Corel Painter - X Instruction Manual

User Guide

Table of contents

Welcome to Corel Painter X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

What’s New in Corel Painter? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

How to Use the Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

About Corel Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

A Workspace Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

The Menus and the Document Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

The Toolbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

The Property Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

The Brush Selector Bar and the Brush Creator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

The Palettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Custom Palettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Libraries and Movers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Brush Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

The Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Working with Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Working with Composition Tools, Rulers, and Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Setting Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Using Two Monitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Understanding Plug-ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Textures, Patterns, and Weaves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Using Paper Texture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

Using Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

Using Weaves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

Color. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Getting Started with Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

Working with the Mixer Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

Working with Color Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Setting Color Variability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89

Viewing Color Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90

Setting Color Expression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90

Working with Gradients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91

Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Exploring Brushes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97

Understanding Brush Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98

Choosing Brush Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107

Marking the Canvas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110

Exploring Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113

Working with Fill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122

Working with RealBristle Brushes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Getting Started with RealBristle brushes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127

RealBristle settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127

Table of contents i

Watercolor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Getting Started with Watercolor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131

Working with Digital Watercolor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132

Liquid Ink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Working with the Liquid Ink Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135

Using Liquid Ink Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135

Impasto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Getting Started with Impasto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137

Adjusting Surface Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142

Customizing Brushes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Getting Started with the Brush Creator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145

Managing Settings and Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149

Managing Custom Brushes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184

Photo Painting System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

Creating Underpaintings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189

Auto-Painting Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .191

Restoring Detail to Paintings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193

Cloning and Tracing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

Cloning Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .195

Using Clone Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .197

Turning Other Brushes into Cloners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203

Using Selections and Transformations with Cloning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204

Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209

Getting Started with Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .209

Creating Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211

Saving, Loading, and Combining Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214

Editing Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217

Alpha Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

Creating, Generating, and Importing Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223

Managing and Editing Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225

Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231

Getting Started with Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231

Managing Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236

Editing Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243

Working with Layer Masks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255

Image Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259

Applying Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259

Working with Third-party Plug-ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .261

Using Orientation Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .261

Correcting and Adjusting Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .264

Equalizing Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .270

Other Tonal Control Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .271

Using Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .274

Working with Surface Texture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .277

Using Other Surface Control Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .286

Using Focus Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .293

ii Corel Painter User Guide

Using Esoterica Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .297

Dynamic Plug-ins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311

Getting Started with Dynamic Plug-ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .311

Exploring Dynamic Plug-ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .313

Image Hose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331

How the Image Hose Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .331

Getting Started with the Image Hose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .332

Controlling the Image Hose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .333

Indexing: Choosing Images from a Nozzle File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .335

Creating, Loading, and Saving Nozzles for the Image Hose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .336

Mosaics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347

Getting Started with Mosaics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .347

Placing and Customizing Tiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .351

Working with Tessellation Mosaics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .356

Using Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361

Getting Started with Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .361

Creating Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .363

Editing Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .368

Transforming Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .372

Combining Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .375

Saving and Exporting Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .378

Working with Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379

Understanding the Text Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .379

Creating and Formatting Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .379

Applying Effects to Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .380

Converting and Dropping Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .384

The Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385

Creating Web Page Backgrounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .385

Creating Web Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .387

Using the Image Slicer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .388

Working with Rollovers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .393

Working with Image Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .395

Creating GIF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .397

Using Web-Safe Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .399

Selecting Brushes for the Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .400

Scripting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403

Getting Started with Scripting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .403

Editing Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .406

Working with Scripts and Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .407

Animation and Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409

Creating Animations and Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .409

Getting Started with Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .411

Modifying a Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .415

Rotoscoping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .416

Saving and Exporting Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .421

Creating and Exporting Animations for the World Wide Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .423

Table of contents iii

Printing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427

Understanding Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .427

Getting Started with Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .427

Understanding Color Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .429

Managing Files Saved in EPS Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .433

Keyboard Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435

Toolbox Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .436

Palette Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .437

Corel Painter Menu Commands (Mac OS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .437

File Menu Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .437

Edit Menu Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .437

Canvas Menu Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .438

Layers Menu Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .438

Select Menu Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .438

Shapes Menu Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .438

Effects Menu Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .438

Window Menu Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .439

Screen Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .439

Palette Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .439

Palette Menu Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .439

Brush Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .440

Selection Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .440

Adjuster Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .441

Shape Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .441

Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .442

Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .442

Layer Section Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .442

Mosaics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .443

Other Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .443

iv Corel Painter User Guide

Welcome to Corel Painter X

Corel® Painter™ X is the leading digital painting application. The Natural-Media® features in Corel Painter let you
simulate the use of a wide range of art tools — from felt pens, charcoal, and colored pencils to watercolor and oils.

What’s New in Corel Painter?

Corel Painter X offers a broad range of tools and features that inspire creativity, increase performance, and further extend
compatibility with other industry-standard tools and applications.

Creativity

Corel Painter X delivers an array of powerful new features that mimic traditional art media as never before — right down
to the individual bristles on a brush.

RealBristle Painting System

The new RealBristle Painting System, which reproduces the natural movement of an artist’s brush, represents a major
milestone for digital painting. This new feature heightens the responsiveness of your brush in a totally new way. With
Corel Painter X, you can now faithfully replicate the sensation of the interaction between the paint, canvas, and brush. For
more information, see “RealBristle settings” on page 127.

Divine Proportion

The new Divine Proportion composition tool helps you visually arrange your canvas before drawing or painting. Widely
used throughout history, divine proportion is a ratio of 1:1.61803398874989, or approximately 3:5, which is generally
recognized as aesthetically pleasing to the eye. It has been used by many of the world’s most recognized artists, designers,
and architects, such as Sargent, Seurat, Michelangelo, and Le Corbusier.

This tool can help you create visually stunning compositions, whether you are painting from a blank canvas or are
cropping a photo that you want to transform into a painting. Corel Painter X provides palette controls for the Divine
Proportion composition tool, which let you adjust the orientation, size, angle of rotation, display colors, opacity, and grid
levels.

For more information, see “Using the Divine Proportion tool” on page 44.

Layout Grid

The new Layout Grid composition tool divides the canvas into equal sections. Similar to the Divine Proportion
composition tool, the Layout Grid helps you visually arrange the canvas or a photo before you draw or paint. You can
choose from three preset grids: the Rule of Thirds, 3 × 5, or 5 × 5. In addition, you can customize the Layout Grid to
virtually any configuration. For more information, see “Using the Layout Grid” on page 43.

Photo Painting System

The enhanced Photo Painting System makes it easier than ever for you to create beautiful paintings from photos. With
Corel Painter X, new controls provide you with more options when creating an underpainting. In addition, the new Smart
Stroke Painting option uses brush strokes that dynamically adhere to the forms of the original photo. For more
information, see “Photo Painting System” on page 189.

The Underpainting Palette

Throughout history, artists have used underpaintings to establish the overall color values for their paintings. Similarly, the
Underpainting palette lets you prepare a photo for cloning — the first step in transforming a photo into a painting. You
can adjust the photo’s contrast, lightness, or saturation and add an edge effect, such as a rectangular, circular, or jagged
vignette.

Welcome to Corel Painter X 1

With Corel Painter X, the Underpainting palette has been enhanced to include color schemes based on various media
styles, such as Impressionist, Classical, Modern, Watercolor, Sketchbook, and Chalk Drawing. In addition, you can choose
a color scheme that matches the colors of any opened image.

The Auto-Painting Palette

The Auto-Painting palette lets you transform a photo into a painting by automatically applying random paint strokes that
vary in stroke type, direction, and pressure. You choose the type of brush stroke and adjust the preset options to determine
how the brush interacts with the canvas.

With Corel Painter X, the Auto-Painting palette has been enhanced to provide the new Smart Stroke Painting option,
which uses brush strokes that follow the forms of the original photo. When enabled, the Smart Stroke Painting option
dynamically changes brush size, stroke length, and pressure based on the detail and focal areas of the original photo.

The Restoration Palette

The Restoration palette allows you to touch up a painting manually by using one of two special brushes. These brushes
use the original photographic detail to “restore” image areas, such as facial features.

Match Palette Effect

The new Match Palette effect lets you match the color and intensity between two images. If you want to change an image’s
color scheme, you can open an image that features your desired color scheme and use the Match Palette effect to apply the
new color scheme to your image. For more information, see “Matching Color and Brightness across Images” on page 274.

Mixer Palette

Corel Painter X gives you more control over color selection when you use Artists’ Oils brushes, RealBristle brushes, or any
other bristle-type brush. For multicolor selection, the enhanced Mixer palette gives you better control over color blending
between the Mixer palette and the canvas. For more information, see “Working with the Mixer Palette” on page 79.

Performance and Productivity

Corel Painter X introduces new tools that increase productivity and streamline your workflow. This is the fastest version of
Corel Painter ever, as application performance, speed, and stability have improved dramatically.

Depending on your system hardware, Corel Painter X provides up to five times faster startup performance compared with
previous versions of the software. Plus, brush engine performance is 35% faster, opening RIFF files is two times faster,
rendering effects is two times faster, running scripts is 25% faster, and file saving is now up to 40% faster.

Universal Binary

With support for Universal binary specifications, Corel Painter X is optimized for use on both Intel®- and PowerPC®­based Mac® computers.

Workspace Customization

With Corel Painter X it’s easy to share or switch between customized workspaces. For example, to suit specific workflows
in a professional environment, workspaces may be customized to offer only tools relevant to sketching, photography, and
painting. For more information, see “Customizing the workspace” on page 30.

2 Corel Painter User Guide

Corel Painter X makes it easy to share custom workspaces.

Dodge and Burn Tools

With Corel Painter X, dodge and burn capabilities have been improved with the addition of two new image enhancement
tools. The Dodge tool lets artists lighten, or overexpose, specific areas of an image. The Burn tool lets artists darken, or
underexpose, specific areas of an image. Dodging and burning are often used to prepare a photo for painting. For more
information, see “Dodging and Burning” on page 276.

Color Management

Corel Painter X includes the enhanced Color Management System, which ensures accurate color reproduction between
devices and print jobs. In previous versions of Corel Painter, color management controls needed to be reset for each new
project. Now, you specify color management options only once, and Corel Painter X retains those settings until you make
further adjustments. With support for industry-standard color profiles defined in version 4.0 of the International Color
Consortium® specification (ICC 4.0), Corel Painter X lets you focus entirely on your work. For more information, see
“Understanding Color Management” on page 431.

Session Memory

With enhanced session memory, Corel Painter X retains many different settings between sessions, including grid settings,
tracker settings, and erasers.

Secure Saving and Auto-Backup

Corel Painter X provides the new Secure Saving and Auto-Backup features, which help ensure that you will not lose your
work in the case of a power outage or system crash.

Compatibility

Corel Painter X fits into your workflow and is compatible with the industry-standard software and hardware you use
every day, including the latest operating systems from Apple and Microsoft.

Windows Vista Support

Corel Painter X is designed to run on Windows Vista™, the latest Microsoft® operating system.

Adobe Photoshop Support

Layers behave in Corel Painter much as they do in Adobe® Photoshop®, which makes it simple to move files between the
two applications. When you open files saved to the Photoshop file format (PSD) in Corel Painter, the file’s layer masks,
alpha channels, and layer sets (groups) are maintained. The enhancements include improved support for layer merge
modes and easier layer grouping and combining. Corel Painter X also supports Photoshop plug-ins for Mac OS® X.

Welcome to Corel Painter X 3

Wacom Support

Wacom® pen tablets and pens have long been staples in the creative professional’s toolbox. With Corel Painter X, you can
use the entire Wacom product line — including the Cintiq® 21 UX interactive pen display, the Intuos®3 pen tablet, and
the Wacom 6D Art Pen. The new RealBristle Painting System in Corel Painter X was developed to take full advantage of
the Wacom 6D Art Pen. Combined with the pen’s six dimensions of control, Corel Painter X takes realism to new heights.
For more information, see “Art Pens” on page 99 and “Working with RealBristle Brushes” on page 127.

Corel Painter X and a Wacom tablet bring true expression from the artist’s hand to the canvas.

Artwork by Chet Phillips.

Learning

With a printed user guide, training videos and tutorials from Corel Painter Masters, online Help, and courseware
specifically designed for educators, getting started with Corel Painter has never been easier.

Printed User Guide

With Corel Painter X, you get a printed user guide, which provides information and fast solutions.

Jeremy Sutton Training Videos

For guidance and inspiration, Corel Painter X includes a new collection of step-by-step training videos by Corel Painter
Master Jeremy Sutton.

Tutorials by Corel Painter Masters

Corel Painter X provides a new series of tutorials by recognized industry professionals to help you learn to use the
application.

“Painter on the ’Net” Tab in the Welcome Book

The new “Painter on the ’Net” tab provides links to online resources for the Corel Painter community, including Tips &
Tricks, tutorials, and special offers. Launching on startup, the Welcome book lets you quickly begin working on your
current project. The Welcome book also provides quick access to recently used files, brush settings, and color management
settings, and it showcases artwork from renowned Corel Painter Masters.

The Welcome book

4 Corel Painter User Guide

How to Use the Documentation

You can find answers to many of your questions in the Corel Painter User Guide and in the Help available from within
the Corel Painter workspace. The Corel Painter User Guide contains commonly used procedures and information. The
Help gives you access to a full range of topics in a searchable format. An Adobe® Portable Document Format (PDF)
version of the Help is installed when you install the application.

If you have any comments or suggestions about the Corel Painter X documentation, please contact Corel Corporation at
www.corel.com/painterx/feedback.

Documentation Conventions

The following table describes important conventions used in the Corel Painter User Guide and in the Help.

Convention Description Example

Mac OS® / Windows®
commands

Modifier keys (Command,
Option, Ctrl, Alt)

Menu commands (Choose
X menu ` menu item)

Title bar A title bar is located at the top or side of some UI

Palette title bar The palette title bar appears at the top of a palette.

The Corel Painter User Guide is intended for both the
Mac OS and Windows platforms. Throughout the
guide, Mac OS commands precede Windows
commands.

When a modifier key differs between Mac OS and
Windows, the Mac OS modifier is listed first.

You choose a menu name by clicking it, and then you
click to choose a menu item from the list.

elements, such as the toolbox, the property bar, and
the palettes. It may not display title text.

When the palette is expanded, the color of the bar
changes to dark gray. When a palette is collapsed,
the color of the bar changes to light gray.

Hold down Command (Mac OS) or Ctrl
(Windows).

Command + I (Mac OS) or Ctrl + I (Windows)

(For the Mac OS, you press Command + I; for
Windows, you press Ctrl + I.)

Choose File menu ` Quick Clone

Examples of the toolbox title bar on the Mac OS
(top) and the Windows platform (bottom):

Palette title bars for the Underpainting and Auto­Painting palettes are collapsed, and the
Restoration palette is expanded.

Palette arrow The palette arrow is used to expand or collapse a

Palette menu arrow or
selector menu arrow

Welcome to Corel Painter X 5

palette.

Clicking a palette menu arrow or a selector menu
arrow displays a pop-up menu with additional
commands.

The Auto-Painting palette arrow is collapsed, and
the Underpainting palette arrow is expanded.

The palette menu arrow for the Mixer palette
displays the Mixer palette menu.

Convention Description Example

Flyout Flyouts are spaces shared by certain tools in the

toolbox. You can open a flyout by clicking and
holding down the tool on the flyout that is
displayed.

A note contains information that is important to the
steps that precede it. Often, a note describes
conditions under which the procedure can be
performed.

A tip contains suggestions related to the procedure.
Some tips present alternative methods of performing
the steps or information about other benefits and
uses of the procedure.

By clicking and holding down the Grabber tool in
the toolbox, you can display a flyout that includes
the Rotate Page tool.

This command is available only if you have
turned off a selection.

You can choose a brush category and variant in
the main application or in the Brush Creator.

Using Corel Painter Help

The Help is the documentation that can be accessed from within the Corel Painter workspace. It is fully searchable and
includes more comprehensive information than is found in the printed documentation.

To use the Help

1 Choose Help menu ` Corel Painter X Help (Mac) or Help Topics (Windows).

2 Perform a task from the following table.

To Do the following

Browse through Help topics Click the Contents tab.

Use the index Click the Index tab and scroll through the entries,

Search the full text of the Help (Mac) Type a word or phrase in the Search box in

or type a word or phrase in the box.

the top right corner of the Help window, and
press Return.

(Windows) Click the Search tab, type a word or
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Proportion” or “Match Palette”).

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6 Corel Painter User Guide

A Workspace Tour

The Corel Painter workspace has been designed to give you easy access to tools, effects, commands, and features. The
workspace is organized across a series of menus, selectors, and interactive palettes. Some features are also available in the
frame of the document window.

The Menus and the Document Window

Using the commands on the Corel Painter menu bar, you can

• work with files and editing commands

• apply and adjust effects

• perform selection operations, work with shapes, and create animations

• control the document window or the Corel Painter workspace

1. Menu bar 6. Navigation icon 11. Brush Selector bar

2. Tracing Paper icon 7. Drawing Mode icon 12. Document title bar

3. Colors palette 8. Selectors 13. Toolbox

4. Layers palette 9. Color Selection box 14. Property bar

5. Scale slider 10. Canvas

The document window lets you access the following features with the click of a button:

• Tracing Paper — Lets you trace a clone source. When Tracing Paper is in use, you see a faded-out version of the
clone source, as if it were displayed under real tracing paper on top of a light box.

A Workspace Tour 7

• Grid — Helps you position brush strokes and shapes. You can set the types, size, line thickness, and color of the
grid.

• Color Correction — Lets you apply the current color management style to an image. When the icon shows colors,
the color management style is applied to the image; when the icon shows black, the color management style is not
applied to the image.

• Impasto Effect — Lets you view the depth effect of the Impasto layer.

• Drawing Mode — Lets you choose where you can apply brush strokes to your image when you have an active
selection. Click and hold down the icon to choose between drawing anywhere, drawing outside the selection only, or
drawing inside the selection only.

• Navigation — Lets you view a pop-up window of the entire image and choose which area is displayed in the
document window. For example, when you are working at a high zoom level or with a large image, you can find a
different image area without having to adjust the zoom level.

The Toolbox

You can use the tools in the toolbox to paint, draw lines and shapes, fill shapes with color, view and navigate, and make
selections. Under the toolbox is a color selector, plus six content selectors that let you choose papers, gradients, patterns,
weaves, looks, and nozzles.

Toolbox Basics

The toolbox is open by default; however, it can be closed. You can move the toolbox around the application window, and
you can attach the toolbox to the document window or to other palettes.

To open or close the toolbox

• Perform a task from the following table.

To Do the following

Open the toolbox Choose Window menu ` Show Toolbox.

Close the toolbox Click the close button on the title of the toolbox. You can also

choose Window menu ` Hide Toolbox.

To move or dock the toolbox

1 Place the cursor over the title bar of the toolbox.

2 Perform a task from the following table.

To Do the following

Move the toolbox Drag the toolbox title bar to a new location in the application

Dock the toolbox Drag the toolbox title bar to the edge of the application window

window.

or a palette. When the toolbox lines up with the edge of the
application window or palette, it will snap into place.

Accessing Tools in the Toolbox

The toolbox contains flyout menus, in which tools of similar function share a space. The button for only one of these tools
is displayed at a given time. A flyout menu is indicated by a triangle in the lower-right corner of the button.

The current tool can be modified by options on the property bar, which change as you change tools. For more information,
see “Property Bar Basics” on page 12.

8 Corel Painter User Guide

To access tools grouped in flyouts

1 In the toolbox, click and hold the tool icon whose flyout you want to open.

A flyout menu of the entire group of related tools appears.

2 Choose the tool you want to use.

The tool you’ve chosen now appears on the toolbox.

Some tools are located in flyout menus on the toolbox. To open a flyout menu, click and hold down a tool button

that has a triangle in the lower-right corner.

Exploring the Toolbox

Tool Description

Navigation and Utility Tools

Magnifier tool The Magnifier tool lets you magnify areas of an image when you

Grabber tool The Grabber tool gives you a quick way to scroll an image. For

Rotate Page tool The Rotate Page tool lets you rotate an image window to

Crop tool The Crop tool lets you remove unwanted edges from the image.

Perspective Grid tool The Perspective Grid tool lets you select and move the location of

are performing detailed work, or reduce areas to get an overall
view of an image. For more information, see “Zooming” on
page 36.

more information, see “Repositioning Documents” on page 37.

accommodate the way you naturally draw. For more information,
see “Rotating and Flipping the Canvas” on page 39.

For more information, see “Cropping Images” on page 38.

the perspective grid lines, the vanishing point, the horizon line,
the ground line, and the picture plane. For more information, see
“Using the Perspective Grid” on page 49.

Divine Proportion tool The Divine Proportion tool lets you plan compositions by using

Layout Grid tool The Layout Grid tool lets you divide your canvas so that you can

A Workspace Tour 9

guides based on a classical composition method. For more
information, see “Using the Divine Proportion tool” on page 44.

plan your composition. For example, you can divide your canvas
into thirds vertically and horizontally to use the compositional rule
of thirds. For more information, see “Using the Layout Grid” on
page 43.

Tool Description

Tools that Apply Color or Adjust Tone

Brush tool The Brush tool lets you paint and draw on the canvas or a layer.

Paint Bucket tool The Paint Bucket tool lets you fill an area. The property bar shows

Dropper tool The Dropper tool lets you pick up a color from an existing image.

Dodge tool The Dodge tool lets you lighten the highlights, midtones, and

Burn tool The Burn tool lets you darken the highlights, midtones, and

Cloner tool The Cloner tool gives you quick access to the last Cloner brush

Rubber Stamp tool The Rubber Stamp tool gives you quick access to the Straight

Brush categories include pencils, pens, chalk, an airbrush, oil
paints, watercolors, and more.

When the Brush tool is selected, you can choose specific brushes
from the Brush Selector bar. For more information, refer to
“Selecting a Brush” on page 97.

choices for what area to fill and what to fill it with. For more
information on the Paint Bucket tool, refer to “Filling an Area with
Media” on page 123.

The property bar shows you values for the color. When you select a
color with the Dropper tool, that color becomes the current color
on the Colors palette. For more information, see “Sampling Colors
from Images” on page 77.

shadows in an image. For more information, see “Dodging and
Burning” on page 276.

shadows in an image. For more information, see “Dodging and
Burning” on page 276.

variant you used. For more information, see “Painting in the
Clone” on page 198.

Cloner brush variant, allowing you to clone point to point in an
image or between images. For more information, see “Using
Point-to-Point Cloning” on page 199.

Eraser tool The Eraser tool lets you remove unwanted areas from the image.

Selection Tools

Rectangular Selection tool The Rectangular Selection tool lets you create rectangular

Oval Selection tool The Oval Selection tool lets you create oval selections. For more

Lasso tool The Lasso tool lets you draw a freehand selection. For more

Magic Wand tool The Magic Wand tool lets you click or drag in the image to select

Adjuster Tools

Layer Adjuster tool The Layer Adjuster tool is used to select, move, and manipulate

For more information, see “Erasing Image Areas” on page 112.

selections. For more information, see “Creating Selections” on
page 211.

information, see “Creating Selections” on page 211.

information, see “Creating Selections” on page 211.

an area of similar color. For more information, see “Creating Pixel­based Selections” on page 212.

layers. For more information, see “The Layer Adjuster Tool” on
page 233.

