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Unit 7: Introduction to CorelDraw

Notes
Structure
7.1 Introduction
7.2 CorelDraw and Interface
7.2.1 Configuring the Workspace
7.3 Introduction to the Toolbox
7.4 Working with Objects
7.4.1 Select Objects Overview
7.4.2 Select Single Object
7.4.3 Select Items with No Fill
7.4.4 Marquee Select
7.4.5 Multiple Select with SHIFT Key
7.4.6 Shape Tool Selecting
7.5 Working with Text
7.5.1 Text Tool
7.5.2 Typing on a Path
7.5.3 Typing within an Object
7.6 Working with Colors, Fills, and Outlines
7.7 Printing, Saving and Exporting
7.7.1 Printing Your Work
7.7.2 Saving Your Work
7.7.3 Exporting Your Work
7.8 Summary
7.9 Check Your Progress
7.10 Questions and Exercises
7.11 Key Terms
7.12 Further Readings

Objectives
After studying this unit, you should be able to:
z Understand about Vector and Raster
z Know about CorelDraw and Interface
z Know about toolbox of CorelDraw
z Discuss how to work with objects
z Discuss work with text
z Discuss how to work with shaping and object
z Know about printing, saving and exporting

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7.1 Introduction
CorelDraw is a vector illustration program. Images are displayed on the computer Notes
screen as pixels. How the program treats the pixels is determined by whether the image
is defined as a vector or a bitmap. A bitmap file defines the position, color and size of
each pixel. A vector program defines a line of pixels and treats them as a single object.
To change an object in a bitmap, you must change all the pixels, so if a red box on a
blue background needs to be smaller, you have to re-create a smaller red box and
change the pixels where the box was to the blue background. When you have a vector
image, you redefine the size and location of the lines. Each object is independent of the
others and can be manipulated as needed. To make your work easier, Corel
Corporation has added a few bitmap manipulation tools in DRAW and includes its
bitmap manipulation program, Corel Photo Paint, when you purchase Corel DRAW.

7.2 CorelDraw and Interface

At the top of the screen you will find the Menu Bar. The Menus contain a wide variety of
commands to modify the characteristics of your workspace and the entities within it.
Beneath the Menu Bar you will find the property bar. This is adaptive dependent on
the object you select or the tool you are using and you should note the various options
you can control with each tool you use or shape you create.
On the left-hand side of the screen is the toolbox you use to create shapes and text
with. At the bottom of the screen is the Status bar. This will tell you important details
about the objects you select and is an invaluable guide to resolving problems.
A number of Dockers are available to allow you to manage your drawings and
modify the components you create. A Docker is a toolbar that can be opened and
closed as you wish and either kept floating or docked at the side of your workspace and
collapsed to allow you greater screen space.

7.2.1 Configuring the Workspace

Defining the Page Size

You can create your drawings in any page size you find convenient however it is very
important that when you print your file to the laser cutter that the page you print from
represents the bed size of your machine. If it doesn't you will have no control over
where the file is being cut.
The page size can be set on the Property Bar:

As the bed of your Universal laser cutter has been built to Imperial measurements,
you may find it simpler to set the Units to Inches first before entering the dimensions.
These are the actual dimensions depending on the model you have.

VL200 16” x 12” VLS2.30 16” x 12”

VLS3.500 24” x 12” VL300 24” x 12”
PLS3.60 24” x 12” M-300 24” x 12”
PLS4.60 24” x 18” M-360 24” x 12”
PLS6.60 24” x 18” V-460 24” x 18”
X-660 32” x 18”

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The rulers on your laser cutter have their origin at the top left hand corner and you
will find it useful if your Corel Draw page has the same. This can be defined by double-
Notes clicking on the rulers and entering the value you set the page height to in the Vertical
Origin. Note it is easier to keep the units in Inches when you do this.

