Node Editing: The Basics

I am sure you know that you can easily draw lines, curves, ellipses, circles, squares, rectangles, stars, polygons and more with CorelDRAW®, but what about other shapes? What if, for example, you wanted to draw a heart? How would you go about doing so? CorelDRAW doesn’t provide a “heart-shape” drawing tool. The only option is to roll up your sleeves and do some node editing.

Nodes are the foundation of any drawing program. Every line, even a simple straight line or curve, contains nodes. Figure 1 shows a diagonal line with a node at each end.

Figure 1 A straight line with a node at each end

Shapes drawn with the Rectangle, Ellipse, Polygon, Spiral and Grid tools contain nodes, too. These nodes, though, behave a little differently than nodes in curves. To create various shapes by editing nodes you really need to start with a curve. Fortunately, you can create a curve from any object you create with the various shape tools. The exceptions would be a spiral (which is already a curve) and a grid (which can’t be converted to anything else).

Between the nodes are what is known as segments. Segments can be either lines (straight segments) or curves (curved segments). Each type can be converted into the other type if need be.

There are several different types of nodes and the type of node determines how the associated segments will be shaped and how they will react as you push and pull at the control handles. The control handles are similar to nodes and they are stationed at the end of control lines that are drawn through each node. Normally you won’t see the control lines or the control handles; they only become visible when you click on a line, or shape, or select a node with the Shape tool.

This isn’t true in all cases, though. For example, if you draw a straight line with the Freehand tool as I did to create figure 1, and select one of the nodes with the Shape tool you won’t see any control line or control handles.

On the other hand, if you draw a curved line with the Freehand tool (or convert the line to a curve) and then click one end of that line with the Freehand tool, you’ll see the control line and the control handles (see figure 2).


Figure 2 A curved line with the control line and control handles visible

Note that the control lines are one-sided at the ends of the curve (with only one control handle) and that the node in the middle of the line has a two-sided control line with control handles at each end.

Clicking and dragging a node with the Shape tool will change the position of the node as well as changing the shape of the curve. Clicking and dragging a control handle will change the shape of the curve without moving the associated node.

If you haven’t already, fire up CorelDRAW and draw a curve with the Freehand tool. After drawing the curve, select the Shape tool and play around with the nodes. Move the nodes around and then try dragging the control handles. You can move the control handles inwards and outwards from the node they’re connected to as well as moving them around the node. Moving a control handle inward as you move it around will decrease the curved-ness of the curve while moving it outwards will accentuate the curve.

Note that you can move a selected node using the Arrow keys. You can’t move a control handle in this manner, though.

Different Types of Nodes
Earlier, I mentioned that there are different types of nodes. These are Cusp, Smooth and Symmetrical.

A symmetrical node has control handles that move in unison. The control lines on each side of a symmetrical node are always the same length. As you move one control handle toward the node, the other handle will move inward as well. This is equally true if you move one of the control handles away from the node. If you move one control handle of a symmetrical node upward, the other handle will move downward and vice-versa.

All of the above causes the curve that runs through a symmetrical node to be, well… symmetrical. That is, the curve will be similar on both sides of the node (see figure 3).

Figure 3 A curved line with a symmetrical node

A smooth node also has a straight control line that runs through it. This control line also has two control handles. However, unlike the symmetrical node, the sides of the control line can be of different lengths. Consequently, the curve, while smooth, will not necessarily be symmetrical (see figure 4).

Figure 4 A curved line with a smooth node

Cusp nodes are quite interesting. Not only can the control lines be of different lengths, the control handles at each end can move in different directions totally independent from each other. This allows the curve to bend sharply at a cusp node (see figure 5).



Figure 5 A curved line with a cusp node

The cusp node is just the thing we need to create a heart shape from a curve.

Drawing the Heart Shape
To get started with drawing your heart, open a new file in CorelDRAW and, using the Ellipse tool draw a vertical ellipse (see figure 6).


Figure 6 – Start with a vertical ellipse

Choose Arrange, Convert to Curves (CTRL + Q). Optionally, click the Convert to Curves icon on the Property Bar.

Doing so will convert the ellipse into a curve and enable you to select and edit the nodes.

Select the Shape tool, then click and drag a rectangle that encompasses the nodes at the top and bottom of the ellipse.

Press the Down Arrow key ten times. You’ll notice that the two nodes move downward. You’ll also notice that this changes the shape of your ellipse; in fact, it may start to resemble a shield.

Click and drag a rectangle around the leftmost node. Press the Left Arrow key six times.

Click and drag a rectangle around the rightmost node. Press the Right Arrow key six times.

You should start to see the beginnings of a heart shape (see figure 7).



Figure 7 Starting to take shape

Right-click the topmost node and choose Cusp from the Property Bar.

Press the Down Arrow key six times.

Click and drag the right control node straight up so that the curve on the right of your shape rounds upward to form the top right curve of the heart. Do the same with the left and you should have something that resembles figure 8.

Figure 8 Almost there

Note how changing the node to a cusp enables you to have that sharp point where the top halves of the heart meet.

Right-click the bottom node and choose Cusp from the menu.

Click and drag the right control handle up toward the control handle of the rightmost node.

Do the same with the left control handle, dragging it toward the control handle of the left node.

You should end up with a (nearly) perfect heart shape (see figure 9).

Figure 9 Final node editing

In figure 10, you can see my final shape. I moved the left and right nodes outward a little more and filled the shape with red.


Figure 10 Final heart shape created by node editing an ellipse

There’s a lot more you can do by editing nodes. I encourage you to play around and see what you can come up with.

Using Powerclips

We all know that Corel DRAW is great for illustration and for drawing shapes. Wouldn't it be great if we could use those shapes in combination with bitmaps, say photographs for example, to create some interesting and original artwork. It might be nice to be able to place a photograph inside a shape so we could use that in a newsletter, brochure or poster. "Masking" off the bitmap with a shape (and the shape can be pretty much anything you can create in Corel DRAW, including text) would be pretty fancy and you might expect it to be difficult to do. You may be surprised to find, then, how easy it is to accomplish in Corel DRAW. Embedding shapes or other objects, such as bitmaps, within other shapes or objects is called PowerClipping in Corel DRAW and it's fairly easy to do. Once you've added a PowerClip to another shape or image, you can manipulate the entire object as though it was just another simple shape. You can rotate and resize the object, for example, and you can even modify the embedded object. This article will show you how this can be accomplished with relative ease.

Getting Started
The first thing you'll want to do is open a new graphic in Corel DRAW. You can do this, after running Corel DRAW, by choosing File, New. Doing so will leave you with a clean slate in which to create your PowerClipped image.

Importing a Photograph
With the new file ready to go, it's time to add a bitmap image. You can choose one of your own photographs that you've created with a digital camera or scanned into your computer from a print, or you can search the Web for a photograph to use. If you use something from the Web and you'll be using it for more than simply this exercise, be sure to obtain any rights you may need to use that material.

You can add the bitmap image to the newly opened graphic by choosing File, Import. Doing so will open the Import dialog box (see figure 1).