10 Corel Painter User Guide

Tool Description

Selection Adjuster tool The Selection Adjuster tool lets you select, move, and manipulate

Shape Tools

Shape Selection tool The Shape Selection tool is for editing Bézier curves (shape paths).

Text tool The Text tool creates text shapes. Use the Text palette to set the

Shape Design Tools

Pen tool The Pen tool lets you create straight lines and curves in shape

Quick Curve tool The Quick Curve tool lets you create shape paths by drawing

Shape Objects Tools

Rectangular Shape tool The Rectangular Shape tool lets you create rectangular shape

Oval Shape tool The Oval Shape tool lets you create oval shape objects. For more

selections created with the Rectangular, Oval, and Lasso selection
tools and those converted from Shapes.

You use the Shape Selection tool to select and move anchor points
and to adjust their control handles. For more information, see
“Creating Shapes” on page 365.

font, point size, and tracking. For more information, see “Working
with Text” on page 381.

objects. For more information, see “Using the Pen Tool” on
page 366.

freehand curves. For more information, see “Using the Quick Curve
Tool” on page 367.

objects. For more information, see “Using Shape Object Tools” on
page 365.

information, see “Using Shape Object Tools” on page 365.

Shape Edit Tools

Scissors tool The Scissors tool let you cut an open or closed segment. If the

Add Point tool The Add Point tool lets you create a new anchor point on a shape

Remove Point tool The Remove Point tool lets you remove an anchor point from a

Convert Point tool The Convert Point tool is used to convert between smooth and

Color Selector The Color Selector lets you choose main and additional colors. The

segment is closed, after you click on a line or point to cut the
shape path, the shape path becomes open. For more information,
see “Cutting and Joining Shape Segments” on page 373.

path. For more information, see “Adding, Deleting, and Moving
Anchor Points” on page 371.

shape path. For more information, see “Adding, Deleting, and
Moving Anchor Points” on page 371.

corner anchor points. For more information, see “Adjusting
Curvature” on page 372.

front square displays the main color, and the back square displays
the additional color. For more information, refer to
“Understanding Main and Additional Colors” on page 77.

Using Selectors

The selectors in the toolbox give you quick access to the libraries for the following Corel Painter elements: papers,
gradients, patterns, weaves, looks, and nozzles. You can display items in selectors as thumbnails or in a list. You can also
access commands from each selector menu. If the command you want is not available, you can display the entire palette
that corresponds to the selector.

A Workspace Tour 11

Paper Selector

Gradient Selector

Pattern Selector

Look Selector

The selectors give you quick access to the libraries.

We a ve Se le ct o r

Nozzle Selector

To use a selector

1 Click the selector you want to open.

2 Perform a task from the following table.

To Do the following

Display items as thumbnails or in a list Click the selector menu arrow, and choose List or Thumbnails.

Display a selector’s palette Click the selector menu arrow, and choose Launch Palette. The

Look Selector and Nozzle Selector do not have palettes, so this
command is not available for them.

Clicking the selector menu arrow lets you access the menu for each selector.

The Property Bar

In Corel Painter, the property bar displays options for the tool that is currently selected in the toolbox. Here, you can
access and change tool options and settings. Tool settings are retained when you switch from one tool to another. You can
also use the property bar to restore the default settings of the selected tool. By default, the property bar is docked below the
menu bar. You can move the property bar or dock it again. You can also hide the property bar.

Property Bar Basics

The property bar is docked horizontally below the menu bar by default. You can move the property bar anywhere in the
application window, dock it under the menu bar again, or close it.

The property bar for the Rectangular Selection tool.

To show or hide the property bar

• Perform a task from the following table.

To Do the following

Show the property bar Choose Window menu ` Show Property Bar.

12 Corel Painter User Guide

To Do the following

Hide the property bar Choose Window menu ` Hide Property Bar.

Note: You can also hide the property bar by clicking the close
button on the title bar if the property bar is undocked.

To move or dock the property bar

• Perform a task from the following table.

To Do the following

Move the property bar Drag the left side of the property bar to its new location.

Dock the property bar Drag the title bar of the property bar, and place it under the menu

bar. The property bar snaps into place.

Using Tool Settings on the Property Bar

You can access the controls on the property bar for each tool, and you can change their settings according to your
preferences. When you activate a tool, the settings that were last specified for that tool are applied. You can also use the
property bar to restore the default settings of the selected tool.

To access tool settings on the property bar

• Choose a tool from the toolbox.
Tool settings are displayed on the property bar.

To change tool settings on the property bar

1 Choose a tool from the toolbox.

2 On the property bar, do any of the following:

•Click a button.

• Type a value in the box next to a control, or click the arrow next to a control and access a pop-up slider or menu.

• Enable or disable the check box next to the option you want to use.

Not all of these options are available for every tool. The settings change depending on the tool selected.

To reset the default tool settings

• Click the Reset Tool button on the property bar.
The Reset Tool button on the property bar has the same icon as the selected tool in the toolbox.

The Brush Selector Bar and the Brush Creator

The Brush Selector bar lets you choose from a variety of brush categories and variants. Brush categories are groups of
similar brushes and media. Brush variants are specific brushes and brush settings within a brush category. For example, in
the Pastels category, there are pencil, chalk, soft, and hard pastel variants.

The name of the selected brush category appears at the top of the Brush Selector bar. The name of the selected brush
variant appears under the brush category name.

A Workspace Tour 13

The Brush Selector bar.

The Brush Creator lets you design custom brushes. You can use the Randomizer to create random brush variants, the
Transposer to blend two brush variants, and the Stroke Designer to adjust the settings of brush variants.

Working with the Brush Selector Bar

You can use the Brush Selector bar to choose brush categories and variants. The Brush Category selector shows you a
preview of the currently selected brush category and lets you choose a new brush category. The Brush Variant selector does
the same for brush variants.

The Brush Selector bar is displayed to the right of the property bar by default. It can be moved to a new location in the
application window, or it can be docked to the edge of the application window or other palettes.

You can preview brush categories and variants as thumbnails or in list format. Brush variants can also be previewed as
brush strokes. The Stroke view shows you both the dab type and brush stroke of the selected brush variant.

The Brush Selector bar menu commands are used for creating and loading brushes, working with brush variants, and
manipulating brush strokes. For more information, see “Customizing Brushes” on page 145.

To show or hide the Brush Selector bar

• Perform a task from the following table.

To Do the following

Show the Brush Selector bar Choose Window menu ` Show Brush Selector Bar.

Hide the Brush Selector bar Choose Window menu ` Hide Brush Selector Bar.

Note: You can also hide the Brush Selector bar by clicking the close
button on the title bar if the Brush Selector bar is undocked.

To move or dock the Brush Selector bar

• Perform a task from the following table.

To Do the following

Move the Brush Selector bar Drag the left side of the Brush Selector bar to a new

Dock the Brush Selector bar Drag the title bar on the left side of the Brush Selector bar ,

location.

and move it to the edge of the application window or a palette.
The bar snaps into place.

To choose a brush from the Brush Selector bar

1 On the Brush Selector bar, click the Brush Category arrow and choose a brush category.

2 Click the Brush Variant arrow, and choose a variant.

To display brush categories and variants as thumbnails or lists

1 On the Brush Selector bar, click the Brush Category or Brush Variant arrow

.

2 Click the selector menu arrow , and choose List or Thumbnails.

If you’re displaying brush variants, you can also choose the Stroke view.

14 Corel Painter User Guide

Brush Category items can be displayed as thumbnails, and Brush Variant items can be displayed as strokes.

Using the Brush Creator

The Brush Creator is designed to make the brush variant creation process easy and fun. You can use the Randomizer to
create random brush variants, the Transposer to blend two brush variants, and the Stroke Designer to adjust the settings of
brush variants. For more information, see “Customizing Brushes” on page 145.

As you become more familiar with the brush controls, you may want to make small adjustments to brush variants while
you work on the canvas. The Brush Controls give you this option. For more information, see “Exploring the Palette
Groups” on page 17.

To open the Brush Creator

• Choose Window menu ` Brush Creator.

You can also open the Brush Creator by pressing Command + B (Mac OS) or Ctrl + B (Windows).

The Palettes

The interactive palettes in Corel Painter let you access commands, controls, and settings.

You can set up the palette layout in Corel Painter to best suit your working style. Palettes can be arranged in the
application window to give you easy access to the tools and controls you use most often, and to maximize screen space. You
can also group and reposition palettes according to your preferences, and you can dock them to the edges of the
application window or other palettes.

Showing and Hiding Palettes

You can show or hide a palette by accessing controls in the Window menu or on a selector from the toolbox. You can also
use the keyboard shortcut that appears on the Window menu.

For example, the following table shows the keyboard shortcuts for some of the main palettes:

Press Command (Mac OS) or Ctrl (Windows) + ...

1 = Colors 4 = Layers 7 = Info

2 = Mixer 5 = Channels 8 = Gradients

3 = Color Sets 6 = Text 9 = Patterns

To show or hide a palette

• Choose Window menu, and choose either Show [Palette name] or Hide [Palette name].

You can also show a palette by choosing a selector from the toolbox, clicking the selector menu arrow, and choosing
Launch Palette.

You can also show or hide a palette by using the keyboard shortcut that appears on the Window menu.

You can also hide a palette by clicking the close box on the palette title bar.

A Workspace Tour 15

To show or hide all palettes

• Choose Window menu, and choose either Show Palettes or Hide Palettes.

When you choose Show Palettes, only the palettes that were open when you chose Hide Palettes are displayed.

Navigating Palettes

When a palette is displayed, it must be expanded for you to access its settings. You can collapse palettes to save screen
space, while keeping them displayed in the application.

If you have many palettes displayed and expanded, the view of other palettes can be obscured. You can scroll through
palettes to locate the elements you want to work with.

To expand or collapse a palette

• Click the palette arrow in the top left corner of the palette.
When the triangle points down , the palette is expanded. When it points to the right , the palette is collapsed.

To scroll through a palette

• Click the scroll arrows, or drag the scroll box, on the right side of the palette.

You can also scroll through a palette by pressing Option + click (Mac OS) or Alt + click (Windows) and dragging
vertically inside the palette. The cursor changes to a hand, and the palette scrolls as you drag.

Using Palette Menus

Most palettes in Corel Painter contain menus from which you can access a series of palette-specific commands. For
example, you can use the palette menu on the Papers palette to capture, make, and invert paper textures, and to open the
Paper Mover and library.

To access the commands on a palette menu

• Click the palette menu arrow.

Palette

bar

Close

Palette

arrow

The Colors palette is open by default and is grouped with the Mixer, Color Sets, and Color Info palettes. Clicking the

palette arrows expands or collapses a palette.

box

Palette
menu arrow

16 Corel Painter User Guide

Exploring the Palette Groups

As you work with Corel Painter, you’ll use the following groups of palettes. You’ll also use the Info palette and the Tracker
palette. For more information, see “Using the Info Palette” on page 18 and “Using the Tracker Palette” on page 19.

Palette Description

Brush Controls

The Brush Controls include the following palettes
for adjusting brushes: General, Size, Spacing,
Angle, Bristle, Well, Rake, Random, Mouse,
Cloning, Impasto, Image Hose, Airbrush, Water,
Liquid Ink, Digital Watercolor, Artists’ Oils, and
RealBristle.

Color Variability The Color Variability palette contains sliders to adjust color variability within brush

Color Expression The Color Expression palette lets you determine how a stylus applies the Main Color

Color Palettes

Colors The Colors palette lets you choose main and additional colors for painting in

Mixer The Mixer palette lets you mix and blend colors as you would on an artist’s palette.

Color Sets The Color Sets palette displays the colors in the current color set. You can use color

Color Info The Color Info palette contains color information for the selected color, expressed in

The Brush Controls are a group of palettes that let you customize brush variants.
The palettes match the categories on the Stroke Designer page of the Brush Creator.
The Brush Controls are ideal for making small adjustments to a brush variant while
you work. For more information about specific settings, see “Managing Settings
and Controls” on page 149.

strokes. For more information, see “The Color Variability Palette” on page 89.

and Additional Color in Corel Painter documents. For more information, refer to
“The Color Expression Palette” on page 91.

Corel Painter documents. You can also use the Clone Color option on the Colors
palette. For more information, see “Using the Colors Palette” on page 76.

It contains its own set of tools. For more information, see “Working with the Mixer
Palette” on page 79.

sets to organize groups of colors. Some color sets are organized by both name and
color relationship. For more information, refer to “Working with Color Sets” on
page 84.

either HSV or RGB values. You can also use the Clone Color option with this palette.
For more information, see “The Color Info Palette” on page 90.

Library Palettes

Papers, Gradients, Patterns, and Weaves The Library palettes let you choose and edit resources. You can view resources as

Layers and Channels Palettes

Layers The Layers palette contains thumbnail previews of all the layers in a Corel Painter

Channels The Channels palette contains thumbnail previews of all the channels in a

Text and Scripts Palettes

thumbnails or in a list, and preview the selected resource. For more information, see
“Using Paper Texture” on page 61, “Using Gradients” on page 92, “Using Patterns”
on page 65, and “Using Weaves” on page 71.

document. You can use the buttons on the Layers palette to arrange layers, use
Dynamic Plug-ins, add new layers (including Watercolor and Liquid Ink layers),
create layer masks, and delete layers. You can also set the composite method and
depth, adjust the opacity, and lock and unlock layers. For more information, see
“Layers” on page 231.

Corel Painter document, including RGB composite channels, layer masks, and alpha
channels. The buttons on the palette can be used to load, save, and invert existing
channels, and to create new channels. For more information, see “Alpha Channels”
on page 223.

A Workspace Tour 17

Palette Description

Text The Text palette lets you perform all tasks relating to text in a Corel Painter

Scripts The Scripts palette gives you access to all commands and settings related to scripts.

Info and Tracker Palettes

Info The Info palette provides you with an image preview; document information, such

Tracker The Tracker palette temporarily stores brush categories, variants, and dab types

Image Portfolio and Selection Portfolio Palettes

Image Portfolio and Selection Portfolio These palettes contain all of the images or selections in the current library. You can

Photo Painting Palettes

document, such as choosing fonts, adjusting opacity, and applying drop shadows.
For more information, refer to “Working with Text” on page 381.

For example, you can open, close, play, and record scripts from the Scripts palette.
For more information, see “Scripting” on page 405.

as width and height; X and Y coordinates and the cursor position; context-sensitive
information based on the selected tool; and unit information, such as pixels, inches,
and resolution. The palette menu lets you choose the preview style and how RGB
values are displayed.

when you apply brush strokes to the canvas. Each time you use a new brush, the
variant is saved on the Tracker palette. You can return to a brush variant you like by
choosing it from the Tracker palette. The Tracker palette can be resized to display
more or fewer brush variants; however, it stores only up to 25 variants at a time.

Using the palette menu, you can clear selected brush variants, clear all brush
variants, and save brush variants.

view the items as thumbnails or in a list, as well as preview the current item. For
more information, see “Storing Images with the Image Portfolio” on page 254 and
“Using the Selection Portfolio” on page 215.

Underpainting The Underpainting palette lets you adjust tone, color, and detail in a photo in

Auto-Painting The Auto-Painting palette lets you specify a range of settings that control how

Restoration The Restoration palette lets you fine-tune a painting by providing brushes that help

Composition Palettes

Divine Proportion The Divine Proportion palette lets you customize the Divine Proportion guide — a

Layout Grid The Layout Grid palette lets you customize the Layout Grid — a tool that helps you

preparation for auto-painting. This palette is used in the first step of the photo­painting process. For more information, see “Creating Underpaintings” on
page 189.

brush strokes are applied. This palette is used in the second step of the photo­painting process. For more information, see “Auto-Painting Photos” on page 191.

you restore detail. This palette is used in the third step of the photo-painting
process. For more information, see “Restoring Detail to Paintings” on page 193.

tool that helps you plan a layout according to a classic composition method. For
more information, see “Using the Divine Proportion tool” on page 44.

divide your canvas so that you can plan your composition. For more information,
see “Using the Layout Grid” on page 43.

Using the Info Palette

The Info palette provides you with an image preview; document information, such as width and height; X and Y
coordinates and the cursor position; context-sensitive information based on the selected tool; and unit information, such
as pixels, inches, and resolution.

You can choose to view a canvas preview, which shows you the contents of the canvas, or a page layout preview, which
shows you the entire document. You can also choose how RGB values are displayed on the Info palette — as actual values,
as a percentage of the values, or as hexadecimal values.

18 Corel Painter User Guide

To customize the Info palette

• Perform a task from the following table.

To Do the following

Choose an image preview style on the Info palette On the Info palette, click the palette menu arrow, and choose

Choose how RGB values are displayed on the Info palette On the Info palette, click the palette menu arrow, choose Display

Canvas Preview or Page Layout Preview.

RGB Values As. Choose an option from the list.

Using the Tracker Palette

The Tracker palette temporarily stores brush categories, variants, and dab types when you apply brush strokes to the
canvas. Each time you use a new brush, the variant is saved on the Tracker palette. You can return to a brush variant you
like by choosing it from the Tracker palette. You can also lock your favorite variants so that they’re always on the Tracker
palette.

You can view the brush variants stored on the Tracker palette as thumbnail images, as a list, or as strokes. The Tracker
palette can store up to 25 variants at one time, and it can be resized to display more or fewer brush variants.

You can use the Tracker palette to clear selected brush variants, clear all brush variants, and save brush variants. Brush
variants are stored after the document you were working on has been closed and even between Corel Painter sessions.

The Tracker palette temporarily stores brush categories, variants, and dab types when you

apply brush strokes to the canvas.

To choose a brush variant from the Tracker palette

• On the Tracker palette, click the brush variant you want to use.

To change the view of brush variants in the Tracker palette

• On the Tracker palette, click the palette menu arrow, and choose List, Thumbnails, or Stroke.

To clear a brush variant from the Tracker palette

• Perform a task from the following table.

To Do the following

To clear the selected brush variant On the Tracker palette, click the brush variant you want to remove.

To clear all brush variants On the Tracker palette, click the palette menu arrow, and choose

Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Clear Selected.

Clear All.

To save a brush variant on the Tracker palette

1 On the Tracker palette, click the brush variant you want to save.

2 Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Save Variant.

3 In the Save Variant dialog box, type a name in the Save As box.

A Workspace Tour 19

Enable the Save Current Colors check box to retain current color settings.

To lock a brush variant on the Tracker palette

1 On the Tracker palette, click the brush variant you want to lock.

2 Click the Lock Variant button .

Grouping, Repositioning, and Resizing Palettes

In Corel Painter, palettes appear by default in small, intuitive groupings. You can customize these groupings by moving
palettes from one group to another. You can include as many palettes as you want in a group. You can also reposition items
to a new location within a group.

A customized palette grouping. In this example, the Mixer palette has been grouped with the other color palettes.

To group, ungroup, rearrange, and resize palettes

• Perform a task from the following table.

To Do the following

Group palettes Drag the palette title bar, and place it on top of the palette with

Ungroup palettes Drag the palette title bar away from the group. The palette is

Reposition items in grouped palettes Drag the palette title bar to a new location in the group.

Resize palettes Drag the resize handle in the bottom-right corner of the open

which you want to create a group. A new group of palettes is
formed.

removed from the group.

palette.

Docking Palettes

If you need some room on your screen, but don’t want to collapse or group palettes, you can save valuable screen space by
docking palettes. This handy feature of Corel Painter lets them be docked into place when they get close to the top or
bottom edge of another palette. In addition to tidying up your workspace, this feature can help keep a palette from being
covered up by another palette.

20 Corel Painter User Guide

To dock or undock a palette

• Perform a task from the following table.

To Do the following

Dock a palette Drag the title bar of the palette you want to dock to the top or

Undock a palette Drag the title bar of the palette you want to undock to another

bottom of a second palette. The palette you drag will snap into
place when it lines up with the second palette.

location in the workspace.

Saving and Restoring Palette Layout

You can drag a palette to any location that’s convenient for your work. Corel Painter saves palette arrangements so that the
next time you start the program, the workspace appears as you left it.

You can save several different palette layouts for future use, and you can later delete layouts. You can also return the palette
layout to the Corel Painter default.

To s a v e a l a y o u t

1 Arrange the palettes as you want to save them.

2 Choose Window menu

3 In the Palette Layout dialog box, type a name in the New Palette Layout box.

To use a saved layout

• Choose Window menu ` Arrange Palettes ` [Name of Layout].
The saved palette layout is restored.

To delete a saved layout

1 Choose Window menu ` Arrange Palettes ` Delete Layout.

The Delete Palette Layout dialog box appears.

2 From the list in the Delete Palette Layout dialog box, select the layout you want to delete.

3 Click Delete.

` Arrange Palettes ` Save Layout.

To return to the default palette layout

• Choose Window menu ` Arrange Palettes ` Default.

Custom Palettes

To give you the freedom to work in your own style, Corel Painter lets you create custom palettes that contain exactly the
features you want. Because the features on a custom palette are immediately available, you can choose them with a single
click. You can place items from the Brush Selector bar, any of the six content selectors (papers, patterns, looks, weaves,
nozzles, or gradients), Library palettes, or the Script palette on a custom palette. You can also add any menu command,
such as File menu

You may want to create special palettes for a particular project or workflow that you use frequently. You can create a whole
series of palettes and switch between them as you change projects or workflows. There is no limit to the number of custom
palettes you can create. Corel Painter saves them from session to session, so you can access the necessary tools immediately
whenever you sit down to work.

A Workspace Tour 21

` New, to a custom palette.

Items that appear on a custom palette are references (aliases or shortcuts) to the original. This means that if you change
the original — for example, by modifying and saving a brush variant — the custom palette button loads the newest
version. However, if you delete the original, Corel Painter won’t be able to find the item again to load on the custom
palette.

Custom palettes behave like the standard palettes. For more information about working with palettes, see “Grouping,
Repositioning, and Resizing Palettes” on page 20.

Creating Custom Palettes

If the item you want is represented on a palette with an icon, you can create a new palette by just dragging the icon out of
the palette. This works for brush variants, art materials (gradients, paper textures, patterns, and weaves), nozzles, looks,
and scripts.

To create a custom palette

• Drag an icon or button out of its palette or out of the Brush Selector bar.
Corel Painter creates a custom palette that contains an icon for the item you dragged.

Creating a custom palette is as simple as dragging a tool out of a palette. Other icons can then be dragged onto the

custom palette.

You can also create a custom palette by choosing a menu command. Choose Window menu ` Custom Palette `
Add Command. Then, in the Add Command dialog box, from the Add To pop-up menu, choose New. With the
Add Command dialog box open, choose a menu item, and click OK.

To open or close a custom palette

• Perform a task from the following table.

To Do the following

Open a custom palette Choose Window menu ` Custom Palette ` [Custom Palette

Close a custom palette On the custom palette title bar, click the close button .

Name].

Modifying Custom Palettes

You can add buttons for any of the commands from the main menus or palette menus to your custom palettes.

A custom palette can contain menu items as well as icons.

