CorelDRAW - Introduction to coreldraw, Getting Started

Introduction to coreldraw
Getting Started

Introduction to coreldraw

Introduction

CorelDRAW is a vector illustration and page layout program with powerful integrated tools for illustration, photo editing, and painting. Unique interactive tools set it apart, saving you time and making the design process easier. One will learn how to create publications, such as logos and brochures, for use on the Web or in print. Specific skills include creating and transforming objects, adding text and colour to drawings, and creating and modifying symbols and layers in drawings.

CorelDRAW is an intuitive graphics design application that gives designers an enjoyable work experience. The program is built to meet the demands of today's graphics professionals. Whether you work in advertising, printing, publishing, sign making, engraving, or manufacturing, CorelDRAW offers the tools you need to create accurate and creative vector illustrations and professional-looking page layouts.

Images are displayed on the computer 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, CorelPhotoPaint, when you purchase CorelDRAW.

CorelDRAW is one of the most powerful and versatile illustration programs on the market today, on any platform. What you do with CorelDRAW is limited only by your imagination, time, and budget. You can see projects ranging from fine art frescoes to silk-screened T-shirts to laser engraved stainless steel parts. Your use may be as ordinary as a flyer for a garage sale or as complex as the annual report for a Fortune 500 company. From desktop publishing to fine art, CorelDRAW gives you the tools. The talent, inspiration and effort come from you.

The main applications in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite include CorelDRAW, Corel PHOTO-PAINT, and Corel R.A.V.E. The DRAW program is a vector-illustration and page-layout application, including a wide range of object creation tools, effects, output features and multiple interfaces. PHOTO-PAINT is a bitmap-based image composition, editing and creating program, ideal for photograph editing and enhancing. The R.A.V.E. program is a new addition to the suite, letting users create animations, change live effects over time, create a timeline of edited work, and create animated roll-over graphics for the Web.

Corel Corporation provides innovative software solutions that help millions of value-conscious businesses and consumers in more than 75 countries improve their productivity. The company is renowned for its powerful software portfolio, which combines innovative photo-editing, graphics-creation, vector-illustration, and technical-graphics applications with office and personal productivity solutions. Corel's flagship products include CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, WordPerfect Office suite, Corel Paint Shop Pro, Corel Painter, and Corel DESIGNER Technical Suite.

Types of Graphics

There are two main type of Graphics.

Vector Graphics are stored in computer's memory using geometric formulae to record data. They can be enlarged, rotated or streched without any loss in their resolutions.

These graphics are very less size as compared to the bitmapped images. These types of graphics have on disadvantage that they cannot be used on Web pages.

Raster Graphics are stored in the computer's memory using dot-patterns (maps to record data, colour intensity, etc.) for every pixel that makes up the image. When enlarged, rotated or stretches, these graphics become ragged and suffer loss in their resolutions. These graphics are used for painting and are produced by a scanner.

Advantage of CorelDraw

To create lineart of your newsletter, you will need a drawing software. There are two basic categories of Computer Graphics-"draw", for creating art, and "paint",for creating photograph like images. Draw Graphics refers to as Vector or Object Oriented are created using objects such as lines, ovals, rectangles and curves.

The primary advantage of coreldraw software is that the image or drawing can be sized big or small without losing print quality and coreldraw files are smaller comparison to others. Many clipart illustrations can also be created in corel draw.

CorelDRAW gives you a comprehensive graphics solution for all your creative needs. Based on extensive customer feedback and research, CorelDRAW has been specifically designed to make your work more enjoyable by streamlining the process of creating, editing, and reusing graphics. CorelDRAW dares to do the unexpected - give designers powerful, industry-leading tools that are also intuitive and easy to use.

CorelDRAW features a wide array of new features and enhancements designed to increase ease of use while also extending the creative possibilities available to you. Coupled with existing, intuitive drawing tools and vector effects, CorelDRAW has a tool suited for any design challenge you might face.

CorelDRAW gives you the power to create a wide range of superb documents. Whether it's powerful text-handling features or support for multiple-page drawings, CorelDRAW gives you the options you need.

The creative professional will find CorelDRAW a great addition to their workflow. Whether you're creating for the Web, PDF, or print, CorelDRAW can output your work effectively.

Creative professionals will also enjoy the freedom to tailor the workspace to suit their working style, the intuitive color management, and the outstanding ability of CorelDRAW to work with more vector, bitmap, and text file formats than any other graphics application.