After you have selected the image you want to import, the cursor will change and you can then click and drag the cursor to define where the imported image should be placed. Don't worry about getting it perfect because you can easily move and resize the imported image afterward.

Once you've defined where your bitmap image should go, release the mouse button and your image will appear. I'm using a photograph of an old corvette that I took a couple of summers ago while on vacation (see figure 3).


Adding Text
I'm going to place the image inside some text to create an image that might be used to advertise a classic car show. You may think that placing the photograph inside some text would be more difficult than placing it inside a simple shape. The truth is, though, it involves the same process and it's extremely easy to do.

With the imported photo added to the graphic, you can now add some text. This text will be used as the "container" for the photograph. To add the text, select the Text Tool, and click somewhere away from the imported photograph. I'm going to type the word "CARS" (see figure 4).



Lining Things Up
At this point it's time to line up the imported photograph and the newly entered text. To do so, simply choose the Pick Tool and move the text until it covers the imported photograph. You may need to resize the photograph and/or the text. You can do so using the Pick Tool. To do so, select the Pick Tool and click the object you want to edit and then click and drag one of the eight handles (the four corners and four midpoints). The goal here is to get the text to mostly cover the imported photograph (see figure 5).



Adding the PowerClip
With the text placed properly over the imported photograph, select the photograph using the Pick Tool. With the photograph selected, choose Effects, PowerClip, Place Inside Container. You'll see a large black arrow icon. Use the large arrow to click on the text (see figure 6).



Clicking on the text will turn it into a container that will contain the imported photograph (see figure 7).




Adding an Outline
With the imported photograph inserted in the text container, it's time to get a little fancy and finish up the poster artwork.

Right click one of the colors from the Color Picker to set the outline color. I'll use black for the example. With a color set, double-click the small pen icon in the lower right corner of the window. Doing so will bring up the Outline Pen dialog box (see figure 8).



Set the Character Spacing
To get even fancier, choose Text, Format Text and set the Character Spacing to a negative value. In my example I've set the spacing to -15.0% (see figure 9).



You can play with the value to see what works best for your choice of text and the imported photograph. The goal here is to scrunch the letters together to help the photograph show through in such a manner as to be recognizable (see figure 10).


Finishing Up
To finish up the poster, I added a blue rectangular background by drawing the shape using the Rectangle Tool. I then moved the rectangle to the back by choosing Arrange, Order, To Back. A final touch was the addition of the word "Classic" in a bold handwriting font. You can see the final image I created in figure 11.


There's more you can do, including editing the contents (the imported photograph) in place, and even manipulating the container and the contents using the Pick Tool… but I'll leave some of that for a future column. In the meantime, play around with this idea. It can be used to create original artwork for everything from greeting cards and invitations to posters, brochures and signs, as well as logos for Web sites. As an alternative to using an imported photograph and text, you can try using grouped shapes. Allow your imagination to guide you towards some really cool artwork.

How to draw mechanical threads

When it comes to drawing realistic-looking threads for either illustration or engineering drawings, many users often puzzle of just how to tackle the shape and shading aspects. Here's one basic technique you can try on your own using the tools available in CorelDRAW 11 to create machine-bolt style threads around a cylindrical object.

1. For the thread spiral, you'll be welding three basic objects together (two triangles and a rectangle). Draw a square by click-dragging with the Rectangle Tool (F6) while holding the Ctrl key to constrain its shape. Immediately convert the object to curves by choosing Arrange, Convert to Curves (Ctrl+Q).

2. Choose the Pick Tool (Spacebar) and double-click any of the four corner nodes in the shape. This will turn the square into a triangle to represent one end of the thread shape. This triangle will represent one end of the spiral thread.

3. Using the Rectangle Tool again create a rectangle to represent the middle of the thread. Make its thickness roughly two thirds that of your triangle (or scale it later to suit). Using the Pick Tool, position your triangle at one end. Rotate the triangle to point away from the rectangle center with the triangle's longest side touching the end of the rectangle.


4.Next, create a copy of the triangle for the other end of the rectangle. For a quick copy, use the Pick Tool and drag while clicking the right mouse button. Position the new copy at the other end of the rectangle. With the copy still selected, use the Property Bar Mirror buttons to flip the orientation of the triangle to point away from the rectangle center. With the objects exactly positioned, select all three at once and click the Quick Weld button in the Property Bar. This will cause all shapes to be combined into a single closed object (shown next).




5. To angle your new thread object, you'll need to use a Skew transformation. To do this quickly using the Pick Tool, click to display the rotation/skew handles and hold Ctrl while dragging a skew handle to constrain movement to 15-degree increments. Release the mouse button once the object has been skewed 15 degrees.


6. Create a new rectangle object to represent the screw cylinder to occupy the space between the two triangle ends of the thread. You'll need to layer it in back of the thread spiral by pressing Shift+PageDown. Then, make copies to create additional thread spirals by holding Ctrl as you drag while clicking the right mouse button. Then, use the Repeat command (Ctrl+R) for as many threads as you need. This will create the basic thread arrangement (as shown next).




7.Once your thread arrangement is complete, add color and shading to simulate depth and remove any applied outline colors. Using the Interactive Fill Tool (G) to create custom linear fountain fills. The next illustration shows a simple linear fountain fill using Green-White-Green applied to the cylinder object, and a similar color scheme applied to the threads. The cylinder's white highlight is offset slightly to simulate lighting direction. You will need to set the angle of the linear fountain fill applied to the threads to match the angle of created between the endpoints of the thread spiral.




8.By varying the cylinder size or the size, angle and/or frequency of the threads, you can quickly create any number of variations. Typical metallic color schemes can also be used to simulate different materials for your thread. Metals such as gold, copper, or steel can be characterized using the contrasting color values applied to their highlight and shadow colors. For gold, set the highlight color to 20 % yellow and the shadow color to 20 % magenta+20 % black+100 % yellow. For copper, set the highlight color to 5 % cyan+20 % magenta+20 percent yellow and the shadow color to 20 % cyan+80 % magenta+80 % yellow+10 % black.

A Clever New CorelDRAW® 12 Drawing Tool

Has anyone ever known you well enough to finish your sentences? Well, that's how the powerful new drawing tool in CorelDRAW® 12 works. The new Smart Drawing tool gives freehand sketching the benefit of a kind of artificial intelligence. You can sketch a shape freehand-style on screen and end up with a precise vector object as a curve, native object or Perfect Shape. You'll find the new Smart Drawing tool (shown next) located in the toolbox between the curve tools and the rectangle tools—or you can press the S hotkey for speedy selection.