The Nudge Keys allow you to make quick precise incremental adjustments to the
position of selected objects. Select objects and use the arrow keys on your keyboard to
move them.
A Nudge is a movement by a defined amount. Double-clicking on the rulers opens
the ruler options dialogue where the nudge amount can be defined. I recommend a
value of 1mm is entered.
You will also see options for Super Nudge and Micro Nudge. These will move a
selection by a multiple of the Nudge value you defined. I recommend for practical
purposes you set the Super Nudge to 10 and the Micro nudge to 2. A Super Nudge will
then be 10mm and a Micro nudge will be 0.5mm.
Depending on the version of Corel DRAW you have this can be set in the Property
Bar when nothing is selected by entering a value in:

Note that the Super Nudge and the Micro Nudge factors cannot be set in the
Property Bar and will be whatever factor has been defined in the ruler options.
z To use Super Nudge, hold down the Shift key as you press the arrow keys.
z To use Micro Nudge, hold down the Ctrl key as you press the arrow keys.

7.3 Introduction to the Toolbox

There are many tools in the toolbox to draw or design. Toolbox CorelDraw layout you
can see in Layout CorelDraw. Icons that appear only a portion of the existing. With the
large icon in the toolbox we must be wondering, what is the function of these tools, let’s
read for the curious explanation of the function toolbox Corel.

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Notes

1. Pick Tool: To select, resize, and rotate toward the image object.
2. Shape Edit:
™ Shape: Editing an image object shape.
™ Smudge Brush: Alter / distort the overall picture with attractive shorelines.
™ Roughen Brush: Alter / distort the overall outline shape drawing by attractive
shorelines.
™ Free Transform Tools: Transform image objects using rotation (rotation)-free,
rotation angle, and resize, and also tilt the image shape.
3. Crop Tool:
™ Crop: Eliminate the unwanted parts in the object.
™ Knife: Alter / distort the overall picture with attractive shorelines.
™ Erase: Remove the area in the picture.
™ Virtual Segment Delete: Delete an object that is part of the intersection (the
intersection).
4. Zoom:
™ Zoom: Change the magnification of the image in the image window
™ Hand: Adjusts the images that appear in the image window
5. Curve:
™ Freehand: Draw segments or curves in the form of a single line
™ Bezier: Drawing curves in the form of a single line per point (node)
™ Artistic Media Tool: Bring up the generator function form (pen), such as brush
(brush effect with a particular pattern of outward appearance), sprayer (spray
paint effects), calligraphic (calligraphy pen effects), and Pressure (pen effects
techniques that will form the curved edge without lines).
™ Pen: Drawing curves in a segment point to point (node).
™ Polyline: Drawing lines and curves in preview mode.
™ 3 Point Curve: Draw a curve by specifying the start and end point, then the
center of the curve.
™ Interactive Connector: Combining the two objects with a line.
™ Dimension: Draw a vertical line, horizontal, angular, and oblique.
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6. Smart Tools:
™ Smart Fill: To create objects of an area then mengisikannya with color or
Notes texture.
™ Smart Drawing: To change your pointer graffiti images to form the basis of its
form or shape that is more subtle.
7. Rectangle:
™ Rectangle: To establish terms and boxes.
™ 3 Point Rectangle: To establish terms and arrange boxes with point to point.
8. Ellipse:
™ Ellipse: To draw an ellipse to a circle.
™ Hand: Adjusts the images that appear in the image window.
™ Read: Tracing Techniques Calligraphy (Corel Draw Tutorial)
9. Object:
™ Polygon: To form a polygon and star symmetrically.
™ Star: To form stars.
™ Complex Star: To form stars with more complex shapes with intersection
angles.
™ Graph Paper: To establish a similar arrangement of tables or boxes such as
engineering drawings on paper.
™ Spiral: To form a spiral (per) is symmetrical and logarithmic.
10. Perfect Shapes:
™ Basic Shapes: A variety of forms so as octagonal, smiley face, until the triangle.
™ Arrow Shapes: To facilitate drawing arrows with various forms of variation form,
direction, and number of arrowheads.
™ Flowchart Shapes: To facilitate drawing flowchart shapes (chart).
™ Banner Shapes: To make it easier to draw shapes and symbols tape explosion.
™ Callout : To make it easier to draw and label the speech bubble shape.
™ Text Tool: To make the text directly in the drawing area that serves as both an
artistic and caption text.
11. Interactive Tools:
™ Interactive Blend: To establish terms and boxes
™ Interactive Contour: To establish terms and arrange boxes with point to point
™ Interactive Distortion: To distort objects in push / pull, zipper, and twister.
™ Interactive Drop Shadow To insert an object into the shadow
™ Interactive Envelope: To change the shape of the object by dragging a point
(node) on the outline
™ Interactive Extrude: To form the illusion of depth on the object.
™ Interactive Transparency: To insert a transparent effect on the object.
12. Eyedropper:
™ Eyedropper: To select and copy the relevant properties of an object, such as
color (fill in the object), lines, line thickness, size, and effects.
™ Paint bucket: To implement the related property of an object, such as color (fill
in the object), lines, line thickness, size, and effects; taken by the eyedropper
tool, to other objects.
13. Outline:
™ Outline Pen Dialog: To access the outline pen dialog box

