and visible at the same
time. So, if we take this into account, it is very important that we not assume
that people have their
browsers at a higher
resolution.
I highly recommend that
you design Web pages with
the assumption that users
are running their browsers
at 800 x 600 or lower. By
the time you exclude the
space taken up by scroll
bars, button bars, title bars
and other parts of the
browser window; the active
area is only about 770 x
Figure 1: A typical browser window.
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450 pixels. Figure 1 shows the Internet Explorer browser and its available
design area.
This doesnt mean that everything must fit in that area. But, it does tell you
that you should keep stuff no wider than 750 pixels, to prevent people from
having to scroll back and forth. It also means that no single image should be
taller than 450 pixels if you want someone to see all of it at once. Sure, there
are exceptions to these rules, but keep your users in mind before breaking
the rules. If they get frustrated, they dont return.
How Big Should the Files Be?

This is a very tricky question and the answer really depends on the connection people have to the Internet. If the person viewing the page has a fast
connection, the size of files isnt nearly as important. The majority of people,
two-thirds of users, still have a modem that connects at 56K or less. At
28.8K connection speeds, under ideal conditions, data will download at approximately 2K per second. Ideal conditions means the Web server can send
the information as fast as the user can receive it. This isnt always the case.
That would mean that you get 4K per second on a good 56K connection.
We still have to answer the question. If the user can receive 2K per second, it
would take them 30 seconds to receive 60K of data. Ask yourself if the average person is willing to wait 30 seconds to find out what your Web site has to
say. Be honest with yourself. Quite often the answer tells you to put the
graphics on a diet. So this means that everything on a page has to fit in no
more than 60K. That includes all graphics and the HTML page itself. So
weve got to keep those graphics as small as possible or the users will stay
away.
Tip: Studies have shown that the average person is only willing
to wait eight seconds for a page to display.
Creating a GIF
File
For simplicity, were going to start
with a file of a Web button. The
file can be found on the books
Buy from
& support unleash.com
Figure 2: The artwork of a Web button.
372
CD as webbutton.cdr.
When you first load the file,
youll get the image in Figure 2.
With some graphics, you
may need to change the
colors of the objects so
that they come from the
Web-safe palette. For this
graphic, it would be fairly
easy, as there are only a
few objects. If there were
more objects, youd just
have to work a little harder.
For those who want an
easy way to convert to Web Figure 3:Export dialog box.
safe colors, you can download a script from at http://www.oberonplace.com which globally changes
colors to their closest Web-safe
color.
For this graphic, all the necessary
color changes have already been
made. But each graphic will need
to be edited in a slightly different
manner. Just remember to keep
things small and simple to get the
best possible Web graphic. Details
of the graphic just arent going to
show very well when output at
small pixel sizes.
So, now that the graphic is done,
were ready to export the file to
GIF format. The first dialog box
we see (Figure 3) asks us to
name the file and choose the format. You want to choose
Figure 4: Convert to Bitmap dialog
Compuserve GIF from the list of
box.
373
file types. It is also important to click the Selected Only checkbox if it is

available so that you only export parts of the graphic that you want. Once you
click Save, youll get the dialog box shown in Figure 4.
First, we need to select the size. Prior to beginning the project, we made the
decision that all buttons should be 150 pixels in width. So, well type in 150
pixels for the width and make sure that the Maintain aspect ratio checkbox
is checked. That way the height will be automatically updated.
Next up is resolution. It doesnt matter what you enter here as GIF files do not
store resolution. With that being said, I always use 100 dpi as it is a nice
round number. Why? Because it is a nice round number and it looks better.
Since it isnt stored, it is just something to type in the boxes.
For color, we have limited choices when exporting from CorelDRAW. But in
almost all cases, youll want to selected Paletted (8-bit). Youll see later that
Corel PHOTO-PAINT allows us to work in RGB color much later in the process. This limitation is a very good reason to not export directly to GIF from
CorelDRAW. Youll see more reasons in a minute.
Anti-aliasing smooths out the edges of graphics so that the jaggies arent as
apparent. This is a good thing. But with every good, comes a little bad. It
does this by adding more colors. So instead of having a graphic with only 6
or 7 colors, we now have well over 50 colors. More colors makes for a bigger
file. So, youll need to ask yourself if anti-aliasing is worth the extra file size.
But wait, theres one more problem. Anti-aliasing also creates a halo around
graphics. In this example, the outside edge is black. So the anti-aliasing will
add several shades of gray to smooth out that line. GIF will allow one color to
be transparent. So, if we choose white as our transparent color, youll still see
the light gray colors around the edge and they will look something like a
halo. So, it is best if you dont use transparency and you place an object with
the background color of the Web site behind the graphic. That way the halo
will merge with the same color as your Web background. For this example,
Im going to use anti-aliasing.
I bet you didnt realize how difficult it would be to make these decisions, did
you? Guess what, theres more! The Dithered checkbox will mix two colors to
simulate a color that doesnt exist in the palette. This can make a graphic
look better. But the dithering will also decrease the efficiency of the GIF compression algorithm. So it will always increase the size of the file and wont
necessarily improve the image. For the majority of images it is best to not use
any dithering. The exceptions would be graphics with lots of color that do not
374
lend themselves to JPG format

meaning something with intricate
lines that would be destroyed by
JPG compression. Small text is a
very good example of this. I will
not be using Dithering in this
example.
Using color profiles makes sense
for graphics that youll be printing.
But, for Web graphics it will destroy the colors you see on
screen. The exception would be if
you have designed your graphics
in CMYK and you have Color Correction enabled for your on-screen
display. In that case, choosing Use
color profile will export the GIF exFigure 5: Convert to Paletted dialog
actly as you see on screen. We
have been working in RGB mode box.
and therefore will leave Apply ICC
profile unchecked.
As GIF files can have no more
than 256 colors, were presented
with Figure 5 for controlling the
conversion.
For Smoothing, I suggest a small
number like 10. While Palette has
several choices that may look appropriate, the best choice is Optimized. This will retain the most
popular colors in the image and
should keep the resulting image
as close as possible to the original. Dithering for this file should
be set to None. Again, you only
want to use Dithering on images
that contain well over 256 colors. Figure 6: Range Sensitivity Options.
375
That leaves us with the number of

colors. We want to start by typing
in 2. Is the resulting image acceptable? If so, youre done. If
not, type in 4 and ask yourself the
same question. Continue doubling
the number until the result is acceptable. If you will be using
transparency, decrease the final
number by one. As an example,
32 provides the best result for this
image. So, well subtract one and
end up with 31. The 32nd color
will be the transparent color.
Sometimes, you wont be happy
with the result because one color
just wont come through very well.
This is where the Range Sensitivity Figure 7: Processed Palette
can help. Check the Color range information.
sensitivity checkbox. Now, use the
Eyedropper (it doesnt appear unless the box is checked) to select the color
to which you want to be sensitive. Once youve chosen the color, you can adjust the sensitivity. Click the Range
Sensitivity tab to see the dialog
box shown in Figure 6. Play with
each of the sliders until you get
the desired result. For our sample
image, this feature isnt really
needed.
Clicking on the Processed Palette
tab will show you each of the colors in the final image as shown in
Figure 7. If you want, you can
edit any of these colors or save
the palette for use with other images. Once finished, click OK.
Figure 8: GIF Export dialog box.
376
Click OK and youll get the GIF Export dialog box shown in Figure 8. Youll
see the original graphic on the left and the file as it will be saved on the right.
If you want transparency, click the Image Color radio button. The obvious
color to use for transparency in this image would be white. To properly select
it, click the Eyedropper icon just above the color palette and then click on the
color you want to be transparent in the image at the upper left. Unfortunately,
choosing white also includes the arrow in the image. In Figure 8, you can
see how transparency is showing through the graphic. You can work around
this limitation in Corel PHOTO-PAINT, but not in CorelDRAW. So, Im going
to go without transparency.
One more setting and were all done. Interlace image stores the file in a special method so that the image can be drawn in full with only 25 percent of the
data. It is a very crude rendering where every fourth line of pixels is drawn and
then repeated on the next three lines. When the next 25 percent of data
downloads, it will fill in every other line of data. This repeats until all data is
downloaded. The result is the appearance of a fast downloading file that
slowly comes into focus. But, it does add a very small amount to the file size.
So my rule of thumb says that any file under 3K should not be interlaced.
Anything over 3K should have interlacing turned on. This file will be smaller,
so well leave it off. Click OK to save the file.
The resulting file is 2.17 KB. If we optimize the file in Corel PHOTO-PAINT,
we can add transparency with only a minimal effect on file size.
Optimizing a GIF file in Corel

PHOTO-PAINT
Before we can work with the file in Corel PHOTO-PAINT, we need to save it
correctly from CorelDRAW. In the Save dialog, make sure to check the Selected only so that only the button is part of the file, then press the Advanced
button. The very first option in this dialog is Save presentation exchange
(CMX) and it needs to be checked. This will make the CorelDRAW file slightly
larger, but it will help Corel PHOTO-PAINT to open the file at its highest quality and the shortest amount of time.
Now that weve prepped the file, were ready to open it in Corel
PHOTO-PAINT. The first dialog we see when opening the file is the Convert
to Bitmap dialog box that is a near clone of the dialog box shown in Figure
4. The only difference are the extra options in the Color drop-down list. Well
377
take advantage of this and select RGB Color (24-bit) instead of Paletted
(8-bit). This way we retain all possible data until later in the process. Initially
well turn on the Anti-aliasing and well also turn on the Transparent
Background.
For those who arent worried about transparency, you want to open the file
with Anti-aliased checked and Transparent Background unchecked. Thats it.
Now, everyone should be at the same point. The graphic is finished and were
ready to start optimizing for the Web. The first step is to save the file as a CPT
file since every step from this point forward will involve throwing away data.
Once the file has been opened in Corel PHOTO-PAINT, select Mask | Create
| Masks from Object(s) (Ctrl-M). This allows you to have another way to create transparency other than just selecting a color with the eyedropper.
Our next step is to choose Save As and select the GIF format. Youll go
through the same Convert to Paletted dialog box we got in CorelDRAW. After
that we get the GIF Export dialog box. Note that it looks very similar to the
box we got in CorelDRAW with one major exception. Now we can create the
Transparency from the Masked Area. Select this option if youve followed the
previous instructions for masking your image. Youll need to adjust the Red,
Green and Blue sliders to create the background color. Make sure to choose
a color that isnt already used in the image. And dont worry how awful it
looks since the color will not be displayed in the browser window. Since all
other settings are the same, follow the instructions provided earlier when we
exported from CorelDRAW. The resulting file was 2.37 KB. Thats just a bit
larger than the size of the file we exported from CorelDRAW. And this file contains transparency where the CorelDRAW export did not. So, we improved
the file greatly by taking the extra steps of working with it in Corel
PHOTO-PAINT!
Creating a JPEG File

This time were only going to work in Corel PHOTO-PAINT. Sure, you can export a JPEG file from CorelDRAW. The results you get from Corel
PHOTO-PAINT will be slightly superior, but for the most part the steps are
identical.
Remember that JPEG is the format to use when you are working with photographic images with a huge number of colors. It doesnt support transparency in any way, so if you need transparency, then youll have to use GIF.
378
Lets start with an image on the books