You can use the Smart Drawing tool with a stylus and drawing tablet, but good mouse skills work just as well. When sketching curves, this tool is capable of automatically recognizing a number of geometric characteristics. For example, two lines sketched side by side can be recognized as parallel straight lines. Sketching rough shapes that have right angle corners can produce precise 90-degree angles, like this:



When drawing native geometric shapes, sketched boxes and squares translate into true rectangles, complete with rounded corner properties that you can apply. Sketched ovals and circles are recognized as true ellipses that you can fashion into arcs or pie shapes, if you desire. You can also sketch other complex geometric shapes such as arrows, equilateral and isosceles triangles, diamonds, trapezoids, parallelograms and so on, which translate into Perfect Shapesâ„¢, like these:



While the Smart Drawing tool is selected, you can take as long as you need to complete your sketched shapes. But after you're done, CorelDRAW 12 takes a short time to translate your sketches. To do this, two key options control how accurately shapes are recognized and smoothed. You'll find these options in the Property Bar (shown next). Setting these interconnected options enables you to control how closely your sketched shapes are translated.





Here's how the Smart Drawing tool options provide control over recognition and smoothing:

Shape Recognition
This option sets how precisely your sketched shape is matched to a recognizable shape and can be set to one of five levels ranging from Lowest (sketched shapes are not easily recognized) to Highest (sketched shapes are easily recognized), with Medium as the default and None turning the feature off completely.

Smart Smoothing
After your sketched shape is complete, a level of node smoothing is applied in order to make object recognition precise. This option enables you to set that smoothing action, much the same as applying smoothing to a typical path. Choose from one of five options ranging from Lowest (less smoothing applied) to Highest (more smoothing applied), with Medium as the default and None turning the feature off.

These two options work together, enabling CorelDRAW 12 to do its recognition magic. Technically speaking, here's what the Smart Drawing tool is capable of recognizing using default recognition and smoothing options:

Ovals and Circles – translate as native ellipse objects
Boxes and Squares – translate as native rectangle objects
Lines – translate as curve objects (either straight or curved depending on how they are sketched)
Triangles – translate as curved objects or as perfect triangle shapes (either isosceles or equilateral)
Diamond – a sketched shape resembling a skewed square will translate into a perfect diamond shape
Parallelogram – a roughly sketched four-sided shape whose opposite sides are parallel and equal will translate into a perfect parallelogram shape
Trapezoid – a roughly sketched four-sided shape that has two parallel sides and two non-parallel sides will translate into a perfect trapezoid shape
Arrows – two roughly sketched open paths that resemble an arrow pointing will translate into a Perfect Shape arrow, like this:





To experience the drawing power of the new Smart Drawing tool, try these quick steps:
1. Choose the Smart Drawing tool (or press the S hotkey) and use a click-drag action to sketch a square or rectangle. Aim to keep the sides of the shape vertical and horizontal as you draw. After releasing your mouse button, CorelDRAW 12 automatically translates your sketch into a rectangle shape, like this:



2. Choose the Pick tool and check your Status Bar display. The shape you sketched is specified as a Rectangle, and the Property Bar features options associated with shapes created using the Rectangle tool, including the rounded corner options

3.Choose the Smart Drawing tool again and sketch an oval or circle. Aim to keep the shape oriented either vertically or horizontally. When releasing the mouse button, CorelDRAW 12 translates your sketched shape into an ellipse, like this:

4. Choose the Pick tool and check your Status Bar. The shape you sketched is specified as an Ellipse and the Property Bar features options associated with shapes created using the Ellipse tool, including Ellipse, Arc and Pie states.

Perfect Shapes and Glyph Nodes
Since certain shapes you sketch can be recognized as Perfect Shapes (such as triangles, trapezoids and parallelograms), it may help to know a little about these specialized objects.

Sketched shapes that are recognized as Perfect Shapes are the same as the ones you would typically draw using the Perfect Shape tool. But these Perfect Shapes each feature unique "glyph" nodes that can be manipulated to change their proportions while preserving certain aspects of their shape. For example, the shape representing a triangle features a single glyph node that enables you to set one of the angles but keep the overall symmetry of the shape.

You can edit glyph nodes similar to the way you alter the control points on a polygon. As they're moved, glyph nodes have the effect of resizing, changing proportion or dynamically moving a certain aspect of the shape.

For some hands-on experience creating a Perfect Shape with the Smart Drawing tool, try these steps:

1. Using the Smart Drawing tool(s), sketch the shape of an isosceles triangle (a three-sided shape with two equal angles). On releasing the mouse button, CorelDRAW 12 translates your sketch into a Perfect Shape, complete with a glyph node, like this:



2. Choose the Pick tool and check your Status Bar. The shape is identified as a Perfect Shape. Use the Shape tool next to click and drag the glyph node (the red marker) to alter your shape's proportions. The triangle changes shape with the two angles constrained to equal measures, as shown here:



You can edit glyph nodes interactively using the Shape tool (F10), but you can also edit them using the Object Properties docker for a selected Perfect Shape. To quickly access these options, press Alt+Enter to open the Object Properties docker and click the Perfect Shape tab, shown here:




Smarter Drawing Tool Functions
There are two other aspects of the Smart Drawing tool that you may find useful. The first involves controlling the delay time interval between the moment you finishing sketching a shape and the moment CorelDRAW 12 determines a recognizable shape. By reducing this delay time, you can sketch several separate lines or shapes in succession and CorelDRAW 12 will recognize them as a single compound path. For example, if you finish sketching a complete shape, then begin sketching a second shape within the time delay interval, the two shapes will be recognized as a single object.

Access the option that controls time delay by double-clicking the Smart Drawing tool button in the toolbox to open the Options dialog box. The Drawing Assistance Delay slider (shown next) can be set between 0 and 2 seconds. The higher you set the delay time, the more time you'll have to keep drawing. If you're accustomed to quick sketching, a lower delay time will make your sketching sessions more productive.


While using the Smart Drawing tool, you can also correct your sketched shapes on the fly to improve the accuracy of your drawing. As you sketch your shape, temporarily hold Shift as the modifier key to interactively erase your drawing path in reverse. As you hold the Shift key, the Smart Drawing tool cursor will invert interactively to erase your sketched lines (shown next). Releasing the Shift key enables you to resume your sketching operation.


The new Smart Drawing tool is one of those truly innovative tools that pop up every so often. If you work in a creative field such as design or illustration, or a planning industry such as industrial design, engineering or architecture, the Smart Drawing tool enables you to harness the power of this new software intelligence. You may just find yourself reaching for it the next time you start a new CorelDRAW drawing project.

How to create a newsletter with CorelDRAW 12

A major challenge of newsletter design is achieving a balance between text and imagery. Too much text can discourage a reader from pursuing content. By offering visually appealing graphic content to offset small groups of text, designers can increase readability.

Newsletter design incorporates a wide spectrum of graphic design techniques, and CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12 gives you the tools to enhance your talent and complete your vision.

What you will learn
This tutorial shows you effective newsletter design techniques using CorelDRAW 12 and is geared towards people who already have a basic knowledge of CorelDRAW. The tutorial is broken down into five fundamental steps:

Step 1: Setting the page layout
Step 2: Creating graphic objects
Step 3: Adding and importing text
Step 4: Importing and editing images
Step 5: Output and publishing

Step 1 - Setting the page layout
Before you start any graphic design process, you need to consider the overall appearance of your final work. The first decision to make is page size. In CorelDRAW 12, you can choose from many preset page sizes, ranging from legal-size paper and envelopes to posters and Web pages. If a preset page size does not meet your needs, you can create a custom page size by specifying the dimensions and orientation of the page.