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™ Outline Color Dialog: To access the color settings dialog box outline
™ No Outline: To eliminate the outline of an object.
Notes
™ ½ Point Outline: To establish the thickness of ½ point line
™ 1 Point Outline: To form a line thickness of 1 point
™ 2 Point Outline: To form the 2 point line thickness.
™ 8 Point Outline: To form the line thickness 8 points.
™ 16 Point Outline: To form the 16 point line thickness.
™ 24 Point Outline: To form a 24-point line thickness.
™ Color Docker Window: To open the docker for setting color and object outline.
14. Fill Tools:
™ Fill Color Dialog: To access the settings dialog box of paint (charger interior of
the object) of an object.
™ Fountain Fill Dialog: To access the dialog box filler color and gradation to the
object.
™ Pattern Fill Dialog: To access the dialog box filler patterns into objects.
™ Texture Fill Dialog: To access the dialog box filler into the texture object.
™ Post Script Fill Dialog: To access the dialog box filler image post-script to the
object.
™ No Dialog: To eliminate the filler element of an object
™ Color Docker Window: To open the docker for setting color and object outline.
15. Interactive Fill:
™ Interactive Fill: To fill a variety of fill (filler objects) into an object.
™ Interactive Mesh: To apply network lines on an object. may be useful

7.4 Working with Objects

7.4.1 Select Objects Overview
Before you can change an object, you must select it. You can select visible objects,
objects that are hidden from view by other objects, and a single object in a group or a
nested group. In addition, you can select objects in the order in which they were
created, select all objects at once, and deselect objects.

In CorelDraw, you must select an object before you can apply any change. Your
selection tells the program that you want an effect applied to that object. You can select
one object, a group of objects, or the whole page, and whatever you apply to the
selection will happen to every selected object. The Pick Tool is the main selection tool,

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used for moving, resizing, and applying most effects. The Shape Tool is primarily for
selecting and manipulating nodes within objects. The Text Tool is used for editing text.
Notes
7.4.2 Select Single Object
Click anywhere on a filled object to select. If an object has no fill, click on the outline to
select (see next step to change default). A series of handles appears around your
object to signify it is selected. The status bar at the bottom of your screen tells you what
type of object you have selected, as well as the fill and outline for the selected object.
Pay attention to this information, as it is extremely valuable when you are working with
complex documents.

7.4.3 Select Items with No Fill

An object with no fill must be selected by clicking on the outline. To change this so that
you can click anywhere within the object, choose Layout, Page Layout, Workspace,
Toolbox, Pick Tool. Choose Treat All Objects as Filled from the Pick Tool Options. An
object with no fill can now be selected by clicking anywhere within the object borders.

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7.4.4 Marquee Select
Choose Pick Tool. Click and Drag over multiple objects. All objects that fall completely Notes
within the marquee area will be selected. Release your mouse button and handles will
appear around the perimeter of all objects selected. Check the status bar to confirm the
number of selected objects.

7.4.5 Multiple Select with SHIFT Key

Choose the Pick Tool. Click on one object to select. Hold down your SHIFT key and
click on second object. Check your status bar and you will see that two objects are now
selected. Repeat as needed. This is a handy way to select multiple objects no matter
where they are on the page. Marquee select takes all objects in an area. With SHIFT
select, you can pick any or all objects in an area. In the sample here, the rectangle and
the circle are selected.