CD. The file is jeromefire.tif. By choosing
File | Document Properties, well learn
that the image is 1592 pixels wide and
1051 pixels high as shown in Figure 9.
Note also that it is 1.5MB in memory. So,
it is clearly too big in many different
ways.
We need to resample the image so that it
is correctly sized for our Web page. Lets
say that the image should take up one
half the width of our browser window so
that we can place text to its right. That
means the width should be 375 pixels.
Remember that earlier we had to make Figure 9: Document Properties
the assumption that the browser window dialog box provides valuable
was 750 x 450 pixels?
information about an image.
Select Image | Resample to get the dialog box shown in Figure 10. The first change we want to make is the Resolution so that it is 100 dpi. Does this matter? Absolutely not. No matter what
value you enter, the result will be exactly the same. In the upper right, make
sure that the measurement unit is pixels. Do not use anything else in this dialog. Change the Width to 375 and the Height should adjust automatically to
248. If it doesnt, then the
Maintain aspect ratio check
box is probably not
checked. Check it and try
again. You also want the
Anti-alias checkbox to be
checked. But you do not
want the Maintain original
size checkbox to be selected. Click OK and your
image is now the same size
it will be on your Web
page.
Figure 10: Resample dialog box.
379
You might find that the image is a

tad blurry. This is from the
anti-aliasing. A remedy is to select
Effects | Sharpen | Unsharp
Mask with the default settings to
make the image a bit more crisp.
Go ahead and save the file as
were all ready to export to JPEG.
Yes, this process is a bit easier
than with GIF.
Select File | Save As, name your
file and select JPEG for the file
type. Once you click Save, youll
get the dialog box shown in Fig- Figure 11: JPEG Export dialog box.
ure 11.
On the left is the original with the resulting image on the right. The Progressive check box is very similar to interlacing a GIF file. Unfortunately, some of
the older browsers (and older versions of CorelDRAW) cant understand this
format. So it is best to avoid it in the short term. If you never use anything
but CorelDRAW 12 and Corel PHOTO-PAINT 12 and you are confident that
your visitors will not be using browsers prior to v4, then you are safe using it.
For me, there just isnt enough benefit to ever justify using Progressive. Optimize is pretty self-explanatory and it should always be used.
There are two different Sub-Formats to choose from. I prefer the Optional
method, as it seems to give the best results. But, I would suggest that you try
both settings on various images to see what works best for you. Just like with
GIF, the Smoothing tends to give the best results at somewhere around 10.
That leaves us with only the Compression setting.
Try setting the Compression at 0 and press the Preview button. Note the file
size shown near the lower right of the dialog. Look at the resulting image. It
looks good and is 148 KB. Now, drag the Compression to 100 and try again.
This result looks awful, but the file is only 2.1 KB. How about a Compression
of 50? It is hard to see any loss of quality and the file is 17.3 KB. If you look
carefully, there is a minor loss of detail. But, remember that the people seeing it on the Web will not see the original. So, lets add a bit more Compression. I found that this image would go all the way to a compression of 70
without major problems. That meant the final file was only 12 KB. Note that
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typically I find that images should be somewhere between 40 and 60 for the
best trade off between size and quality. Each image is different so you have to
experiment to find what works best. Click OK and youre all done.
JPEG 2000
So, now that you think you understand JPG, along comes another JPEG format. JPEG 2000 was created to address some of the limitations of the original JPEG format and to improve the compression algorithms. But, before
you get too excited about this format, lets talk about where you can use it.
First, there are no browsers that support it without a plug-in. Next, there are
very few software packages outside of CorelDRAW and Corel PHOTO-PAINT
11 & 12 that support it. So at this point, it is simply a good way to share images with other Corel software users.
In the next year, you should see more support for JPEG 2000. I would expect
the major browsers to support it natively in their next release. The downside
is that you not only have to wait for these new releases, but also for a critical
mass of users to upgrade to those newer browsers. All in all, it could be two
to three years before you can safely use JPEG 2000 files on a public Web
site.
JPEG 2000 still involves lossy
compression, so it should still only
be used to share files on the Web
and not for artwork that is to be
printed. Just like JPEG, select
Save As. Once in the Save dialog,
you can choose either JPEG 2000
Standard or JPEG 2000
Codestream. The Codestream
variation is optimized for network
transmission and therefore would
be a better choice if you plan to
either post the images on a Web
site or e-mail them.
Regardless of whether you choose
Standard or Codestream, the set- Figure 12: JPEG 2000 Codestream
tings in the dialog box are identi- Export dialog box.
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cal to that shown in Figure 12. Just like the regular JPEG dialog, the original
image in shown on the left and a preview of the compressed file is shown on
the right. Below the images is the Compression slider, which lets you choose
a setting from 0 to 100. The more compression you choose, the smaller the
file will get and the lower the quality of the resulting image. At the bottom of
the dialog youll see the estimated size of the resulting file. Note that you
should find that JPEG 2000 files will be smaller in size than a JPEG file of the
same quality.
Below the compression slider is a checkbox for Optimize masked area. If
youve masked an area of the image, it can be saved at a different compression level than the rest of the image. The idea is that the main subject of the
image can be saved at a lower compression and the background can be
saved at a higher compression. Since we didnt create a mask, this part of the
dialog box is grayed out.
Warning: The masked area must be rectangular.
The last option in the dialog box is Progression. In the drop-down list are
several different choices. Unfortunately, Corel has not documented these
choices and I cant find any difference in file quality. So, I would suggest
sticking with the first choice, Quality, for now.
After making all the choices, click OK to save the image. It is always a good
idea to open the finished image to give it a final look to make sure there isnt
too much compression or maybe there isnt as much as possible.
PNG
The PNG format was created by a committee as a replacement for GIF. Because of its roots, it is royalty free. PNG supports both paletted color and
full-color images. It has very advanced compression with filtering that will
make files smaller than a comparable file in GIF format. The interlacing will
display the entire size of the file with only 1/64th of the data. So the perceived
download speed is much faster than other formats.
Where GIF supports transparency in only one color, PNG supports a full alpha channel to provide 256 levels of transparency. To make sure that the files
look the same on almost all systems, there is built-in gamma correction. And
to prevent errors in downloading there is error correction. Unlike GIF, PNG
does not support animation. PNG files will display in Microsoft Internet ExCorelDRAW 12 Unleashed
382
plorer, but the transparency doesnt work. For that, youll have to
use either Netscape Navigator 7
or Mozilla 1.x. Better support in
Internet Explorer is on the wish list
for later releases.
Saving as PNG
PNG files work very much like GIF
files. So, all of the instructions
given earlier for GIF can also apply. But a real benefit of PNG is its
ability to save the transparency of
an object. So, lets open the same
file we used for the GIF project
Figure 13: PNG Export dialog box.
but well open it this time as a
floating object and use anti-aliasing. This will give us a floating object. Select
File | Open and choose the file you saved from CorelDRAW.
Again, select RGB color (24-bit) and make sure to not check Use color profile
as this will transform the colors using the selected color profile. For the size,
select a Width of 150 and a Height of 46. Resolution should be 100 dpi.
Anti-aliasing and Transparent background should be checked.
Now select Image | Paper Size. We want the image in the upper left corner
and the new size should be 170 x 70 pixels. This just gives us a few more pixels to play with so that we can add a drop shadow.
Add a drop shadow using the Interactive Drop Shadow tool. I used the Small
Glow preset, changed the color to green with feathering of 5. Feel free to
change those numbers until you are happy with the results. Now save the file
as a CPT.
In the Object Docker, select the object, right-click on it and select Drop
Shadow | Split Shadow from the pop-up menu that appears. Select both
objects. Now choose Object | Combine | Combine Objects Together. This
will convert the two objects into one. Next, select Mask | Create | Mask
from Object. This will give you a mask that will become the alpha channel in
the PNG file. Now, select Object | Combine | Combine All Objects with
Background. While PNG supports the alpha channel, it doesnt support
floating objects.
383
Now save to PNG format using the dialog box in Figure 13 and the
drop-shadows transparency will be retained. Masked Area should be selected
by default and you can select the color to be used for the background by using the sliders. This color will not be seen in browsers that support the
transparency.
Image Map
Many times youll want to design a large graphic that contains images that
appear to be buttons. But, if you want users to click on that graphic, it can
only lead to one destination. That is where an image map comes into play.
The image map defines regions within the large graphic. When the user
clicks within one of those regions, the user is sent to a URL specified for that
region. Creating an image map in Corel PHOTO-PAINT is accomplished by
simply attaching URLs to floating objects. Lets work through a project so
that you can see how it works. If you wish to follow along, open
imagemap.cpt from the books CD.
1. You can add the URL information by double-clicking on each object in
the Object Docker. When you do this, youll get the dialog box shown in
Figure 14. Here we can type
in the full URL and the
Comments or Alternate Text.
For the Define area as, it is
best to use Bounding
Rectangle, Bounding Oval or
Circle. The Polygon tends to
create shapes that are too
complex for most browsers.
Select each of the four objects
and fill in the appropriate data
before clicking OK.
2. Once youve entered all the
URLs, select Export for Web
and youll get the dialog box
shown in Figure 15. Choose
the file format you wish to use
Figure 14: Adding a Web address
for the graphics and then
through Object Properties.
384
select the Image Map radio