Page setup
For this tutorial, we'll use A4 size paper.

1. Start a new document, and choose A4 from the Paper Type/Size list box on the property bar.
2. Ensure that the Portrait button on the property bar is enabled.
3. From the property bar, choose millimeters from the Units list box.
4. Click Layout menu > Insert Page.
5. In the Insert Page dialogue box, choose 1 from the Insert pages list box.
6. Enable the After option, and click OK to add Page 2.
7. Click the Page 1 tab at the bottom of the document window to return to the first page.

Showing the printing area
The printable area is determined by the current printer on your system. This is a valuable setting in that it can ensure that you place objects in an area on the page that your printer can print. It is also useful for turning on the guides for the page border and bleed area.

1. Click Layout menu > Page Setup.
2. In the Options dialogue box, choose Page from the Options list.
3. Enable the Show printable area check box.
4. Enable the Show page border check box.
5. Enable the Show bleed area check box.
6. From the Options list, choose Size, type 10.0<>

Setting guidelines
To assist with positioning objects accurately and precisely, it is advisable to use guidelines - lines that you can place anywhere in the drawing window. There are three types of guidelines: horizontal, vertical, and slanted. You can add a guideline wherever you need one; however, you can also choose to add preset guidelines.

For our purposes, we'll use guidelines that display at one-inch margins, and at newsletter column borders. After you add a guideline, you can select it, move it, rotate it, lock it in place, or delete it. You can also have objects snap to the guidelines so that when an object is moved near a guideline, it will either be centered on the guideline or lined up on either side of the guideline.

We will also add vertical guidelines to create six columns to guide the placement of text and text boxes on the page.

1. In the drawing window, right-click the Ruler, and choose Guidelines Setup from the pop-up menu.
2. Enable the Show Guidelines check box.
3. Enable the Snap to Guidelines check box.
4. In the Options list, click Presets.
5. Enable the check boxes for One Centimeter Margins, Bleed Area, Page Borders, and Printable Area.
6. In the Options list, click Vertical.
7. In the Vertical box, type 39.125, and click Add.
8. Repeat this process to add vertical guidelines at 72.062, 104.314, 138.624, and 169.493.
9. Click OK.

Step 2 - Creating graphic objects

Creating a newsletter logo
First, we'll add a newsletter logo. The Object Properties docker in CorelDRAW makes it easy to adjust object settings.

1. From the Window menu, choose Dockers > Properties (shortcut: Alt + Enter) to display the Object Properties docker.
2. From the toolbox, select the Rectangle tool (shortcut: F6), and create a 110-mm x 100-mm (width x height) rectangle. You can use the Status Bar to view Object Details such as width, height, and position on the page.
3. From the property bar, choose Hairline from the Outline Width list box.
4. From the Object Properties docker, click the Fill tab and then the Uniform Fill button, and choose White from the Colors palette.
5. With the Rectangle tool selected, create a second rectangle that is 110 mm x 45 mm (width x height).
6. From the Object Properties docker, click the Fill tab, the Fountain Fill button, and then the Advanced button.
7. In the Fountain Fill dialogue box, choose Radial from the Type list box.
8. In the Center Offset area, type 2 in the Horizontal box and 39 in the Vertical box.
9. In the Color Blend area, enable the Two color option.
10. Click the From list box, choose Other, enter CMYK values of C:70, M:0, Y:10, and K:0, and click OK.
11. Click the To list box, choose White, and click OK.

Positioning the rectangles
Next, we'll eliminate the outline on the smaller rectangle and position it within the first rectangle.

1. Using the Pick tool, select the smaller rectangle, click the Outline tab on the Object Properties docker, and choose None from the Width pop-up menu.
2. Select the upper-left corner of the blue rectangle, and snap it to the upper-left corner of the first rectangle.

Creating another rectangle
We'll use another rectangle to create a middle banner for our newsletter logo.

1. From the toolbox, select the Rectangle tool, and create a 110-mm x 5-mm (width x height) rectangle.
2. From the Object Properties docker, click the Fill tab and then the Uniform Fill button.
3. Click the Advanced button, enter CMYK values of C:64, M:94, Y:85, and K:24, and click OK.
4. From the property bar, choose None from the Outline Width list box.
5. Position the rectangle below the second rectangle to create a middle banner.

Creating logo graphics
Next, we'll create several small curved objects to give the appearance of hilly plains to the newsletter logo.

1. From the toolbox, click the Curve flyout, and select the 3 Point Curve tool.
2. Click and drag a straight line of approximately 30 mm in length (the guidelines are about 30mm apart, so they make an easy reference point for the line length). Release the mouse button.
3. Move the mouse upwards to create a curve (approximately 15 mm), and click the mouse to set the curve.
4. From the property bar, type 1.058 mm in the Outline Width list box.
5. From the Curve flyout, select the Polyline tool.
6. Click and release the mouse button on the left-hand node of the open curve, and then double-click the right-hand node to set the line.
7. From the Object Properties docker, click the Fill tab, the Uniform Fill button, and then the Advanced button.
8. Enter CMYK values of C:33, M:11, Y:90, and K:0, and click OK.
9. From the Object Properties docker, click the Outline tab, and choose White from the Color list box.

Duplicating and adjusting objects
To create additional curved objects, we'll simply duplicate the original and use the sizing handles to adjust sizes. We'll need eight curved objects to create the appearance of hilly plains.

1. Using the Pick tool, select the original curved object, and press Ctrl + D.
   A new curved object appears on top of the original.
2. Move the new curved object, and use the sizing arrows to adjust its size.
   You can quickly move the objects to the top or bottom of the layer order by pressing Shift + PgUp or Shift + PgDn.
3. When you have created eight curved objects, marquee select all the shapes, and press Ctrl + G to group them.
4. Select the group of hills, and position it along the brown center banner.
5. Select the brown center banner and move it to the top layer.
   
   Tip: You can also use the Object Manager docker to change the layer order.

Adding text to the logo
Now, we'll add text to complete the newsletter logo.

1. From the toolbox, select the Text tool, and click in the white space below the brown rectangle.
2. From the property bar, choose NevisonCasDEE, or any other font you would like to use, from the Font list.
3. From the Object Properties docker, click the Fill tab and then the Uniform Fill button.
4. Click the Advanced button, and enter CMYK values of C:64, M:94, Y:85, and K:24.
5. From the property bar, type 60.5 in the Font Size list box.
6. Type Rolling Hills.
7. Marquee select the entire logo, and press Ctrl + G.
8. Use the sizing arrows or type values in the Object size boxes on the property bar to resize the logo to 56.753 mm x 50.586 mm (width x height).
9. Position the logo in the upper-left corner of the page at approximately x:35 mm, y:267 mm.

Creating the newsletter flag
The banner across the top of the newsletter, also known as the flag, is designed to enhance the display of the title. The nevisonCasDee font provides a strong horizontal cursive face with a hand-scripted look, which lets us add contrast by using a strong colour against our background.