To add items to a custom palette

1 Locate the next item you want to add.

2 Drag the item’s icon to the custom palette.

To expand a custom palette, drag the lower-right corner.

Tools from the main toolbox cannot be added to custom palettes.

22 Corel Painter User Guide

To keep a custom palette along the edge of your screen, you can arrange icons vertically or horizontally by
dragging the lower-right corner of the palette.

To place menu commands on a custom palette

1 Choose Window menu ` Custom Palette ` Add Command.

2 In the Add Command dialog box, from the Add To pop-up menu, choose one of the following:

• New creates a new custom palette.

• [Custom Palette Name] adds a menu item to the selected palette.

3 With the Add Command dialog box open, choose the menu item you want.

4 Click OK.

The custom palette now contains a button for the selected menu command.

Choose Window menu ` Custom Palette ` Add Command to open the Add Command dialog box, and choose the

To rearrange the layout on a custom palette

menu command while the Add Command dialog box is still open.

• Hold down the Shift key, and move the icon or button to where you want it.

To delete an item from a custom palette

• Hold down the Shift key, and drag the icon or button off the palette.

Managing Custom Palettes

You can manage your custom palettes in the Custom Palette Organizer. Corel Painter names custom palettes “Custom 1”,
“Custom 2,” and so on. For ease of use, you can rename them.

Corel Painter keeps your custom palettes from one session to the next. You can also save a custom palette to a file. If you
save it to a file, you can remove it from Corel Painter, and then load it again later. You can delete obsolete custom palettes
or those you don’t use very often.

To rename a custom palette

1 Choose Window menu ` Custom Palette ` Organizer.

2 In the Custom Palette Organizer, select a palette in the Custom Palette list.

3 Click Rename.

A Workspace Tour 23

4 Type a new name in the Palette Name dialog box.

To save a custom palette

1 Choose Window menu ` Custom Palette ` Organizer.

2 In the Custom Palette Organizer, select a palette in the Custom Palette list.

3 Click Export.

4 In the New Palette File dialog box, name the file, and choose a location.

It’s a good idea to keep all your saved palettes in the same place.

To load a custom palette

1 Choose Window menu ` Custom Palette ` Organizer.

2 In the Custom Palette Organizer, select a palette in the Custom Palette list.

3 Click Import.

4 In the Open Palette File dialog box, choose the file where the custom palette is saved.

Only custom palette files created with version 8.1 or later are supported by Corel Painter. Custom palettes created
with version 7 or earlier cannot be loaded.

To delete a custom palette

1 Choose Window menu ` Custom Palette ` Organizer.

2 In the Custom Palette Organizer, select a palette in the Custom Palette list.

3 Click Delete.

Libraries and Movers

A library is a storage place for a collection of similar items, such as brushes, paper textures, gradients, or nozzles. Movers
help you organize the contents of libraries.

What Are Libraries?

A library is a saved collection of similar items that can be loaded into a selector. For example, the built-in brush categories
(and their variants) are contained in the default Painter Brushes library, which is loaded when you open Corel Painter. As
you customize brushes and other resources, you can save them to your own libraries. Libraries are available for brushes,
gradients, layers, lighting, looks, nozzles, paper textures, patterns, selections, scripts, and weaves.

You can have any number of libraries, but only one of each type can be open at one time. When you want other items, you
can load alternate libraries. Libraries allow you to extend the Corel Painter resources without overloading a selector. It is a
good idea to limit the number of items in each library. This makes it easier to find a particular item and helps
Corel Painter manage memory.

You can create new libraries, add items, rename items, move items between libraries, and delete items. The methods for
working with all libraries are the same, except for brush libraries. For more information about working with brush
libraries, see “Brush Libraries” on page 27.

What Are Movers?

The tools for creating libraries and managing their contents are contained in the movers. A mover is provided on the
selector menu or the palette menu for each resource supported by libraries. Selectors and palettes with movers are Papers,
Gradients, Patterns, Weaves, Nozzles, Looks, Scripts, Image Portfolio, and Selection Portfolio.

24 Corel Painter User Guide

Use the Paper Mover command to customize your paper libraries. Each resource type has a mover. Most movers are

located on a palette menu or selector.

Adding Items to the Current Library

As you work with Corel Painter and create new items, you can save them to the current library.

To add items to the current library

1 Open a selector, or display the palette that contains the resource you want to load to the current library.

2 Click the selector menu arrow or palette menu arrow.

3 Choose Save [Resource Name].

4 In the Save [Resource Name] dialog box, type a name in the Save As box.

The Save command is not available from the flyout menu for all resources. Some resources let you save when you
use the Capture or Make commands.

Over time, with additions and deletions, library file sizes are compounded. In some cases, you may lose items if
you restore a default library. For best results, save new resources to new libraries, and limit the number of resources
in each library.

Creating a Library

You can create new libraries to store custom resources.

To create a new library

1 Click the selector menu arrow or palette menu arrow for the resource you want to use to create the new library.

2 Choose [Resource Name] Mover.

3 In the [Resource Name] Mover dialog box, click New.

4 In the New [Resource Name] Library dialog box, browse to the location where you want to save the new library.

5 Type a descriptive name in the filename box, and click Save.

The new library’s name appears on the right side of the Mover dialog box. The area above the name is blank because
this new library is empty. To put items in it, you can move them from other libraries.

It’s a good idea to save libraries in the same place, so that they are easy to locate and load when you want to use
them.

Loading Alternate Libraries

When you want to use the resources of a different library, you must load the alternate library.

To load an alternate library

1 Open a selector or display the palette from which you want to load an alternate library.

2 Click the selector menu arrow or the palette menu arrow, and choose Open Library.

A Workspace Tour 25

3 In the dialog box, locate and choose the library you want to open.

Corel Painter loads the resources from that library into the selector or palette.

To load a brush library, choose Load Library from the Brush Selector bar menu. For more information about
working with brush libraries, see “Brush Libraries” on page 27.

When you save an item, Corel Painter puts it in the current library. If this is not where you want it, be sure to
switch libraries before saving the item. You can move items between libraries later, but switching libraries before
saving the resource will spare you that extra step.

Restoring Default Libraries

You can reload a default library at any time. When you reload a default library, some custom resources are overwritten,
others are preserved, depending on the resource:

• patterns and nozzles — custom resources are preserved when you reload the default library.

• papers, gradients, weaves, and looks — custom resources are overwritten when you reload the default library. To avoid
overwriting these custom resources, use a mover to save them to a new library before you reload the default library.

To reload a default library

1 Open a selector or display the palette of the resource you want to reload.

2 Click the selector menu arrow or the palette menu arrow, and choose Open Default Library or Restore Default Library.

Moving Items Between Libraries

The tools for creating libraries and managing their contents are contained in movers. A mover is provided on the selector
menu or palette menu for each resource supported by libraries.

Movers copy resources from the library on one side of a Mover dialog box to the librar y on the other side of a Mover dialog
box. When you open a mover, the resources of the current library are listed on the left. This is the library you’ll move items
“from.” If this is not what you want, you can open a different librar y as the source. When the source library is open on the
left side and the destination library is open on the right, you are ready to move resources.

Brush libraries are created and managed differently. See “Brush Libraries” on page 27 for procedures.

To open a new library as the source

1 Click the selector menu arrow or palette menu arrow for the resource you want to use.

2 Choose [Resource Name] Mover.

3 In the [Resource Name] Mover dialog box, click Close to close the current library.

4 Click Open in the left side of the dialog box.

5 In the Open Library File dialog box, choose a library to use as the source library.

To open a new destination library

1 Click the selector menu arrow or palette menu arrow for the resource you want to use.

2 Choose [Resource Name] Mover.

3 In the [Resource Name] Mover dialog box, click Open on the right side.

4 In the Open [Resource Name] Library File dialog box, choose a library file to use as the destination library.

To move an item from one library to another

• In the [Resource Name] Mover dialog box, drag the item from the source library to the destination library.

The source library is on the left side of the [Resource Name] Mover dialog box, and the destination is on the right.

26 Corel Painter User Guide

Modifying a Library

You can rename items in libraries to suit your preference.

If you want to delete an item from a library, you can — but be careful. After you remove one of the default items, the only
way to retrieve it is to reinstall Corel Painter. If you must reinstall Corel Painter, you’ll lose any of the custom resources
you’ve created and saved into the default libraries.

As an alternative to reinstalling, you can make a backup copy of the default resource files and the Painter Brushes folder
on your computer. You can then restore default files and folders by copying them from the backup location and pasting
them to the correct location within the Corel Painter folder. Resource files, such as patterns, textures, and nozzles, are
located in the root of the Corel Painter folder. The default brush library, Painter Brushes, is located in the Brushes folder
(Corel Painter X\Brushes\Painter Brushes). For information on the brush library folder structure, see “Brush Libraries”
on page 27.

To delete an entire resource library, delete the library file from the Corel Painter folder. Be careful not to delete the
Corel Painter default libraries. Corel Painter needs them to start properly.

To change the name of an item

1 Open the mover for the item you want to modify.

2 Choose the item, and click Change Name.

3 In the Change Name dialog box, type the new name in the Change To box.

To delete an item from a library

1 Open the mover for the item you want to delete.

2 Choose the item you want delete.

3 In the Mover dialog box, click Delete.

Do not delete default resource files or folders.

To delete a library

• Perform a task from the following table.

To Do the following

Delete a library on the Mac OS Use the Finder to open the Corel Painter folder, and drag the

Delete a library in Windows Use Windows Explorer to find the library folder and file. Right-click

library file to the Trash.

the library file, and choose Delete, or drag the file to the Recycle
Bin.

Brush Libraries

In Corel Painter, you work with brush libraries in the Brushes folder. The Painter Brushes folder is the default library that
loads when you open Corel Painter.

Each folder within the Painter Brushes default library folder is a brush category. The brush category folders contain the
following:

• XML files, which are the available brush variants

• JPEG graphics, which are the icons seen on the Brush Selector bar

• other files generated by Corel Painter, such as NIB and STK files

A Workspace Tour 27

Brush Libraries and Memory Usage

Brushes are loaded into memory when you open Corel Painter, so adding brushes to the default brush library increases
the need for RAM. If you’re working close to the memory threshold, you can organize new brushes into secondary
libraries. It is also a good idea to limit the number of items in each library.

When you want a different brush set, just switch libraries. This helps Corel Painter be more efficient with memory usage,
and makes it is easier to find a particular item.

See “Brush Libraries” on page 27 for information about the brush libraries folder structure.

Creating, Loading, and Importing Brush Libraries

In addition to the Corel Painter default brush library, you can create your own brush libraries. For example, you may want
a library for your favorite brush variants to have them all in one category. You can also use brush libraries to store custom
brush variants that you create or that other artists share with you.

To use brush libraries in Corel Painter, you need to know in which version the libraries were created in. Because the
structure of brush libraries changed from version 6 to version 7 of Corel Painter, different processes for loading brush
libraries are required, depending on the version.

Brush Libraries from Corel Painter 7 or Later

In Corel Painter 7 and later, brush variants are individual XML files organized in brush category folders within brush
libraries. To use brush libraries created in version 7 and later, you must first copy them to Corel Painter X\Brushes. Then,
you can load the brush library into Corel Painter and access it through the Brush Selector bar. When you copy folders and
files to the Brushes folder, you must ensure that they are not read-only.

Brush libraries that are not in the Brushes folder are not recognized or visible within Corel Painter. The folder structure of
brush libraries must match that of the default Painter Brushes library folder (Corel Painter X\Brushes\[library
folder]\[category folder]\[variantFile.xml). If you want to copy only a few brush variants, you must still add them to a
brush library while following the correct folder structure. For more information about the default library folder structure,
see “Brush Libraries” on page 27.

Brush Libraries from Corel Painter 6 or Earlier

In Corel Painter 6 and earlier versions, each brush library is a separate BRS file. To use these libraries in Corel Painter, you
must first import the BRS file to the Brushes folder within the application. You don’t need to copy the file into the Brushes
folder — Corel Painter copies the file for you when you import it. Then, you can load the brush library to access it
through the Brush Selector bar.

To create a brush library

1 In Corel Painter X\Brushes, create and name a new folder for the library.

2 In the new folder, create and name a new folder for each brush category that you want.

3 Locate and copy the XML files for the brush variants that you want to include in the new library.

4 In the brush category folders you created in step 2, paste the XML files.

To access the brush library within Corel Painter, you must first load it. For instructions, see “To load a brush library
created in Corel Painter 7 or later” on page 29.

To use brushes created in version 6 or earlier of Corel Painter, you must first import them, and then load them. For
information about importing brushes, see “To import and load a brush library created in Corel Painter 6 or
earlier” on page 29.

If you want an icon to appear on the Brush Selector bar, you must create a JPEG and save it with the same name
as the brush variant. Save it at the same level as the brush category folder.

28 Corel Painter User Guide

To copy a brush library folder from the CD

1 On the Corel Painter X CD, locate the Brushes folder.

2 Locate and copy the custom library folder that you want to use.

3 Paste the library folder to Corel Painter X\Brushes.

4 Ensure that the library folder is writable by doing the following:

• (Mac OS) While pressing Control, click the brush library folder, and click Get Info. In the Info dialog box, disable

the Locked check box. Repeat for subfolders and files.

• (Windows) Right-click the brush library folder, and choose Properties. In the Properties dialog box, on the General

tab, disable the Read-only check box, and click OK. In the Confirm Attribute Changes dialog box, enable the Apply
Changes to This Folder, Subfolders and Files option.

To access the brush library within Corel Painter, you must first load it. For instructions, see “To load a brush library
created in Corel Painter 7 or later” on page 29.

If you want to copy a brush library from a location other than the CD, keep in mind that the library folder must
contain folders for each brush category. In turn, the brush category folders must contain XML files for each brush
variant.

If you’re downloading custom brushes from the Web, you need to know how they’re organized, whether they’re
compressed, and in which version of Corel Painter they were created.

To load a brush library created in Corel Painter 7 or later

1 In Corel Painter, click the selector menu arrow on the Brush Selector bar, and choose Load Library.

2 In the Brush Libraries dialog box, select the brush library that you want to load, and click Load.

The new set of brushes will now be visible in the selector.

The brush library folder that you want to load must be in the Brushes folder in order for it to appear in the Brush
Libraries dialog box. For more information about the folder and file structure, see “Brush Libraries” on page 27.

To import and load a brush library created in Corel Painter 6 or earlier

1 In Corel Painter, click the selector menu arrow on the Brush Selector bar, and choose Load Library.

2 In the Brush Libraries dialog box, click Import.

3 Locate the brush library that you want, and click Open.

Corel Painter will copy the brush library to the Brushes folder.

4 When the Brush Libraries dialog box reappears, select the brush library that you want to load, and click Load.

The new set of brushes will now be visible in the selector.

Brush libraries created in version 6 or earlier of Corel Painter are imported as BRS files.

Deleting a Brush Library

To delete a brush librar y, you need to delete the folder from the Brushes folder. Be careful not to delete the default Painter
Brushes library. Corel Painter needs this default library, along with its category subfolders and variant files, to start
properly.

To delete a brush library

• Perform a task from the following table.

To Do the following

Delete a brush library on the Mac OS Use the Finder to locate the library folder, and drag the library

A Workspace Tour 29

folder to the Trash.

To Do the following

Delete a brush library in Windows Use Windows Explorer to find the brush library folder. Right-click

the folder, and press Delete, or drag the folder to the Recycle Bin.

Customizing the workspace

Corel Painter lets you completely customize your workspace to suit your workflow needs. You can customize Brush
Libraries, Paper Libraries, and Portfolios and save these changes to use again whenever you like. In addition, you can
easily create multiple workspaces, each with different libraries and portfolios. You can even share these customized
workspaces with others by importing or exporting them.

To create a new workspace

1 From the Window menu, choose Workspace ` New Workspace.

2 In the New Workspace dialog box, type the name of the new workspace.

3 From the Based On pop-up menu, choose the workspace on which you want to base the new workspace.

4 Click Save.

The current workspace switches to the new workspace you just created.

To customize a workspace

1 From the Window menu, choose Workspace ` Customize Workspace.

2 From the Workspace pop-up menu, choose the workspace you want to customize.

3 In the Media list, expand the folders for any of the media categories you want to customize by clicking on the folder

name or the + icon.

4 Click on the eye icon that appears next to the name of each media variant you want to show or hide.

A closed eye indicates that the media variant is not visible in the specified workspace. An open eye indicates that the
media variant is visible in the specified workspace. Note that you cannot hide every media variant within a media
category. At least one media variant appears for each media category.

• To rename a media variant, click on the variant, and type its new name in the Preview text box.

• To reorder media variants, drag each media variant to a new location in the list.

5 Click Done.

To switch to a different workspace

• From the Window menu, choose Workspace ` [Workspace Name].

To import a workspace

1 To import a workspace, do one of the following:

• From the Window menu, choose Workspace

• From the Window menu, choose Workspace

` Import Workspace.
` Customize Workspace and click Import Workspace.

2 Choose the workspace file you want to import, and click Open.

If you are working in the Customize Workspace dialog box, the name of the imported workspace appears in the
Workspace pop-up menu. If you chose Import Workspace from the Window menu, the workspace you just
imported becomes the current workspace.

To export a workspace

1 To export a workspace, do one of the following:

• From the Window menu, choose Workspace

• From the Window menu, choose Workspace

30 Corel Painter User Guide

` Export Workspace.
` Customize Workspace and click Export Workspace.

2 Choose the workspace you want to export, and click Open.

3 Choose a destination for the workspace, and click Save.

To delete a workspace

1 From the Window menu, choose Workspace ` Customize Workspace.

2 In the Customize Workspace dialog box, choose the workspace you want to delete from the Workspace list.

3 Click the [-] button, and click Yes when prompted.

To revert to the default workspace

• From the Window menu, choose Workspace ` Default.

Corel Painter lets you modify the default workspace, so this workspace may eventually differ from the factory
default workspace. To add a factory default workspace, you can either create a new workspace or restore the factory
default settings. For more information, see “To create a new workspace” on page 30 and “Restoring the default
Corel Painter settings” on page 31.

Restoring the default Corel Painter settings

Corel Painter is designed to run from a locked volume (such as a read-only disk image or a CD) or from within a limited­user mode. All user settings are saved to a local user folder; when Corel Painter starts, it recalls these user settings rather
than the application settings. At any time, you can restore the Corel Painter workspace to its default factory settings by
replacing the settings in the user folder with copies of the settings from the originating read-only installation.

Restoring the Corel Painter workspace to its default factory settings removes all modifications you have made to the
application — including the brushes, papers, textures, and similar customizations. The locations of the user folders are as
follows:

• Mac OS — /Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/Corel Painter X/

• Windows —\Documents and Settings\<username> \Application Data\Corel Painter X\

Restoring Corel Painter to its default factory settings is particularly useful in a multiuser environment, where many users
are working from the same installation.

Corel Painter references the location of the loaded libraries for Papers and Color Sets. If Corel Painter cannot
locate a loaded library, it reverts to the default library. When a new library is loaded, the user is prompted to decide
whether to append to or overwrite the current library.

To restore Corel Painter to its default factory settings

1 Hold Shift when you start Corel Painter.

A warning appears, asking you to verify that you want to erase all of the modifications that you have made to
Corel Painter. Restoring the default factory settings copies the original workspace settings from the installation to the
user folder.

2 Choose whether you want to restore the current workspace, or all workspaces.

A Workspace Tour 31

The Basics

The Corel Painter application provides a digital workspace in which you can create new images, or alter existing images,
using the Corel Painter Natural-Media tools and effects. Your working image is known as a document and is displayed in
a document window. This document window includes navigation and productivity features to help you work efficiently.

As you create an image, you can save your document in various file formats, such as RIFF (Corel Painter native format),
JPEG, TIFF, and Adobe Photoshop (PSD). Corel Painter also lets you open or import images saved in many other file
formats.

Every artist works in a unique way, and every computer system has its own configuration of memory, disks, printers, and
accessories. Corel Painter preferences let you customize the program for your own work style and for optimum
performance on your particular system. You can also customize the features of your tablet and pens in Corel Painter.

Working with Documents

The first step in creating an image in Corel Painter is opening a document. You can open a blank canvas by creating a new
document, work with an existing image by opening a file already created, or acquire an image from a scanner or digital
camera. After you create your image, you can place it directly in a document.

Creating and Opening Documents

The New command in the File menu lets you create a blank, untitled document based on the specifications you set in the
New dialog box. Canvas Size shows the RAM requirement for creating the document at the specified width, height, and
resolution. This number does not reflect the file size for the saved document. A saved Corel Painter file is usually 25% to
50% of the size of the working document, depending on the number of colors it contains.

You can open documents from other graphics applications and use Corel Painter to add brush strokes, tints, or paper
textures. You can also clone a document to re-create it in a different medium. Corel Painter lets you open the following file
formats:

• RIFF — Corel Painter native format (RIF)

• TIFF (TIF)

• CMYK TIF (TIF)

• Adobe Photoshop formats (PSD) — Corel Painter preserves layers, layer masks, alpha channels, and composite
methods. Layer effects and adjustment layers are not supported and should be merged or flattened in Adobe
Photoshop.

• Windows Bitmap (BMP)

• PC Paintbrush (PCX)

• PSPIMAGE — Corel® Paint Shop Pro® format (Windows)

• TARGA® (TGA)

• GIF — Corel Painter does not convert GIF animations to frame stacks.

• JPEG (JPG)

• Frame stacks (FRM) — Corel Painter animation files

• QuickTime® (MOV), Video for Windows (AVI), and numbered files. For more information, refer to “Opening a
Movie” on page 414 or “Working with Numbered Files” on page 425.

Corel Painter does not support LZW compressed TIFF file format. Only uncompressed TIFF files can be opened
in Corel Painter.

The Basics 33

To create a new document

1 Choose File menu ` New.

2 In the New dialog box, enter values for the following:

• Width and Height determine the dimensions of the canvas. You can change the unit of measurement by using the

menu. Choose from pixels (the default), inches, centimeters (CM), points, picas, and columns (2 inches wide).

• Resolution is the number of pixels per inch (ppi) or pixels per centimeter that make up an image. In the New dialog

box, setting the document’s pixels per inch is the same as setting its dots per inch (dpi). For detailed information
about document, screen, and print resolutions, see “Understanding Resolution” on page 35.

3 Click the Paper Color chip to set the document’s background to a color other than white.

Choose a color from the Color dialog box.

4 Choose an option from the Picture Type area.

The Picture Type options let you set up a document to contain a single frame for an image (the default) or multiple
frames for a movie.

5 Click OK.

A new document appears in the workspace.

To open an existing document

1 Choose File menu ` Open.

Corel Painter displays the folder of the last file you opened.

2 In the Open (Mac OS) or Select Image (Windows) dialog box, use the controls to locate the file you want to open.

For each image, Corel Painter lists the dimensions (in pixels), file size, and file format. Files saved in Corel Painter
include thumbnails for browsing.

3 Click Open.

The File menu also offers you a shortcut to previously opened documents. Before choosing Open in the File
menu, look for your file in the recently opened files list near the bottom of the File menu, and click the filename to
open the file.