button.
3. Next, you will get the dialog
boxes for exporting the
graphics to the format you
selected. These will be the
same as those weve discussed
earlier.
4. Last comes the Save Map File
dialog box shown in Figure
16.
5. For the Save as type, I suggest
Client-side unless there is a
good reason to do otherwise.
This will work in Netscape
Navigator v2.0 and higher and
Microsoft Internet Explorer
v3.0 and higher. As of today, Figure 15: Export for Web dialog box.
that represents at least 99% of
traffic to the Graphics Unleashed Web
site. Enter a Map name that will be
referenced inside of the HTML file.
You can also enter a Default URL. If
the user doesnt click in one of the
defined regions, then it will go to this
URL. No need to fill out the rest of
the dialog, so just click OK.
Now everything is finished so it would be
a good idea to save the CPT file, in case
you need to work with it in the future.
The information you entered about the
URLs will be saved as part of the file.
On your disk, youll now find an HTML
file that defines the image map and the
graphic. You can test the map by loading
the HTML file in your favorite browser. To Figure 16: Save Map Info dialog
box.
385
use the image map data, simply cut and paste the relevant code into the Web
page where the image map is needed.
Image Slicing
Image maps have
several limitations.
One is that the large
graphic may take a
while to load. And
some users will
have graphics
turned off in their
browser. We may
Figure 17: An image that has been sliced.
also want to have
rollover effects on the individual buttons which would mean very large
graphics if we dont break the graphic into pieces. So, an alternative is to
chop up the large graphic into smaller pieces and reconstruct it in a table.
Corel PHOTO-PAINT 11 added the Image Slicing Tool (6) that makes it easy
for you to break up your graphic and generate the HTML code to put it all
back together.
1. We will be using imageslice.cpt from the
books CD for this example.
2. Select View | Rulers so that the rulers are
active and then drag out a single guideline.
Dont worry about its location, just place it
and then double-click on it. Now, we can put
guidelines where we want numerically. In the
Horizontal direction, we need them at 188,
375 and 563. A vertical guideline should be
at 165.
3. Select View | Snap to Guidelines.
4. Choose the Image Slicing Tool (6). Place the
horizontal slice along the horizontal guideline
and then place the three vertical slices along
the vertical guidelines. The result should be Figure 18: Image Slicing
Docker.
386
5. Select each slice and fill in the information shown in Figure 18. Note that
a slice will turn green when it is selected. Also, note that you can choose
different file formats for each slice.
Once all slices have been defined, make sure to save the image in the CPT
format in case you need to make any changes.
6. Choose File | Export for Web and again youll get the dialog box shown
in Figure 15. Instead of choosing Image Map, choose HTML and Images
Corel PHOTO-PAINT will automatically slice the image where youve indicated, rebuild the graphic in a table and assign the URLs to the correct slice.
Again, you can copy the resulting HTML code into your Web editor to place
inside of an existing Web page. This new feature makes slicing a real piece of
cake!
SWF
All of the formats weve covered so far have output bitmaps for the Web. The
SWF format, also known as Flash, can output vector artwork. It is also known
for its ability to do animation, though that isnt possible with CorelDRAW. For
those that want animation, youll need to use Corel R.A.V.E. and it is not covered in this book.
First, youll need a file you want to use on the Web. Figure 19 shows a file
that I use on the Graphics Unleashed Web site. Not only is it nice to have this
file as a vector file, so that it scales
to different sizes, each of the but- Shop using these links and support the
FREE info at Graphics Unleashed!
tons is linked to a different URL
Hot Video Games
Hot 100 Books
so it would be a hassle to make
Hot 100 CDs
Hot Wireless Phones
this into an image map or to slice
Hot Apparel
Hot 50 Videos
it. You can use this same file to
Hot 50 DVDs
Hot Kitchen & Housewares
follow along by opening
Hot Toys
Hot Digital Cameras
swfsample.cdr from the books
Hot Magazine Subscriptions
Hot Electronics
CD. It is already completely built
Hot Software
Hot Tools & Garden
including the URLs.
Exporting to SWF
Choose File | Publish to the
Web | Flash embedded in
HTML and name your file. The
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Hot Gourmet Food
Hot Sporting Goods
Hot Jewelry
Hot Health & Personal Care
Figure 19: The graphic we want to put

on the Web.
only file format available is

Macromedia Flash (SWF). Click
the Export button and youll get a
dialog full of options as seen in
Figure 20.
The Bitmap settings are only relevant for files that contain bitmaps.
This project doesnt contain any
bitmaps and therefore we can ignore these settings. Note that they
do give the option of using JPEG
compression. Once again, this will
make files smaller but will degrade
the quality.
Next up is the Bounding Box Size.
If you want the whole movie space Figure 20: Flash Export dialog box.
to be used, then select Page.
Weve chosen Objects for this example, as we dont want the extra blank
space. One other setting worth mentioning is the File Protection From Import. Most SWF files can be imported into Macromedia Flash for further refining. This is great if you want to tweak your own creation. But it also allows
anyone else to import the file. If
you plan on posting the file on the
Web, I highly suggest you check
this box to protect your file. Another way to keep files small is to
leave Text as text.
Now lets look at the HTML tab of
the dialog box as seen in Figure
21. Here you can specify how the
HTML wrapper for your SWF will
be written. If you use a Web
authoring tool that directly supports the placement of SWF files,
this is really unnecessary. Then
again, it doesnt really hurt anything either. By default, the HTML Figure 21: HTML Options.
388
Template is one that was supplied with CorelDRAW 12. There is no reason
not to use this unless you have written a custom template. For the Image
Size, I typically specify the exact dimensions I want the file to use on my Web
page. In this case, I chose the exact dimensions I wanted for the Web. Most
likely youll want Paused at Start to be unchecked and Loop and Display
Menu to be checked. This way the file will start the animation automatically
and continue playing the animation forever. If you right-click on it in your
browser, a menu will appear with several options. For the four drop-down
boxes in the lower right, I suggest you leave these unchanged for now. Youll
later discover that Quality really has very little effect, if any, on the file.
There is also an Issues tab that shows potential problems you might have
with the file. It is always good to look over the problems and decide if they
are something you need to resolve before putting the file on the Web.
After all issues are resolved, click OK to export. To test the file, open the
HTML file created in your favorite browser. Then copy the HTML code
needed into your favorite Web editor to put the graphic to use.
Tutorial Movies
Creating a GIF file from CorelDRAW 12
Creating a GIF file from Corel PHOTO-PAINT 12
Creating a JPEG file
Creating a JPEG 2000 file
Creating a PNG file
Creating an Image Map
Slicing an image file
Publishing to SWF
Chapter Wrap
Youve now seen how the four major file formats work and some other ways
to optimize Web graphics. When you first begin to plan graphics for the Web,
you need to get a good idea of what size (in pixels) they should be. Get out a
piece of paper and sketch out an idea of how things should look. Then, decide if the graphic will be more of a line art type image or a photograph. This
will help you determine which file format you should use. Remember that GIF
389
is limited to no more than 256 colors, but it supports limited transparency.

JPG is 24-bit color and can provide a great deal of compression. But, it doesnt support transparency. JPEG 2000 is better than JPEG, but no browser
supports it. PNG is better than GIF, but only Netscape 7 and Mozilla 1.x support it. With this information, youll soon find that your graphics look better
and the file sizes have gone on a serious diet. Lastly, you can use image slicing to break a big image into smaller pieces that can be better optimized. For
those needing to put vector data on the Web, youve seen how the Flash
(SWF) format can do the trick.
CorelDRAW 12
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CorelDRAW 12
29
Customization of
CorelDRAW
One of CorelDRAWs greatest features is that you can make it look and feel
almost exactly as you please. I say almost because there are a few settings
which you cant change. If you dont like a shortcut key, change it. Add a
menu with your most used commands? No problem. Think an icon is ugly?
Use a different one. Along with all these changes, it is easy to share the
changes with other users. In this chapter, Ill describe the wide variety of
things that can be changed and how you can share them with others. Ill also
suggest some default settings that you might want to change.
Workspaces
When you make customizations to CorelDRAW, they are stored in a
workspace. While workspaces have been something you could share in the
past, it wasnt always easy. And it was an all or nothing approach. CorelDRAW
12 allows you to share each element of a workspace or the whole thing.
Rather than making you dig all over your hard drive for the workspace files, it
allows you to import and export them or even to e-mail them to a friend.
Select Tools | Options to bring up the massive Options dialog box. In the
tree list on the left side, click on Workspace to get the dialog box shown in
Figure 1. Note that Ive already created a workspace with my name on it. Before you customize anything, you should create a new workspace by clicking
the New button. Name it whatever you choose. Heck, you can even have different workspaces for each type of project you tackle.
391
Chapter 29: Customization of CorelDRAW
Customizing
the Interface
By far one of the features
that really has kept
CorelDRAW above the
competition is the vast
number of ways you can
customize the program to
fit your workstyle. I wont
go over everything, but I
will talk about some of the
most important changes.
To get to the customization
Figure 1: Workspace dialog box.
features, select Tools |
Customization. One thing
you should definitely do is
change the size of the buttons. Click on Command
Bars in the tree list to get
the dialog box in Figure 2.
Highlight all of the bars by
selecting the first one and
then Shift-clicking on the
last one. Now select Medium in the Button
drop-down list.
After doing this, the command bars and menus will
take up more space since Figure 2: Command Bar Customization
dialog box.
the icons are bigger. But
you should also be able to
more clearly differentiate the buttons, as they are big enough to see even on
a high-resolution screen. There is also a setting for Large buttons though
you will find that they are a bit ugly since they are simply stretched versions of
the Medium icons.
Other options in this dialog allow you to add more space around each icon,
replace the icons with text or simply add text along with the icon. New users
392
in particular may want text

on the buttons though they
will take considerably more
space than only an icon.
Commands and
Buttons
When CorelDRAW is first
installed, there are hundreds of commands found
on various toolbars and in
the menus. What most users dont realize is that
there are many more com- Figure 3: List of commands available for
mands available that dont customization.
appear in the default set of
menus and command bars. Selecting Commands from the tree list on the
left side of the Options dialog box brings up the dialog shown in Figure 3.
In the middle of the dialog box is a drop-down list that categorizes all of the
commands available. In our example, File related commands are showing.
Select the type of command you want and then find the exact command in
the list shown below the command type. When you find the command you
want, click and drag it onto the menu or toolbar where you want it to appear.
If you dont drop it on an existing menu or toolbar, a new toolbar will be created with just that new command on it. To remove a command, drag it from
the interface and drop it on the Options dialog box.
On the right side of the dialog box, youll see the text that will appear in the
yellow Tooltip help box. This can be changed to whatever you like. Simply
highlight the text currently showing and change it. Below, that is a list of all
the places where the currently selected command appears on the interface. It
is not uncommon to see a command listed in 2-3 different places.
Tip: At any time, you can hold down the Alt key and move
buttons around in the interface.
Shortcut Keys
Users who wish to push productivity to the limit will learn the shortcut keys
for commands so that a quick keystroke will do what they need. To get even
393
more power, users can

customize the shortcut
keys to whatever they like.
At the top left are three
tabs. We already looked at
the General tab, now lets
move to the Shortcut Keys
tab shown in Figure 4.
Once again, the command
list is found in the middle
of the dialog box. On the
right side, you can type in
a new shortcut key for the
selected command. At the Figure 4: Shortcut key assignment.
bottom are any currently
assigned shortcut keys for
that command. If you type in a
shortcut key that is already in use,
the command to which it is assigned will be listed.
Many users want a list of all available shortcut keys and you can
get to that by clicking View All to
get the dialog box shown in Figure 5. From this dialog, you can
either print the list or export it to a Figure 5: List of all shortcut keys.
file that you can bring into another program for formatting.
Editing Icons
Now that you have the exact commands and shortcut keys available, it is
time to change the way the icons look. Click on the Appearance tab, at the
top right of the dialog box, and youll get the dialog shown in Figure 6. Once
again, the list of commands is found in the middle of the dialog. The caption
associated with the command is shown near the upper right of the dialog and
the icon itself is shown on the right side. You can edit the Small or Medium
sized icon. Select a Pen Color and start painting directly on the icon. For
those who would prefer to create the icons elsewhere, click the Import button
394
to bring in graphics from