1. From the toolbox, click the Rectangle flyout, choose the Rectangle tool, and drag in the drawing window until the rectangle is approximately 216 mm x 58 mm.
2. Position the rectangle at approximately x:105 mm, y:271 mm, so that it bleeds off the page.
3. From the Object Properties docker, click the Fill tab and then the Uniform Fill button.
4. Click the Advanced button, and enter CMYK values of C:64, M:94, Y:85, and K:24.
   The earthy theme provides contrast to the logo.
5. Select the flag, and choose Arrange menu > Order > To Back (or Shift + PgDn).

Adding clipart
To save time, we'll use clipart from the 10,000 clipart images that ship with CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12.

1. Insert the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite CD2 into your CD drive.
2. In Windows Explorer, choose Clipart > Food > Fruited, and double-click to open the G0907375.cdr file.
3. Marquee select the image, and choose Ungroup from the Arrange menu.
4. On the Standard toolbar, choose 400% from the Zoom Levels list box.
5. Select and delete the Black outline, and all other objects until you are left with just the grapes, the vine, and the leaf.
6. Marquee select the grapes, the vine, and the leaf, and press Ctrl + G.

Copying the grapevine into the newsletter
Now, we'll copy the grapevine into the newsletter and create the effect of a vine growing up the page by rotating, duplicating, and flipping the image.

1. Press Ctrl + C, and switch back to the newsletter file.
2. Press Ctrl + V.
3. To duplicate the image, press Ctrl + D.
4. From the property bar, click the Horizontal Mirror button (top Mirror button), and position the new image so the vines appear attached.
5. Repeat the process until you have a string of six.
6. When you are satisfied with the appearance of the images, marquee select them and press Ctrl + G.
7. Position the string of vines at approximately x:5 mm, y:127 mm so they fit vertically down the first column of the page and bleed off the edge.

Adding a finishing touch
To complete our layout we'll add a solid, colour-filled rectangle at the base of the page to complement the flag at the top of the page.

1. From the Rectangle flyout, choose the Rectangle tool.
2. Click and drag in the drawing window until the rectangle is 216.0 mm x 22.138 mm, and position it at approximately x:105mm, y:5.7 mm.
3. From the Object Properties docker, click the Fill tab, the Uniform Fill button, the Advanced button and enter CMYK values of C:70, M:0, Y:10, and K:0.

Step 3 - Adding and importing Text
Next, we'll add text. CorelDRAW 12 provides two options for text: artistic text and paragraph text. Artistic text is used primarily for short lines of text to which you can apply a wide range of effects, such as drop shadows. Paragraph text is used for larger bodies of text that have greater formatting requirements.

Adding artistic text for the newsletter title

1. From the toolbox, select the Text tool.
2. Click to place the cursor at the right edge of the 3rd column, at approximately x:60 mm, so the text will stretch across the last four columns.
3. From the property bar, choose nevisonCasDee from the Font list box.
4. From the property bar, choose 72 from the Font Size list box.
5. On the Fill tab of the Object Properties docker, click the Uniform Fill button, click Advanced, and enter CMYK values of C:70, M:0, Y:10, K:0.
6. Type Vineyard News.
7. Click to place the cursor below the N of News.
8. From the property bar, choose Gill Sans MT or a font of your choice from the Font list box.
9. From the property bar, choose 24 from the Font Size list box.
10. Repeat step 5 to set the font colour.
11. Type May 2004.

Adding headings
By using contrast to emphasize headings, the reader can easily scan through the newsletter. Try using more space above headings and subheadings, and less space below to follow the rule of proximity: the headings should be closer to the paragraph to which it belongs and farther away from the paragraph above it.

1. With the Text tool, click to place the cursor at the edge of the first column, approximately 225 mm down the page.
2. From the property bar, choose the nevisonCasDee font from the Font List.
3. Choose 36 from the Font Size list box.
4. Type Wine Festival '04.
5. Directly underneath, at approximately 215 mm down the page, type May 13th - 15th.
6. Using the Text tool, select the text by dragging across it to highlight it, and apply the nevisionCasDee font, size 24.
7. Directly underneath, at approximately 185 mm down the page, type Wine of the Month.
8. Select the text, and apply the nevisionCasDee font, size 36.
9. Directly underneath, at approximately 85 mm down the page, type Vineyard Report, and apply the same properties.
   
   Tip: To copy all your font properties, you can use the Eyedropper tool in the toolbox to sample the properties, according the settings you choose on the property bar, and apply the properties to other text objects using the Paintbucket tool in the toolbox.

Importing paragraph text
To add paragraph text, you must first create a text frame. By default, paragraph text frames remain the same size regardless of how much text they contain. Any text that continues past the lower-right border of the text frame is hidden until you either enlarge the text frame or link it to another text frame.

You can fit text to a frame, which automatically adjusts the point size of the text so that it fits perfectly in the frame. You can also have paragraph text frames automatically expand and shrink as you type, so the text fits in the frame.

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12 supports more than 100 text import and export filters. To save time, we'll import text from the NewsletterPara*.WPD supporting files (.zip, 14 KB).

Importing the first paragraph

1. From the toolbox, choose the Text tool.
2. Starting from the left side, click and drag to form a rectangular text frame across the second to fifth columns below the artistic text heading May 13th - 15th.
3. From the File menu, choose Import, select SMB Newsletter Content Para1.wpd, and click Import.
4. In the Importing / Pasting Text dialogue box, enable Discard Fonts and Formatting, and click OK.
5. If necessary, resize the length of the text frame.

Importing the second paragraph

1. Choose the Text tool.
2. Starting from the left side, click and drag to form a second rectangular text frame across the second to fifth columns below the artistic text heading "Wine of the Month".
3. From the File menu, choose Import, select SMB Newsletter Content Para2.wpd, and click Import.
4. In the Importing / Pasting Text dialogue box, enable Discard Fonts and Formatting, and click OK.
5. If necessary, resize the length of the text frame.

Importing the third paragraph

1. Choose the Text tool.
2. Starting from the left, click and drag to create a third paragraph across the second column, about 60 mm long.
3. From the File menu, choose Import, select SMB Newsletter Content Para3.wpd, and click Import.
4. In the Importing / Pasting Text dialogue box, enable Discard Fonts and Formatting, and click OK.
5. If necessary, resize the length of the text frame.

Importing the fourth paragraph

1. Choose the Text tool.
2. Starting from the left side, click and drag to create a fourth paragraph across the third and fourth columns, parallel to the third paragraph, and about 60 mm long.
3. From the File menu, choose Import, select SMB Newsletter Content Para4.wpd, and click Import.
4. In the Importing / Pasting Text dialogue box, enable Discard Fonts and Formatting, and click OK.
5. If necessary, resize the length of the text frame.

Importing the fifth paragraph

1. Choose the Text tool.
2. Starting from the left side, click and drag to create a fifth paragraph across the second to fifth columns and below the artistic text heading "Vineyard Report".
3. From the File menu, choose Import, select SMB Newsletter Content Para5.wpd, and click Import.
4. In the Importing / Pasting Text dialogue box, enable Discard Fonts and Formatting, and click OK.
5. If necessary, resize the length of the text frame.