7.4.6 Shape Tool Selecting

Choose the Shape Tool from the Toolbox. Click on an object. Note how the selection
handles are now nodes defining the object shape. Also, note the different information in
the status bar. You cannot move or resize with a Shape Tool selection. This selection is
for moving and changing the shape nodes within the object. You can only select one
object at a time with the Shape Tool, and you cannot select an object that is part of a
group.

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Selecting Text

Notes You have three options when selecting text. The sample to the left shows text selected
with the Pick Tool, the Shape Tool and the Text Tool. With Pick Tool text selection, text
is like any other object. Shape Tool selection is used to modify individual characters,
and the Text Tool is used for editing text content. Learn to recognize how text looks
when selected by each of these tools.

7.5 Working with Text

7.5.1 Text Tool
Step 1: This is the easiest function of the Text Tool (F8): typing on a horizontal line or
within a rectangular box. Open a New Document and let's take it for a spin. Grab the
Text Tool from the Toolbox, drag out a rectangle, and type out the word "Bakery". Font
Pacifico has beed opted for the script.
In the Text Properties (Control-T) docker, set the size of the font to something
large, like 72 pt. You'll also see a lot of options for fills, outlines, highlights, and various
style settings. For now, we're going with default settings.

Step 2: Select your text and either in the Property Bar or the Text Properties docker,
set the paragraph alignment to Center. Repeat the previous step with a small sans-serif
font to give your imaginary bakery a date of establishment. I chose the font Bebas for
this step.

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Notes

Step 3: While we're playing with tools in Corel DRAW, take the Basic Shapes Tool for
a spin. You'll find it under the Polygon Tool in the Toolbox. I chose to draw a small
heart in the center of my date of establishment. At this point you're free to select text
objects and perfect shapes in the Object Manager and Convert to Curves (Control-
Q).

7.5.2 Typing on a Path

Step 1: Group (Control-G) together the text you've drawn so far. Use the Ellipse Tool
(F7)to draw a large circle around your text art. Draw a smaller circle within the first and
Align the text group and two circles in the Align and Distribute docker to the
Horizontal Center.
Set the Outline of the larger circle to 8 pt (or something with a similar thickness in
appearance depending on the size of your image) and the smaller circle to 2 pt.

Step 2: Draw a third, even smaller circle in the center of your design. You can set the
Outline color to magenta so it's more easily seen. Keep the circle selected and use the
Text Tool to select the circle's path.
Type out a phrase befitting a bakery, such as "Fresh Bread Baked Daily" or "Best
Donuts in Town!" With the Pick Tool, you'll find that you can Rotate the text around the
path, Scale the text to smaller and larger paths of the same shape, or Move the path in
any direction.

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Rotate the text along the path to the right so it's centered, and Scale it as needed
so it fits into the negative space at the top of the label design.
Notes

Step 3: Change the font to Bebas once again (the same one we used for the date).
Then Rotate and Move your text and make sure to Convert to Curves when you're
satisfied with its placement and size. If you'd rather wait until the end of your design to
Convert to Curves, feel free to do so.

7.5.3 Typing Within an Object

Step 1: Once again, draw a circle using the Ellipse Tool. In the Properties Bar, select
Pie for the shape option. Set the Starting and End Angles to 0.0° and 180°.Rotate,
Scale, and Move your half circle with the Pick Tool into the lower half of the label
design.

Step 2: Grab the Text Tool once more and, with the half circle object selected, select
within the object itself. Begin typing out whatever you want your bakery item's
ingredients to be. In the Text Properties docker, set the paragraph option to Justify,
make the word "Ingredients" bold, and make sure that word is several points larger than
the rest of the list.
Quite happily, you'll find that your type conforms perfectly to the object's
boundaries. So long as you haven't hit Convert to Curves, you can easily change the
shape, position, and orientation of the half-circle text "box" to your liking.
Additionally, select your text and hit Caps > All Caps in the Text Properties docker
(it's below the fill options), and never worry about using Caps Lock again (in this
program, anyway).

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Notes

7.6 Working with Colors, Fills and Outlines

Let us learn the details about the basics of fill in Corel DRAW.
1. Open Corel DRAW. Draw rectangle. Keep it selected.

2. Click on any color from the color palette at right hand side. The object is filled with
color. We have increased the thickness of the outline to see the difference in the
colours prominently.