another program. For example, you can create the
graphic in Corel
PHOTO-PAINT, save it as a
BMP file and then import it
into CorelDRAW. Small
icons are 16 x 16 pixels
and Medium icons are 24 x
24 pixels.
It is especially important to
create icons for any VBA
macros you wish to add to
your workspace, so that
Figure 6: Appearance dialog box for editing
they dont all have the
the icons shown on toolbars.
same generic icon.
Note: Some users have commented that they are not big fans
of the bluish gray icons in CorelDRAW 12. For users who really
want more color, use the ability to edit the icons to bring in
whatever graphics you like.
Sharing Workspaces
Heavy users may spend hours customizing CorelDRAW to work in a perfect
way for their workflow. After all
that work, they may want to share
their workspace with their friends
or coworkers. In a corporate environment, it would be good to
have all users standardized on a
workspace that works best for the
company.
Going back to the dialog box in
Figure 1, press the Export button
to get the dialog shown in Figure
7. Here you can select exactly
what parts of the workspace you Figure 7: Export Workspace dialog box.
395
want to export. Maybe you only

want the shortcut keys shared with
others and maybe you want it all
shared. Just select what you want
to include and press the Save button. Youll be prompted for a file
name and the workspace will be
saved. Notice that you can also
press the Email button and
CorelDRAW will create an e-mail,
in your default mail application,
with the workspace attached. Go
ahead and give it a try. Send me
your favorite workspaces and Ill
make the best ones available for Figure 8: First screen of the Import
Workspace wizard.
download.
Tip: It is a good idea to
export a workspace if youve done extensive customization just
in case it becomes corrupt. That way you can always reload the
workspace at a later time.
If you receive a workspace from someone else, simply press the Import button in the Workspace dialog, shown in Figure 1. This brings up the first
screen of the Import wizard, shown in Figure 8. Use the Browse button to
find the workspace you want to import and press the Next button. The next
few screens will prompt you to select what parts of the workspace to import
and where you want them to be imported.
Note: Workspaces in CorelDRAW 12 are stored in XML format.
For those that really want to customize a workspace, you can
directly edit the XML code.
Tutorial Movies
Customization
396
Chapter Wrap
Now that youve learned the tricks involved in customizing CorelDRAW, take
some time to add a few commands, change a few shortcut keys and tweak
everything to work exactly as you want. In the long run, youll be more productive!
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CorelDRAW 12
30
Masking Basics in Corel

PHOTO-PAINT
Masks are a fundamental element of image editing programs. Learning to

create a good mask will help you to get the very most out of Corel
PHOTO-PAINT and your images. Those of you familiar with other image editing programs may know masks as selections.
A mask can best be described as a form of stencil. Remember those cardboard cutouts that were used to paint street numbers on a curb or a
FRAGILE sign on a box? Masks are like these common stencils shown in
Figure 1.
Masks can be used to protect an image from changing, just like the stencil
only allows certain areas to be painted. When a mask is on an image, only
the inside of the mask can receive paint, have effects applied, or any other
changes. Unlike stencils, you can easily invert a mask so that you can work
on the opposite area. This comes in quite handy as it is often easier to mask
one part of an image and
invert the mask to get the
mask you wanted all along.
Masks can also be converted into an Object or a
Lens.
The second tool in the
Corel PHOTO-PAINT toolFigure 1: An example of a stencil.
box is the currently seCorelDRAW 12 Unleashed
398
lected masking tool. By clicking

on the flyout arrow, you will get
the Mask Tools flyout shown in
Figure 2. From left to right the
tools are the Rectangle Mask (R), Figure 2: The Mask Tools flyout.
Circle Mask (J), Freehand Mask
(K), Lasso Mask (A), Magnetic Lasso (4), Magic Wand Mask (W) and Mask
Brush (B). The letter following each tool name is the shortcut key for selecting that tool. Simply press the letter, no need to press anything else. Below,
each of the tools is described.
Rectangle: Draws rectangular masks
Circle: Draws circles and elliptical masks
Freehand: Draws freehand shapes either by a freehand stroke or clicking for
each data point
Lasso: Masks an area outside a shape that automatically shrinks based on
color tolerance levels
Scissors: Masks an area based on contrasting colors near where you click
Magic Wand: Masks an area of similar color based on a color tolerance to
the point where you click
Mask Brush: Allows you to freehand paint a mask using a brush shaped tool
Changing the Defaults

Before we get started creating masks, there are a couple of defaults that
need to be changed. In Corel PHOTO-PAINT 12, the default view of a mask
is the Mask Overlay, instead of the marching ants. While some may prefer
the overlay, the marching ants give a better view and will be used during all
discussion of masks. To turn it off, select Mask | Mask Overlay so that a
checkmark no longer appears. You can turn it back on with with same menu
choice. Some users prefer working with the overlay, so you might want to try
both to determine which you prefer.
The other setting we want to change is the color of the Mask Marquee otherwise known as the marching ants. Select Tools | Options and choose the
Display page, as shown in Figure 3. Change the Mask Marquee color from
Black to Red, as highlighted in Figure 3.
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Chapter 30: Masking Basics in Corel PHOTO-PAINT
Creating a Basic Mask

Now that you know the basic definition of a mask
and the function of the various masking tools, well
start creating a few masks.
1. Select File | New (or
Ctrl-N) to create a new
file.
2. In the Create a New
Image dialog box, enter
4 inches for Width, 4
inches for Height and a
resolution of 150 dpi.
Leave everything else at
the default values and Figure 3: Display Options dialog box for
changing the mask marquee color.
press the OK button.
3. Press J to select the
Circle Mask tool.
4. Click your cursor in the upper left
corner of the image and drag down
and to the right. If you press the Ctrl
key after you start dragging, it will
constrain the ellipse into a perfect
circle.
5. After releasing the mouse button,
your mask will look similar to Figure
4. Surrounding the masked area are
the Marching Ants so named
because they seem to be moving.
6. Select the Paint Tool by pressing the Figure 4: An example of a mask
F5 key on your keyboard. It is the
with red marching ants.
bottom tool in the toolbox. If it has
not been used, the default brush will be the Quick Doodler. If its not the
Quick Doodler, select it from the Brush Type drop down menu on the
Property Bar.
400
7. Click the color Red in the color

palette and it will become your paint
color.
8. Use the Paint Tool to paint back and
forth across the image. Note that
Red paint appears inside the mask
but stops immediately at the edge of
the mask.
9. Click the Color Blue in the color
palette and it will now be your paint
color.
10. Click the Invert Mask button on the
Standard Toolbar (it features the
ying/yang symbol). This will invert
the mask and select the exact opposite area that was previously masked.
11. Repeat Step 8. Now, youll see Blue paint in all the areas where you
couldnt paint earlier and again it stops immediately at the edge of the
mask. When you are finished, you should see something similar to Figure
5.
General Properties of Masks

An image can only have one active mask.
Masks can be saved as a channel and be reloaded at a later time.
Masks can be altered after they are created using a number of different
tools
A masked area can be copied to the clipboard and pasted within the
current image or any other image.
Masks can be saved within a file if saved with the CPT file format.
If a file containing a mask is saved to TIF format, the mask will be
saved as an alpha channel.
A Simple Effect
So that you can see a little bit about how masks are used, were going to
work through a small project. For this project, well use a sample file supplied
with this book called deadtree.tif.
401
Figure 7: The Rectangle Mask Property Bar with corner radius

highlighted.
1. Open deadtree.tif from the
books CD-ROM. The image is
shown in Figure 6.
2. Select the Rectangle Mask tool
by pressing the R key on your
keyboard.
3. Before drawing a mask, go to
the Property Bar and change
the Corner Radius setting to
20 as shown in Figure 7.
4. Using the Rectangle Mask tool,
draw a mask filling most of the Figure 6: The picture we will be
working with.
left half of the dead tree as
shown in Figure 8.
Before we proceed, notice how
the corners of the mask are
rounded slightly. This is due to the
Corner Radius setting we
changed in Step 3. With such a
dark area, it would be very hard to
add any kind of text to the image
unless the text was white. Wed
prefer to use a dark shade of
brown as it fits well with the tree.
Therefore, well use the mask to
lighten this area of the image so
Figure 8: The mask drawn around a
that text can be added.
portion of the tree.
5. Select Mask | Mask Outline |
Feather from the menu and youll get the dialog box shown in Figure 9.
Change the Width to 15 and the Direction to Average. This will soften the
edges of the effect so the color change isnt as abrupt.
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6. Go into Paint on
Mask mode by
pressing Ctrl-K on your
keyboard or selecting
Mask | Paint on Mask.
This gives you a visual
representation of the
Figure 9: Mask Feather dialog box.
mask. The black area is
outside the mask and
the white area is fully
within the mask. If you
look closely, youll see
various gray levels
between the two solid
areas. These gray levels
indicate that the area is
partially masked and
Figure 10: Brightness/Contrast/Intensity
they were created by
dialog box.
the Feather command.
Once youve gotten a look, press Ctrl-K or select Mask | Paint on Mask
to return to the image.
7. Select Image | Adjust | Brightness/Contrast/Intensity to bring up the
dialog box in Figure 10. Choose a Brightness of 60, Contrast of 15 and
Intensity of -20. By looking at the image itself, you should be able to see
the results of the effect. Again, note the rounded corners and the soft
transition along the edges of the mask.
At this point, we are finished with the mask. To remove it, select Mask | Remove or press Ctrl-Shift-R on your keyboard. Our next goal is to add text in
the lightened area. Typically, it would be better to do this in CorelDRAW, but
well go ahead and finish in Corel PHOTO-PAINT so that you learn a few
more features.
8. Select the Eyedropper tool from the toolbox by pressing the E key on
your keyboard. Wed like to capture the dark brown from the tree to use
for our text. So, place the eyedropper over the color youd like to capture
and left-click.
9. Select the Text tool by pressing F8 on your keyboard.
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Figure 11: Text Property Bar.

10. Before starting to type, we
want to make some choices
on the Property Bar shown in
Figure 11.
11. Select an appropriate font for
the project you are designing.
Ive chosen Futura Extra Black
BT at 36 points. Because I
want the text left-aligned, I
chose left alignment.
12. When you have the correct
settings, click on the image
Figure 12: Our finished image.
and start typing.
The finished image is shown in Figure 12. While
the mask was only a small part of our project,
you can see how important it was to getting the
final image.
Freehand Masking
While the Circle and Rectangle Mask tools can
be very useful, they are somewhat limited in the
shapes they create. The Freehand Mask tool removes those limitations and allows us to create
any shape we want. Probably the most common
use for the Freehand mask is when you have a
distinct object in an image that you want to isolate. A perfect example would be cutting a per- Figure 13: A picture we
son out of an image. To our eyes, it is quite easy want to cut out.
to see where that object begins and ends. But
the computer isnt quite as smart, so you have to help it along quite a bit. For
our sample project, well cut me out of a background.
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1. Open foster.tif supplied on this

books CD-ROM and shown in Figure
13. If you dont have access to this
image, feel free to use any image with
a person, animal or other object that
you would like to isolate.
2. Select the Freehand Mask tool by
pressing K on your keyboard.
3. Click somewhere along the edge of
my picture and drag your cursor
completely around the edge of me.
Following the edge accurately is
certainly a bonus, but we will be able
to correct any errors later so dont
worry too much if you deviate a bit.
When you get all the way around to
the point where you started,
Figure 14: The initial mask has
double-click to finish the shape. An
been drawn around me.
example of this initial mask can be
seen in Figure 14.
Ill point out that users of mice, trackballs, eraser tips and touchpads will find
this very difficult to do accurately. This is one area where a graphics tablet
makes your work much simpler!
4. So that you can see details a little better, change the zoom level to 200%
on the Standard toolbar.
5. Select the Mask Brush tool by pressing B on your keyboard.
6. On the Mask Brush Property Bar shown in Figure 15, press the minus
button. This means any masking we do will subtract from the current
mask. Change the nib to a round nib that is solid black, then change the
Nib Size from the default of 20 to 3.
Figure 15: The Brush Mask Property Bar.