As part of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, you'll also have at your disposal an integrated bitmap editor, Corel PHOTO-PAINT, and a user-friendly vector animation program, Corel R.A.V.E.T

Drawing and creativity tools

CorelDRAW has a wide array of drawing and creativity tools and features. These tools are intuitive and easy to use and are designed to give you total control over the look and feel of images.

Installing CorelDRAW

Before installing CorelDRAW

. Make sure that your system Date/Time are set correctly.

. Close all applications, including all virus detection programs and applications that are open in the system tray or on the Windows taskbar. Not doing so may increase the installation time and interfere with installation.

. On Windows 2000 or XP, you should be logged in as an administrator or as a user with administrative rights.

. Make sure that you have enough free disk space available on the drive where you want to install the application.

. To avoid file and memory conflicts, close all running programs and delete the contents of your system's TEMP folders. [C:\Documents and Settings\ \Local Settings\Temp] and [C:\\Temp]

. Corel recommends that you install CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 in its own directory to avoid conflicts with previous versions.

Uninstalling CorelDRAW

For Windows 2000

. On the Windows taskbar, click Start > Settings > Control panel > Add/remove programs.

If you want to keep your user files such as preferences, presets, user-created fills, and customized files, click Remove. If you want to remove user files, click Change, and then click Remove. You will be prompted to remove your user files.

CorelDRAW gives you the power to create a wide range of superb documents. Whether it's powerful text-handling features or support for multiple-page drawings, CorelDRAW gives you the options you need.

For Windows XP

. On the Windows taskbar, click Start > Control panel > Add or remove programs.

If you want to keep your user files such as preferences, presets, user-created fills, and customized files, click . If you want to remove user files, click , and then click . You will be prompted to remove your user files.

Repairing an installation is useful when you encounter problems in using the application or when you suspect that the installation is corrupt. Before repairing an installation, try resetting the current workspace to the default settings by holding down F8 while starting the program.

To install CorelDRAW applications

1. Close all applications.

2. Insert CD 1 in the CD drive. If the installation wizard does not start automatically, click Start on the Windows taskbar, and click Run. Type D:\CGS13\Setup, where D is the letter that corresponds to the CD drive.

3. Follow the InstallShield wizard instructions for installing the software.

To add or delete components in a CorelDRAW installation

1. Close all applications.

2. On the Windows taskbar, click Start Control panel. If your operating system is Windows 2000, click Start Setting Control Panel.

3. Double-click Add or remove programs.

4. In the Add or remove programs dialog box, choose CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 from the list, and click Change.

5. In the InstallShield wizard, click the Modify button.

6. Follow the instructions that appear.

You can also activate the installation wizard by clicking Start on the Windows taskbar, clicking Run, and typing D:\autorun.

Changing the language of the user interface and Help

If an application has been installed in more than one language, you can change the language of the user interface and Help at any time.

To change the language of the user interface and Help

1. Click Tools Options.

2. In the list of categories, click Global.

3. Choose a language from the Select the language for the user interface list box.

If you want to change the language of the user interface and Help as you start the application, enable the Ask me the next time the software starts check box.

4. Restart the application.

Description of CorelDraw Application Window

When you launch CorelDRAW, the application window opens containing a drawing window. The rectangle in the center of the drawing window is the drawing page where you create your drawing. Although more than one drawing window can be opened, you can apply commands to the active drawing window only.

Here is the description of Application Window of CorelDraw Software.

Title Bar	Displays the program name with the name of the opened file.

Menu Bar	The area containing drop-down menus with commands grouped by category

Property Bar	A detachable bar with commands that relate to the active tool or object. For example when the text tool is active, the text property bar displays commands that let you create and edit text.

Tool Bar	A detachable bar that contains shortcuts to menu and other commands. The standard toolbar contains shortcuts to basic commands, such as opening saving and printing.

Rulers	Horizontal and vertical borders that are used to determine the size and position of objects in the drawing.

Toolbox	A detachable bar with tools for creating, filling, and modifying objects in the drawing.

Drawing Window	The area outside the drawing page bordered by the scroll bars and application controls.

Drawing Page	The rectangular area inside the drawing window. It is the printable area of your work area.

Color Palette	A detachable bar that contains color swatches.

Docker	A window containing commands and setting relevant to a specific tool or task.

Status bar	An area at the bottom left of the application window that contains controls for the moving between pages and adding pages.