To browse for a document (Mac OS)

1 Choose File menu ` Open.

2 Click Browse.

The Browse dialog box shows thumbnails for all the RIFF files in a folder.

3 Double-click the filename, or select a file and click Open.

Acquiring Images

You can acquire images for Corel Painter directly from an external device — such as a scanner or digital camera — if the
device provides one of the following:

• (Mac OS) Plug-in module compatible with Adobe Photoshop

• (Windows) TWAIN driver

Before acquiring images, you need to perform one of the following tasks:

• (Mac OS) Install the device plug-in module on your computer.
This plug-in module is provided by the manufacturer of your scanner or digital camera. For installation instructions,

refer to the manufacturer’s documentation.
Corel Painter can access plug-ins from any single folder on your computer. This location can be inside the

Corel Painter folder, in a generic plug-ins folder on your hard disk, or in the Adobe Photoshop Plug-ins folder.

• (Windows) Ensure that your TWAIN driver is properly installed.

34 Corel Painter User Guide

Creating and Opening Templates

If you regularly create documents that contain similar dimensions, formatting, and resolution, you can create document
templates so that you don’t have to start each document from scratch.

To open a document template

1 Choose Help menu ` We l co m e.

2 Choose a template from the Open a Template pop-up menu.

To save a document as a template

1 Set up a file with all the sizing, formatting, and resolution attributes you want in the template.

2 Choose File menu

3 In the Save Image As dialog box, save the file to one of the following folders in your user folder:

• (Mac OS) Corel Painter X\Support Files\Templates

• (Windows) Application Data\Corel\Painter X\Default\Templates

If you work in a multiuser environment, only users with Administrator status can add to the Templates folder.

` Save As.

Placing Files

Placing a file lets you import an image into an existing Corel Painter document. The placed image becomes a new
reference layer in the document — you can transform (resize, rotate, or slant) it on-screen by dragging its handles. A
placed file maintains its link to the source file until you commit it to standard layer format.

For general information about working with reference layers, see “Working with Reference Layers” on page 246.

To place a file

1 Choose File menu ` Place.

2 Select an image file, and click Open.

3 In the Place dialog box, set the options:

• In the Scaling area, the Horizontal and Vertical boxes suggest a scale to fit the image in the current document. To

change the size, enter scaling percentages in the Horizontal and Vertical boxes.

• Constrain Aspect Ratio maintains the proportions of the image. Disable this check box to distort the image.

• Retain Alpha retains the file’s mask. When the image is placed, the image mask becomes the layer mask. Disable

this check box to discard the mask.

4 Do one of the following:

• To place the image in a particular location, click on that location in the document.

• To place the image in the center of the document, click OK.

Understanding Resolution

When you work with images in a digital workspace, it is helpful to understand the concept and applications of resolution.
Resolution refers to how Corel Painter measures, displays, saves, and prints images — either as small squares of color
called “pixels” or as mathematical objects called “vectors.”

A document’s resolution affects both its appearance on your computer screen and its print quality. You can specify a
document’s resolution when you create a new document, acquire an image, or save or export a file.

Resolution and Screen Appearance

Most monitors have a resolution of 72 pixels per inch (ppi). The Corel Painter display default is 72 ppi, which means that
each pixel in the Corel Painter image occupies 1 pixel on your monitor. The display resolution does not affect the
document’s actual number of pixels per inch — it affects only how the image is displayed on the monitor.

The Basics 35

For example, a 300-ppi image is displayed on-screen at approximately four times its actual size. Because each pixel in the
Corel Painter image occupies 1 pixel on your monitor, and the monitor’s pixels are approximately four times the size of the
image’s pixels (72 ppi versus 330 ppi), the image must appear four times larger on-screen in order to display all of the
pixels. In other words, your 330-ppi document will print at approximately one-quarter of its on-screen size. To view the
image at its actual size, you can set the zoom level to 25%.

If you set the dimensions in pixels and then change the number of pixels per inch (resolution), this change will affect the
size of the printed image. If you set your document size in inches, centimeters, points, or picas and then change the
resolution, the dimensions of the printed image will not be affected.

Resolution and Print Quality

The resolution of output devices (printers) is measured in dots per inch, and in the case of halftones, lines per inch (lpi).
Output device resolutions vary, depending on the type of press and paper used. In general, a photograph is output at a
crisp 150 lpi if printed on glossy magazine stock, and at 85 lpi if printed on newspaper stock.

If you are using a personal laser or inkjet printer, set your document size in inches, centimeters, points, or picas at the dots­per-inch setting specific to your printer. Most printers produce excellent output from images set at 300 ppi. Increasing the
file’s pixels-per-inch setting does not necessarily improve the output and may create a large, unwieldy file.

If you are using a commercial printer or a more sophisticated output device, the dimensions of the image should always be
set to the actual size that you want the image to appear in the printed piece. A good rule of thumb is to set the number of
pixels per inch to twice the desired lines per inch. So, at 150 lpi, the setting should be twice that, or 300 ppi; at 85 lpi, the
setting should be 170 ppi. It’s a good idea to check with your service bureau if you have questions about output device
resolution.

Zooming

By default, Corel Painter opens a document at 100% magnification, but you can change the level of magnification by
zooming. You can zoom in and out by using the Magnifier tool, resetting magnification, or zooming to fit the screen. You
can even zoom in and out while working with other tools.

The Magnifier tool lets you zoom in and out by clicking in the document window.

To z o o m in

1 In the toolbox, click the Magnifier tool .

The Magnifier cursor shows a plus sign (+), which indicates that you are increasing magnification (zooming in).

2 Click or drag in the document window.

Each click increases the magnification to the next level, as defined in the Scale box at the bottom of the image window.
When you drag, Corel Painter chooses the magnification level that most closely conforms to the selected area and

centers the screen view on that area.

36 Corel Painter User Guide

You can also zoom in by doing one of the following:

• (Mac OS) While holding down Command, press + (plus sign).

• (Windows) While holding down Ctrl, press + (plus sign).

To zoom out

1 In the toolbox, click the Magnifier tool, and hold down Option (Mac OS) or Alt (Windows).

A minus sign (–) appears on the Magnifier cursor, which indicates that you are decreasing magnification (zooming
out).

2 Click in the document window.

Each click reduces the magnification to the next level, as defined in the Scale box at the bottom of the image window.

You can also zoom out by doing one of the following:

• (Mac OS) While holding down Command, press – (minus sign).

• (Windows) While holding down Ctrl, press – (minus sign).

To zoom to a specific magnification by using the Scale slider

• At the bottom of the document window, adjust the Scale slider .

You can also zoom to a specific magnification by typing a value in the Scale box beside the slider.

To reset magnification to 100%

• Double-click the Magnifier tool in the toolbox.

You can also reset magnification to 100% by clicking the Reset tool on the property bar.

To zoom to fit the screen

• Choose Window menu ` Zoom to Fit.
Corel Painter generates a view of the entire document to fit your document window.

You can also zoom to fit the screen by clicking the Fit on Screen button on the property bar, or by double-clicking
the Grabber tool in the toolbox.

Repositioning Documents

The Grabber tool allows you to reposition a document in the Corel Painter workspace and view different areas of an
image.

To use the Grabber tool

1 In the toolbox, click the Grabber tool .

The cursor changes to the Grabber tool.

2 Perform a task from the following table.

To Do the following

Scroll through the image Drag in the document window.

Center the image Click once in the document window.

You can also activate the Grabber tool by holding down the Spacebar.

The Basics 37

Rotate a document to accommodate the way you naturally draw.

Cropping Images

You can remove unwanted edges from the image with the Crop tool. You can adjust the aspect ratio of the cropped image
and choose to maintain the aspect ratio.

To crop an image

1 In the toolbox, click the Crop tool .

2 Drag inside the image to define the rectangular area you want to keep.

You can adjust the rectangle by dragging a corner or any of its edges.

3 When you’re ready to execute the crop, click inside the rectangle.

To constrain the cropping rectangle to a certain aspect ratio, enable the Ratio check box on the property bar, and
type values in the Crop Ratio Width and Crop Ratio Height boxes.

To constrain cropping to a square

1 In the toolbox, click the Crop tool.

2 Hold down the Shift key, and drag to define the area for cropping.

3 Click inside the square.

To adjust the aspect ratio of the cropped image

1 In the toolbox, click the Crop tool.

2 On the property bar, type values in the Crop Ratio Width and Crop Ratio Height boxes.

Using Full-Screen Mode

Full-screen mode lets you hide your computer’s desktop and view the document window without scroll bars. When full­screen mode is on, the document window is centered over a solid background. Except for the buttons on the document
window, all Corel Painter features work when you use full-screen mode.

To toggle the full-screen mode on and off

• Choose Window menu ` Screen Mode Toggle.

You can also toggle the full-screen mode by pressing Command + M (Mac OS) or Ctrl + M (Windows).

You can position the canvas anywhere on the screen by holding down the Spacebar and dragging.

Image Size Information

You can use the Info palette to check image size. For more information, see “Using the Info Palette” on page 18.

38 Corel Painter User Guide

Resizing the Canvas

If you want the same image at a different scale, you can resize the canvas. You can also change the size of the drawing area
or crop the canvas.

To r e s i z e t h e c a n v a s

1 Choose Canvas menu ` Resize.

The Resize dialog box appears, showing the current and new sizes by width, height, and resolution.

2 Enter a new value for width, height, or resolution.

For more information on these values, see “Creating and Opening Documents” on page 33.

3 Enable or disable the Constrain File Size check box.

When you enable the Constrain File Size check box, the height and width of the image change together, and the
resolution changes accordingly.

When you disable the Constrain File Size check box, you can change the height and width independently of the
resolution, and vice versa.

If you choose pixels or percent as the unit and enter a value, the Constrain File Size check box is automatically
disabled.

To resize the drawing area

1 Choose Canvas menu ` Canvas Size.

2 In the Canvas Size dialog box, specify the number of pixels you want to add to any side of the canvas.

To reduce the canvas size, specify negative values.

Rotating and Flipping the Canvas

Corel Painter lets you rotate and flip the Canvas layer. When you rotate or flip the Canvas layer, all other layers move
along with it. You can rotate the Canvas layer by a predefined amount, or you can choose the amount of rotation. If your
document has layers of different types, you are prompted to commit all of them to default, pixel-based layers. The Canvas
layer increases in size when necessary, so rotating or flipping it does not cause the contents of the other layers to be
cropped.

To rotate the Canvas layer

1 Choose Canvas menu ` Rotate Canvas.

2 Perform a task from the following table.

To Do the following

Rotate the Canvas layer 180 degrees Choose 180.

Rotate the Canvas layer 90 degrees clockwise Choose 90 CW.

Rotate the Canvas layer 90 degrees counterclockwise Choose 90 CCW.

Rotate the Canvas layer by a user-defined amount Choose Arbitrary; in the Rotate Selection dialog box, type a

To flip the Canvas

1 Choose Canvas menu ` Rotate Canvas.

2 Choose one of the following:

• Flip Canvas Horizontal

• Flip Canvas Vertical

number in the Angle box to specify degrees of rotation.

The Basics 39

Saving Files

You have several options for saving files. You can save a file in its current format or in a different format. You can also save
iterations of the same file. Whenever you perform an iterative save, a new version of the file is saved with a number added
to the filename, and for each subsequent save, the number added to the filename increases by 1. In addition, the location
of the last file saved is stored and used for subsequent saves unless you specify a new location.

To save a file in its current format

•Choose File menu ` Save.

To save a file with a different name or format

1 Choose File menu ` Save As.

2 In the Save (Mac OS) or Save Image As (Windows) dialog box, use the controls to specify a location, file name, and

format.

To perform an iterative save

•Choose File menu ` Iterative Save.

You can also perform an iterative save by pressing Command + Option + S (Mac OS) or Ctrl + Alt + S
(Windows).

Choosing a file format

When you save a file, you must choose a file format. The following section contains information about some of the file
formats you can choose when saving files in Corel Painter.

Saving RIF Files

RIF is the Corel Painter native format, which retains special information about your document. For example, a RIF file
maintains layers so that you can return to the file to re-access them.

RIF files are best used as “work-in-progress” files. It is recommended that you save files in RIF format first, and then save
to GIF, JPEG, TIF, or another file format when a file is ready for production.

Corel Painter lets you compress files and save disk space with a lossless compression method. When saving in RIF format,
you can minimize the file size on your hard disk by ensuring that the Uncompressed option is disabled.

Saving JPEG Files

Corel Painter supports the JPEG file format. Because of its small file size and high quality, JPEG is commonly used to
transmit files through a modem. Unlike GIF, the JPEG file format displays a full range of colors.

The JPEG file format allows you to compress your file on a scale of Fair to Excellent, where quality is directly proportional
to file size. These quality settings will let you achieve compression ratios ranging from less than 10:1 to greater than 100:1.
JPEG is a “lossy” file format, meaning that a decompressed JPEG file will not be identical, pixel-for-pixel, to the original.
However, because the JPEG algorithm takes into account the sensitivity of the eye to different colors, the higher-quality
settings should achieve visually satisfying results.

You can assign a URL to layers and placed images and then save the file in GIF or JPEG format to produce an image map.
For more information, see “Client-Side Image Mapping” on page 398.When you save a file in JPEG format, Corel Painter
displays the JPEG Encoding Quality dialog box, with the following options:

• The Quality options — Excellent, High, Good, and Fair — let you set the degree of file compression.
The Excellent option compresses the least, but retains the most data. Fair compresses the most, but loses the most data.
You can also use the Quality slider to adjust file compression.

• The Smoothness slider applies smoothing to the entire image. This is useful when using the Fair option, to blur the
edges of JPEG artifacts. The default is 0. Keep in mind that using a high smoothness setting can cause blurring.

40 Corel Painter User Guide

• The Progressive JPEG check box creates a progressive JPEG file. Progressive format is useful for files used on the Web.
As the name implies, progressive format displays an image in stages — as a series of scans — while the file downloads.
The first scan is a low-quality image; the following scans improve in quality. This allows the user to see the whole
image very quickly.

• The HTML Map Options — NCSA Map File, CERN Map File, and Client Side Map File — let you generate an
image map. (NCSA refers to the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, and CERN refers to the Conseil
Europeén pour la Recherche Nucléaire.) Use the NCSA Map File or CERN Map File option to generate a server-side
image map. Use the Client Side Map File option to generate a client-side image map.

For more information about image map types, see “Working with Image Maps” on page 397.

It is best not to decompress and recompress a file multiple times. Although JPEG can compress and discard data not
visible or obvious, the degradation of the data can affect the condition of your file.

When a file has lost a significant amount of data, block patterns may appear in areas of the image. If you try to use the
Apply Surface Texture feature on a JPEG file, you may find it will accent the block patterns.

Saving GIF Files

Corel Painter allows you to save documents as GIF files. GIF, a file format using 8 or fewer bits, is commonly used to
display graphics on the Web. When you save a GIF file, you can choose settings from 4 Colors to 256 Colors. You can
choose how your colors will be displayed and what part of your image will be transparent.

You can enable the Color Set option to force all colors in the color table of the GIF file to match the colors in the current
color set. This option can be useful when you are doing Web work, especially if you want to constrain colors to a specific
color set or control the number of colors in a Web page, thus controlling the image file size.

The Imaging Method setting determines how your 24-bit Corel Painter document will be converted to the limited number
of colors that GIF uses. If you choose Quantize to Nearest Color, Corel Painter picks the color nearest to that of each pixel.
If you choose Dither Colors, Corel Painter applies a pattern to the colors chosen to generate a more accurate, less banded
result.

Corel Painter can also save a frame stack as a GIF animation file. For more information, see “Creating Animated GIFs”
on page 401.

If you want your image to have transparency, enable the check box for Output Transparency. Most programs that display
GIF files support transparency, but for those that don’t, you should specify the color of the “transparent” area. If your
image will be displayed on the Web, enable the Background is WWW Gray option. You can also choose to use the
background color of your Web page by enabling the Background is BG Color option.

For programs that support transparency, your selection will determine which areas are transparent. The Threshold slider
determines which selection (loaded mask) value becomes transparent. You can see how the Threshold slider is affecting
the transparency of your image in the Preview window in the dialog box. Transparency is displayed in the Preview window
by a rectangular lattice. You can toggle between the Preview window and your Save As GIF options to get exactly what you
want. Enable the Interlaced check box if your image will be displayed on a Web page.

For information on creating masks, see “Selections” on page 209.

Saving RGB TIF and CMYK TIF Files

The TIF format facilitates exchange between applications and computer platforms. It is a widely supported bitmap image
format that lets you save with either CMYK or RGB color space information. When you save a file in CMYK TIF format,
Corel Painter creates a color separation, which can then be used for four-color process printing.

Saving Adobe Photoshop (PSD) Files

Corel Painter can save files in Adobe Photoshop (PSD) format. For optimum compatibility, shapes and text are rasterized,
and masks are placed in channels.

When you save a file in PSD format, you have RGB and CMYK options, as you do when saving in TIF format.

The Basics 41

Saving Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) Files

The encapsulated PostScript® (EPS) files in Corel Painter conform to the Desktop Color Separation (DCS) 2.0 format
(EPS-DCS 5 file format). Although Corel Painter saves files in EPS-DCS, it can’t read EPS-DCS. If you plan to save an
image in EPS-DCS, it’s a good idea to save it in another format first, so that you’ll have a copy of it that you can reopen in
Corel Painter.

When you save an image as EPS-DCS with Preview Options turned on, Corel Painter uses the loaded International Color
Consortium (ICC) profile to prepare the separation files. If you’re using the Hexachrome® ICC profile, Corel Painter
prepares six separation files — Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Green, Orange, and Black. For more information on Preview
Options and color management, see “Printing” on page 429.

Although you can save your images as CMYK EPS separations, Corel Painter can’t open or edit CMYK files.

When you save a file in EPS-DCS, Corel Painter opens the EPS Save Options dialog box, with these options:

• Hex (ASCII) Picture Data provides another way of storing PostScript information. Some page design programs
require that this option be checked. The file sizes will be approximately twice as large when saved with this option.

• Preview Options — No Preview, Black and White Preview, and Color Preview — specify whether to save preview data
and in what format. The resulting preview file is a low-resolution (72-ppi) file.

If you have an older laser printer, you have to use the black and white preview to print these files. Although the preview
or display is black and white, the color information remains intact.

Recovering Lost Work

When you work with computers, sometimes uncontrollable events cause files to become corrupt. How can you recover
work lost in a corrupt image file? No backup? Do you have to create the whole image again?

Maybe not. Corel Painter records all actions into the Current Script. If Corel Painter is stopped and restarted within 24
hours, the old current script is still available (saved as “{date}{time}”), and a new current script is started. By default, the
dated scripts are saved for one day, but you can reset this to a longer time.

The dated scripts can be used to replay actions for recovering lost work or to create scripts for movies. Also, you can use the
Script List to cut and paste portions of the dated script that are useful. Just open the dated script, and delete the last few
commands; then play the script to re-create the work, and try saving the file again.

For more information, see “Scripting” on page 405.

Closing Documents and Quitting the Application

You can close documents or quit Corel Painter using menu commands, keyboard shortcuts, or the Close button of the
current window.

To close a document

• Do one of the following:

• Click the current window’s Close button.

•Choose File menu

• Press Command + W (Mac OS) or Ctrl + W (Windows).

To quit Corel Painter

• Do one of the following:

• (Mac OS) Choose Corel Painter X menu

• (Windows) Choose File menu

You can also quit Corel Painter by pressing Command + Q (Mac OS) or Ctrl + Q (Windows).

` Close.

` Quit Corel Painter X.

` Exit.

42 Corel Painter User Guide

Working with Composition Tools, Rulers, and Guides

The document window in Corel Painter contains the following features to help you compose, size, and position images
and image elements:

• Layout Grid — lets you divide the canvas into compositional sections based on the proportions of the canvas. This
nonprinting grid is used primarily for composing artwork before you begin drawing or painting.

• Divine Proportion — helps identify where to place focal areas in artwork by using classical composition. This
nonprinting layout is primarily used for composing artwork before you begin drawing or painting.

• Rulers — let you size, position, and measure images and image elements

• Guides — let you align and position image elements by using nonprinting lines that can be placed anywhere on the
canvas. They can be used with the ruler to mark specific distances, and they have a “snap” option that makes it easy to
align image elements precisely.

• Grid — lets you align and snap image elements to a basic grid. By default, the horizontal and vertical lines appear at
equal distances (dividing the canvas area into squares). You can print this basic grid.

• Perspective Grid — helps you create three-dimensional images by displaying a nonprinting array of lines that converge
at a single vanishing point.

Using the Layout Grid

The Layout Grid provides an easy way to divide your canvas so that you can plan your composition. For example, you can
divide your canvas into thirds vertically and horizontally to use the compositional rule of thirds. From the Layout Grid
palette, you can access grid settings, such as the number of divisions, size, angle, color, and opacity of the grid. You can
adjust these settings while you work and save them as a preset for future drawings and paintings. You can also move the
grid to a new position.

The Layout Grid helps you compose images.

To show or hide the Layout Grid

• Choose Canvas menu ` Compositions, and choose either Show Layout Grid or Hide Layout Grid.

You can also show or hide the Layout Grid by clicking the Layout Grid tool in the toolbox and clicking the
Enable button on the property bar.

To set Layout Grid options

1 Choose Window ` Show Layout Grid.

On the Layout Grid palette, ensure that the Enable Layout Grid check box is enabled.

2 Perform a task from the following table.

The Basics 43

To Do the following

Set the number of vertical and horizontal divisions In the Divisions area, type values in the Vertical box and the

Resize the grid In the Size area, move the Vertical slider to set the height, and

Change the angle of the grid Type a value in the Rotate box to set the degree of the angle.

Change the color of the vertical or horizontal gridlines In the Display area, click the Horizontal or Vertical color picker, and

Change the opacity of the grid Move the Opacity slider to the left to increase transparency; move

Horizontal box.

If you want to link the Vertical and Horizontal values, enable the
Synchronize the Divisions check box.

move the Horizontal slider to set the width.

If you want to resize the grid proportionally, enable the
Synchronize the Sizes check box.

choose a color from the pop-up menu.

the slider to the right to increase opacity.

You can also set some Layout Grid options by clicking the Layout Grid tool in the toolbox and modifying the
settings you want on the property bar.

To save Layout Grid settings as a preset

1 On the Layout Grid palette, modify the settings you want, and click the Add Preset button .

2 In the Save Preset dialog box, type a name for your preset in the Save As box.

3 Click OK.

The preset appears in the Type pop-up menu.

You can also save a preset by clicking the Layout Grid tool in the toolbox and clicking the Add Preset button
on the property bar.

To delete a Layout Grid preset

1 On the Layout Grid palette, choose the preset you want to delete from the Type pop-up menu.

2 Click the Delete Preset button .

You can also delete a preset by clicking the Layout Grid tool in the toolbox, selecting a preset from the Presets
pop-up menu on the property bar, and clicking the Delete Preset button .

To choose a Layout Grid preset

• On the Layout Grid palette, choose a preset from the Type pop-up menu.

To m o v e a L a y o u t Gr i d

1 In the toolbox, click the Layout Grid tool .

The cursor changes to a hand icon.