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7. Find an area where the mask is outside of

the object. Use the brush to push the
marching ants inward until they are right
along the edge of the object. Continue until
all of the edges are either perfect or inside
the object. Note that this could take quite a
while if you want to get an accurate mask. If
you go inside the object, dont worry about
it. Some areas may require a smaller nib
size, so adjust it as necessary.
8. Now press the plus button on the Property
Bar and brush from inside the object until all
edges are lined up.
9. Continue repeating with the plus and minus
buttons until all edges are perfect.
Once you finish masking my image, there are a
number of different options. Probably the most
common option is to turn the mask into a floating object so that you can place the masked
area into another image.
10. Select Object | Create | Object: From
Figure 16: My picture
Selection. Notice that the marching ants
after being cut out.
change colors when you do this.
11. Use the Object Pick Tool to drag my image until your cursor is
completely outside the current image. When this happens, a small
rectangle should appear to the lower right of your cursor. A new file will
be created showing me as a floating object against a checkerboard,
meaning transparent, background as in Figure 16.
Using Color Tolerance To Create Masks

There are three masking tools weve yet to cover and they all have something
in common. When using the Lasso Mask, Magnetic Lasso Mask or Magic
Wand Mask, the area selected is dependent on areas of similar color. If you
have an image with a solid color background, the task ahead is quite simple.
But many times youll find that the solid color background isnt so solid after
all. Ill go through a couple of projects so you can see the Lasso Mask and
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the Magic Wand Mask in action. The Magnetic Lasso Mask is somewhat difficult to explain and not all that useful so well leave it out for now.
The Lasso Mask

If there was ever a tool that was accurately named, this is it. Lets forget
about software for a second and think about how a lasso is used by a
rancher. A large loop is made of rope and thrown around an object. To see a
skilled rancher spin and throw a lasso is quite amazing to watch. Once the
rope is around something, for example a calf, the rancher pulls on the rope
and cinches it tight.
So now well move back to software. Were going to draw that lasso around
something within an image. When we finish drawing, the lasso will be
cinched up around the desired area of the image. At least that is what happens when done by a graphics professional. The hard part is that the cinching is based on the initial color touched by the lasso and colors within a
certain tolerance. If this background and the object you are trying to lasso
are not different enough, the trick will fail miserably. Just keep in mind that
the Lasso Mask tool works great when used on the right image and doesnt
work at all when used on the wrong image.
Where the Lasso Mask comes in really handy for
me is when writing about software. Ill often
need to isolate one element of the software to
use as an image in the documentation. In this
chapter alone, Ive used it a number of times. So
well use this as an example.
1. Figure 17 shows a portion of the Corel
PHOTO-PAINT interface highlighting the
Channels Docker. But it also has lots of extra
stuff we dont need.
2. Press the A key on your keyboard to select
the Lasso Mask tool.
3. There are two ways to draw the lasso. You
can either draw Freehand or you can click at
each point where you want to change
direction. I find this second method easier
for this image. To do this, click in the dark Figure 17: A screenshot
before being masked.
gray area to the upper left of the Channels
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Docker. Click again below and to the left of

the Docker. Once more below and to the
right of the Docker then above and to the
right of the Docker. Finish up by
double-clicking where you started.
Now you should see the mask close in on the
Docker as shown in Figure 18. Since you
clicked only in the dark gray area, the mask
shrinks until it hits a color change.
Now that we have the mask in place, we need to
use it.
4. Since we only want the Docker, select Image
| Crop | Crop to Mask and the rest of the
image will be discarded.
5. Remove the mask by selecting Mask |
Figure 18: The Lasso
Remove Mask.
Mask cinched around the
Now that youve seen the Lasso Mask in action,
screen shot.
lets talk a bit more about the color tolerance.
When the Lasso Mask, Magnetic Lasso Mask or
Magic Wand Mask is selected; youll find the Color Tolerance setting on the
Property Bar as shown in Figure 19.
By default, the color tolerance is 10. For our example of masking the Docker,
this was just fine. In reality, it could have been set to zero since we had a solid
dark gray background. In fact, sometimes a setting of 10 could present problems in this situation as grays in the dialog might be within the tolerance setting. After you use these tools, you can get a pretty good idea of a starting
point for the tolerance. But often youll have to try 2-3 times before you find
the perfect setting for a given image. The main exception is images that truly
have a solid background. For those, zero is the perfect answer every time!
Figure 19: Lasso Mask Property Bar.

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Magic Wand Mask

Ive saved the most misunderstood for last. When people see the name
Magic, they expect magic. Sorry to disappoint you, but there isnt a bit of
magic in this tool. You simply click on a single color in the image and all pixels of the same color or within the tolerance are selected. Note that these pixels must be touching as well. So if you have several solid patches that dont
touch, youll have to use the plus sign on the Property Bar and click several
times to get everything.
Lets go back to the image of me (Figure 13). Many users think that the
Magic Wand will just pick a person right out of the background. Go ahead
and try all you want. It wont happen. But, one thing we can most likely do is
select all of a solid colored area, like a sky, and change it to something a bit
different since it is a fairly solid shade of blue.
1. Open desertsky.tif from the books CD-ROM.
2. Select the Magic Wand Mask by pressing W on your keyboard.
3. Make sure the Color Tolerance is set to the default of 10.
4. Click somewhere in the blue sky.
Most likely youll see that the whole sky is masked or at least it seems to be
masked. A good way to test whether it truly worked is to invert the mask.
5. Select Mask | Invert or
press Ctrl-Shift-I on
your keyboard. If you
look closely at Figure
20, youll see that
several areas of the sky
did not get masked.
6. Remove the mask by
selecting Mask |
Remove Mask or
pressing Ctrl-Shift-R on
your keyboard.
7. Change the Color
Tolerance to 20 and
click once again on the
Figure 20: After inverting the mask, it is easy
sky. Now the entire sky
to see that some areas were missing.
409
should be masked. But you

might find that other parts of
the image are also selected.
Through trial and error, this
image works best with Color
Tolerance at 10.
We have also clicked the plus button on the Property Bar and
clicked again with the Magic Wand
on the areas that were missed.
Different images have different
optimal solutions. Try them both
to find out which is easier for your
situation.
Now that we have the sky masked, Figure 21: The Texture Fill dialog box
how about changing it to make
with clouds selected.
things a bit more interesting.
8. Select Edit | Fill. In the
Edit Fill dialog box,
click on the Texture Fill
icon and then click the
Edit button to get the
dialog shown in Figure
21.
9. Select the Samples
Texture library and then
choose the
Clouds.Midday Texture
Click OK in this dialog
box and also in the Edit
Figure 22: The sky after filling with the
Fill dialog.
Texture fill.
10. Select Mask | Remove
Mask or press Ctrl-Shift-R on your keyboard and you should end up with
something like Figure 22.
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When you realize that the Magic Wand Mask isnt so magic, you will find that
in some situations it is quite useful. Just dont expect it to perform miracles.
Tutorial Movies
Masking Basics
A Simple Masking Project
Freehand Masking
Lasso Mask
Magic Wand Mask
Chapter Wrap
Youve now worked through a series of projects showing you each of the
masking tools and some of the things you can do after an area is masked.
Just remember that weve only scratched the surface. Mastering the art of
masking is integral to mastering any image editing tool and you are well on
your way to becoming a master!
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CorelDRAW 12
31
Working with Corel

PHOTO-PAINT Objects
Masks and channels are the foundation to Corel PHOTO-PAINT, objects can
really take things to another level. When you are working in CorelDRAW, each
object can be moved independently of other objects. But, when you start
working with image editing, the pixels dont really want to go anywhere. Objects allow you to take a group of pixels and move them around your image,
just as you move shapes in CorelDRAW. Even that probably doesnt give objects enough credit as you can adjust the opacity, how they merge with the
background, change their order and much more. For those coming from an
Adobe Photoshop-centric world, Objects are more or less the same thing as
Layers in Photoshop. In this chapter, well talk about many different ways that
you can manipulate objects.
Creating Objects
The vast majority of the time, youll create objects from a masked area. In
those cases, you would use the Object | Create | Object: Copy Selection
or Object | Create | Object: Cut Selection. If you use Copy, the original file
will remain the same with a copy of the previously masked pixels floating
above the image. Cut will leave a hole in the original image while floating the
previously masked pixels above the image. In almost all cases, I find Copy to
be a better solution. To make the whole image into an object, select Object |
Create | From Background. While these are not the only ways to create objects, they are the methods you will use the majority of the time.
412
Objects Docker
To select objects, you can simply click on them
directly in Corel PHOTO-PAINT. When you do
this, the object will have handles just like when
an object is selected within CorelDRAW. If you
continue to click on an object, the handles will
change first to rotation, then distortion, then perspective handles. Each of these different modes
gives you ways to modify the objects simply by
dragging handles.
Another place where you can select objects is in
the Objects Docker shown in Figure 1. Youll notice there are five columns in the Objects Docker.
The leftmost column shows any grouped (Ctrl-G)
objects. Next is an eye indicating that an object
is visible. When the eye is closed, the object is
Figure 1: Objects Docker.
not visible. Note that you toggle visibility by clicking on the eye icon. To the right of the eye is the
column for Clip to Parent. Well discuss this a bit later, but if you see a
paperclip icon, then the feature is enabled on that object. Moving to the right
is the thumbnail for the object. By default, the thumbnails are set to Small,
but you can change this with the Docker menu. On the right is the name of
the object. By default, these are named Object X where X is the number of
the object. As text is an object, it is named after the text in the object. The
name can be changed as part of the Object Properties and well discuss that
a bit later. At the far right of some objects is an icon indicating that it is a special kind of object such as text or a Lens. If there is a drop-shadow on an
object, that will also be indicated by an icon.
At the bottom of the Docker are a series of icons. Two of them in particular
are of interest. At the far left is the Lock Transparency icon. If you plan to apply an effect or a fill, you should make sure this icon is pressed. When
pressed, it protects transparent areas of the object from being changed. On
the far right is a trash can that is used to delete the selected objects.
Note: If you want to see the various types of objects in a file,
open the multiobject.cpt file supplied on the books CD. Youll
see that there is one Lens object, several text objects and an
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Chapter 31: Working with Corel PHOTO-PAINT Objects
object with a drop shadow. Go ahead and play with object

ordering, opacity and merge modes on this file as they are
discussed in the next sections.
Object Ordering
Just like in CorelDRAW, the last object created is on top and the first object
created is on the bottom of the stacking order. This stacking order is represented visually in the Objects Docker. Objects at the top of the Docker are at
the top of the stack and the Background is always listed at the bottom. You
can change the order by clicking on an objects thumbnail and dragging it up
or down in the Docker. As you drag, a black line will appear showing where
the object will be positioned if you were to drop it. Watch that line and release
the left mouse button when it reaches the position you desire.
The other way to move objects is through the menu system. Select Object |
Arrange | Order and the command you want. You can also right-click on the
object and select Arrange | Order and the command you want. With three
ways to do it, youll certainly find one of them to meet your needs.
Opacity and Merge Modes