3. If you right click on the some color, outline will be colored with same fill color. Now
you will see the object with no border as the border is merged with the fill since we
have used same color for both.

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4. Try different colours for fill and outline.

Notes

5. Click on the cross mark at the top of the color palette. The color is removed and you
again get the object with outline.

6. Please remember that cross filled icon on the top of the color palette is used to
remove fill when clicked normally and it removes outline when clicked with right
button.
7. Click on Fill Tool from toolbox (marked with red circle).

8. The first option is "Fill Color Dialog". Click it and you will get "Uniform Fill" dialog
box. Click on any color or the shade. Please do not change any settings. Click ok.

9. The object is filled with the color you have selected.

7.7 Printing, Saving and Exporting

7.7.1 Printing Your Work
1. Corel DRAW uses the print drivers in Windows. It does not have any print drivers of
its own. Each printer will have a different set of standards and settings.
Go to the Standard Toolbar and select the Print button.(Ctrl+P or File Print)

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This activates the Print dialog box. There are six tabs where parameters may be set
for printing projects. Many of these are highly advanced for use in complex projects
such as four color process work where very exact negatives must be created. You Notes
will cover only the options on the General tab in this class.

Printing Options

Lets you select from a list of installed print devices. The Properties button
Printer
activates the Setup dialog box for the selected printer.

Lets you designate what you want to print. The Selection option is good for
Print Range
proofing parts of a drawing without having to print the whole page.

Copies Sets the number of copies desired.

Just as you saved styles for documents, you can save setting for printers. If
Print styles you make several changes for a particular printer or type of print job, save
them so you don't have to re-enter all your parameters.

2. Select Current page in the Print Range section. This will print only the currently
visible page of a multi-page document.
3. Go to the Printer section and select the Properties button. This activates the Setup
dialog box. Each dialog box will be specific to the currently selected printer.
4. Change the Orientation to Landscape. If the orientation of the printer does not
match the page, Corel DRAW will prompt you and ask if you want it to automatically
change the orientation.
5. Click OK. You will return to the Print dialog box.
6. Click OK again to begin printing.

7.7.2 Saving Your Work

1. Open Corel Draw X6.
2. Click on File
3. Select Save as.

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4. Select the file version you want.

Notes

5. Save

7.7.3 Exporting Your Work

To export your CorelDraw file as a PDF:
1. Go to the Menu and select File > Publish to PDF

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2. Name your file and set the PDF style to PDF/X-1a. Navigate to where you want to
save the file and then click Settings.
Notes

3. On the General tab select PDF style PDF/X-1a.

4. Select the Prepress tab and set the bleed to .125" and select the crop marks option.

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5. Select the Advanced tab set the options to match the example below and click OK.

Notes

6. Click Save to save your PDF file in the location that you chose in step 2.

7.8 Summary
CorelDraw (styled Corel DRAW) is a vector graphics editor developed and marketed by
Corel Corporation of Ottawa, Canada. It is also the name of Corel's Graphics Suite,
which bundles CorelDraw with bitmap-image editor Corel Photo-Paint as well as other
graphics-related programs (see below). The latest version is designated X7 (equivalent
to version 17), and was released in March 2014. Corel Draw is designed to edit two-
dimensional images such as logos and posters.
Corel DRAW is a very powerful professional vector graphics package usually sold
with other Corel products such as Corel TRACE and Corel PHOTO-PAINT. Some
features will be familiar to those provided in similar applications such as Adobe
Illustrator. Corel DRAW supports Windows shortcuts and is both configured with its own
additional shortcuts and can be customised to have additional shortcuts added. It has a
vast array of import and export filters to allow you to work successfully with the majority
of other applications you will encounter. Another advantage to be gained from using
Corel DRAW is that it can be used to great benefit for a multitude of other tasks
Teachers encounter in their day to day work. This manual for example has been
produced in Corel DRAW.

7.9 Check Your Progress

Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of the following file types can be modified while applying filters on them?
(a) Raster
(b) Vector
(c) Animation
(d) All of the above
2. CorelDraw is an example of:
(a) Groupware application
(b) Bit publishing package
(c) Paint program
(d) Graphics suite

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