CorelDraw Interface

Welcome to CorelDraw

Title Bar: Shows the Title of the page or file.

Menu Bar: Menu bar plays vital role in this regard. It has various functions and effects. You can select any action by simply using your mouse pointer and click to make the action. there are also some sub menus and categories included.

Standard Bar: You can simply make an action by clicking standard icons. e.g. create new file, Open any existing file, save file, print file, cut, copy, paste, undo & redo your last action or change you have made to your document file. import file (importing supported format image file into your file), export (exporting your design or artwork to any compressed or uncompressed image format file, like, JPEG, GIF, PNG, TIFF, TGA, Photoshop file format "PSD", etc.

Properties Bar: Every Object has its own properties. for example if you draw a rectangle it has its own properties like, size & dimensions, corner properties, curve and if you are editing a text, it has properties like, selection of font, bold, italic, underline, etc. This enables you to access commands that are specific to the current tool or feature you are using.

Rulers: The Rulers show the measurements of the canvas. It will show the current value of measurement as you move your mouse pointer in the work area.

Tool Box: Tools are used to draw & edit shapes and drawings. Tool box has many drawing & editing tools. every icon & name of the tool indicates the nature of the tool. Holding click for a while will bring the fly out menu.

Canvas: CorelDraw has a big working area. The box highlighted in the center of the drawing area is called canvas. It shows the area of the drawing according to the template or drawing size.

Color Palettes: Color palettes are by default present on the right side of the window. CorelDraw by default color palette is based on "CMYK" color system.
You can ad more color systems like, RGB color palette, Uniform color, HKS colors, Web-safe colors, SVG colors and pantone colors. (as shown in figure).

Page Navigator: You can ad, delete pages and also switch pages by manualy selecting pages with left click or by using buttons or short cuts "page up" for one page back, and "page down" for one page forward. You can also rename, insert page after, or before selected page or delete page. (as shown in figure).

Status Bar: The Status Bar give you information about movement of cursor, and symbol properties such as the fill or size.

CorelDraw Tool Box and its Properties

Pick Tool is used to select, re-size, rotate and skew the image                                                         or object

Shape Tool: Shape tool is used to reshape vector objects. Objects can be reshaped by moving nodes, lines, and control points. Shape tool also crops images by adding nodes to outline of image.

Knife Tool:  is used to Cut the picture or vector object ("curve") with attractive shorelines.

Eraser Tool (x): is used to Erase the picture or vector objects ("curves").

Smudge Brush Tool: is used to distort the image or vector objects ("curves").

Roughen Brush Tool: is used to roughen outline of the image or vector objects ("curves") by dragging along the outline. 

Free transform Tool: is used to transform an object by using the Free rotation, Angle rotation, Scale, and Skew.

Virtual segment delete Tool: is used to delete portions of objects that are between intersections.

 Zoom Tool: is used to zoom the specific area of the drawing or canvas  

                                        Hand Tool: after zooming any object or part of drawing to a big level, "Hand" tool will help us to scroll our page to required direction.                                                         

Freehand Tool: is used to draw segments or curves in the form of a single line. 

Bezier Tool: is used to draw curvy or wavy lines, by the help of handles. 

Artistic Media Tool (I): has three built in presets, called, "Preset", "Brush" and "Sprayer".     each preset has its own creative designs in various categories. 

Pen Tool (alt+P): is used to trace complex vector shapes, containers with a smart function of curve smoothness. which is very effective to smooth curves by simply selecting the required nodes and increase curve smoothness lever from Properties bar.
                                                                          

Ploy line Tool: draw lines by joining nodes to nodes.  

3 Point curve Tool: is used to draw a curve by creating a line by holding left click. After getting the required length, release click and move your cursor up ward or down ward to give a smooth curve to line.                                                                               

Smart Drawing Tool: is used to converts the freehand strokes that you draw to basic shapes and smoothed curves. 

Rectangle Tool: is used to draw rectangles.

3 Point Rectangle Tool: is used to draw a rectangle by dragging to create the rectangle baseline and clicking to define its height.

Ellipse Tool: is used to draw ellipses and circles.

3 Point Ellipse Tool: is used to draw an ellipse by dragging to create the center line of the ellipse and clicking to define its height.

Graph Paper Tool (D): is used to draw a grid of lines similar to that on graph paper.

Polygon Tool: is used to draw symmetrical polygons and stars.

Spiral Tool: is used to draw symmetrical and logarithmic spirals.
 

Basic Shapes Tools and Fly out: is used to created standard shapes "arrows", "flow charts", "stars (ribbon objects and explosion shapes)" and "call out shapes", are included in preset of CorelDraw. Shapes can be edit with the help of red & yellow nodes.