At the top of the Objects Docker are two very important settings, Merge
Mode and Opacity. Well start with Opacity. By default, an object is set to
100% Opacity, meaning that it has no transparency. By adjusting the Opacity
slider to values less than 100%, you can blend the object with other objects
or the background.
The real power comes into play when you use one of the many merge
modes. Each of these modes determine how the pixels of the object interact
with the pixels in anything below it in the stacking order. There are a total of
31 different merge modes available as listed below: By comparison, Adobe
Photoshop has 22 different merge modes.
Normal
Add
Subtract
Difference
Multiply
Divide
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If lighter
If darker
Texturize
Color
Hue
Saturation
Lightness
Invert
Logical AND
Logical OR
Logical XOR
Behind
Screen
Overlay
Soft light
Hard light
Color dodge
Color burn
Red
Green
Blue
Cyan
Magenta
Yellow
Black
For a complete description of each of these modes, there is an excellent explanation in the Corel PHOTO-PAINT help file. One of the best ways to learn
about Merge Modes is simply to select them and look at the result. With a little bit of practice, youll discover just how powerful merge modes can be.
Clip to Parent
Lets start by opening the image sunset.cpt found on books CD. It is a picture of a sunset with the word SUNSET. Were going to use this picture to
demonstrate the Clip to Parent feature.
1. Select Object | Create | From Background. Note, this is already done
in the sample file.
415
2. Using the Text tool,

type the text SUNSET
in Futura XBlkCn BT at
430 points, it will look
best centered. You
should have an image
3. In the Object Docker,
drag the picture of the
sunset so that it is the
top object in the image.
4. Click the empty column
between the eye and
the thumbnail of the
Figure 2: Text on top of the sunset image
sunset so that a
before we Clip to Parent.
paperclip appears.
Note how the picture of the
sunset was clipped into the
shape of the text as shown
in Figure 3. You can get
the whole image back at
any time by simply clicking
on the paperclip icon. Even
better, the text is still
editable. While we did this
with text, you can clip any
object to the shape of the
object immediately below it
Figure 3: After using Clip to Parent, the
picture is inside the text.
Clip Masks
The name says mask, but

this is truly a feature that deals with objects. Basically, it is a way to edit the
visibility of parts of an object. Lets work through a project that will show the
Clip Mask feature.
1. Open foster.tif from the books CD.
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2. Select Object | Create | From

Background to turn the whole image
into an object.
3. With the object selected, choose
Object | Clip Mask | Create | From
Object Transparency.
4. Select the Brush tool and change the
nib size to 30 with hard edges.
Change the brush color to black.
5. Using the brush, paint away the
majority of the background. You
should have something similar to
Figure 4.
6. Change the nib size to 5 or 10 and
paint away the rest of the
background.
7. If you have gone too far, dont worry. Figure 4: Our image after using
Just change the brush color to white a brush to paint away the
and you can paint back the areas
background from the Clip Mask.
where you went too far. You may
have to switch back and forth between
white and black paint until you have me
perfectly cut out.
The resulting image is shown in Figure 5.
As you saw, painting on an object with black
paint will make it completely transparent,
white paint will make it opaque. You can also
use intermediate colors to get any other level
of transparency. The finished image can be
found on the books CD as fosterclipped.cpt.
Lens
In Chapter 30 we talked about creating a
Figure 5: My picture after
mask so that you could apply an effect to the
being cut out with Clip Mask.
masked area of the image. While this works
417
great, there is a downside in that the effect is permanent. What if you decide
later that you needed a little more or less
of that effect? Thats where the Lens feature comes into play. It allows you to apply a floating effect to a pre-defined
shape. If you decide to change the effect
later, no problem. For those of you using
Adobe Photoshop, youll know this feature as an Adjustment Layer. Adobe
Photoshop allows you to specify any of
eleven effects to an Adjustment Layer.
Corel PHOTO-PAINT has 23 filters that
can be used in a Lens.
As with many other flavors of objects, a
Lens starts with a mask. Lets use the
same image of me that weve used previFigure 6: New Lens dialog box.
ously. You can find the file already
masked on the books CD as foster-masked.tif
1. Select Mask | Load | Alpha 1 to load the mask saved with the file.
2. Select Object | Create | New Lens
3. Youll now be presented with the New Lens dialog box shown in Figure 6.
Select Hue/Saturation/Lightness from the list. Make sure Create lens
from Mask is checked and press OK.
4. Now youll get the
Hue/Saturation/Lightne
ss dialog box in Figure
7. I chose to use a Hue
of -40, Saturation of 50
and Lightness of -15.
The result is somewhat
of a psychedelic version
of me as seen in Figure
8.
Figure 7: Hue/Saturation/Lightness dialog
box.
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So the big question is when youd even want

a psychedelic person? Probably it is likely
that you wouldnt. Go ahead and move the
Lens and notice how it affects whatever is directly behind it. Maybe you could use my
shape on another image to create an interesting ghost effect. To change the Lens, select Object | Edit Lens. This allows you to
change any of the settings in the HSL dialog
box in Figure 7. Or you can simply select
the Lens object and delete it. Youll be back
to the original image.
Object Properties
If you double-click an object in the Objects
Docker, youll get the Object Properties dialog box shown in Figure 9. The first option Figure 8: A Lens created my
is the ability to change the name of the ob- psychedelic twin.
ject to anything you want. It is a
good idea to name objects by
friendly names to help you keep
track. This is especially important
for files with a large number of objects. Next to that is a drop-down
to select the Merge mode and a
slider for adjusting the Opacity.
Things get much more interesting
if we look at the Blend section of
the dialog box. Both the Active
Object and Composite Underlying
settings allow you to choose colors to drop out. This can be done
on the RGB Channels or on any
channel separately. At each of the
four corners is a node that can be
moved. With careful adjustments, Figure 9: Object Properties dialog box
you can make certain colored ar- showing General Options.
419
eas of the object transparent.

Since this is purely a property of
the object, it is quite easy to remove the transparency at any
time.
By clicking on the WWW URL tab,
you get the dialog box shown in
Figure 10. It is obvious from the
name that these options are related to the Web. Dealing with
Web Graphics is discussed in
depth in Chapter 28.
Tutorial Movies
Object Docker
Clip to Parent
Clip Mask
Lens
Figure 10: WWW URL tab of the Object

Properties dialog box.
Chapter Wrap
Weve taken a quick tour of a number of different ways to work with objects.
Just like masking, youll need to continue learning about objects until you
have them mastered. Once youve got masking and objects nailed, youll be
a long ways along your Corel PHOTO-PAINT learning curve.
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CorelDRAW 12
32
Fixing Digital Photos
The last few years have seen an explosion in digital images. While some of
these images are scanned from traditional prints, the vast majority are now
coming from digital cameras. This chapter will teach you various ways to improve your digital images, regardless of the source. Since digital cameras are
growing so fast in popularity, Ill also give you tips on getting the best files
from your camera for editing.
File Formats
Whether you are getting your photos from a scanner or from a digital camera, there are only a limited number of file formats you should encounter. Ill
cover each of them and discuss the pros and cons.
JPEG
Many digital cameras only support JPEG files. That is because the files tend
to be small, while retaining decent quality. Remember that JPEG is a lossy
format, so some quality is always compromised. If your camera allows different quality levels of JPEG, always opt for the highest quality possible even if
that means you can only store a limited number of photos on the memory
card. While you can typically shoot in a variety of resolutions, it is always best
to use the highest resolution. If you need something smaller, you can always
resize the picture on the computer. But if you wanted a bigger image later,
the data just flat out doesnt exist.
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Chapter 32: Fixing Digital Photos
RAW
The RAW format is typically only available in higher-end cameras and the files
can be quite large. Because of their size, you cant get nearly as many on a
memory card. By using RAW, you are saving the data exactly as the camera
captures it and you can later postprocess the data on your computer. Rather
than having to make sure all of the camera settings are perfect for every shot,
this lets you adjust the settings in various ways when processing the file on
your computer. CorelDRAW and/or Corel PHOTO-PAINT do not directly support the RAW format, so you must process the files and save them to TIF or
another compatible format before you can use them.
TIF
Some cameras will save files in TIF format. This retains all of the quality of
the image, though the files will be much larger than a JPEG. Again, this limits
the number of images that fit on a memory card. On a good note, most every piece of graphics software can read a TIF file.
If you are scanning, TIF is the preferred format, as it does retain the full quality of the image and is compatible without almost all software.
Warning: If you are scanning, never save in JPEG format as you
will immediately lose quality.
Resaving Files
If you have files from a digital camera in JPEG format, it is very important to
immediately resave those files in either TIF or Corel PHOTO-PAINTs native
CPT format. JPEG files have already lost some quality when they were first
saved in the camera. If you keep them in JPEG format, they will continue to
degrade every single time you save the file. After a few saves, the quality of
the image will become unusable. By saving in TIF or CPT, you retain the
same level of quality you had when the file was originally saved in the
camera.
Image Size
When looking at cameras, the number you see most often is something related to megapixels. For example, the camera I use most often is a three
megapixel model. What this describes is the actual number of pixels in an image. Mine shoots images at 2048 x 1536 pixels or 3,145,728 total pixels.
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Many users get frustrated in the

conversion of pixels to inches, not
to mention resolution. Opening
an image from my camera in
Corel PHOTO-PAINT shows that it
is 28.4 x 21.3 inches. The size in
inches is a calculation based on
the resolution in dots per inch. Often that is either stored as 72 dpi
by the camera or it isnt stored at
all and Corel PHOTO-PAINT
assigns 72 dpi.
Figure 1: Image Resample dialog box
There are two ways we can
where we simply change dpi.
change the size of the image, to
get a more appropriate size in
inches. The first way will be simply
to change the dpi. This leaves the
exact same amount of data and
prints it in a smaller physical area.
The other way will be to decrease
the number of pixels.
Resampling
Regardless of which method we
choose, the key is choosing Image | Resample, to get the dialog
Figure 2: Changing the size in inches
box in Figure 1. To accomplish
the first method of simply chang- gives fewer pixels.
ing the dpi, make sure to check
Maintain original size. If pixels is selected as the unit of measurement, the top
section of the dialog will be dimmed. But if we change to inches, it will display the current number of inches. The key thing to remember is that the
number of pixels does not change. In this example, Ive simply changed the
dpi from 72 to 200 and you can see the dimension of the image in inches will
now be 10.24 x 7.68 inches.
The alternative is to change the actual number of pixels. In Figure 2, youll
see that we have left the measurement in inches and changed the size to 33%
of the original. This means the image will be 676 x 507 pixels. Both methods
423
give the result of a smaller printable image though the second