Document Navigator	The area at the bottom left of the application window that contains control for moving between pages and adding pages.

Navigator	A button at the lower-right corner of the drawing window that opens a smaller display to help you move around a drawing.

Shapes & Objects

CorelDRAW has three different tools that can create ellipses (including circles), rectangles (including squares), polygons and stars. You can combine artistic text with these shapes to create impressive and attractive graphics.

An element in a drawing such as an image, shape, line, text, curve, symbol, or layer is known as an object

In order to become much more competent and capable in making simple designs needed for your business and/or company or even before doing anything complex, it is but sensible to know and enhance yourself on the basics of manipulating objects in a software graphics program on your PC.

Learn well on how to work with objects by moving them, modifying, sharing properties and other more powerful production techniques. Basically, you need to be attuned to the software program you are using and know the wide range of tools, properties and features it may contain. You also need to discover simple to complex commands and try out short-cuts or other simpler ways of executing a certain performance.

CorelDraw is one of the vector-based software programs dedicated to graphic designs for professional business-oriented output. It can accomplish all kinds of "magic" maneuvers through objects you create and develop. Basically, your awareness of object functions determines much of your skill in CorelDraw program.

One function that you truly need to develop is on how to modify objects. Here and now, we could do an exercise on modifying objects in CorelDraw.

First thing of course, is to create several objects that you can sample on. Like, you can create a red rectangle, a green circle and a blue triangle. Select these three objects you have created by doing Marquee or pressing SHIFT. To save much of your time, try applying any attribute to more than one object at a time. Aside from saving your time, it may also help you in improving quality and consistency in your work. Having selected all three objects, choose a thick outline. You will find that the new outline you have applied will be received by all the objects.

Then, how can you start modifying them? For example, you like to change the objects' color and size.Click off the selection to deselect. You may select any of the three objects you want to change. Let's say, you select the rectangle and the circle. Open the color palette and click any color to change the fill color of the two objects. Now you have accomplished modifying the color of the objects with them still having the same outlines.

In changing the size, you can do the same procedure as changing the color. Click off the selection to deselect. SHIFT select the circle and the rectangle, then click on one of the corner handles and drag it to resize. When you done this, you may note that the triangle remains the same size while the two objects you have selected were resized, but they still share the same outline.

Was the procedure simple enough for you? You can start experimenting on other objects other than the polygons and the circle we have sampled here. You also have to know and be experienced on a variety of other simple functions in CorelDraw, like selecting, aligning and grouping and ungrouping objects, distributing object sets and others. Just remember that in striving to achieve higher level of skills, learn to do simple and basic functions, first.

Getting Started

Short Description of Menu Bar

A row of menu titles typically located at the top of the application's window on screen is know as menu bar.

Selecting Menu Item

Like any other application ie.. Ms-word or pagemaker when you click on any option of menu bar a drop-down menu appears.

However you can select the menu bar item by pressing Alt key+underlined letter on the menu bar

For example if you want to select File menu you press Alt+F

Tool Bar

Toolbar consist of buttons that are shortcuts to menu commands. The Standard toolbar, which appears by default, consists of commonly used commands. The table below outlines the buttons on the Standard toolbar.

Description of Standard Toolbar button

Toolbar button	Function

	Starting a new drawing or document

	Open drawing

	Save drawing

	Print a drawing

	Cut selected objects to clipboard

	Copy selected objects to clipboard

	Paste the clipboard contents into the drawing.

	Undo an action

	Restore an action that was undone

	Import a drawing

	Export a drawing

	Start Corel applications

	Access the Corel Graphics Community Website

	Set a Zoom Level

Other Toolbars

ToolBar	Function

Text	Contains commands for formatting and aligning text

Zoom	Contains commands for zooming in and out by specifying the percentage

Internet	Contains commands for Web- related tools for creating rollovers and publishing to the internet

Print Merge	Contains commands for print merge items that combine text with a drawing such as inserting print merge fields, creating data fields for variable text, creating data fields for variable text.

Transform	Contains commands for skewing, rotating and mirroring objects

Customizing Toolbar

1. To move toolbar click the toolbar's grab area and drag the toolbar to a new position.

2. To dock toolbar click the toolbar's grab area and drag the toolbar to to any edge of the application window.

3. To undock toolbar click the toolbar's grab area and drag the toolbar away from the edge of the application window.

4. To hide toolbar click Tools > customization, click command bars and disable or enable the check box next to the toolbar name.