2 Drag the grid to a new position.

Using the Divine Proportion tool

The Divine Proportion tool lets you use guides based on a classical composition method of the same name. When
planning your artwork, you can use the guides to create a sense of proportion, which helps maintain interest as the eye of
the viewer travels across a drawing or painting.

44 Corel Painter User Guide

The Divine Proportion tool can help you establish focal areas. Original artwork by Andrew Jones.

The Divine Proportion palette lets you change the orientation, size, angle, color, and opacity of the Divine Proportion
guide that appears on the canvas. You can also adjust the number of levels to determine how many times a section divides
within itself, creating a spiral. You can adjust these settings while you work, and you can save them as a preset. You can also
move the Divine Proportion guide to a new position.

To show or hide the Divine Proportion guide

• Choose Canvas menu ` Compositions, and then choose either Show Divine Proportion or Hide Divine Proportion.

You can also show or hide the Divine Proportion guide by clicking the Divine Proportion tool in the toolbox
and clicking the Enable button on the property bar.

To set Divine Proportion options

1 Choose Window ` Show Divine Proportion.

The Divine Proportion palette appears.

2 On the Divine Proportion palette, enable the Enable Divine Proportion check box, and perform a task from the

following table.

To Do the following

Set orientation In the Orientation area, click one of the Landscape or Portrait

Resize the guide Move the Size slider to the right to increase the size; move the

Change the angle Type a value in the Rotate box to set the degree of the angle.

Change the color of the grid, spiral, or axis In the Display area, click the Grid, Spiral, or Axis color picker, and

Change the opacity Move the Opacity slider to the left to increase transparency; move

Change the numbers of levels Move the Levels slider to the right to increase the number of

buttons.

slider to the left to decrease the size.

Size is measured as a percentage of the width or height of the
canvas, depending on whether the orientation is Landscape or
Portrait.

choose a color from the pop-up menu.

the slider to the right to increase opacity.

levels; move the slider to the left to decrease the number of levels.

You can also set some Divine Proportion options by clicking the Divine Proportion tool in the toolbox and
modifying the settings you want on the property bar.

The Basics 45

To save Divine Proportion settings as a preset

1 On the Divine Proportion palette, modify the settings you want, and click the Add Preset button .

2 In the Save Preset dialog box, type a name for your preset in the Save As box.

3 Click OK.

The preset appears in the Type pop-up menu.

You can also save a preset by clicking the Divine Proportion tool in the toolbox and clicking the Add Preset
button on the property bar.

To delete a Divine Proportion preset

1 On the Divine Proportion palette, choose the preset you want to delete from the Type pop-up menu.

2 Click the Delete Preset button .

You can also delete a preset by clicking the Divine Proportion tool in the toolbox, selecting a preset from the
Presets pop-up menu on the property bar, and clicking the Delete Preset button .

To choose a Divine Proportion preset

• On the Divine Proportion palette, choose a preset from the Type pop-up menu.

To move the Divine Proportion guide

1 In the toolbox, click the Divine Proportion tool .

The cursor changes to a hand icon.

2 Drag the Divine Proportion guide to a new position.

Using Rulers

Corel Painter lets you show or hide rulers along the top and left sides of the document window. Each mark on a ruler is
known as a tick and represents the selected unit of measurement. You can set the unit of measurement to pixels, inches,
centimeters, points, or picas.

As you rotate an image in the document window, the rulers scroll to show the position of the canvas in the document
window. The origin of the document is the intersection of the zero (0) ticks on each ruler. By default, the origin is the
upper left corner of the canvas. Changing the origin resets the location of the zero ticks on the rulers.

To show or hide rulers

• Choose Canvas menu ` Rulers, and choose either Show Rulers or Hide Rulers.

To set the ruler units

1 Choose Canvas menu ` Rulers ` Ruler Options, or hold down Option (Mac OS) or Alt (Windows) and click the ruler.

2 In the Ruler Options dialog box, choose a unit of measurement from the Ruler Units pop-up menu.

To change the origin

1 Click the box at the intersection of the rulers (upper left corner of the document window).

2 Drag diagonally into the document window.

Crosshairs mark the new origin point.

3 Drag the crosshairs to the desired position.

The ruler numbers update to show the new origin as 0,0.

To restore the origin

• Double-click the box at the intersection of the rulers (upper left corner of the document window).

46 Corel Painter User Guide

Using Guides

Guides are nonprinting lines that appear over the image in the document window. They are very helpful in aligning image
elements. You can place guides at any position in the document window and easily reposition and remove them. If you
enable the Snap to Ruler Ticks option, the guides you create will land precisely on the tick marks. Each guide also has
options that let you change its color and lock it so that it can’t be dragged.

To show or hide guides

• Choose Canvas menu ` Guides ` Show Guides or Hide Guides.

To c r e a te a g u i d e

1 Show the rulers and the guides.

2 Click in a ruler at the position where you want to place the guide.

A guide appears in the document window and a triangular marker appears in the ruler.

A black triangle marks the guide’s position in the ruler.

To r e p o si t i o n a g u i d e

• Drag the guide’s marker to any point of the ruler.

You can also double-click the guide’s marker to display the Guide Options dialog box and enter a value in the
Guide Position box.

To enable the Snap to Ruler Ticks option

• Choose Canvas menu ` Rulers ` Snap to Ruler Ticks.

To set a guide’s color

1 Double-click the guide’s marker.

2 In the Guide Options dialog box, click the Guide Color chip and choose a color.

To change the color of all guides, enable the Same Color for All Guides check box.

To lock or unlock a guide

1 Double-click the guide’s marker to display the Guide Options dialog box.

2 Enable or disable the Lock Guide check box.

To r e m o ve a g u i d e

• Drag the guide’s marker off the edge of the document window.

The Basics 47

To remove all guides

1 Double-click the guide’s marker to display the Guide Options dialog box.

2 Click Delete All Guides.

Using Snap to Guides

The Snap to Guides option enables selections and tool operations to “snap” to a guide within 6 pixels of the cursor (or
edge).

The following operations respect Snap to Guides:

• Dragging with the Rectangular Selection and Oval Shape tools.

• Dragging with the Crop tool .

• Drawing straight lines with the Brush tool .

• Clicks made with the Pen tool .

• Clicking with the Text tool to create a text entry point.

• Clicking and dragging with the Paint Bucket tool and Magnifier tool .

• Dragging shapes and selections. The edges of the content and the selection rectangle for the shapes and selections snap
to the guides. The cursor — wherever it might be in the object — also snaps to the guide.

• Dragging the handles of reference layers, shapes, and selections to transform them.

• Dragging with the Selection Adjuster tool or Layer Adjuster tool .

To enable Snap to Guides

• Choose Canvas menu ` Guides ` Snap to Guides.
The option is enabled when the menu item has a check beside it.

Using the Grid

Corel Painter provides a grid to help you in laying down brush strokes or creating shapes. You can set the types, size, line
thickness, and color of the grid. You can also print gridlines.

To activate the grid

• On the right side of your image window, click the Toggle Grid button .
Your image now has a non-printing grid.

You can also activate the grid by choosing Canvas menu

To s e t g ri d o p t i o n s

1 Choose Canvas menu ` Grid ` Grid Options.

2 In the Grid Options dialog box, choose a grid type from the Grid Type pop-up menu.

3 Enter values for Horizontal Spacing (the distance between horizontal lines), Vertical Spacing (the distance between

vertical lines), and Line Thickness.
The unit of measure can be in pixels, inches, centimeters, points, picas, columns (2 in. wide), or percent.

4 Click the Grid Color chip to set the color of the gridlines.

5 Click the Background chip to set the grid’s background color.

To print gridlines

• Choose Effects menu ` Esoterica ` Grid Paper.

` Grid ` Show Grid.

48 Corel Painter User Guide

Using Snap to Grid

The Snap to Grid option enables certain tool operations to “snap” to a grid within 6 pixels of the cursor.

The following tools respect Snap to Grid:

•Pen tool

• Shape Selection tool

• Convert Point tool

•Text tool

To enable Snap to Grid

• Choose Canvas menu ` Grid ` Snap to Grid.
The option is enabled when the menu item has a check beside it.

Using the Perspective Grid

Corel Painter provides perspective grids to help you create three-dimensional images. Perspective grids are a nonprinting
array of lines that converge at a single vanishing point. In Corel Painter you can set the type, line color, and spacing of the
perspective grid. You can modify the location of the vertical plane and horizon line by using the Perspective Grid tool. Any
perspective grid that you create or modify can also be opened for use in another drawing.

Use perspective gridlines to help you create 3D images.

To activate or hide the default perspective grid

• With an image open, click the following from the menu bar: Canvas menu ` Perspective Grids ` Show Grid or Hide
Grid.

To create a new perspective grid

1 Choose Canvas menu ` Perspective Grids ` Show Grid.

2 If necessary, adjust the perspective gridlines.

For more information, see “To adjust the perspective gridlines” on page 50.

3 On the property bar, enable the check boxes corresponding to the grids you want to see.

4 Choose a color for the horizontal and vertical gridlines in the Horizontal Grid Color box and Vertical Grid Color box.

5 Enter a value in the Spacing box.

6 On the property bar, click the Add Preset button.

7 In the Save Preset dialog box, enter a name in the Save As box.

To reset the perspective grid defaults at any time, click the Reset Tool button on the property bar.

The Basics 49

To open a perspective grid

1 In the toolbox, click the Perspective Grid tool.

2 On the property bar, choose a grid from the Presets pop-up menu.

To remove a grid preset

1 In the toolbox, click the Perspective Grid tool.

2 On the property bar, choose an option from the Presets pop-up menu.

3 Click the Delete Preset button.

The grid preset disappears.

To adjust the perspective gridlines

1 Choose Canvas menu ` Perspective Grids ` Show Grid.

2 In the toolbox, click the Perspective Grid tool.

3 To move the horizontal plane grid, hold the cursor over the nearest edge of the horizontal plane grid.

The cursor becomes a double-pointed arrow.

4 Drag to move the horizontal plane grid up or down.

5 To move the vertical plane grid, hold the cursor over the nearest edge of the vertical plane grid.

The cursor becomes a double-pointed arrow.

6 Drag to move the vertical plane grid left or right.

Drag-and-Drop Features

Corel Painter X supports drag-and-drop copying of documents from one window to another. For Mac OS users, Corel
Painter supports drag-and-drop copying of documents between applications.

Dragging Between Documents

You can copy selections and layers between Corel Painter documents by dragging from one window to the other. When
you drag a selection to a new document window, Corel Painter automatically turns the selection into a layer. When you
drag a layer to a new document, the layer keeps its original properties.

Dragging Between Programs (Mac OS)

Corel Painter supports drag-and-drop functionality between applications on Mac OS. This can be a quick, convenient
way to acquire or export images. On the Mac OS, you can drag files from Adobe Photoshop directly into Corel Painter.

Raster images that you drag into a Corel Painter document window become layers. You can drag a PICT file from the
Finder to a Corel Painter document. The PICT image becomes a layer.

You can also drag layers out of Corel Painter to another application or to the Finder; the exported image is in PICT format,
supported by most applications. When you drag out one of these objects, it will automatically rasterize a shape or dynamic
layer (at its current settings) to become a PICT.

Though dragging and dropping between programs is not supported on the Windows platform, computers running
on either Mac OS or Windows platforms support copying and pasting between Corel Painter and other programs.

Setting Preferences

Corel Painter has several different pages of the Preferences dialog boxes: General, Brush Tracking, Customize Keys,
Undo, Shapes, Save, Operating System (Windows), Palettes and UI, and Memory and Scratch.

50 Corel Painter User Guide

General Preferences

The General Preferences page lets you set a variety of settings, such as how the cursor displays, library locations, and units
of measurement.

To access General preferences

• Do one of the following:

• (Mac OS) Choose Corel Painter X menu

•(Windows) Choose Edit menu

` Preferences ` General.

To make changes to other preferences before closing the Preferences dialog box, choose another preference type
from the pop-up menu.

Setting up the Drawing Cursor

You can choose a cursor icon and its orientation. You can also set the drawing cursor to show a brush ghost — a
representation of the brush variant you choose from the Brush Selector bar.

` Preferences ` General.

The brush ghost (left) gives you information about the size of your brush variant. The Enhanced brush ghost (right)

To choose a drawing cursor icon

gives you information about the tilt, bearing, and rotation of your pen.

1 On the General page of the Preferences dialog box, enable the Brush option in the Cursor Type area.

2 Choose one of the following icon options from the pop-up menu to the right of the Brush option:

•Brush

• Cross

•Torus

•Triangle

• Hollow Triangle

•Gray Triangle
The selected cursor icon appears in the Orientation area.

3 Enable an Orientation option.

If you want the drawing cursor icon to be a single pixel, enable the Single Pixel option in the Cursor Type area.

To set brush ghost options

• On the General page of the Preferences dialog box, choose one of the following options:

• Enable Brush Ghosting — gives you immediate visual feedback on the cursor, showing you the shape and size of

the selected brush

• Enhanced Brush Ghost — gives you visual feedback about the brush size as well as the tilt, bearing, and rotation of

the pen. The outer ring indicates the brush size, and the line indicates the tilt and bearing of the pen. If you have a
flat-tip pen that supports 360-degree rotation, a dot appears along the outer ring to indicate the pen rotation.

The Basics 51

The Enhanced brush ghost gives you more visual feedback about your pen in relation to the tablet.

Setting the Default Libraries

Corel Painter provides standard libraries that contain brushes, paper grains, selections, layers, images, and color sets. The
Libraries section of the General page of the Preferences dialog box lets you designate which libraries appear by default.

To set default libraries

• Enter library file names in the Selections and Images boxes.

The default libraries must reside in the Corel Painter folder. To restore default libraries and settings, see “Restoring
the default Corel Painter settings” on page 31.

Setting Quick Clone Preferences

You can customize the Quick Clone effect. You can choose whether to delete the image from the clone or to turn on
Tracing Paper. You can also select the last-used Cloner brush or choose to clone color with any brush variant.

To set Quick Clone preferences

1 Choose Corel Painter X menu ` Preferences ` General (Mac OS), or Edit menu ` Preferences ` General (Windows).

2 In the Quick Clone area of the Preferences dialog box, enable or disable the following check boxes:

• Delete Image From Clone. When enabled, this option automatically deletes the contents of the clone file.

• Turn on Tracing Paper. When enabled, this option automatically activates the Tracing Paper feature.

3 Enable one of the following check boxes:

• Switch to Cloner Brushes automatically activates the last Cloner brush variant used.

• Clone Color uses the current brush variant to clone the underlying color.
By default, the Switch to Cloner Brushes check box is enabled. To enable the Clone Color check box, you must disable

the Switch to Cloner Brushes check box.

Auto-Save Scripts

When you create an image, Corel Painter records all the operations you perform. This recording is known as a
background script and is saved on the Scripts palette. The Auto-Save Scripts preference governs how long Corel Painter
saves background scripts before deleting them.

To reset the Auto-Save Scripts preference

1 Do one of the following:

• (Mac OS) Choose Corel Painter X menu

•(Windows) Choose Edit menu

` Preferences ` General.

` Preferences ` General.

2 Specify the number of days for which you want Corel Painter to save background scripts in the Auto-Save Scripts For

box.

For more information about creating and using scripts, see “Scripting” on page 405.

52 Corel Painter User Guide

Brush Size Increment

The Brush Size Increment preference lets you set the increment value in pixels.

Magnifier Increment

The Magnifier Increment preference lets you specify the percentage of magnification at which the magnifier will increase
or decrease.

Units

The Units preference lets you choose the unit of measurement used by the application’s various sliders and other
measurement options.

Cloning Preference

When you clone an image, Corel Painter uses the color information from the original as you fill in your clone. If you
would like Corel Painter to display what part of the original you’re cloning, enable the check box next to Indicate Clone
Source with Crosshairs While Cloning.

Draw Zoomed-out Views Using Area-Averaging

When you are viewing an image at less than 100% magnification, screen draw is faster when Draw Zoomed-out Views
Using Area-Averaging is enabled, and slower — but more accurate — when this check box is not enabled.

Display Warning When Drawing Outside Selection

Checking this box enables the warning that appears when you draw outside a selection.

Show Commit Dialog When Converting to a Layer

Enable this check box if you have enabled the Commit and Don’t Ask Again check box in the Commit dialog box and
want to reinstate the dialog box.

Brush Tracking Preferences

When you draw with traditional media, the amount of pressure you use with a tool determines the density and width of
your strokes. Using a pressure-sensitive stylus with Corel Painter gives you this same kind of control. Each artist has a
different strength or pressure level in a stroke. The Brush Tracking preference lets you adjust Corel Painter to match your
stroke strength. This is particularly useful for artists with a light touch. If a light stroke leaves no color on the canvas, you
should use Brush Tracking to increase sensitivity.

You might also change brush tracking between phases of a project. You could use a light touch when sketching with a
pencil brush variant, then set tracking for more pressure when you switch to an oil paint variant. Corel Painter saves
Brush Tracking between sessions, so whatever tracking sensitivity you set will be the default the next time you open the
application.

To set brush tracking

1 Do one of the following:

• (Mac OS) Choose Corel Painter X menu

•(Windows) Choose Edit menu

` Preferences ` Brush Tracking.

2 Drag in the scratch pad in a “normal” stroke.

Use the pressure and speed you prefer when drawing or painting. For specific adjustments, you can move the sliders.

` Preferences ` Brush Tracking.

The Basics 53

Use the Brush Tracking dialog box to customize how Corel Painter responds to your stroke pressure and speed.

Customize Keys Preferences

Corel Painter lets you assign commands to keys on your keyboard. This saves you time by giving you immediate keyboard
access to your favorite commands. Along with character, numeric, function, and modifier keys, you can also use Tab,
Backspace (Windows), Delete, Insert, Home, End, Page Up, Page Down, Up Arrow, Down Arrow, Left Arrow, Right
Arrow, and Spacebar. You can use keys already used for other shortcuts.

You can also create a collection of keyboard shortcuts, or key sets, based on changes to the default key set. For easy
reference, you can generate an HTML summary of a key set.

To assign commands to keys

1 Do one of the following:

• (Mac OS) Choose Corel Painter X menu

•(Windows) Choose Edit menu

` Preferences ` Customize Keys.

2 Choose a key set from the Key Set pop-up menu.

3 Choose one of the following from the Shortcuts menu:

• Application Menus lets you create or modify menu bar command shortcuts.

• Palette Menus lets you create or modify palette menu command shortcuts.

• Tools lets you create or modify tools shortcuts.

• Other lets you create or modify command shortcuts for items that are not menus, palettes, or tools.

4 Choose a command from the Application Commands list, and type the shortcut keys you want to assign.

If the shortcut you assigned is already in use, a message appears below the Application Commands list.

5 Do one of the following:

• Click Accept to assign the shortcut to the command.
The conflicting command that previously had the keyboard shortcut now has no keyboard shortcut assigned to it.

• Click Accept and Go To Conflict to assign the shortcut to the new command, and to assign another keyboard

shortcut to the conflicting.

` Preferences ` Customize Keys.

To revert keyboard shortcuts

To Do the following

Revert the last keyboard shortcut you created or modified Click Undo.

Revert to all keyboard shortcuts you created or modified since you
opened the Preferences dialog box

Revert all keyboard shortcuts to their default settings Click Defaults. In the warning dialog box, click Yes.

54 Corel Painter User Guide

Click Reset. In the warning dialog box, click Yes.

To m a n a g e k e y s e t s

To Do the following

Open an existing key set Click the Open button . In the Open Key Set dialog box, select a

Create a new key set from the existing key set Click the New from Existing button . In the Save New Key Set

Save the active key set Click the Save Active Set button . In the Save Key Set dialog

Create an HTML summary of the active key set Click the Create HTML Summary button . In the Save Summary

Delete the active key set Click the Delete button .

key set, and click Open.

dialog box, type a name for the key set in the Filename box, and
click Save.

box, type a name for the key set in the Filename box, and click
Save.

dialog box, type a name in the Filename box, and click Save.

Key set files created on the Mac OS cannot be imported into Corel Painter on Windows. Likewise, key set files
created on Windows cannot be imported into Corel Painter on the Mac OS.

Undo Preferences

Multiple Undo allows you to undo and redo up to 32 levels of changes. Corel Painter sets 32 levels as the default.

The number of Undo levels applies across open documents. If you have set the number of Undo levels to 5, and you have
two documents open and have “undone” three operations on the first document, you can undo only two operations on the
second document.

Multiple Undo can use a significant amount of disk space. If you perform multiple operations on the entire image, the
whole image must be saved for each Undo step.

To set Undo levels

1 Do one of the following:

• (Mac OS) Choose Corel Painter X menu

•(Windows) Choose Edit menu

` Preferences ` Undo.

` Preferences ` Undo.

2 Enter a number between 1 and 32 in the box.

Shapes Preferences

You can set the default fill and stroke in the Shapes page of the Preferences dialog box. These settings apply to new shapes
you create. If you enable the Big Handles check box, the Bézier curve control handles will appear larger. (You may find it
easier to work with them in the larger size.) You can also specify colors for the wing color, outline color, and point color.

To change Shapes preferences

1 Do one of the following:

• (Mac OS) Choose Corel Painter X menu

•(Windows) Choose Edit menu

` Preferences ` Shapes.

2 Select your preferences from the following options:

• Drawing Options controls how Corel Painter displays shapes as you create them (On Draw) and when a shape

path is closed (On Close). The default setting for On Draw is Stroke In Current Color, and the default setting for
On Close is Stroke in Current Color.

• Big Handles controls the size of the anchor points and direction wing handles. This can make them easier to grab

and drag. If you want big points, enable this option.

• Outline controls the color of the shape outline paths. Double-click the chip to change the color.

` Preferences ` Shapes.

The Basics 55

• Selected Point controls the color of selected anchor points (unselected anchor points appear “hollow”). Double-

click the chip to change the color.

• Wing controls the color of the control wings and handles. Double-click the chip to change the color.

• Tolerance determines how close the brush stroke must be, in pixels, to the path or shape for automatic alignment to

occur.

• Paint Hidden Shapes aligns a brush stroke with a hidden shape or path.

Save Preferences

The Save preferences in Corel Painter let you:

• create backup files

• set preferences for the color space, so that you do not need to choose a color space every time you save

• (Mac OS) select file extension preferences

To create a backup file when you save your work

1 Do one of the following:

• (Mac OS) Choose Corel Painter X menu

•(Windows) Choose Edit menu

2 Enable the Create Backup on Save check box.

To set preferences for the color space prompt

1 Do one of the following:

• (Mac OS) Choose Corel Painter X menu

•(Windows) Choose Edit menu

2 Choose one of the following options from the TIFF and PSD pop-up menus:

• RGB automatically saves the file as RGB.

• CMYK automatically saves the file as CMYK.

• Prompt on Save prompts you to choose a color space every time you save a file.

` Preferences ` Save.

` Preferences ` Save.

` Preferences ` Save.

` Preferences ` Save.

To set file extension preferences (Mac OS)

1 Choose Corel Painter X menu ` Preferences ` Save.

2 Choose one of the following options from the Append pop-up menu:

• Always — The appropriate file extension is always added when you save a file.