Creating, applying, and editing text styles
For text-intensive projects, such as newsletters, magazines, and newspapers, CorelDRAW offers various paragraph text formatting options. You can create columns of equal or varying widths and gutters. You can also apply drop caps to paragraphs to enlarge the initial letter. In addition, you can use bulleted lists to format information. You can make text wrap around bullets, or you can offset a bullet from text to create a hanging indent.

Styles can save considerable time if you are applying the same formatting to several objects. Just like styles within word processing applications, a text style encompasses a group of settings, such as font type and size. Text styles can also include fill and outline attributes. For example, you can create a style that applies a 72 point AvantGarde font with a texture fill.

1. From the Tools menu, choose Graphic and Text Styles (shortcut: Ctrl + F5).
2. In the Graphic and Text Styles docker, click the Options flyout button (arrow button near the upper-right corner of the docker), and choose New > Paragraph Text Style from the pop-up menu.
3. In the Graphic and Text Styles docker, right-click New Paragraph Text, and choose Rename from the pop-up menu.
4. Type Wine, and press Enter.
5. Click the Options flyout button, and choose Properties from the pop-up menu.
6. In the Options dialogue box, beside the listed Text Fonts, click Edit.
7. In the Format Text dialogue box, choose Arial from the Font list box, and choose 9 pt from the Size list box.
8. Ensure that Normal is set in the Style list box, and Latin in the Script list box.
9. Click the Paragraph tab, and choose Left from the Alignment list box.
10. Click the Effects tab, choose Drop Cap from the Effect Type list box, choose 3 from the Dropped Lines list box, enable Dropped in the Indents area, and click OK.
11. In the Options dialogue box, click OK.
    
    Tip: Applying drop caps to paragraphs enlarges the initial letter and insets it into the body of text. You can customize a drop cap by changing its settings in the Format Text dialogue box. For example, you can change the distance between the drop cap and the body of text, or specify the number of lines of text you want to appear beside the drop cap. You can also remove an individual drop cap at any point, without deleting the letter.

Applying the Wine style

1. From the toolbox, choose the Text tool, and select the text in the first paragraph.
2. In the Graphic and Text Styles docker, double-click the Wine style to apply it to the paragraph.
3. Repeat this process to apply the Wine style to the second and fifth paragraphs.

Creating a second style
For our second style, we are going to use bulleted lists to format information. It is possible either to make text wrap around bullets or to offset a bullet from text to create a hanging indent. CorelDRAW lets you customize bullets by changing their size, position, and distance from text. After you add a bullet, you can remove it without deleting the text.

1. In the Graphic and Text Styles docker, click the Options flyout button, and choose New > Paragraph Text Style from the drop-down list.
2. Right-click New Paragraph Text, and choose Rename from the drop-down list.
3. Type Wine2, and hit Enter.
4. Click the Options flyout button, and choose Properties from the drop-down list.
5. In the Options dialogue box, beside the listed Text Fonts, click Edit.
6. In the Format Text dialogue box, choose Arial from the Font list box, and choose 9 pt from the Size list box.
7. Ensure that Normal is set in the Style list box, and Latin in the Script list box.
8. Click the Paragraph tab, and choose Left from the Alignment list box.
9. Click the Effects tab, choose Bullet from the Effect Type list box, choose a font such as CommonBullets or Wingdings from the Font list box, choose 11 from the Size list box, and enable the Bulleted button.
10. If you're using CommonBullets, type 76 in the Symbol # box. If you're using Wingdings, choose a bullet symbol from the Symbol list box.
11. In the Position box, type 0.353.
12. Click OK to close each of the dialogue boxes.

Applying the Wine2 style

1. From the toolbox, choose the Text tool, and select the text in the third paragraph.
2. In the Graphic and Text Styles docker, double-click the Wine2 style to apply it to the paragraph.
3. Repeat this process to apply the Wine2 style to the fourth paragraph.

Creating a flag for Page 2
Now we'll start working on Page 2 of the newsletter. Click the Page 2 tab at the bottom of the document window to view Page 2.

1. Copy the grape illustration from Page 1 and rotate it to fit across the top of Page 2 at x:90.448 mm, y:289.211 mm.
2. Use Ctrl + D to duplicate the illustration, ungroup this second iteration (Ctrl + U), and delete the last three sections, so that you are just left with three sections.
3. Regroup these sections, and rotate them 90 degrees. Move to coordinates x:8.163 mm, y:233.379 mm so that they align with the left edge of the page.

Creating new headlines

1. Using the Text tool, click the edge of the 1st column at about 245mm down the page and type "Cellar notes".
2. For the second headline, place the cursor at the edge of the first column at about 125 mm down the page, and type 2004 Events.
3. Select the headlines, one at a time, and choose the nevisonCasDee font, size 36.
4. Change the colour of these and all other headline text on Page 1 and Page 2 to C:80, M:71, Y:0, and K:0.

Using the overflow feature with paragraph text

1. Choose the Text tool from the toolbox and drag to form a rectangle text frame across the second to fifth columns below the artistic text Cellar Notes.
2. Import SMB Newsletter Content Para6.wpd file. Enable the Discard Fonts and Formatting option, as we will create and use styles within CorelDRAW.
3. Create another text frame below the first frame.
4. Using the Pick tool, select the first frame.
5. Click the Text flow tab at the lower-center edge of the text frame.
6. When the pointer changes to a Link to pointer, click the frame into which you want the text to flow. In this case , click the text frame directly under the first text frame. Don't worry about overlapping the second heading, the text frames can be resized after the new text styles are applied.
7. Apply the Wine style to both text frames.
   Wait until you have completed the next procedure, "Adding columns to text", before you resize the text frames or edit the text.

Adding columns to text
Columns are ideal for laying out text-intensive projects such as newsletters, magazines, and newspapers. It is possible to create columns of equal or varying widths and gutters.

1. Select a paragraph text frame.
2. Click Text menu > Format text.
3. Click the Columns tab.
4. Type 2 in the Number of columns box, enable the Equal column width check box, and click OK.
5. Resize both text frames so the amount of text is balanced between the two and remove additional drop caps.

Step 4 – Editing and importing images
Now we'll use Corel PHOTO-PAINT to edit a photo that we want to use in the newsletter. Corel PHOTO-PAINT has a wide range of image-editing tools. We'll use the Clone tool and the Cutout feature to remove unwanted areas of the photo before we import the image into our CorelDRAW newsletter document. We'll complete the newsletter by adding some additional text and a band of colour at the base of the page.

Opening and saving an image in Corel PHOTO-PAINT

1. Insert the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite CD3 into your CD drive and browse to Photos > Food_Dri and select 853077.jp2.
2. Open the file in Corel PHOTO-PAINT.
3. Click File menu > Save As, and from the Save as type list box, choose CPT-Corel PHOTO-PAINT Image.
4. Click Save.