5. To add a custom toolbar click Tools > customization, click command bars and click new and type a name.

Here in the above picture it is shown that new toolbar has been added and given a name new toolbar 1.

Property Bar

What displays property bar?

Property bar shows the functions that are relative to the active tool or the task you are performing.

For example if you are working with type tool, property bar show only text-related commands like text formatting, alignment, and editing tools.

MKD

Here you can see working with text tool displays the text properties in property bar.

The word MKD has been written in Arial font and the font size given is 24 pt.

Customizing property Bar

1. To move the property bar click the property bar's grab area, and drag the property bar to a new position.

2. To undock the property bar click the property bar's grab area, and drag the property bar away from the edge of the application window.

3. To dock the property bar click the property bar's grab area, and drag the property bar to any edge of the application window.

4. To add or remove a toolbar item on the property bar click Tools Customization in the Customization list of categories, click Commands. Choose a command category from the top list box. Drag a toolbar item from the list to the property bar. If you want to remove an item from the property bar, drag the toolbar item icon off the property bar.

Starting CorelDRAW

You can start CorelDRAW by one of the following methods:

Using the start menu

1. Click on start menu. The start menu will appear.

2. Click at programs.

3. Click on CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12

4. Click on CorelDRAW 12.

Using Shortcut

You can use this feature if the icon of the software has been created and is put on the desktop.

1. First, locate the CorelDRAW shortcut icon. This is colorful pencil shaped icon with coreldraw written beneath it.

2. When you find it, position the mouse over the icon and click it to open the software.

Using either one of the two options you will start the software and get the opening screen first. Once this is done, coreldraw initial desktop comes on the screen with Welcome to coreldraw screen in the front.

The various options in the screen are:

New: Create a new window in which you can design a graphic.

Recently Used: Open the last graphic image file you worked on.

Open: Opens the open drawing dialog box enabling you to select from any saved graphic image file.

New from Template: Enables you to choose from pre-designed page templates that you can use as a basis to begin a design.

Corel TUTOR: Enables you to select from several categories of on-line help and instructions.

What's new: Links and explains new features in CorelDRAW.

Working with Template

What is Template?

Template means variety of styles and page layout settings that govern the layout and appearance of a drawing. You can use the default template or choose one from a wide variety of present templates available in the application. If none of the preset templates meets your requirements, you can create a template based on styles you create or styles taken from other templates. For example, if you regularly put together a newsletter, you can save the newsletter's page layout settings and styles to a template.

Creating New Template

When you create a new drawing using a template, CorelDRAW formats the page according to the template's page layout settings and then loads the template's styles into the new file.

You can edit a template by making changes to the styles, page layout settings, or objects. For example, if you like a template but want to make it more attractive, you can change styles that you have created or that you have taken from another template. For information about setting page layout options, see "Specifying the page layout."

After you have started a drawing with a template, you can load a different template. When you load a template, you can choose to load just the styles or to load styles, page layout settings, and objects.

To create a template

1. Click File-Save as.

2. Type a name in the File name list box.

3. Choose CDT - CorelDRAW template from the Save as type list box.

4. Locate the folder where you want to save the template.

5. Click Save.

To edit a template

1. Click File-Open.

2. Choose CDT - CorelDRAW template from the Files of type list box.

3. Locate the folder where the template is stored.

4. Double-click a template filename.

5. In the Open dialog box, enable the Open for editing check box.

To create a new file based on a saved template

1. Click File Open.

2. Choose CDT - CorelDRAW template from the Files of type list box.

3. Locate the folder where the template is stored.

4. Double-click a template filename.

5. Enable the New from template check box in the Open dialog box.

If, in addition to loading the template's styles, you also want to load page settings and objects, enable the contents check box.

Saving of a Document

Save a File

Choose File> Save As to open the Save Drawing dialog box. One should save the file in the beginning. CorelDraw have an excellent auto-backup system that works with your document name. Saving your empty document before you start working will guarantee you will not lose your work.

Set File Location

Choose the location where you would like to save your document from the Save In menu. You can use the New Folder icon to create a new directory from this screen.

Name the File

Type the name for your file in the File Name field. Take care with the names you assign to your files. It is not unusual to want to go back to a file many months later. Choose a name that will easily identify this document.

Choose File Type

Leave the default setting at CDR-CorelDraw for most documents. You will be able to open and edit any document saved to this format. If you wish to save an entire document as a different format, use the fly-out to choose your file type. However, to convert objects or documents to another format, it is usually better to use the Export command.