• Never — A file extension is never added when you save a file.

• Ask When Saving — You are prompted to choose whether to add a file extension when you save a file.

Operating System Preferences (Windows)

Computers running Windows have some additional options.

Printing Option

In the Printing Option area of the Operating System page of the Preferences dialog box, if you enable the No Print
Banding check box, print banding is disabled. Disabling print banding may help some PostScript printers, but it hurts the
performance of some bitmap printers, such as the HP DeskJet ®printers. The operation of most dot matrix printers is
faster if you do not enable No Print Banding. If you experience problems printing in landscape orientation, you may have
to enable the No Print Banding check box.

56 Corel Painter User Guide

Display Option

If your video display driver is set to 16-bit colors, you may experience some color irregularities on your screen when you
use Corel Painter. Enabling the No Device Dependent Bitmaps check box corrects this problem for most 16-bit color
video displays. If you are not using 16-bit color, enabling this check box does not affect your system.

To access Operating System preferences (Windows)

• Choose Edit menu ` Preferences ` Operating System.

Palettes and UI Preferences

Corel Painter lets you control how palettes are docked and grouped. You can also set the window background color.

To change palette behavior

1 Do one of the following:

• (Mac OS) Choose Corel Painter X menu

•(Windows) Choose Edit menu

2 Choose your preferences from the following options:

• Autoscroll lets you scroll through a palette with many elements automatically.

• Snapping Behavior determines where palettes are docked in relation to other elements on the user interface.

• Snapping Tolerance determines the minimum distance, in pixels, between the palette and other elements on the

user interface before docking.

To change the window background color

1 Do one of the following:

• (Mac OS) Choose Corel Painter X menu

•(Windows) Choose Edit menu

2 Do one of the following:

• To use the current main color, click Use Current Color.

• To choose another color, click Custom Color, select a color in the Color dialog box, and click OK.

` Preferences ` Palettes and UI.

` Preferences ` Palettes and UI.

` Preferences ` Palettes and UI.

` Preferences ` Palettes and UI.

Memory and Scratch Preferences

You can change the percentage of memory usage dedicated to Corel Painter, which is set to 80% by default. You can
dedicate as much as 100% of memory to Corel Painter. The lowest percentage you can choose is 5%. You can also choose
the scratch disk, which selects the disk volume that Corel Painter uses to store its temporary file and to access virtual
memory.

To set memory usage

1 Do one of the following:

• (Mac OS) Choose Corel Painter X menu

•(Windows) Choose Edit menu

2 Type a number in the Memory Usage box.

To choose a scratch disk

1 Do one of the following:

• (Mac OS) Choose Corel Painter X menu

•(Windows) Choose Edit menu

2 Choose the volume name (Mac OS) or letter (Windows) from the Scratch Disk pop-up menu.

The Basics 57

` Preferences ` Memory & Scratch.

` Preferences ` Memory & Scratch.

` Preferences ` Memory & Scratch.

` Preferences ` Memory & Scratch.

Using Two Monitors

The Corel Painter user interface can be displayed across two or more monitors. You can drag any of the Corel Painter
palettes, the property bar, and the toolbox to any monitor; however, each palette must be displayed entirely on one monitor
at a time. If a palette straddles two monitors, it will automatically snap to the nearest vertical edge of the monitor with the
largest portion of the palette. If the palette is displayed equally on both monitors, it will snap to the vertical edge of the left
monitor.

For best performance, make sure that both monitors are set to the same resolution. In Windows, you must stretch the
application window to straddle both monitors, then redesign your workspace. For information on configuring your system
so that Corel Painter is displayed across two or more monitors, refer to your operating system documentation.

Wacom Intuos Support

Corel Painter supports the use of Wacom Intuos tablet, pen, and airbrush technology.

Painting with an Intuos Tablet and Pen

The Intuos tablet provides 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity to help you create smooth curves, gradual transitions, and
precise brush strokes. Corel Painter allows you to take advantage of tilt and bearing input from an Intuos pen in new and
exciting ways.

Before you use Corel Painter with your Wacom Intuos 3 tablet on the Mac OS, you need to ensure that the
Wacom Intuos 3 driver you’ve installed is optimized for use with Corel Painter. To do this, access the Mac OS
System Preferences, and choose the Wacom Tablet command. Choose Functions from the Tool area, and then
click the Touch Strip button that appears. In the Touch Strip area, make sure that the left and right Touch Strip
functions are both set to Scroll.

The mouse mode option in the Wacom controls panel, which causes a stylus to behave like a mouse, is not
compatible with Corel Painter. Always use pen mode when painting with an Intuos tablet and pen.

Customizing Brush Tracking

Every artist uses a different pressure when drawing on an Intuos tablet. The Corel Painter Brush Tracking preferences
help you customize your Intuos tablet to meet your pressure sensitivity needs. For more information, see “Brush Tracking
Preferences” on page 53.

Linking Stylus Features to Expression Settings

Settings you make in the Expression areas of the Brush Creator allow you to tie brush features like Opacity, Grain, Angle,
Size, Jitter, Resaturation, Bleed, Flow, and Depth to stylus data, such as Velocity, Direction, Pressure, Wheel, Tilt, and
Bearing. For more information about using the Expression areas in the Brush Creator, see “Expression Settings” on
page 184.

Using the Min Size Setting

In Corel Painter, the Min Size setting lets you take even further advantage of stylus input data. When Size is set in the
Expression area of the Brush Creator to respond to stylus pressure, and the Min Size setting is set to a small percentage of
the brush size, the strokes you make with the stylus create amazingly realistic results.

Using the Intuos Airbrush Wheel

The Intuos Airbrush — the first true computer airbrush — provides fingertip media flow control. Corel Painter
airbrushes respond to angle (tilt), bearing (direction), and flow (wheel setting) data from the Intuos stylus, allowing for a
truly realistic brush stroke. For example, as you tilt your stylus, specks of media land on the paper in a way that reflects
that tilt. Corel Painter airbrushes create conic sections that mirror your stylus movements.

Corel Painter airbrushes take advantage of the Intuos Airbrush stylus wheel control. Like the needle control on a real
airbrush, the Intuos wheel control adjusts airbrush flow, or how much medium is applied. For more information about
using the new airbrushes, see “Painting with Airbrushes” on page 119.

58 Corel Painter User Guide

Using Multiple Intuos Pens

All Intuos pens — both standard and airbrush — feature Tool ID®, which allows you to configure and work with
multiple pens during a Corel Painter session. For example, let’s assume you have two Intuos pens: Pen 1 and Pen 2. Pen 1
is set to an Oil brush variant; Pen 2 is set to an Artists variant.

Every time you bring Pen 1 into the tablet’s proximity, Corel Painter automatically changes the active brush to the Oil
brush. Every time you bring Pen 2 into the tablet’s proximity, Corel Painter switches to the Artists brush. If you’ve adjusted
the tool assigned to a pen’s size or other settings, Corel Painter remembers those changes for the next time you use that
pen.

Understanding Plug-ins

Plug-ins are software modules that extend the capabilities of Corel Painter. Many plug-ins are integrated into
Corel Painter. Other special effects plug-ins are available for purchase from third-party software developers.

Corel Painter uses the following types of plug-ins:

• Effects filters, which offer special effects for raster images. You can access available filters from the Effects menu.

• Most filters that are compatible with Photoshop can be used with Corel Painter, but there are some exceptions. For
example, Corel Painter is an RGB-based program and does not support filters that are specific to CMYK or grayscale
modes. Check with the manufacturer to determine whether a filter is compatible with Corel Painter.

• Plug-in brushes, which extend the power of the Brush tool.

• Dynamic plug-ins, which are different from other effects plug-ins in that you can re-access their controls and change
the characteristics of the effects at any time.

• Acquire plug-ins support the acquisition of images through external devices (such as scanners and digital cameras).
They also let you import file formats not built into the application.

• Export plug-ins, which export image data and support special output devices. For example, many photorealistic
dye-sublimation printers include export modules to provide better control over output quality than the standard print
interface.

Mac OS computers with Intel processors support only universal plug-ins, so existing third-party plug-ins may not
function on an Intel-based Mac unless you use Rosetta® mode. For more information about Rosetta mode and universal
plug-ins, refer to the documentation provided by your computer manufacturer.

Installing Plug-ins

The folder in which you install a plug-in module depends on its type.

Plug-in brushes and dynamic plug-ins are specific to Corel Painter and must reside in the following location:
Corel Painter
automatically installed in the correct location. However, if you want to install a new plug-in brush or dynamic plug-in
modules, you must manually place them in the correct location.

Other plug-in modules are used by multiple software applications and can reside anywhere on your computer. For
Corel Painter to access such plug-ins, you must place a copy in the following location: Corel Painter
Plugins.

To install a new plug-in brush

1 Drag the plug-in brush module to Corel Painter ` Support Files ` Plugins.

2 Start Corel Painter.

If Corel Painter is running, quit and restart Corel Painter to activate the new plug-in.

` Support Files ` Plugins. The Corel Painter standard plug-in brushes and dynamic plug-ins are

` Support Files `

The Basics 59

To install a new dynamic plug-in

1 Drag the dynamic plug-in module to Corel Painter ` Support Files ` Plugins.

2 Start Corel Painter.

If Corel Painter is running, quit and restart the program to activate the new plug-in.

To install and activate an Effects, Acquire, or Export plug-in

1 Follow the installation instructions provided by the plug-in manufacturer.

2 Determine the location of the newly installed plug-in, and if necessary, move it to Corel Painter

` Plugins.

The plug-in loads automatically when you start Corel Painter. If you installed the plug-in to a location other than the
Plug-ins folder, copy the plug-in to the Corel Painter plug-ins folder.

3 Start Corel Painter to activate the new plug-in.

If Corel Painter is running, quit and restart the program to activate the new plug-in.

60 Corel Painter User Guide

Textures, Patterns, and Weaves

With Corel Painter, you can apply paper textures, gradients, patterns, and weaves to your image by brushing some of them
on, having them interact with each other, spraying them, or smearing them. You can even create your own textures,
patterns, and weaves. Corel Painter lets you experiment freely without interrupting your creative work — you never have
to rush to the store to buy a new tube of paint or the right kind of paper.

You can use textures, patterns, and weaves to do the following:

• load the Brush tool with media for painting

• fill selections when using the Paint Bucket tool or the Fill command from the Effects menu

• control certain image effects, such as Apply Surface Texture

This chapter explains how to select, customize, and create textures, patterns, and weaves, as well as how to save them to a
library for future use.

Papers, patterns, and weaves all reside in libraries. The default libraries offer sample materials. You’ll find more libraries,
with additional materials, on the Corel Painter CD and on the Corel Web site. For more information about libraries,
including how to load alternate libraries, create your own libraries, and manage library content, see “What Are Libraries?”
on page 24.

Using Paper Texture

With traditional art media, the results from using a marking tool depend on the texture of the surface to which it is
applied. Corel Painter allows you to control the texture of the canvas to achieve the results you’d expect from using
traditional media on a given surface — pencil on watercolor paper, felt pens on cotton paper, chalk on the sidewalk, and so
on.

Some brushes, like those in the Airbrush category, don’t reveal paper texture in their strokes. This behavior corresponds
with that of a traditional airbrush.

Most brushes interact with the current paper texture.

You can use paper textures in many ways. Brushes interact with paper “grain,” just as traditional tools react with the
texture of the surfaces beneath them. Working with paper grains is useful when you use the Apply Surface Texture
command or other effects, such as Glass Distortion. You can select different paper textures, modify them, organize them in
libraries, and even create your own custom textures.

In Corel Painter, brushes that react with paper texture have a “grainy” method. For more information about brush
methods, see “Methods and Subcategories” on page 153.

The terms “paper grain” and “paper texture” are used synonymously.

Textures, Patterns, and Weaves 61

Choosing Paper Textures

The Papers palette is where all paper textures are stored. In addition to using it to select papers, you can use this palette to
invert, resize, or randomize paper grain; control brightness and contrast; or open other paper libraries. For more
information on working with libraries, see “Creating a Library” on page 25.

The Paper Selector on the Papers palette.

To choose a paper texture

1 Choose Window menu ` Library Palettes ` Show Papers.

The Papers palette appears. If the palette is not expanded, click the palette arrow.

2 On the Papers palette, click the Paper Selector to display the available paper textures.

3 Choose a paper texture from the Paper Selector.

The Papers palette shows the dimensions, in pixels, of the selected paper. Corel Painter tiles the paper to cover as much
canvas as needed.

You can also choose a paper texture from the Paper Selector in the toolbox.

Corel Painter uses the currently selected texture. You can make a few strokes, and then change the paper and make
a few more strokes to get different results.

Creating Paper Textures

The Make Paper command lets you make your own paper textures. The Capture Paper command lets you turn a section
of an image into a paper texture. When you save textures, they become available on the Papers palette.

To create a paper texture

1 Choose Window menu ` Library Palettes ` Show Papers.

2 On the Papers palette, click the palette menu arrow, and choose Make Paper.

3 In the Make Paper dialog box, choose a pattern from the Pattern pop-up menu to use as the basis of your paper texture.

4 Adjust the Spacing slider.

Moving the Spacing slider to the right opens up space between rows and columns in the selected pattern.

5 Adjust the Angle slider.

Moving the Angle slider changes the direction in which the pattern’s rows are lined up.

6 When you like the look of the texture, enter a name, and click OK.

Your new texture appears as the last item in the Paper Selector.

You can also use the Paper Selector in the toolbox to create paper. Click the Paper Selector, click the selector menu
arrow, and choose Make Paper.

62 Corel Painter User Guide

The Make Paper dialog box allows you to create your own textures based on patterns in the Pattern pop-up menu.

To capture paper texture

1 Open or create an image.

2 Select all or a piece of your source image.

3 On the Papers palette, click the palette menu arrow, and choose Capture Paper.

If you want to blend the distinction between tile borders, move the Crossfade slider in the Save Paper dialog box to the
right.

4 Type the name of your new texture, and click OK.

Your texture now appears in the Paper Selector and is added to the current library.

You can also use the Paper Selector in the toolbox to capture paper texture. Click the Paper Selector, click the
selector menu arrow, and choose Capture Paper.

The Make Fractal Pattern feature creates excellent textures. Some weaves also produce good textures. For more
information, see “Creating Fractal Patterns” on page 68.

Controlling Brightness and Contrast of Paper Texture

Brightness can be thought of as controlling the depth of the paper grain. The effect of lowering the paper’s brightness is
similar to that of using a more shallow grain.

Contrast can be thought of as controlling the steepness of the paper grain. The grain in higher-contrast paper changes
from high to low more quickly and with fewer intermediate levels than the grain in lower-contrast paper.

To change paper texture brightness

1 Choose Window menu ` Library Palettes ` Show Papers.

2 On the Papers palette, adjust the Paper Brightness slider.

To change paper texture contrast

1 Choose Window menu ` Library Palettes ` Show Papers.

2 On the Papers palette, adjust the Paper Contrast slider.

Adjusting the Grain

When you use a brush that interacts with paper grain, the results appear with each stroke. If you have a stylus and tablet,
you can adjust paper grain by changing the stroke of the stylus on a pressure-sensitive tablet. In most cases, a light stroke
colors only the peaks and ridges of the grain. A heavy stroke fills color deep into the pockets and valleys. You can also affect
paper grain by using the Grain settings on the Stroke Designer page of the Brush Creator.

If you want a uniform paper grain across an image, create your artwork first, and then apply the grain as a surface texture.
If you apply paper texture before you create an image, the texture is erasable, and you cannot erase paper texture without
erasing brush strokes at the same time. For this reason, it is usually best to add paper texture as a last step in developing
your image.

By default, paper grain is fixed, which means that the texture is in the same position each time you apply a brush stroke.
You can change this setting if you want grain to be applied randomly.

Textures, Patterns, and Weaves 63

You can also change the look of brush strokes by having the paper grain interact with stroke direction. This option works
best when you paint with a stylus and use certain papers and brushes.

When you find a brush and paper combination that you really like, you can save it as a new look in the Look Selector. For
more information about saving looks, see “Saving a Look” on page 187.

To randomize paper grain

1 Choose Window menu ` Show Brush Creator.

2 Click the Stroke Designer tab, and choose Random.

3 Enable the Random Brush Stroke Grain option.

The Random Brush Stroke Grain option is not available for all brushes.

To enable directional paper grain

1 Choose Window menu ` Library Palettes ` Show Papers.

2 Click the Directional Grain button .

Factors such as stylus pressure, paper, and brush variant affect the appearance of brush strokes when the
Directional Grain option is enabled. Papers with pronounced grain, such as Wood Grain and Gessoed Canvas,
produce the best results.

Inverting and Scaling Paper Textures

Paper texture can be visualized as a three-dimensional landscape. Ordinarily, brushes react to paper texture by coloring the
peaks and ignoring the valleys. You can enable the Invert Paper option to make color fill the valleys instead of the peaks.
You can also adjust the paper texture scale to resize the paper texture. Scaling the paper grain affects how the grain appears
in brush strokes and images.

To invert paper grain

1 Choose Window menu ` Library Palettes ` Show Papers.

2 On the Papers palette, do one of the following:

• Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Invert Paper.

• Click the Invert Paper button .

You can also use the Paper Selector in the toolbox to invert paper grain. Click the Paper Selector, click the selector
menu arrow, and choose Invert Paper.

Two brush strokes overlapping. The green brush stroke was painted with the paper grain inverted.

To change the paper texture scale

1 Choose Window menu ` Library Palettes ` Show Papers.

2 On the Papers palette, use the Paper Scale slider to resize the paper grain.

As you move the slider, the Paper Preview Window updates to display the new grain size. You can scale texture down to
25% or up to 400%.

64 Corel Painter User Guide

Scaling large textures can use a great deal of RAM. Most textures in Corel Painter range from 50 to 400 pixels
square at 100% scaling.

Brush strokes on paper grains with different scale values.

Using Patterns

A pattern is a repeating design. The smallest unit of a pattern is known as a “tile.” When you fill an area with a pattern, the
tile is repeated across the selected area.

With patterns, you can

• fill selections with an image

• paint patterns directly onto your image with computed brushes that use rendered dab types

• paint using a cloning brush

• control image effects

You’ll find a sampling of patterns in the default Pattern library. You’ll find other pattern libraries on the Corel Painter X
CD.

Choosing Patterns

The Patterns palette shows a preview of the pattern, gives tile image dimensions, and gives you options for scaling and
arranging the tile in fills.

Patterns are created by repeating a rectangular image tile across an area. Ideally, images intended to be tiled are created so
that they tile seamlessly. Corel Painter provides ways to help you generate seamless tiles.

You can capture a pattern after you create it and manipulate it to be a half-drop design, traditionally used in wallpaper
designs. Your patterns can be added to the Pattern library.

The Pattern Selector on the Patterns palette.

Fractal patterns can be used to create interesting landscapes in Corel Painter.

Textures, Patterns, and Weaves 65

To choose a pattern

1 Choose Window menu ` Library Palettes ` Show Patterns.

If the Patterns palette is not expanded, click the palette arrow.

2 On the Patterns palette, click the Pattern Selector.

3 Choose a pattern from the list.

You can also choose a pattern from the Pattern Selector in the toolbox.

To adjust the appearance of a pattern

1 Choose Window menu ` Library Palettes ` Show Patterns.

2 Choose a pattern from the Pattern Selector.

3 Enable one of the following options:

• Rectangular Pattern Type places the tiles in a rectangular grid for fills. The Pattern Offset slider does not apply.

• Horizontal Pattern Type offsets the tiles in subsequent rows. The Pattern Offset slider controls the amount of

offset.

• Vertical Pattern Type offsets the tiles in subsequent columns. The Pattern Offset slider controls the amount of

offset.

4 Adjust the Pattern Scale slider to control the dimensions of the pattern.

After setting these options, the pattern is ready to use.

To fill an image with pattern tiles

1 On the Patterns palette, choose a pattern.

2 Choose Effects menu

` Fill.

3 In the Fill dialog box, choose Pattern.

The image must be larger than the tile in order for the tiling to be visible in an image.

To paint with a pattern

1 From the Brush Selector bar, choose a brush that applies media to a document.

2 On the Stroke Designer page of the Brush Creator, choose General.

3 From the Source pop-up menu, choose one of the following:

• Pattern paints with a pattern containing no mask information.

• Pattern with Mask paints using mask data contained in the pattern.

• Pattern as Opacity paints with the pattern at a reduced opacity.

4 Choose Window menu

` Library Palettes ` Show Patterns.

5 Choose a pattern from the Pattern Selector.

6 Paint in the image.

If you have not set a clone source, Corel Painter uses the current pattern in any operation referring to clone source
colors or luminance. This means you can paint with a pattern using a Cloner brush.

If the Source option is not available (is grayed), you can use the selected brush only to apply color. In that case,
select a rendered brush, or choose Rendered from the Dab Type pop-up menu.

When painting with a pattern, keep in mind that direction matters. Corel Painter flips the pattern you’re painting
when you change directions, so apply strokes in the same direction for a uniform effect.

66 Corel Painter User Guide

Creating and Capturing Patterns

Corel Painter offers three ways to create patterns:

• Define the current image as a pattern, then add it to the Pattern library.

• Create a rectangular selection, then capture it as a pattern. For more information about creating selections, see
“Creating Selections” on page 211.

• Make a fractal pattern, then add it to the library. For more information on creating fractal patterns, see “Creating
Fractal Patterns” on page 68.

After creating a pattern tile, you’ll probably want to refine it so that it tiles seamlessly. Refer to “Creating Seamless Tiles”
on page 70.

Images that you turn into patterns and save in RIF format maintain their pattern characteristics even after being saved and
reopened. To keep the Pattern Selector manageable, it’s a good idea to keep libraries small. Use the Patterns Mover to
create new libraries and delete unwanted patterns. You can switch libraries whenever you want to use a different set of
patterns. For more information about movers, see “Creating a Library” on page 25.

If a pattern preview isn’t detailed enough or you want to edit an existing pattern, you can open the pattern tile in its own
window. By loading a pattern as a file, you can view the pattern closely and modify it.

Once a pattern becomes a tile, you can paint off one side of the canvas and watch your stroke appear on the opposite side
of the canvas, automatically wrapping to the other side. For more information about editing pattern tiles, see “Creating
Seamless Tiles” on page 70.

You can also create masked patterns to use with the Pattern Pens Masked brush variant.

To create a pattern

1 Open the image file you want to use in creating a pattern.

2 Choose Window menu

The Patterns palette appears.

3 Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Define Pattern.

4 On the Patterns palette, click the palette menu arrow, and choose Add Image to Library.

5 In the Save Image dialog box, type a name for the pattern.

` Library Palettes ` Show Patterns.

With the Grabber tool selected, you can hold down the Shift key and drag the seams to the center of the image in
the document window. For best results, do this at 100% scale.

To capture a pattern

1 Using the Rectangular Selection tool , select the area of the image you want to use as a pattern.

Remember, selection edges meet when the image is tiled, so select carefully.

2 Choose Window menu

The Patterns palette appears.

3 Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Capture Pattern.