method will be a lower quality image due to a much smaller
number of pixels.
Cropping
Another way to resize images is by
simply removing the parts of the
image that you dont want or
need. Well do this with the cropping tool (shown above right). It is
the third tool down in Corel
PHOTO-PAINTs toolbox.
With the Crop tool selected, draw
a box around the area you wish to
keep as shown in Figure 3. If you
didnt get the size right the first
time, grab the handles at the sides
or corners and adjust until you are
Figure 3: Cropping box drawn on an
happy. You can also enter sizing
image.
information numerically on the
Property Bar.
When the size is just right, double-click inside
the area you will be keeping and the rest of the
image will be deleted. By cropping, you dont diminish the quality of the image you want,
though the size of the finished file will be reduced because there is less image left after the
cropping.
Brightness/Contrast
The pictures you get from a scanner or digital
camera are often a bit dark and not as well defined as you would like. Figure 4 shows a picture taken in Jerome, Arizona that looks good,
Figure 4: Picture before
but can look so much better with minor adjustadjusting brightness and
ments. I could easily show you a bunch of differcontrast.
424
ent ways to make similar

adjustments. In this case,
Im only going to show you
two different ways.
First, well use a simple adjustment filter to do the
trick. Select Image | Adjust | Brightness/Contrast/Intensity to get the Figure 5: Brightness/Contrast/Intensity dialog
dialog box shown in Figure box.
5. Adjust the sliders until
you get the results you desire. The image on
screen is automatically adjusted based on the
positions of the sliders in the dialog box. Press
the Preview button to see the original image,
and then press it again to get back to the adjusted view. Once you are happy with the result,
press OK. Figure 6 shows the same image as
Figure 4 after the adjustments, shown in Figure
5, are made.
In this particular image, Brightness was increased to lighten up the image a bit and Contrast was increased so there was more of a
Figure 6: Picture after
adjusting brightness and
contrast.
Figure 7: Tone Curve dialog box.

425
difference between the

lightest and darkest shades
of the image.
Another way to perform a
similar adjustment is with
the Tone Curve dialog box
shown in Figure 7. Select
Image | Adjust | Tone
Curve. The curve on the
Figure 9: Picture from a digital camera

showing a heavy blue cast.
Figure 8: Picture after
using Tone Curve.
right side of the dialog box represents the

shades of color being input on the X (horizontal)
axis and output on the Y (vertical) axis. If you click on the curve and drag it
up and to the left as shown in Figure 7, the image will get lighter. Well explore this dialog a bit more as we make color adjustments, but take some extra time to play with the curve and how the changes you make affect the
image on screen. Using the adjustment shown in Figure 7, the image in Figure 4 was transformed to the one in Figure 8.
Color
Adjustment
One of the most common
problems with images is
that the color isnt correct.
A good example is the picture in Figure 9 which
shows a heavy blue cast.
As with some of the other
corrections already covered, there are a number of
ways to correct this prob- Figure 10: Tone Curve dialog box for working
with a single channel.
426
lem. Im going to show you two

ways that I use.
Ill start out by using Tone Curve
again, but this time well focus on
a single channel instead of the image as a whole. Open up the Tone
Curve dialog box, by selecting Image | Adjust | Tone Curve.
When we used it before, we simply clicked on the curve and made
an adjustment. This time youll
want to select Blue Channel from Figure 11: Our image after adjusting
the Channel drop-down list at the the Tone Curve.
upper left of the dialog, as shown
in Figure 10. For this image,
there is too much blue, so click
on the curve and drag it down and
to the right. After doing this, the
image should look better. The
same was done with the Green
Channel so that green was taken
out of the image. Now, we need to
add some red back to the image.
Select Red Channel from the
Channel drop-down list and drag Figure 12: Color Hue dialog box.
it up and to the left. After doing
this, the image should look dramatically better than when we started. Figure
11 shows the result of the Tone Curve changes.
Another way to accomplish this task is to use the Color Hue dialog box
shown in Figure 12. Color Hue is accessed by selecting Image | Adjust |
Color Hue. The simplest way to explain how to use Image Hue, is to just
click on one of the six boxes labeled with color that it will add. In this case,
our image has too much blue. The opposite of blue is yellow, so I clicked on
More yellow three times. Another flavor of blue is cyan, so I clicked on the opposite, More red, three times. Lastly, I clicked on More magenta a couple of
times until I felt the image looked correct. The amount of color added by
each click is controlled by the Step slider. And the area of the image affected
is controlled by the four checkboxes. For this example, I left everything at the
427
defaults and just started adding

the appropriate colors. The result
of this adjustment is shown in
Figure 13.
If you compare the finished images, in Figures 11 and 13, you
will definitely notice that they dont
look the same. When I made the
initial adjustment to each, the result looked right to me. Each
person will have their preference
towards which picture is the truly Figure 13: Image after using Color
correct one. And either of the
Hue.
methods used can get you
to a point where the picture is the correct color. It
is simply a matter of adjusting the colors until you
are happy with the result.
Sharpening
Figure 14: Unsharp Mask dialog box.

Many pictures are missing
that extra crispness that
makes them look really good.
Sharpening will provide that crispness, by highlighting edges in the
image. If you apply too much
sharpness, the result is pretty
poor. But just a little can really
make a picture pop.
Using the corrected image in Figure 13, Im going to make it a little sharper. Select Effects |
Sharpen | Unsharp Mask to get
the dialog box in Figure 14. PerFigure 15: After sharpening, the image
centage indicates how much
looks much clearer.
sharpening will be applied with
428
100 being the default. Radius indicates how far around

each pixel it will search for edges. The default is 1 and
Ive raised it to 2 for this example. Lastly, the
Threshhold indicates the change in color that represents an edge. For maximum effect, Ive left it at 0. As
you move the slider to the right, fewer edges will be
recognized. After applying Unsharp Mask, the result is
shown in Figure 15. If you compare this to our original
picture (Figure 9) with the blue cast, it is a major
improvement.
Red Eye Removal
Figure 16: Red eye.

Oh how we hate it when the perfect picture is ruined by
those eerie red eyes. Figure 16 shows a classic
case. I have chosen an image where the eyes are a
very small part of the picture since that is typical of
the type of image you will
be repairing.
Figure 17: The eyes after masking.
The first thing we need to
do is the mask the eyes so that we can get rid of the
red. For the sake of accuracy, zoom in to a 400% view.
Select the Mask Brush tool and create a mask around
the red area. After the mask has been created, select
Mask | Mask Outline | Feather with a Width of 1. You
should now have something similar to Figure 17 on
screen.
Select Image | Adjust | Desaturate and the color will
magically disappear from the eyes and they will become gray. They are still a bit bright, so select Image |
Adjust | Brightness/Contrast/Intensity. For this image, I chose a Brightness of -5 and a Contrast of 15.
This darkens the eyes so they look more normal. Lastly,
Figure 18: No
well add color back with Image | Adjust | Color Hue.
more red eyes.
429
Figure 19: The image with a little too

much of my belly.
Figure 20: The Mesh Warp

dialog box.
I clicked twice on More blue and once on More cyan to get the result shown
in Figure 18.
Fat Reduction
This particular correction is more for vanity that it is for the average image.
Who couldnt stand to lose a few pounds? Of course the camera always captures those extra pounds for everyone to see. The good thing is
that we can do a few things on the
computer to enact a digital diet.
Figure 19 shows a picture of me
with a television personality.
Unfortuntely, there is a bit too
much of my belly in the picture.
Draw a rectangular mask around
the area you want to reduce. Select Effects | Distort | Mesh
Warp to bring up the dialog box in
Figure 20. Using the default of
Figure 21: The same picture after
four gridlines, I gently moved a
few of the gridpoints to the right 10-15 pounds have been removed.
430
until my belly was showing fewer

pounds. Figure 21 shows the image after using the new Mesh
Warp diet. If only all diets were this
easy!
Adding Text
One way to really customize digital photos is to add some text. For
simple text, you can simply import
the picture into CorelDRAW and
use the Artistic Text tool. But here
I want to show you a great way to
Figure 22: Unleashed FX makes it easy
add stylized text in Corel
to create stylized text.
PHOTO-PAINT.
Figure 22 shows the
Unleashed FX add-on for
Corel PHOTO-PAINT. You
simply select the effect you
Figure 23: The text created by Unleashed FX.
want, type in some text,
choose a font and push
Apply. Within seconds,
your new text will be all
ready. Figure 23 shows an
example of the text we created. It will be a floating
object so all youll need to
do is drop it onto your
picture.
You can download a trial
version of Unleashed FX
from the Graphics Unleashed Web site.
Figure 24: Frame plug-in filter dialog box.
431
Framing
Photos
Another way to finish off
digital photos is to frame
them. Corel
PHOTO-PAINT includes a
great plug-in filter for just
that purpose. Open up the
picture you wish to frame
and select Effects | Creative | Frame. This brings
up the dialog box shown in
Figure 25: Modify tab of the Frame dialog
Figure 24. Select the
box.
frame you wantany
grayscale bitmap can be
used. A large number of frames
are supplied with Corel
PHOTO-PAINT and you can certainly create your own if you dont
find one you like. You can even select more than one frame, if you
like.
Now click on the Modify tab to get
the dialog box shown in Figure
25. Here youll find a wide variety
of options for customizing the
frame to meet your needs. I
changed the default color from
black to white and added a little
bit of Blur/Feather. When you have
all the settings as you desire, click
OK to apply the frame. Figure 26
shows the finished image.
Tutorial Movies
Cropping
Figure 26: Our image after being

framed.
432
Brightness/Contrast
Color Adjust and Unsharp Mask
Red Eye Removal
Mesh Warp
Unleashed FX
Framing Photos
Chapter Wrap
This chapter has covered some very practical corrections for images as well
as some fun things to add a little more spice. Yet, weve only scratched the
surface of the many things you can do with images in Corel PHOTO-PAINT.
Take some time to explore on your own and Im sure you will find a bunch of
great effects that I havent covered.
433
CorelDRAW 12
About the CD-ROM
In addition to including the book in PDF format on the CD-ROM, Ive also included some other useful utilities, sample files, multimedia tutorials and
training materials. To get the most out of the CD, you should load the
readme.html file in your browser. It includes complete details of what is included, where to find it and lots of useful links to Web sites of interest to
CorelDRAW users.
Below is a list of exactly what is included on the CD:
Adobe Reader 6
Tutorial Movies
Sample files
ROMCat and the associated catalogs for CorelDRAW 6-12.
Tutorial Movies
In most chapters you will find links to tutorial movies that help to explain various
topics from that chapter. In order for
these links to work properly, there are
some things you need to do to set up
Windows Media Player.
The movies will most likely play as little Figure 1: Media Options in
Windows Media Player.
postage stamps in Windows Media
434
Player. At the bottom of the

