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.