4 Enable one of the following options:

• Rectangular Tile places the tile in a rectangular grid for fills. The Bias slider does not apply.

• Horizontal Shift offsets the tiles in subsequent rows. The Bias slider controls the amount of offset.

• Vertical Shift offsets the tiles in subsequent columns. The Bias slider controls the amount of offset.
As you try different tile arrangements and Bias settings, the Pattern Preview Window shows the result.

5 Enter a descriptive name for the pattern.

Corel Painter captures the pattern and saves it to the current library.

Textures, Patterns, and Weaves 67

` Library Palettes ` Show Patterns.

The Capture Pattern dialog box lets you decide how much to offset pattern tiles and in which direction.

To edit a pattern tile

1 On the Patterns palette, choose a pattern from the Pattern Selector.

2 Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Check Out Pattern.

Corel Painter opens the selected pattern tile in its own document window.
You can now edit the pattern tile as you would any image. To put the modified pattern back in the palette, you must

save it to the Pattern library. For more information about saving patterns to a library, refer to “Using Weaves” on
page 71.

To create and use a masked pattern

1 Make a selection to capture the area of an image that you want to use as a pattern.

2 On the Patterns palette, click the palette menu arrow, and choose Define Pattern.

3 On the Patterns palette, click the palette menu arrow, and choose Add Image to Library.

4 In the Save Image dialog box, type a name for the pattern, and click Save.

5 On the Brush Selector bar, choose Pattern Pens from the Brush Category selector, and choose Pattern Pen Masked

from the Brush Variant selector.
On the Patterns palette, choose the masked pattern you saved in step 4.

Creating Fractal Patterns

The Make Fractal Pattern command is a pattern generator that creates interesting landscapes. These topographic patterns
can be filled with color, or even embossed using a paper texture.

When you create fractal patterns, the following options allow you to fine-tune your creation:

• Size sets the exact size of the tile you are creating. If your computer has a lot of memory, you can make a large file with
a high resolution. Depending on how much memory your computer has available to Corel Painter, some of the size
options may not be available.

• Power controls the intricacy of the pattern’s definition, as if you were “zooming” in and out on a textured surface with
a microscope. Move the Power slider to the right to zoom out and see many small patterns. Move the Power slider to
the left to zoom in and see fewer large patterns.

The Power slider determines the degree of detail. Left=-200%, Right=0%.

• Feature Size defines the number of prominent features within the tile. Moving the slider to the left increases the
number of repetitions per tile.

68 Corel Painter User Guide

The Feature Size slider determines the number of repetitions per tile. Left=90%, Right=20%.

• Softness adjusts the edge softness of the pattern.

• Angle changes the direction from which you view the fractal.

• Thinness emphasizes the direction suggested by the lines of the fractal pattern. Thinner lines produce a more linear
look.

Low Thinness settings show the fractal as streaks. Use the Angle slider to change the direction of streaking.

Corel Painter uses four channels to store graphic information: Red, Green, Blue, and Alpha.

You can place information other than color values in these channels. Channel options allow you to visualize this
information in different ways.

• Height as Luminance displays pseudo-height information as luminance. White areas are represented as peaks, and
dark areas become depressions. Images generated with this option can be used with the Apply Surface Texture effect.

• Gradient Bearing uses the Red channel to display the bearing of the down angle of a height field.

• Surface Normal uses the Green and Blue channels to represent the X and Y components of the surface normal (angle
perpendicular to the surface at a given point) of the height field (Green=X, Blue=Y).

These two latter options for viewing a fractal texture are offered for purely aesthetic reasons. One way to take advantage of
them is to create color variations of the texture with the Adjust Colors feature.

You can also turn a fractal pattern into a paper texture that will be saved to the Paper library.

To create fractal patterns

1 On the Patterns palette, click the palette menu arrow, and choose Make Fractal Pattern.

2 In the Make Fractal Pattern dialog box, adjust the fractal options.

Changes you make appear in the Pattern Preview Window.

3 When you are satisfied with your selections, click OK.

Give Corel Painter a little time to create your new pattern file. When your pattern file is ready, it is displayed in its own
document window.

To colorize a fractal pattern, choose an appropriate gradient and use the Express in Image feature.

You can also create interesting patterns by choosing a colorful gradient and using the Express in Image command
on the Gradients palette.

Textures, Patterns, and Weaves 69

To convert a fractal pattern to a texture

1 On the Patterns palette, click the palette menu arrow, and choose Check Out Pattern.

The pattern is displayed in a new image window.

2 Choose Effects menu

3 Choose Select menu

4 Choose Window menu

` Tonal Control, and adjust image elements such as brightness, contrast, and luminance.

` All.

` Library Palettes ` Show Papers.

The Papers palette appears.

5 Click the palette menu arrow and choose Capture Paper.

6 In the Save Paper dialog box, set the crossfade to 0.00.

7 Name the paper texture.

Creating Seamless Tiles

Patterns are created by repeating a rectangular image tile across an area. To develop patterns, you create images that will be
tiled. Ideally, those images must tile seamlessly. That is, the eye should not be able to distinguish tile edges. Corel Painter
provides ways to help you generate images that will tile easily.

The wrap-around colors feature lets you paint off one side of an image and onto the other side.

To help in making seamless tiles, Corel Painter gives documents defined as pattern tiles two special characteristics: wrap­around colors and wrap-around seams.

• With wrap-around colors, a brush stroke dragged off one edge of an image appears on the other side. This makes it
easier to paint seamless, self-tiling patterns.

• The wrap-around seams feature lets you move the edges of pattern tiles to the center of the image, where their tonal
differences are more apparent and easier to correct.

To minimize seams

1 On the Patterns palette, click the palette menu arrow and choose Define Pattern.

2 In the toolbox, click the Grabber tool .

3 Hold down the Shift key and drag inside the image.

You’ll see a horizontal line and a vertical line where the image edges meet.

4 Drag until the crosshairs are centered.

70 Corel Painter User Guide

The wrap-around seams feature lets you move the pattern tile edges to the middle so that you can edit them.

To remove edge lines

• Use any color brush to paint out the edge lines, or use a brush with a Water or Drip method to smear across the lines.

To preserve detailed images, set the Straight Cloner brush to clone from somewhere inside the image. For more
information about cloning, see “Painting in the Clone” on page 198.

You can also copy a selection to a layer and move it over the line. To produce clean transitions, feather the layer,
and reduce opacity. Drop the layer when you’re satisfied with the result. For more information about working with
layers, see “Layers” on page 231.

Using Weaves

The Weaves palette is, in effect, a virtual loom that you can use to create weaves to use as fill patterns. Weave libraries are
included with Corel Painter. You can modify a weave by changing the way it displays the scaling and thickness of its
threads, or by changing its colors. You can also create and save weaves of your own, and you can preview your changes
before you apply them.

Choosing Weaves

You can choose weaves from the Weave Selector on the Weaves palette. In addition, you can change the way a weave is
displayed. You can also use the four sliders at the bottom of the Weaves palette to control the thickness of threads and the
spacing between them. The top two sliders control horizontal dimensions; the bottom two control vertical dimensions. By
adjusting these sliders, you can create a wide variety of weaves with any one of the patterns supplied.

The Weave Selector on the Weaves palette.

Corel Painter can display a weave as two-dimensional or show the interwoven threads three-dimensionally, complete with
shadows.

A weave’s appearance changes, depending on whether you display it as two-dimensional or three-dimensional.

Textures, Patterns, and Weaves 71

To choose a weave

1 Choose Window menu ` Library Palettes ` Show Weaves.

If the Weaves palette is not expanded, click the palette arrow.

2 On the Weaves palette, click the Weave Selector.

3 Choose a weave from the list.

You can also choose a weave from the Weave Selector in the toolbox.

To adjust scaling and thickness

1 On the Weaves palette, choose a weave from the Weave Selector.

The weave appears in the Weave Preview Window.

2 Click the Three-Dimensional Weave button to show a three-dimensional weave.

For most weaves, you won’t see a change in the preview until you adjust the scale and thickness values.

3 Adjust the horizontal and vertical scale sliders to increase the scale, thus enlarging the weave.

4 Adjust the horizontal and vertical thickness sliders to reduce the thickness.

You should begin to see a change in the Weave Preview Window.

Thickness sliders affect the three-dimensional display only. When you select a two-dimensional display, the
thickness sliders have no effect.

To change how a weave is displayed

1 Choose Window menu ` Library Palettes ` Show Weaves.

The Weaves palette appears.

2 Click the Two-Dimensional Weave or the Three-Dimensional Weave button.

The Weave Preview Window changes to show either a two-dimensional (Blocks) or three-dimensional (Fibers) weave.

Depending on which weave is selected, you may or may not see a change in the Weave Preview Window. For
different two- and three-dimensional effects, you can adjust the scaling and thickness sliders at the bottom of the
Weaves palette.

Editing Weave Colors

Each weave uses its own color set. You can display the color set used for a weave, change the colors in the set, and apply the
changed colors to the weave. Remember that you can open several palettes and rearrange them to make it easier to see the
controls you need. For more information about color sets, see “Using Color Sets” on page 84.

To display the color set for a weave

1 On the Weaves palette, choose a weave from the Weave Selector.

2 Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Get Color Set.

The color set for the selected weave appears in the Color Sets palette, replacing the current color set.

To change weave colors

1 Choose a new color from the Colors palette or from the Color Sets palette, or sample a color with the Dropper tool .

2 Choose Window menu

The Weaves palette appears.

3 On the Weaves palette, choose a weave from the Weave Selector.

4 Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Get Color Set.

` Library Palettes ` Show Weaves.

72 Corel Painter User Guide

5 On the Color Sets palette, hold down Command (Mac OS) or Ctrl (Windows), and click the color swatch that you

want to replace.
The new color replaces the old one.

6 On the Weaves palette, click the palette menu arrow, and choose Put Color Set.

The Preview window shows the weave with the new colors. If you fill an image with the weave pattern, Corel Painter
now uses the new color set.

Saving Weaves

After altering the scaling, thickness, or color of a weave, you can save your changes as a new weave.

To save a weave

1 On the Weaves palette, click the palette menu arrow and choose Save Weave.

2 In the Save Weave dialog box, type a name for the weave.

If you don’t type a new name, Corel Painter replaces the existing weave with the changed weave. The new weave
pattern appears in the current Weaves library.

Advanced Weaving

Corel Painter lets you create woven fabrics of virtually any description. You can create fabrics for wallpapers, carpets,
clothes, and furniture.

To create your own weaves

• On the Weaves palette, click the palette menu arrow and choose Edit Weave.

In the Edit Weave dialog box, adjust the controls for drafting a weave on the 8-harness, 8-treadle loom.

Textures, Patterns, and Weaves 73

Color

Corel Painter offers many ways to apply color to your image. For example, you can change the paper color, choose colors
for your brush strokes, or apply gradients to an entire image or selection.

Getting Started with Color

You can select colors in several ways. You can use

• the color squares on the Colors palette

• the Dropper tool, which samples color from the image

• the Use Clone Color setting, which pulls color from a source

• the Mixer palette

• the Color Sets palette

The Colors palette is one place where you can select a color to add to your image.

Changing the Paper Color

You can change a document’s paper color — the color of the background canvas — at any time. This color appears when
you delete a filled area or use a brush from the Erasers category to remove color.

An example of changing the paper color.

To display the Colors palette

• Choose Window menu ` Color Palettes ` Show Colors.

To change the existing paper color

1 Choose a main color from the Colors palette.

2 Choose Canvas menu

` Set Paper Color.

Color 75

3 To expose the new paper color, do one of the following:

• Make a selection, and cut or delete it.

• Use a brush from the Erasers category to erase part of your image.

Do not use a bleach variant to expose the new paper color unless the paper color is white. Bleach variants erase to
white, regardless of the paper color.

Using the Colors Palette

You can configure the Colors palette to display in two ways: standard and small.

The Color palette configured as standard (left) and small (right).

By default, the Colors palette displays in its standard configuration, which includes the Hue Ring and the Saturation/
Value Triangle.

• Values span the triangle from top to bottom, with the top of the triangle being the highest value (white) and the bottom
being the lowest value (black).

• Saturation levels go from left to right. Dragging or clicking to the right produces the purest color within the
predominant hue. Dragging or clicking to the left reduces the level of color saturation, producing “muddier” or grayer
colors.

In its small configuration, the Colors palette displays a color triangle and indicates hues on a single bar (the “hue
indicator”).

To configure the Colors palette for small display

1 Choose Window menu ` Color Palettes ` Show Colors to display the Colors palette.

If the Colors palette is not expanded, click the palette arrow.

2 Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Small.

To choose a hue and color from the Colors palette

1 Choose Window menu ` Color Palettes ` Show Colors to display the Colors palette.

If the Colors palette is not expanded, click the palette arrow.

2 Click the palette menu arrow, and choose one of the following:

• Standard Colors to display the Colors palette in its default state.

• Small Colors to display the small configuration of the Colors palette.

3 Do one of the following:

• If you use the Standard Colors display, drag the circle on the Hue Ring to select the predominant hue.

• If you use the Small Colors display, drag the circle on the Hue Ring to select the predominant hue.
The Saturation/Value Triangle displays all available colors within that selected hue.

4 Select a color on the Saturation/Value Triangle by dragging the circle or by clicking the color you want.

You can also select a hue by clicking once anywhere on the Hue Ring (Standard Colors) or on the hue indicator
(Small Colors).

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Understanding Main and Additional Colors

The color you select appears in one of two overlapping squares displayed on the Colors palette. The front square
represents the selected main color. The back square shows the selected additional color. By default, blue is the main color,
and white is the additional color. Most of the time, you work with the main color.

Don’t confuse the additional color with what other graphics programs call “the background color.” In Corel Painter, the
“background color” is the paper color.

The additional color is for multicolor brush strokes, two-point gradients, and Image Hose effects. It’s used when more
than one color is applied.

Overlapping squares display the current main and additional colors.

To choose the main color

1 Choose Window menu ` Color Palettes ` Show Colors to display the Colors palette.

2 Double-click the front square.

3 Choose a color from the Colors dialog box.

Click the front square to set the main color.

To choose the additional color

1 On the Colors palette, double-click the back square.

2 Choose a color from the Colors dialog box.

Click the back square to set the additional color.

If you usually work with the main color, you might want to re-click the front square to reselect it.

To swap main and additional colors

• Click the Color Swap Icon .

Sampling Colors from Images

In addition to choosing colors on the Colors palette, you can use the Dropper tool to select, or “pick up,” a color from an
existing image.

To use the Dropper tool

1 Click the front or back square to select a main or additional color.

2 Click the Dropper tool in the toolbox.

3 Move the cursor to the color you want to pick up, and click it.

The color square updates to display the color you’ve selected.

The Dropper tool picks up visible color only; it cannot be used to select a hidden color.

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You can quickly access the Dropper tool by pressing D on the keyboard.

To access the Dropper tool from other tools

• Press Option (Mac OS) or Alt (Windows).

The Dropper tool works with the Brush, Crop, Pen, Rectangular Shape, Oval Shape, Text, Shape Selection,
Scissors, Add Point, Remove Point, Convert Point, and Paint Bucket tools.

Cloning Color

The Clone Color option offers another way to choose color. This feature lets the brush pick up dabs of color from an
original (source) image. Brushes using dab-based dab types take an average based on samples of color from the clone
source, resulting in an approximation of the original color. Brushes using rendered dab types sample several colors,
loading each into individual bristles of the brush, allowing for startlingly realistic results. For more information about
cloning, refer to “Cloning Images” on page 195.

To set up a clone source

1 Choose File menu ` Open, and choose the file you want to use as a clone source.

2 Choose File menu

3 Choose Select menu

Now you can work in the new file, taking data from the original source file.

You can also use this feature when creating a mosaic. For more information, see “Mosaics” on page 349.

` Clone.

` All, and press Delete (Mac OS) or Backspace (Windows).

To use clone colors

1 Set up a clone source.

If you don’t set a file as the source, Corel Painter uses the currently selected pattern.

2 Choose a brush from the Brush Selector bar.

3 Choose Window menu

4 Do one of the following:

• Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Use Clone Color.

• Click the Clone Color button on the Colors palette.
Enabling the Clone Color option disables the Colors palette. This is a reminder that your color information is coming

from the clone source.

5 When you paint in the clone file, Corel Painter uses colors from the clone source image.

When you change the brush or variant, Corel Painter turns Use Clone Color off. Be sure to turn it back on to
continue working with the clone color.

` Color Palettes ` Show Colors to display the Colors palette.

Using Two Colors at Once

Usually, you’ll work with only the main color — the front square of the two overlapping squares on the Colors palette.
Using one color produces a solid-color brush stroke.

By selecting an additional color, you can determine the colors for multicolored brush strokes. Many brush variants are able
to paint with a variable range of colors.

The settings on the Color Expression palette determine when Corel Painter uses one color or the other. For more
information about using color expression, see “Setting Color Expression” on page 91.

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You can use two colors at once in a brush stroke.

To set up a two-color brush stroke

1 Choose a brush from the Brush Selector bar.

2 Choose Window menu

` Color Palettes ` Show Colors to display the Colors palette.

3 Choose a main and additional color from the Color palette.

Refer to “Understanding Main and Additional Colors” on page 77 for more information about setting main and
additional colors.

4 Choose Window menu

` Brush Controls ` Show Color Expression to display the Color Expression palette.

5 From the Controller pop-up menu, choose Direction.

6 Paint in the document.

The main color is used in one direction, and the additional color is used in the other.

You can also choose a color from a color set. For more information, see “Working with Color Sets” on page 84.

You might want to try a different setting from the Controller pop-up menu on the Color Expression palette. Try
setting it to Pressure instead of Direction.

Working with the Mixer Palette

The Mixer palette mimics the traditional experience of mixing colors on an artist’s palette. You can apply two or more
colors to the Mixer pad, blending them together to get the color you want.

The Mixer palette.

Colors can be saved, loaded, and reset on the Mixer palette, saved as mixer swatches, and saved to color sets.

Viewing the Mixer Palette

You can view the Mixer palette from the Window menu or with a keyboard shortcut. You can also change the background
of the Mixer pad, the surface on which you mix color.

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To display the Mixer palette

• Choose Window menu ` Color Palettes ` Show Mixer.

You can also display the Mixer palette by pressing Command + 2 (Mac OS) or Ctrl + 2 (Windows).

To change the Mixer Pad background

1 Choose Window menu ` Color Palettes ` Show Mixer.

2 Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Change Mixer Background.

3 In the Color dialog box, choose a background color.

Understanding the Mixer Palette Tools

The tools on the Mixer palette are used to apply, mix, sample, and clear color on the Mixer pad.

The Mixer palette tools.

The Dirty Brush Mode Tool

The Dirty Brush Mode tool lets you apply colors mixed in the Mixer palette to the canvas. The Dirty Brush Mode tool is
active by default and can be used with brush variants that support mixing. For a list of brush variants that support mixing,
see “Mixing Paint” on page 83.

Apply Color Tool

The Apply Color tool acts as a loaded paint source, applying color to the Mixer pad. Color loaded on it also blends with
color already on the Mixer pad.

The Mix Color Tool

The Mix Color tool mixes colors already on the Mixer pad. It does not add new colors to the Mixer pad.

The Sample Color Tool

The Sample Color tool samples color on the Mixer pad for use on the canvas. The sampled color becomes the main color
on the Colors palette.

The Sample Multiple Colors Tool

The Sample Multiple Colors tool samples multiple colors on the Mixer pad. The size of the sample area is determined by
the Change Brush Size slider. You can then use the sampled color on the canvas.

The Zoom Tool

The Zoom tool lets you zoom in and out of areas on the Mixer pad.

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The Pan Tool

The Pan tool lets you scroll through the Mixer pad.

The Clear and Reset Canvas Tool

The Clear and Reset Canvas tool erases the contents of the Mixer pad and resets the zoom level to 100%.

The Brush Size Slider

The Change Brush Size slider lets you increase or decrease the size of the Apply Color tool and the Mix Color tool. The
Change Brush Size slider also lets you set the size of the sample area on the Mixer pad when sampling with the Sample
Multiple Colors tool. If you adjust the Change Brush Size slider, the new value is retained when you reopen the
application.

Using the Mixer Palette Colors

You can store commonly used colors in mixer swatches at the top of the Mixer palette and then use these colors on the
Mixer pad. A series of colors appears by default; however, this color series can be changed to suit the individual preferences
of the artist. Mixer colors can be saved, loaded, and reset to the default.

To change Mixer palette colors

1 Choose Window menu ` Color Palettes ` Show Mixer to display the Mixer palette.

If the Mixer palette is not expanded, click the palette arrow.

2 Choose Window menu

3 On the Colors palette, choose a color.

4 On the Mixer palette, choose the mixer swatch you want to change on the Mixer Color selector.

5 In the color well, press Command + click (Mac OS) or Ctrl + click (Windows).

The new color appears in the mixer swatch.

` Color Palettes ` Show Colors to display the Colors palette.

You can also change a Mixer palette color by sampling a color on the Mixer Pad. On the Mixer Pad, click the color
you want to sample, choose the mixer swatch you want to change, and press Command + click (Mac OS) or Ctrl
+ click (Windows).

To s a v e M i x e r p a l e t t e c o l o r s

1 Choose Window menu ` Color Palettes ` Show Mixer to display the Mixer palette.

2 Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Save Mixer Colors.

3 In the Save Mixer Colors dialog box, type a name for the mixer colors and choose where you want to save the mixer

swatches (MSW) file.

4 Click Save.

To load Mixer palette colors

1 Choose Window menu ` Color Palettes ` Show Mixer to display the Mixer palette.

2 Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Load Mixer Colors.

3 In the Load Mixer dialog box, choose the mixer swatches (MSW) file you want to load.

4 Click Open.

You can also load a color set in the Mixer palette. Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Load Mixer Colors. In
the Load Mixer dialog box, go to the Corel Painter X\Color Sets folder, and double-click a color set.

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To reset the Mixer palette colors

1 Choose Window menu ` Color Palettes ` Show Mixer to display the Mixer palette.

2 Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Reset Mixer Colors.

Mixing Colors

Using the Mixer pad, the mixer swatches, and the Apply Color, Mix Color, Sample Color, Sample Multiple Colors, and
Dirty Brush Mode tools, you can create new colors for use in your images.

When you have finished mixing and sampling colors, you can clear the Mixer pad, or save it as a Mixer pad (MXS) file
that you can open and use later.

To m i x c ol o r s

1 Choose Window menu ` Color Palettes ` Show Mixer to display the Mixer palette.

2 Click the Apply Color tool in the Mixer palette.

3 Choose a color from the mixer swatch, and paint on the Mixer pad.

4 Choose a second color from the mixer swatch, and paint on the Mixer pad.

5 Do one of the following:

• Use the Apply Color tool to add to and blend the colors.

• Use the Mix Color tool to blend the colors.
You can toggle between the Apply Color and Mix Color tools by holding down Command (Mac OS) or Ctrl

(Windows).