Windows Media sidebar is
the control panel shown in
Figure 1. Click the Media
Options button and youll
get the menu shown in
Figure 2. Make sure that
Play web media in the
bar is unchecked so that Figure 2: Media Options flyout menu.
the movies can play at full
size.
Lastly, in Windows Media Player, select View |
Video Size as shown in Figure 3 and make sure
the first two Fit Video options are unchecked and
100% is checked. This will allow you to see the
video at the size at which it was originally recorded.
Sample Files
You will find references throughout the book to
sample files I have supplied. All sample files are
found within the /samples folder on the CD-ROM
and then organized into subfolders named after
the chapter in which they are referenced.
ROMCat
ROMCat was designed to
catalog the directories and
collect keyword informaFigure 3: Windows Media Player View Menu. tion for CorelDRAWs clip
art CDs and display thumbnails from CorelDRAW files. ROMCat will work using all versions of CorelDRAW including CorelDRAW 12.
To run the utility, select ROMCat from the CorelDRAW 12 Unleashed program
group that was created in your start menu.
To use ROMCat for the first time, the clip art CD (CD #3 for CorelDRAW 7,
CD #2 for CorelDRAW 8-10, not possible to build your own for CorelDRAW
11-12) must be in the CD-ROM drive. Open ROMCat and select File | Build
435
Appendix A: About the CD-ROM
New Catalog. The Select Source

Drive dialog box will open as
shown in Figure 4.
Note: You can use
pre-built catalogs
supplied with the book.
Also note that the
current version of
ROMCat can only use
the pre-built catalog for
CorelDRAW 11 and 12,
it can not be used to
create a new catalog
from their respective clip Figure 4: ROMCats Select Source
art disks.
dialog box.
Select the drive letter of your CD-ROM
drive in the tree list
at the top of the dialog box. If you
choose the drive letter, all folders on
that drive will be included in the catalog. ROMCat will
begin to build a new
catalog which could
Figure 5: ROMCats main screen.
take a half hour or
so on slower machines (and/or slow CD-ROM drives). After the new catalog
has been generated, you are asked to name it.
The next time you run ROMCat, select File | Open Catalog. Choose the
name of the catalog you generated earlier. Now type a keyword in the Find
text box. After typing in a keyword, a list of matching files will automatically
appear at the right of the screen as shown in Figure 5. Click on a file name
to see a thumbnail preview of the file (this requires the clip art CD in your
CD-ROM drive). When you find the file you want to use, double click on its
436
file name. If you already have a file open in CorelDRAW, the clip art will be imported into that file. If CorelDRAW is not open, ROMCat will open CorelDRAW
displaying your selected clip art.
There is simply no better way to find clip art than to use ROMCat. And the
best part about using it is the cost, free!
Special Note About CorelDRAW 11 & 12 Clip

Art
In all previous versions of CorelDRAW, each clip art file contained keywords.
That isnt the case with CorelDRAW 11 & 12. The only way to use ROMCat
with the clip art is to use the pre-built catalog Ive provided.
Many users like to copy their clip art to the hard drive thanks to the enormous
amount of space available today. But since the ROMCat catalog for
CorelDRAW 11 & 12 is pre-built to look for the CD, this hasnt worked for
most users.
A user in Sweden, Ronny Axelsson, tipped me off to a way to modify the
ROMCat catalog for CorelDRAW 11 & 12 so you can have the clip art on the
hard drive. You first need to copy all the clip art so that it resides on the hard
drive. Make note of the path to the clip art as you will need that later. You also
need to know the name of the drive upon which the clip art is installed. If you
open My Computer, the drive name is listed before the drive letter.
Run ROMCat and open the pre-built catalog for CorelDRAW 11 or 12. Select
File | Export Catalog to Textfile using the default settings and save the text
file to disk.
Open the text file in an editor that allows search and replace. We suggest using Wordpad. An editor that will work much faster is EditPad Lite and it can
be downloaded for free. The first line will look like the one below.
10",0681_0115.cdr","\clipart\money","Disk 3"
We need to run two instances of search and replace to get this prepared.
First, replace \clipart with the path to where you have the clip art stored. For
example, it was \corel\draw12\clipart on my system. Note that this process
will take anywhere from five minutes to an hour depending on your system
speed. It will seem as if Wordpad (or whatever editor youve used) has locked
up. Just wait and all will be just fine. Now search and replace one more time.
Search for Disk 3" and replace with the name of the disk upon which the clip
art is stored. Again, this may take a while.
437
Appendix A: About the CD-ROM
Once finished, save the text file and go back to ROMCat. Select File | Import Catalog From Textfile and save it with your other ROMCat catalogs. It
is a good idea to name it differently than the original ROMCat catalog for
CorelDRAW 11 or 12 just in case something went wrong. Open the new catalog and give it a try.
438
CorelDRAW 12
Production Notes
This is the seventh CorelDRAW book Ive authored or co-authored, and I can
happily say that this is the fourth book produced entirely on a PC.
I captured screens with Corel CAPTURE 12 as well as by simply copying
screens to the clipboard using the Alt-PrtScn or PrtScn keystrokes. These images were edited quite often utilizing Corel PHOTO-PAINT 11 & 12. This editing mainly consisted of cropping out an item or highlighting it with a filter.
The screens are real-world examples, and were not specially produced for the
purposes of this book. If you do notice a difference between the screens in
the book and those on your system, it may be that the dialog box has
changed since the product was released. Quite a few of the graphics within
the book were produced right in CorelDRAW 12 itself. This includes many of
the figures, as well as the cover of the book itself, and the barcode on the
cover. Scanning was done using a CanonD1250 U2F scanner into Corel
PHOTO-PAINT 11 & 12.
The text was all written in Microsoft Word XP and Microsoft Word 2003 using
a custom style sheet that translates smoothly into Corel VENTURA. Layout of
the book was done in Corel VENTURA 10 and exported directly to the PDF
file youre viewing. Adobe Acrobat 6 Professional was used to further massage the PDF file to a smaller size and with links to the numerous tutorial
movies included with the book.
Movies provided on the CD were filmed and produced using TechSmiths
Camtasia Studio 2.
439
Appendix B: Production Notes
The main fonts used in this book are Futura XBlk BT and Korinna BT. Some
of the figures use other fonts too numerous to look up for listing here.
CorelDRAW 12
BOOT CAMP
youve learned
(800) 736-8973
www.unleash.com
440
CorelDRAW 12
Author Biography
I am often asked how I got to this point in my life, so

here goes...
I began using Ventura Publisher 1.0 to produce a
programming magazine while attending the University of Kansas, back in the 1980s. I also started
my own little company, Smart Typesetting, to produce various projects for clients.
As Smart Typesetting grew, a product called
CorelDRAW 1.0 came along and did some incredible things that Ventura couldnt do. Soon, I was doing a lot of work using this wonderful new package.
Along the way, I created some shareware utilities and
even helped create some fonts for Microsofts
TrueType Font Pack 2. Then in 1993 the writing bug
caught hold, and I co-authored CorelDRAW! 4 Unleashed.
That first book led Smart Typesetting to morph into the
current Unleashed Productions, Inc. I teamed up with
Peter McCormick to put on CorelDRAW seminars
throughout the United States and even at a few international destinations. I also co-authored five more books,
CorelDRAW 5 Unleashed, CorelDRAW 6 Unleashed,
441
Appendix C: Author Biography
CorelDRAW 7: The Official Guide, CorelDRAW 8: The Official Guide and

CorelDRAW 9: The Official Guide.
The books and seminars led to a videotape series on CorelDRAW and Corel
PHOTO-PAINT for versions 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. Unleashed Productions soon
developed three-day Boot Camps, for those who wanted to learn CorelDRAW
inside and out.
Unleashed Productions continued to grow in 1999. A utility, EZ Metrics, was
created to aid CorelDRAW users in making technical illustrations. Youll find a
working demo version of the product on the books CD. We also began selling a series of multimedia CD-ROMs and doing Web design for a number of
clients. The biggest growth has been at the Graphics Unleashed Web site
(http://www.unleash.com), which has grown to be a terrific resource for anyone creating graphics, especially with CorelDRAW and Corel PHOTO-PAINT.
Another great add-on for Corel PHOTO-PAINT 9 , Unleashed FX, was developed in 2001 and has since been updated for Corel PHOTO-PAINT 11 and
12.
I was selected as one of the Phoenix 40 under 40 for 2002. These awards
are presented by The Business Journal of Phoenix and the Greater Phoenix
Chamber of Commerce to 40 up and coming leaders of the community who
are under 40 years of age.
I can be contacted by e-mail at foster@unleash.com; by mail at P.O. Box
7008, Cave Creek, AZ 85327; or by phone at (480)
595-0065. You may also want to visit the Unleashed
Productions Web site at http://www.unleash.com for
more information on me and Unleashed Productions,
Inc.
442

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CorelDR AW 12

Master CorelDRAW 12 with tips

Learn to professionally create

See the techniques to correctly

CD-ROM includes 440 page fullcolor book, 4 hours of multimedia

Foster D Coburn III

Foster continues to be an authority on CorelDRAW.

Unleashed Productions, Inc.

n Chapter 24: Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Selecting Objects with the Mouse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Using the Zoom Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Using Combine to Create Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Interactively Moving All Text. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Magic Wand Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

n Appendix C: Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441

Chapter Intro: Introduction

Getting the Most Out of

Whats In The Box

Before You Install

Installing CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12

Chapter 1: Getting the Most Out of CorelDRAW 12

CD210,000 Clipart, Tiles

Installing The Programs

From the initial screen, you may

Chapter 1: Getting the Most Out of CorelDRAW 12

Tip: I suggest that you

If there is anything you wish to

Chapter 1: Getting the Most Out of CorelDRAW 12

and click OK, you will be directed

Figure 8: Dialog box showing that

Figure 9: Prompt to register your

Corel SVG Viewer 2.1

Figure 10: Workspace Selector dialog

New Features In CorelDRAW 12

Chapter 1: Getting the Most Out of CorelDRAW 12

Chapter 1: Getting the Most Out of CorelDRAW 12

tion about your computer system. When

Answers to Your Most Common Questions

How Do I Set the Default Fill, Outline and

options you wish to change at the

How Can I Install All the Fonts Supplied With

Why Do the Colors On My Screen Look Dull?

Chapter 1: Getting the Most Out of CorelDRAW 12

How Do I Get Rid of the White Box Around

My Machine Crashes Quite Often, How Can I

Using the Rest of the CD-ROM

Learning More About CorelDRAW

several other sources of information on getting the most from CorelDRAW

Corel On The Web

Companion Web Site

CorelDRAW Unleashed Boot Camps

Chapter 1: Getting the Most Out of CorelDRAW 12

Add-ons and Plug-Ins

The CorelDRAW Interface

To become an effective user of CorelDRAW, it is important to understand all

The CorelDRAW Window

The Startup Screen

Chapter 2: The CorelDRAW Interface

Recently Used files, Open any file,

Figure 2: The main CorelDRAW 12 screen.

Chapter 2: The CorelDRAW Interface

as the regular shortcut keys, but they might come in

Windows Control Menu

Context Sensitive Pop-Up Menus