Cloning to remove details
The wineglass image has a reflection of a flag along the glass. To remove the flag, we'll use the Clone tool. The Clone tool lets you copy pixels from one image area to another in order to cover damaged or unwanted elements in an image. For example, you can fix a tear or remove a person from an image by applying cloned pixels over the area you want to remove. When you clone, two brushes display in the image window: a source point brush and a clone brush that applies the copied pixels from the source point. A cross-hair displays in the source point brush to distinguish it from the clone brush. The source point brush moves relative to the clone brush as you drag across the image.

1. Open the Touch-up flyout, and click the Clone tool.
2. On the property bar, open the Clone picker, and click Custom Clone.
3. Change the brush size to 19.
4. Click the image to set a source point for the clone. (Choose the reflected area of the glass just next to the flag.)
   If you want to reset the source point, right-click the area you want to clone.
5. Drag the Clone brush in the image window downwards to apply the pixels from the source point and repeat until the flag has been cloned out.

Cutting out the background
Within Corel PHOTO-PAINT, it is possible to use a variety of different methods to extract image areas by removing the surrounding background. For the purpose of our newsletter image, we'll use Corel PHOTO-PAINT's Cutout feature to remove the shape of the glass, the wine, and the bottle from the black background. The Cutout feature lets you isolate even the most detailed image areas while preserving edge detail, such as hair or blurred edges. The cut-out image area becomes an object that you can place against any background.

To cut out an image area, you begin by drawing a highlight over its edges. Then, you apply a fill to define the inside of the area. You can preview the cut-out image with the background removed, and you can switch between the cut-out and original views of the image to evaluate the results. If necessary, you can erase and redo sections of the highlighted area.

1. 
2. Click Image menu > Cutout.
3. In the Cutout dialogue box, click the Highlighter tool.
4. In the preview window draw a line along the edges of the glass, wine, and bottle that you want to cut out. The line should slightly overlap the surrounding background.
   To help you view the edges you need to highlight, you can press F2 to zoom in and F3 to zoom out.
5. Click the Inside fill tool, and click inside the image area.
6. Click Preview.
   >If you want to switch between the original and cut-out view of an image, choose a view from the View list box.
7. Click OK when you are happy with the result (this may take a couple of attempts to perfect).
8. Save the image (remember to save it as a Corel PHOTO-PAINT file).

Importing a photo into CorelDRAW
The next step is to import some additional graphics along the top of this newsletter. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12 supports more than 100 different file formats for its import/export filters, which facilitates a seamless graphics creation workflow by supporting file formats such as Adobe Illustrator, SAG, PDF, PNG, and Photoshop.

1. Click File menu > Import and choose your cut-out image from the previous step. As we can see the sizing information beside the cursor, we know that it is best to marquee size the image first.
2. Move the cursor to about x:145 mm, y:-25 mm, and drag to x:0 mm, y:115 mm.

Wrapping text around an object
To quickly create the effect of text wrapping around the shape of the glass, we need to create a freehand shape that traces the contour of the glass.

1. From the Curve flyout, click the Freehand tool (F5).
2. Click where you want to start the curve (the upper-right corner of the glass), and drag to draw the line around the glass. You must enclose the glass with a closed shape in order to apply text wrapping.
3. Import SMB Newsletter Content Para7.wpd, following the same instructions as before, and place this paragraph over the picture and our outline.
4. Choose Wine2 as the style in order to add the bullet points.
5. Select the freehand outline we created, and right-click to show the properties (if the Object Properties docker is already open, then select the freehand object and click on the properties docker).
6. Select the General tab, change the paragraph wrap to Contour Flows Right, and change the text wrap to about 2.54 mm.
7. Click Apply.
   You may need to move the text frame around a little manually and play with the positioning of the text. When you are satisfied with the appearance, change the outline style to None from the property bar so that this object remains hidden.

Adding a border to a text frame
The final text frame includes contact information. Adding a coloured border to the text frame helps the reader find the contact information quickly.

1. From the toolbox, select the Rectangle tool (F6), create a rectangle measuring 36.258 mm x 55.008 mm with an outline of 8 pt, and change the outline colour to C:70, M:0, Y:10, and K:0. And no fill.
2. Move the rectangle to coordinates x:153.945 mm, y:70.226 mm.
3. Select the Text tool and marquee drag to create a text frame within the newly created rectangle.
4. Add the text opposite and apply the Wine style.

Sampling a colour for the final page
To complete our initial layout, we will add a solid rectangle of colour at the base of the page that will complement our flag at the top of the page. To stick with the same sky theme as our logo, we'll choose the fill colour of C:70, M:0, Y:10, and K:0.

1. Open the Rectangle flyout, and click the Rectangle tool.
2. Drag in the drawing window until the rectangle is the size you want (216.0 mm x 22.138 mm) and position it to the coordinates x:105.00 mm, y:5.681 mm, so that the bleed is off the page.
3. In the toolbox, open the Eyedropper flyout, and click the Eyedropper tool.
4. Choose Sample colour from the list box on the property bar.
5. Click the border around the Contact Information text frame.
   The CMYK values display in the bottom right corner of the status bar, beside the Fill Colour icon.
6. Open the Eyedropper flyout, and click the Paintbucket tool.
7. Click inside the rectangle we created at the bottom of the page to apply the fill.

Step 5 - Output and publishing
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12 provides numerous options for outputting your graphics projects.

Export for Office
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12 offers the new feature of Export For Office, allowing you to quickly optimize the export of a graphic for use within productivity tools such as Microsoft® Office or WordPerfect Office.

Publish to PDF
Now that you have completed the newsletter, it's time to prepare it for output. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12 supports professional colour management and contains wizards to help develop content for a Service Bureau. In addition, CorelDRAW supports publishing to PDF so that you can generate PDF files without requiring additional third-party software. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12 includes many prepress options and a preflight engine to warn of any potential problems.

1. From the File menu, choose Publish to PDF.
2. In the Save As PDF dialogue box, click Settings to view the preflight information and change the default settings.
   If there are no issues, the Preflight tab displays the words No Issues. If there are issues, the Preflight tab displays the number of issues beside a yellow warning triangle. Click the tab to view the issues and determine if they apply to your output.

Print, prepress, and preflight
Before you output your final content, it is important that you identify any potential issues. Preflight checks the status of your file before you output it. A summary of issues and potential problems, with suggestions for solving the problems, is provided. You can specify the issues that you want Preflight to check. You can also customize and save Preflight settings.

The Open Prepress Interface (OPI) in CorelDRAW lets you use low-resolution images as placeholders for the high-resolution images that appear in your final work. When a service bureau receives your file, the OPI server substitutes the low-resolution images for the high-resolution images.

You can preserve document settings to maintain the look of a PDF file. You can also preserve document overprints, halftone screen information, and spot colours. In addition, you can place printers' marks to provide information to the service bureau about how the work should be printed. The available printers' marks are as follows:

• Crop marks - represent the size of the paper and appear at the corners of the page
• Registration marks - line up the film, analog proofs, or print plates on a colour press, and print on each sheet of a colour separation
• Densitometer scale - consists of a series of gray boxes, ranging from light to dark, for testing the density of halftone images

Service bureaus and colour management
Colour management is the process of matching colours between devices, such as scanners, digital cameras, printers, and monitors. Accurate, reliable colour management is the cornerstone of any creative design process. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12 makes colour management more intuitive by combining all the essential colour management options in one dialogue box.