Text Tool (F8): is used to type words directly on the screen as artistic or paragraph text. You can change font and text properties from Properties bar

Interactive Blend Tool: is used to blend two objects. for example if you draw a rectangle and a ellipse. dragging your mouse from one object to other will blend two shapes together.

Interactive Contour Tool: is used to make framing layers of the object.

Interactive Distortion Tool: is used to distort the vector objects. There are three types of distortions, "Push & Pull Distortion", "Zipper Distortion" and "Twister Distortion". 

Interactive Drop Shadow Tool: is used to create shadow effect of object. If object has no fill, there will be no shadow.

Interactive Envelope Tool: is used to distort an object by dragging the nodes of the envelope

Interactive Extrude Tool: is used to apply the illusion of depth to objects.

Interactive Transparency Tool: is used to apply transparencies to objects and images.

Eye Dropper Tool: is used to select object properties, such as fill, line thickness, size, and effects, from an object on the drawing window.

Paint Bucket Tool: is used to apply object properties, such as fill, line thickness, size and effects, to an object on the drawing window. 

Outline Tool: is used to edit or modify out line properties. You can also open "Outline properties window" by pressing "F12" from you keyboard. 

Fill Tool: is used to fill vector objects and containers with single color, two colors, custom colors gradients, patterns, textures and post script fill.

Interactive Fill Tool (G): is used to apply various fills.

Interactive Mesh Tool: is used to apply a mesh grid to an object.

Opening CorelDraw

Introduction to CorelDraw

CorelDraw is a vector based designing software. It’s by default color mode is CMYK color system. Corel Draw also supports RGB color system. You can draw and edit various geometric shapes, can be filled with single color, two colors, multicolored gradients, Textures, Patterns & Bitmaps.

Getting start with CorelDraw 12

Why using CorelDraw 12 version?

I am working in this version from several years, that’s why I am familiar to this version very much. There is not a big difference if we compare CorelDraw 12 version to latest Versions till now e.g. CorelDraw “X 5” (“X” represents “10” in Roman counting with adding “5” gives us a value of “15” version). Some features of tool box, and menu in X 5 differ from that of CorelDraw. You can understand and explore these changes by your own.

Welcome to CorelDraw start-up window and its parameters. 

You can see start-up window, at the start of CorelDraw. There are six main options or icons as shown in figure.

Click on “New” for creating a new file. As shown in figure.  (take your mouse pointer on any content will change its shape to a small hand pointing an index finger towards button or icon). 

Click on "Recently Used". These are recently used or saved, files of CorelDraw in your computer, on which you have just worked or still working. taking your mouse pointer on any file's name, will highlight the file name in blue color. Left click will execute the file in CorelDraw.

Tip: Every program and software has its own extension. its mean when you save a file in any software with any name, The software will save the file with its recognized file extension automatically. for example if we save a file in CorelDraw naming "abc" it would be save like; "abc.cdr". ".cdr" is CorelDraw file extension. 

".psd" is Adobe Photoshop file format or extension.

When you directly open any saved file of a specific program in your computer, it will be open in its default software because your computer recognizes this file according to its file format or extension.

Clicking "Open" will open a new browse window from where you can locate your file's location or path. you can open the file by double left clicking on it or simple selecting in a single click and then clicking on open button will open the file in CorelDraw.

Tip: This feature is only applicable for CorelDraw file. I you want a bitmap or other supporting file to be open in CorelDraw, Then it will be done by using "Import" option available in "File Menu" or pressing "Ctrl+i" from you keyboard. 

"New From Templates" These are sample files available in Templates Library of CorelDraw. Gives you some brilliant ideas on vector drawing. you can further edit or grab an idea from these files.

"Corel Tutor" you can notice its introduction at bottom of the window, as shown in figure.

"What's New?" you can notice its introduction at bottom of the window, as shown in figure.

If you do not want this start up window to be appear next time you start CorelDraw. Simply unchecked The "Check Box" at the end of start up window. CorelDraw start up window will not appear next time, when you start CorelDraw.

Without start up window you can start by simply clicking on first icon of the "Standard Bar" or "Button Bar". Taking your mouse pointer on icon and waiting for a while will show "Short Cut key" for the selective action. You can also open a new document file by pressing "Ctrl+N" from keyboard. "Ctrl+O" for open an existing document.

"Ctrl+S" for saving file. You can also get these short cuts from simply put your mouse pointer on icon or from "Menu" Bar.

Tips: Short cut keys play a vital role to increase speed, giving professional grip over tools and saving a lot of precious time. 

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In my next article I'll tell you about, how to start Drawing Shapes in CorelDraw. I also need your precious suggestions and If you have any trouble, regarding article or have any question, please let me know. I am preparing them with best use of my skills and knowledge, need your encouragement indeed. 

Thanks.