Choose CorelDraw Version

For most documents, leave the default setting of Version 9. To share files with other users you may have to save your document as an earlier version. CorelDraw 9 will open files saved by an earlier version, but, for example, CorelDraw 7 cannot open a file saved as Version 9. Note: Some effects may be lost if the earlier version does not support the techniques you have used to create your document.

Save the File

Review all the choices as explained above and choose Save.

Choose File, Save or use the shortcut (CTRL+S) to do a mini save of your work as you progress. It best to do a full save with File Save As every 4 or 5 times you do a mini save. Choose File, Save As and the Save Drawing dialog box will be presented. Choose Save and you will be asked if you wish to replace the current file of that name. Choose Yes.

Saving selected objects

1. Select the objects.

2. Click File >Save as.

3. Click Options.

4. Tick on Selected only check box.

5. Locate the folder where you want to save the file.

6. Type a filename in the File name list box.

7. Click Save.

To use advanced options when saving

1. Click File >Save as.

2. Click Advanced.

3. Enable any of the following check boxes:

. Save presentation exchange - saves a drawing as a Corel Presentation Exchange (CMX) file so that you can open and edit it in other Corel applications, such as WordPerfect

. Use current thumbnail - preserves the thumbnail format that is currently selected

. Use bitmap compression - reduces the file size by compressing bitmap effects, such bitmap extrusions, transparencies, and drop shadows

. Use graphic object compression - reduces the file size by compressing vector objects, such as polygons, rectangles, ellipses, and perfect shapes

Using compression increases the time for opening and saving a drawing.

4. If a drawing contains texture fills, enable one of the following options:

. Save textures with the file - saves custom texture fills with the file

. Rebuild textures when opening a file - re-creates texture fills when you open the saved drawing

5. If a drawing contains blends and extrusions, enable one of the following options:

. Save blends and extrudes with the file - saves all blends and extrusions included in a drawing

. Rebuild blends and extrudes when opening a file - re-creates blends and extrusion when you open the saved drawing

Print Preview

Before Printing any drawing or document you can see how it will look after print.

This is possible by print preview command.

For Print Preview

1. Click on File Menu

2. Select Print Preview from the Dropdown File Menu.

Following window will appear on your screen

When you preview a drawing, only the objects on the drawing page and in the immediate area of the drawing window are displayed, and you can see all layers that are set to print in the Object manager docker. If you want a closer look at specific objects in a drawing, you can select and preview them. When you preview selected objects, the rest of the drawing is hidden.

Printing of a document

In the CorelDRAW, you can print one or more copies of the same drawing. You can specify what to print, as well as which parts of a drawing to print; for example, you can print selected vector objects, bitmaps, text, or layers.

Before printing a drawing, you can specify printer properties, including paper size and device options.

For Printing:

. Go to File Menu

. Click Print

The following dialog box will appear on the screen as shown below:

. Click the General Tab

. Choose a printer from the Name list box.

. Type a value in the Number of copies box.

If you want the copies collated, enable the Collate check box. Enable one of the following options:

. Current document - prints the active drawing

. Current page - prints the active page

. Pages - prints the pages that you specify

. Documents - prints the documents that you specify

. Selection - prints the objects that you have selected

For setting printing properties

. Click the General Tab

. Click Properties

Following dialog box will appear on the screen:

. Click on Paper/Quality

. Mention the paper size on which size you want to print ie A4 size, Letter size etc.

. Mention the Type of paper

. Mention Print Quality on which (dpi) you want to print.

. Tick on EconoMode. It saves print cartridge of printer.

. Click OK to print

To print on both sides of your page

. Click on Print Properties

. Click the General Tab

. Click Properties

. Click on Finishing

Following dialog box will appear on your screen

. Tick on Print on Both Sides

. Choose the Paper per sheet as how many pages you want to print on sheet.

. On which direction you want your document to print ie in Portrait or in Landscape.

If you want to print your document or drawing in the Center of the sheet

. Click on Print Properties

. Click on Layout

A dialog box will appear on the screen as shown below:

. Click on the Reposition images to

. Select center of the page from it

If your drawing is big in comparison to your printer and if you want to print it on A4 size paper then

. Click on Layout

. Select Fit to Page

. Click Apply

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CorelDRAW - Introduction to coreldraw, Getting Started

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