Service bureaus and colour management
Colour management is the process of matching colours between devices, such as scanners, digital cameras, printers, and monitors. Accurate, reliable colour management is the cornerstone of any creative design process. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12 makes colour management more intuitive by combining all the essential colour management options in one dialogue box.

CorelDRAW features colour management controls designed to help you achieve the best possible colour matches. You can also remove the guesswork by taking advantage of three predefined colour management styles (for the Web, for desktop printing, and for professional output), or you can enjoy the flexibility of creating and saving your own profiles.

From here...
This tutorial provides instructions for using CorelDRAW 12 to develop a newsletter. We hope that you continue to explore the many exciting creative possibilities of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12.

For more information about the topics and tools presented in this tutorial, please refer to the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12 User Guide.

© 2004 Corel Corporation. All rights reserved. All trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective companies.

New Dynamic Guides Will Change the Way You Draw

Once in a while, a new drawing feature comes along that's so innovative, it has the potential to completely change the way you draw. New Dynamic Guides in CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite 12 will do just that. In fact, after using them for a while, you'll wonder how you ever did without them. Let's explore just how great these fancy new guides really are.

A Boon for Drawing and Positioning Lines and Objects
Unlike typical guidelines that physically occupy a point on your document page, Dynamic Guides appear only momentarily right where you need them. As you're drawing a line or dragging an object, they come to life to show information about your cursor's position relative to points on surrounding objects.

As your cursor comes within a certain distance of an object snap point, a Dynamic Guide path magically appears right where you need it. The guide path itself is "sticky", meaning your cursor easily aligns to it. When drawing or positioning objects, the screen tips you see provide angle and distance measurements from your cursor or grab point to nearby snap points, like this:

If you've never used Dynamic Guides before, try these steps and you'll see just how powerful this feature is:

1. To view only the feedback provided by Dynamic Guides, turn off the CorelDRAW 12 Snap to Objects feature. To do this, choose View/Snap to Objects Setup to open the Options dialog box for the Snap to Objects pane. Click to turn off both the Snap to Objects On and Show Snap Location Marks options, and click OK to close the dialog box.
   
   
2. Next, let's make sure Dynamic Guides are active. If they aren't already showing, activate your Dynamic Guide display by pressing Alt+Shift+D. Choose View/Dynamic Guides Setup to open the Options dialog box for the Dynamic Guides pane. Make sure the Angle and Distance Screen Tip options are selected and click OK.
   
   
3. Now that you're all set up, start your exploration with a single object. For example, draw a simple rectangle with the Rectangle tool (F6).
   
   
4. Choose the Pick tool, then grab the lower-left corner node of the rectangle and drag it in a circular motion around its original position. Notice as you do this that guide paths, and angle and distance values appear around the rectangle.
   
   
5. Continue dragging, but this time, drag your grab point close to a nearby snap point and slowly drag it along the guide path that appears. Notice how your cursor "sticks" to it, and the difference in angle and distance from your grab point to the current snap point is updated as you drag. What you see on your screen will look something like this:

6. Create a second object (such as an ellipse) and add it to the mix. Drag your rectangle from the same corner beside the right side of the ellipse and notice another guide path appear at angles between your grab point and the ellipse snap points, like this:

Even if you're just creating lines or curves, you'll see Dynamic Guides feedback that displays the angle and distance from the last node position relative to the snap points of other objects. If you've ever fumbled trying to draw three nodes in perfect alignment at a non-typical angle, you'll certainly appreciate how useful this can be.

To see how easily you can add a perfect angled extension to a straight line, try these steps:

1. Use the same setup as in earlier steps. Start by creating a straight line at a non-typical angle (an angle that is anything but the standard 15-degree constrain interval). To create the line, choose the Freehand tool (F5).
   
   
2. Click any two points on your page to define the beginning and end points of the line. After clicking the second point, your straight line becomes a completed object, but remains selected.
   
   
3. Still using the Freehand tool, hold your cursor over the second point you clicked. Notice that the cursor features an end node symbol. Click your cursor on the node once to begin drawing another line segment. Move your cursor slowly away to extend the line and notice a Dynamic Guide appears at the exact angle of the existing line, like this:

4. Move your cursor along the guide and click a point anywhere on it. Another node position is defined and your line segment is now a straight path composed of three nodes.

Customizing Dynamic Guides
There are plenty of ways you can control what you're seeing on screen. You can toggle Dynamic Guides on and off a number of ways: by using the Alt+Shift+D shortcut, by choosing View/ Dynamic Guides from the command menus, or by clicking the Dynamic Guides button in the Property Bar (shown next) while the Pick or Shape tools (and no objects) are selected.
Dynamic Guides have a unique set of options that enable you to control their behavior. You can customize how the guides appear by choosing behavior options such as angle and distance tips, and tick snapping, and select which guide angles appear. To access these options (shown next), choose View/Dynamic Guides Setup to open the Options dialog box for the Dynamic Guides pane shown here:


Here's how each option will affect the way Dynamic Guides are displayed:

• Dynamic Guides – Select this check box to toggle Dynamic Guides on or off.
  
  
• Angle Screen Tip – When drawing with line tools, use Angle Screen Tip to show an angle value from the tip of your grab point relative to other object snap points, when positioning objects or placing nodes.
  
  
• Distance Screen Tip – When drawing with line tools, choose Distance Screen Tip to show the distance between your cursor position on a guide and the current snap point, when positioning objects or placing nodes. The unit measure you'll see is based on your currently selected drawing units. (You can set this in the Pick tool Property Bar while no objects are selected.)
  
  
• Snap to Ticks – Use Snap to Ticks to toggle tick snapping along the guide paths in customizable increments. This enables you to move your cursor along the guide and snap to tick points according to the current Tick Spacing value.
  
  
• Guides – Use this area to select which angles you want your Dynamic Guides to indicate on screen. Check boxes enable you to toggle the angles on or off in the list. As you select each one, its apparent angle is displayed in the Guides Preview window on the right of the dialog box. To add your own custom angles, just enter a value in the degree box above the list and click the Add button, as shown next. Custom guide angles are automatically added to the guides list, so you have the option of toggling them on or off. You can also interactively select and manage the guides via list selection or just by clicking the apparent angles shown in the Preview window.

Extend Along Segment – When drawing using any line tool, use this option to easily add straight portions to an existing angled line segment. A Dynamic Guide will automatically show you where to place your new node so it's in perfect alignment with the existing straight line.

The Dynamic Duo
It may also help you to know that Dynamic Guides work together with the new Snap Modes feature in CorelDRAW 12. The guides appear whenever your grab point or line tool cursor comes within a certain threshold of an active snap point on your original object, or on a different object, like this:




You can set up to nine object snap points to include in the process by choosing View/Snap to Objects Setup to open the Options dialog box for the Snap to Object pane, shown next.