When working with the Apply Color or Mix Color tool, you can access other Mixer palette tools as you work.
Holding down Spacebar activates the Pan tool . Holding down Spacebar + Command (Mac OS) or Spacebar
+ Ctrl (Windows) activates the Zoom tool in zoom-in mode. Holding down Spacebar + Command + Option
(Mac OS) or Spacebar + Ctrl + Alt (Windows) activates the Zoom tool in zoom-out mode. When you release the
keys, the Apply Color or Mix Color tool is reactivated.

To sample a color from the Mixer Pad

1 Choose Window menu ` Color Palettes ` Show Mixer to display the Mixer palette.

2 Click the Sample Color tool .

3 On the Mixer pad, click the color you want to sample.

The sampled color becomes the main color in the image.

Some brush variants let you sample multiple colors from the Mixer pad. For a list of brush variants that support
mixing, see “Mixing Paint” on page 83.

You can also paint on the canvas with an Artists’ Oils palette knife variant. Unlike palette knives in other brush
categories, Artists’ Oil palette knives do not apply color. For more information, see “To sample multiple colors” on
page 83.

To clear the Mixer Pad

1 Choose Window menu ` Color Palettes ` Show Mixer to display the Mixer palette.

2 Do one of the following:

• Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Clear Mixer Pad.

• On the Mixer palette, click the Clear and Reset Canvas button .

To s a v e a M i x e r P a d

1 Choose Window menu ` Color Palettes ` Show Mixer to display the Mixer palette.

2 Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Save Mixer Pad.

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3 In the Save Mixer Pad dialog box, type a name for the mixer colors, and choose where you want to save the Mixer Pads

(MXS) file.

4 Click Save.

To load a Mixer Pad

1 Choose Window menu ` Color Palettes ` Show Mixer to display the Mixer palette.

2 Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Open Mixer Pad.

3 In the Open Mixer Pad dialog box, choose the Mixer Pads (MXS) file you want to open.

4 Click Open.

Mixing Paint

On its own, the Mixer palette mimics the traditional experience of mixing color on a palette. When used in tandem with
brush variants that support mixing, the Mixer palette offers digital artists as much color-mixing flexibility as its traditional
counterpart. You can create a color on the Mixer palette and apply it to the canvas. You can also sample and paint with
multiple colors.

You can sample multiple colors on Mixer palette and paint directly on the canvas

You can mix colors with brush variants that use the following dab types: Camel Hair, Flat, Bristle Spray, Watercolor
Camel, Watercolor Flat, and Watercolor Bristle.

To paint from the Mixer palette

1 Mix the color you want on the Mixer palette.

The Dirty Brush Mode tool is active by default. If it isn’t, click the Dirty Brush Mode tool.

2 On the Brush Selector bar, choose a brush variant that supports mixing.

3 Paint in the document window.

The last color on the Apply Color tool or Mix Color tool is used in the brush stroke.

You can also mix paint on the canvas with the Artists’ Oil palette knife variant. Unlike palette knives in other brush
categories, Artists’ Oil palette knives do not apply color.

To sample multiple colors

1 Mix the color you want on the Mixer palette.

2 Move the Change Brush Size slider to set the size of the sample area.

The size to the sample area is displayed to the right of the slider and measured in pixels.

3 Click the Sample Multiple Color tool , and click the click the area of the Mixer pad you want to sample.

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Creating Mixer Swatches

If you have mixed colors that you are particularly happy with, you can save them as mixer swatches and add them to color
sets. For more information about color sets, see “Using Color Sets” on page 84.

Mixer swatches that you create on the Mixer palette can be saved.

To add a mixer swatch to the color set

1 On the Mixer palette, click the Sample Color tool , and choose the mixer swatch that you want to save to a color set.

2 Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Add Swatch to Color Set.

The selected color is added to the current color set.

To create a color set from the Mixer Pad

1 Choose Window menu ` Color Palettes ` Show Mixer to display the Mixer palette.

2 Click the palette menu arrow, and choose New Color Set from Mixer Pad.

3 To access the new colors, choose Window menu

` Color Palettes ` Show Color Sets.

Working with Color Sets

Corel Painter uses color sets to organize groups of colors. Some color sets are organized by both name and color
relationship.

Using Color Sets

Corel Painter provides several color sets — Corel Painter Colors, Mac OS and Windows system palettes, and the
PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM® are a few. The default color set is Artists’ Colors, which is based on the color
values of real-world oil paints. Only one color set can be open at a time, but you can easily load a different set.

When Corel Painter starts, it references a file (called “Painter Colors”) in the user folder to determine which color
set to load. If Corel Painter cannot determine which color set to open, it loads the default color set from the
application folder.

When you open a new color set, and the current color set is one you’ve created or modified, Corel Painter prompts
you to decide whether to append to or overwrite the contents of the Painter Colors file, allowing Corel Painter to
load this new color set by default in the future.

Corel Painter provides two methods to find a particular color in a color set. You can search for the color by name or have
Corel Painter find the color that comes closest to matching the current color.

The Color Sets palette.

To display the Color Sets palette

• Choose Window menu ` Color Palettes ` Show Color Sets.

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To choose a color from a color set

• On the Color Sets palette, click a color.

To open a different color set

1 On the Color Sets palette, click the palette menu arrow or the Library Access button , and choose Open Color Set.

2 In the Select Color Set dialog box, do one of the following:

• (Mac OS) Click the Color Sets folder, choose a color set, and click Open

• (Windows) Choose a color set, and click Open.
You can set a default color set in the Preferences dialog box. For more information, refer to “Setting Preferences” on

page 50.

To save a color set

1 On the Color Sets palette, click the palette menu arrow or the Library Access button, and choose Save Color Set.

2 In the Enter Color Set Name dialog box, choose where you want to save the file.

3 Type a name for the color set in the File Name box.

4 Click Save.

To find a color in a color set

1 On the Color Sets palette, do one of the following:

• Click the Search for Color button .

• Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Find Swatch.

2 In the Find Color dialog box, do one of the following:

• Enable the By Name option, and type a name in the box.

• Enable Closest to Current Color.

3 Click Begin.

4 Click OK when the desired color is found.

If the color set is visible, Corel Painter surrounds the found color with a selection frame.
If you search for a color by name, but a color with that name is not found, the OK button is not available (it is grayed

out).

To revert to the default color set

1 On the Color Sets palette, click the palette menu arrow or the Library Access button , and choose Open Color Set.

2 In the Select Color Set dialog box, do one of the following:

• (Mac OS) Press Command + Shift + A, click the Corel Painter IX folder, and double-click Painter Colors.

• (Windows) From the Look In pop-up menu, choose the Corel Painter IX folder, and double-click Painter.pcs.

Customizing Color Set Layouts

You can arrange colors in a color set in various ways. You can sort by hue, luminance, and saturation; determine the size of
color swatches; decide whether to have grid lines; and indicate whether the colors in the set are named. You can change a
color set until it’s exactly the way you want it.

To change how colors are sorted

1 On the Color Sets palette, click the palette menu arrow and choose Sort Order.

2 Choose one of the following options:

• Saved sorts colors in the order in which they were originally entered.

• HLS sorts colors by hue, luminance, and saturation.

• LHS sorts colors by luminance, hue, and saturation.

• SHL sorts colors by saturation, hue, and luminance.

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To adjust color swatch size

1 On the Color Sets palette, click the palette menu arrow, and choose Swatch Size.

2 Do one of the following:

• Choose a pixel value.

• Choose Customize.

3 If you choose Customize, move the Width and Height sliders in the Customize dialog box, or type values in the Width

and Height boxes.

To turn the grid on or off

• On the Color Sets palette, click the palette menu arrow, and choose Show Grid to toggle the display of the grid on and
off.

Turning the grid off eliminates lines between colors. You can see more colors, but the separations between colors are
not as distinct as when the grid is on.

To turn color names on or off

• Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Display Name to toggle the display of color names on or off.

Creating Color Sets

You can create your own color sets to control the colors in particular projects or to create groups of favorite painting colors.
Creating clearly named color sets can be very useful. For example, you could name a color set Shades of Purple, Hero
Image, My Crayons, or Rollover Buttons — all offering you easy access to recognizable color sets.

You can create color sets from

• the Colors palette

•an image

• a selection on an image

• a layer

• the Mixer palette

Before you create a new color set, you may be prompted to save the current color set. For more information, see “To save a
color set” on page 85.

To create a new color set by using the Colors palette

1 On the Color Sets palette, click the palette menu arrow, and choose New Empty Color Set.

2 On the Colors palette, choose a color.

3 On the Color Sets palette, click the Add Color to Color Set button .

For information about adding colors to a color set, see “Editing Color Sets” on page 87.

For more information about selecting colors, see “Using the Colors Palette” on page 76.

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To c r e a te a c o l o r s e t f r o m an image, selection, or layer, or the Mixer palette

• On the Color Sets palette, click the palette menu arrow or the Library Access button , and choose one of the
following:

• New Color Set from Image is available only if you have an image open. A color set appears, containing all the colors

in the image.

• New Color Set from Layer is available only if an active layer is selected in your image. A color set appears,

containing all the colors in the active layer.

• New Color Set from Selection is active only if you have an active selection on your image. A color set appears,

containing all the colors in the selected area of the image.

• New Color Set from Mixer creates a color set, containing all the colors used in the Mixer palette.

When working on Web pages, you can reduce the number of colors used in an image (and reduce the subsequent
image size) by creating a color set and using only colors in that set.

Editing Color Sets

You can customize color sets by adding, deleting, or replacing colors. You can also append colors to a color set. This is
useful if you want to use colors from multiple color sets. In addition, you can name or rename individual colors in a color
set.

Naming colors in a color set can be useful. You can then search for a color by name, or annotate the colors you use, right in
the document window. For more information on searching for a color, refer to “To find a color in a color set” on page 85.
For more information about annotating colors, refer to “Annotating Colors” on page 88.

To add a color

1 Choose the color you want to add from the Colors palette, a color set, or an existing image.

2 On the Color Sets palette, click the Add Color to Color Set button .

The color is added to the current color set.

3 If you like, double-click the color swatch to enter a name for the color.

You can change the name later by double-clicking on the swatch again and entering a new name.

4 Repeat this procedure for all colors you want to add.

Because Corel Painter closes the current color set before displaying a new one, select the color you want to add
from the existing color set before you open the destination set.

To d e l e te a c o l o r

1 Choose Window menu ` Color Palettes ` Show Color Sets.

2 On the Color Sets palette, choose a color and click the Delete Color from Color Set button .

3 In the warning dialog box, click Yes.

Corel Painter deletes the chosen color from the color set.

To replace a color

1 Choose the color you want to add from the Colors palette, a color set, or an existing image.

2 Hold down Command (Mac OS) or Ctrl (Windows), and click the color you want to replace.

The new color replaces the old one in the color set.

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To name or rename a color

1 Choose Window menu ` Color Palettes ` Show Color Sets.

2 Double-click a color swatch on the Color Sets palette.

3 Type a color name in the Set Color Name dialog box.

Color names can contain up to 31 characters.

To append colors to a color set

1 On the Color Sets palette, click the palette menu arrow, and choose Append Color Set.

2 In the Select Color Set dialog box, select the Color Set you want to use, and click Open.

The new colors from the selected color set are appended to the active Color Set List.

Annotating Colors

The Annotation feature uses color names as labels for the colors in your images. Labels are small text boxes connected to
lines that point to an individual color in your on-screen or printed image. Annotating colors in an image can help you
track, and limit, which colors are used, which can help you control image size. After you create annotations, you can hide,
show, or delete them.

You must name color swatches in the active color set to generate useful annotations. You can change color names after you
have added them as annotations. For information about naming color sets, see “To name or rename a color” on page 88.

Create labels or annotations for individual colors in your image.

Annotations are kept in a separate layer on top of the image and can be saved in RIF format with your image. Annotations
are included when you record a script and are properly scaled when you play the script back at a different resolution.

When you move a layer, its annotations go with it. If you move an annotated layer on top of another, the visible annotation
might actually belong to the underlying layer, even though it appears to be labeling the top one.

When you annotate a color that doesn’t exactly match a color in the active color set — for example, when you annotate
brush strokes applied at less than 100% opacity — Corel Painter approximates the color, displays the name of the nearest
match, and adds an asterisk after the color name to indicate a near match.

When you refill an annotated area, the annotation is updated to reflect the new color. Refer to “Filling an Area with
Media” on page 123 for more information.

To create annotations

1 Use a color set that includes names for the colors.

2 Choose Canvas menu

` Annotations ` Annotate.

3 Position the cursor on the color you wish to annotate and drag to an area outside the color’s boundaries.

A color name appears, attached to a line that points to the annotated color.

4 After you annotate as many colors as you need, click Done in the Annotation dialog box.

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To delete an annotation

1 Choose Canvas menu ` Annotations ` Annotate.

2 Click the annotation (color name) to select it.

3 Press Delete (Mac OS) or Backspace (Windows).

To show or hide annotations

• Choose Canvas menu ` Annotations ` Show Annotations or Hide Annotations.

To change color names after annotating an image

1 Choose the annotation you want to rename.

2 Press Delete (Mac OS) or Backspace (Windows).

3 On the Color Sets palette, double-click the color swatch of the color you want to rename.

4 Type a new name in the Set Color Name dialog box.

5 Choose Canvas menu

` Annotations ` Annotate.

6 Re-create the deleted annotation.

7 Repeat the procedure for each annotation you want to rename.

Setting Color Variability

Color variability allows you to create brush strokes of more than one color. Variability can be used to enhance the Natural­Media appearance of your work.

The Color Variability Palette

The Color Variability palette contains sliders to adjust color variability values. Color variability can be set for HSV or RGB
mode, and it can be based on the current gradient or color set.

The Color Variability palette.

To display the Color Variability palette

• Choose Window menu ` Brush Controls ` Show Color Variability.

To set color variability in HSV mode

1 On the Colors palette, choose a main color.

2 Choose Window menu

3 Choose In HSV from the pop-up menu.

4 Adjust the Hue, Saturation, and Value sliders to control hue, saturation, and value ranges for color variability:

• Moving the ±Hue slider to the right increases the number of hues in the resulting brush stroke. These colors are

the ones adjacent to the selected color on the color wheel.

• Moving the ±Saturation slider to the right increases variability in the color intensity of the brush stroke.

• Moving the ±Value slider to the right increases variability in the brightness of the brush stroke.
You can try different ±HSV settings with any of the brushes to produce interesting results.

` Brush Controls ` Show Color Variability to display the Color Variability palette.

When you save a brush variant, the current color variability setting is also saved.

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When working with brushes like the Loaded Oils brush or the Van Gogh and Seurat variants of the Artists brush,
you can add natural, almost 3D-looking effects to your Web page images by moving the Hue, Saturation, and
Value settings to the right.

To set color variability in RGB mode

1 On the Colors palette, choose a main color.

2 Choose Window menu

3 Choose In RGB from the pop-up menu.

4 Move the R, G, and B sliders to control color variability of red, green, and blue values.

To set color variability based on the current gradient

1 On the Colors palette, choose a main color.

2 Choose Window menu

3 Choose From Gradient from the pop-up menu.

Color variability is now based on random colors from the current gradient.

To set color variability based on the current color set

1 On the Colors palette, choose a main color.

2 Choose Window menu

3 Choose From Color Set from the pop-up menu.

Color variability is now based on random colors from the current color set.

` Brush Controls ` Show Color Variability to display the Color Variability palette.

` Brush Controls ` Show Color Variability to display the Color Variability palette.

` Brush Controls ` Show Color Variability to display the Color Variability palette.

Viewing Color Information

Color information for a selected color is available on the Color Info palette.

The Color Info Palette

The Color Info palette shows the HSV and standard RGB values for the selected color. Corel Painter can also display RGB
values in decimal format. These values can be adjusted by moving the sliders, or by typing new values in the
corresponding boxes.

You can also use the Color Info palette to enable the Clone Color option. For more information on clone color, see “Using
Clone Color” on page 203.

The Color Info palette.

To display the Color Info palette

• Choose Window menu ` Color Palettes ` Show Color Info.

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To s e t R G B o r H S V v a l u e s

1 On the Color Info palette, click the palette menu arrow and choose one of the following:

•Display as RGB.

•Display as HSV.

2 Move the sliders to adjust the values, or type new values in the boxes.

You can preview the new color in the Main Color and Additional Color squares on the Color Info palette.

You can display hexadecimal RGB values on the Colors palette by pressing Shift + click in the HSV/RGB square.
Hexadecimal RGB values can be useful when you create graphics for the Web.

Setting Color Expression

Color expression determines where Corel Painter should use the main or additional color in an image.

The Color Expression Palette

The Color Expression palette lets you introduce input (such as direction) that controls output when you apply two-color
brush strokes.

The Color Expression palette.

To display the Color Expression palette

• Choose Window menu ` Brush Controls ` Show Color Expression.

To set Color Expression controls

1 Choose Window ` Show Color Expression to display the Color Expression palette.

2 From the Controller pop-up menu, choose one of the following options:

• None applies no adjustment to the color expression.

• Velocity adjusts the color expression based on the dragging speed.

• Direction adjusts the color expression based on the direction of the stroke, and according to the value you set with

the slider or in the box.

• Pressure adjusts the color expression based on stylus pressure.

• Wheel adjusts the color expression based on the wheel settings on an airbrush stylus, specifically the Wacom Intuos

Airbrush stylus.

• Tilt adjusts the color expression based on the angle of the stylus from the tablet.

• Bearing adjusts the color expression based on the direction in which the stylus points.

• Rotation adjusts the color expression based on the rotation of the stylus.

• Source adjusts the color expression based on the luminance of the clone source.

• Random adjusts the color expression at random.

3 If you want to switch the main and additional colors, enable the Invert check box next to the Controller pop-up menu

to invert the color expression.

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Working with Gradients

A gradient is a gradual transformation from one color into another. Sometimes gradients are called blends or fountains.

Using Gradients

Corel Painter provides several different types of gradients: linear, radial, circular, and spiral.

Left to right: linear, radial, circular, and spiral gradients.

You can use gradients to

• Fill an image selection, layer, or channel. For more information, see “Selections” on page 209, “Layers” on page 231,
and “Alpha Channels” on page 223.

• Control a Pop Art Fill effect. (Other effects work best when you use a filled mask.) For more information, see “Applying
Pop Art Fill” on page 311.

• Express the gradient in an existing image by mapping gradient colors to image luminance. For more information, see
“Using Image Luminance to Create Texture” on page 282.

• Brush with a gradient with one of the computed brushes (using one of the following dab types: line airbrush,
projected, or rendered). For more information, see “Dab Types” on page 149.

Although Corel Painter comes with libraries full of gradients, you’ll invariably want to create some of your own. You can
easily create a gradient between any two colors that you define.

You can also capture gradients from existing images or create your own libraries of gradients. Use the options on the
Gradients palette to select and adjust Corel Painter gradients.

Gradients are stored in libraries. You can load alternate libraries of gradients to increase your choices. For more
information about working with libraries, refer to “Creating a Library” on page 25.

The Gradient Selector on the Gradients palette.

To select a gradient

1 Choose Window menu ` Library Palettes ` Show Gradients to display the Gradients palette.

If the Gradients palette is not expanded, click the palette arrow.

2 Click the Gradient Selector, and choose a gradient.

3 Click one of the gradient types on the right of the palette: Linear Gradient, Radial Gradient, Spiral Gradient, or

Circular Gradient.
The Gradient Preview Window shows how current settings affect a selected gradient.

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To change gradient order

1 Choose Window menu ` Library Palettes ` Show Gradients to display the Gradients palette.

2 Click one of the gradient order buttons at the bottom of the palette to determine how the gradient behaves:

• Left to Right Gradient

• Mirrored Right to Left Gradient

• Double Left to Right Gradient

• Right to Left Gradient

• Mirrored Left to Right Gradient

• Double Right to Left Gradient
The Gradient Order Preview strip (above the gradient orders) shows the selected gradient order.

To change a gradient angle

1 Choose Window menu ` Library Palettes ` Show Gradients to display the Gradients palette.

2 Drag the red ball in the Gradient Angle Ring, or click once anywhere on the ring to change the gradient angle.

A corresponding numeric value appears below the Gradient Preview Window.

To change spiral tension

1 Choose Window menu ` Library Palettes ` Show Gradients to display the Gradients palette.

2 Do one of the following:

• Hold down Command (Mac OS) or Ctrl (Windows) while you drag the red ball in the gradient angle ring. This

changes how tightly wound the spiral gradient becomes.

• Click inside the Gradient Preview Window. Corel Painter rotates the gradient for you.
Click anywhere outside the Gradient Preview Window to stop the rotation.

Creating and Editing Gradients

You can create very simple to very complex gradients. For a simple two-point gradient, you only need to choose a main
and an additional color and then have Corel Painter create a gradient between them. For more complex gradients, you can
use the Edit Gradient dialog box or capture gradients from existing artwork. Color control points in the Edit Gradient
dialog box specify the point at which a new gradient starts.

You can save gradients and use them to fill a selected object. For more information on filling an object, refer to “Filling an
Area with Media” on page 123.

To create a two-point gradient

1 Choose Window menu ` Color Palettes ` Show Colors to display the Colors palette.

2 On the Colors palette, click the Main Color square, and choose a main color.

3 Click the Additional Color square, and choose an additional color.

4 Choose Window menu

5 Choose Two-Point from the Gradient Selector.

` Library Palettes ` Show Gradients.

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To edit or create a complex gradient

1 Choose Window menu ` Library Palettes ` Show Gradients to display the Gradients palette.

2 Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Edit Gradient.

The color ramp bar across the top of the Edit Gradient dialog box displays the current gradient. The pointed gray
markers along the bottom of the color ramp bar are color control points. You can position these pointed markers to
change the color of the blend at individual gradient points.

3 Click a color control point to select it.

4 On the Colors palette, click the Main Color square, and choose a main color.

5 Repeat steps 3 and 4 for each color control point you want to edit.

To add color control points

1 Choose Window menu ` Library Palettes ` Show Gradients to display the Gradients palette.

2 Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Edit Gradient.

3 In the Edit Gradient dialog box, click anywhere in the color ramp bar.

The control point is added, without affecting color.

4 Click the new color control point to select it.

5 Open the Colors palette and choose a color.

For a two-point gradient, you set a color for the right control point and then set a color for the left control point.

You can press Option + click (Mac OS) or Alt + click (Windows) in the color ramp bar to create a control point
that is set to the current color.

You can create interesting gradient effects by selecting two additional colors in between the end colors.

To delete a control point

1 Choose Window menu ` Library Palettes ` Show Gradients to display the Gradients palette.

2 Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Edit Gradient.

3 In the Edit Gradient dialog box, click a control point to select it.

4 Press Delete (Mac OS) or Backspace (Windows) to delete a selected color control point.

To save a gradient

1 Choose Window menu ` Library Palettes ` Show Gradients to display the Gradients palette.

2 Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Save Gradient.

3 In the Save Gradient dialog box, enter a name for the gradient.

Creating Blending Ramps

Blending ramps determine whether a gradient blends linearly or nonlinearly.

To create ramps that blend linearly

1 Choose Window menu ` Library Palettes ` Show Gradients to display the Gradients palette.

2 Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Edit Gradient.

3 In the Edit Gradient dialog box, enable the Linear check box.

Linear is the default option.

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