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User Guide
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Copyright © 2016 Corel Corporation. All rights reserved.
Corel® PHOTO-PAINT® X8 User Guide
Product specifications, pricing, packaging, technical support and information (“specifications”) refer to the retail English version only. The
specifications for all other versions (including other language versions) may vary.
Information is provided by Corel on an “as is” basis, without any other warranties or conditions, express or implied, including, but not limited
to, warranties of merchantable quality, satisfactory quality, merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, or those arising by law, statute,
usage of trade, course of dealing or otherwise. The entire risk as to the results of the information provided or its use is assumed by you. Corel
shall have no liability to you or any other person or entity for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages whatsoever, including,
but not limited to, loss of revenue or profit, lost or damaged data or other commercial or economic loss, even if Corel has been advised of the
possibility of such damages, or they are foreseeable. Corel is also not liable for any claims made by any third party. Corel’s maximum aggregate
liability to you shall not exceed the costs paid by you to purchase the materials. Some states/countries do not allow exclusions or limitations of
liability for consequential or incidental damages, so the above limitations may not apply to you.
Corel, the Corel logo, the Cor
CONNECT, Knowledge Base, PaintShop, PaintShop Pro, PHOTO-PAINT, Painter, PowerClip, VideoStudio and WordPerfect are trademarks or
registered trademarks of Corel Corporation and/or its subsidiaries in Canada, the U.S. and/or other countries. Other product, font and
company names and logos may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
Patents: www.corel.com/patent
230126
el balloon logo, CorelDRAW, the CorelDRAW balloon logo, Corel DESIGNER, Corel Font Manager, CAPTURE,
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Contents
Getting started.................................................................................................................................................................................... 15
Installing CorelDRAW Graphics Suite.................................................................................................................................................... 17
System requirements.......................................................................................................................................................................17
Preparing for installation................................................................................................................................................................ 18
Installing CorelDRAW Graphics Suite applications...........................................................................................................................18
Installation options......................................................................................................................................................................... 18
Modifying and repairing installations..............................................................................................................................................20
Uninstalling CorelDRAW Graphics Suite.......................................................................................................................................... 21
Frequently Asked Questions............................................................................................................................................................ 21
Corel accounts and services..................................................................................................................................................................23
Authenticating CorelDRAW Graphics Suite..................................................................................................................................... 23
Checking account settings and product details...............................................................................................................................24
Updating Corel products................................................................................................................................................................ 24
Upgrade Program........................................................................................................................................................................... 24
Changing user credentials...............................................................................................................................................................24
Corel Support Services.................................................................................................................................................................... 25
About Corel.................................................................................................................................................................................... 25
What’s new in CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X8?.................................................................................................................................... 27
Jump in.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 27
Craft............................................................................................................................................................................................... 30
Personalize......................................................................................................................................................................................32
Finding out what was new in previous versions............................................................................................................................. 35
Learning resources................................................................................................................................................................................ 37
Getting help................................................................................................................................................................................... 37
Using the Help and tooltips........................................................................................................................................................... 38
Using Hints.....................................................................................................................................................................................40
Learning tours................................................................................................................................................................................ 40
Welcome screen............................................................................................................................................................................. 41
Accessing eBooks............................................................................................................................................................................41
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Quick Start Guide........................................................................................................................................................................... 42
Insights from the Experts................................................................................................................................................................42
Video learning resources.................................................................................................................................................................42
Community website for developers.................................................................................................................................................43
Network deployment guide............................................................................................................................................................ 43
Web-based resources......................................................................................................................................................................43
Starting and setting up........................................................................................................................................................................ 45
Starting and quitting Corel PHOTO-PAINT...................................................................................................................................... 45
Changing the language.................................................................................................................................................................. 45
Changing startup settings...............................................................................................................................................................46
Corel PHOTO-PAINT workspace tour.....................................................................................................................................................47
Corel PHOTO-PAINT terms.............................................................................................................................................................. 47
Corel PHOTO-PAINT application window........................................................................................................................................ 48
Choosing a workspace....................................................................................................................................................................50
Toolbars..........................................................................................................................................................................................51
Toolbox...........................................................................................................................................................................................53
Property bar....................................................................................................................................................................................62
Dockers...........................................................................................................................................................................................62
Color palette...................................................................................................................................................................................64
Status bar.......................................................................................................................................................................................64
Setting options..................................................................................................................................................................................... 67
Changing workspace options..........................................................................................................................................................67
Disabling warning messages........................................................................................................................................................... 68
Bringing images into Corel PHOTO-PAINT.............................................................................................................................................69
Opening images............................................................................................................................................................................. 69
Importing files................................................................................................................................................................................ 71
Scanning images............................................................................................................................................................................ 73
Creating images..............................................................................................................................................................................74
Working with multiple images........................................................................................................................................................76
Working with vector graphics.........................................................................................................................................................76
Displaying images and image information............................................................................................................................................ 79
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Viewing images.............................................................................................................................................................................. 79
Zooming.........................................................................................................................................................................................81
Viewing image information............................................................................................................................................................ 82
Refreshing the image window........................................................................................................................................................ 83
Detecting and embedding Digimarc watermarks............................................................................................................................ 83
Using the guidelines, grid, and rulers...................................................................................................................................................85
Setting up guidelines......................................................................................................................................................................85
Setting up the grid.........................................................................................................................................................................88
Setting up the rulers...................................................................................................................................................................... 90
Undoing, redoing, repeating, and fading actions................................................................................................................................. 93
Undoing and redoing actions......................................................................................................................................................... 93
Reverting to an earlier image state.................................................................................................................................................94
Repeating and fading actions......................................................................................................................................................... 95
Saving and closing............................................................................................................................................................................... 97
Saving images................................................................................................................................................................................ 97
Exporting images to other file formats........................................................................................................................................... 99
Working with locked files............................................................................................................................................................. 100
Closing images............................................................................................................................................................................. 100
Finding and managing creative tools and content..............................................................................................................................103
Acquiring applications, plug-ins, and extensions...........................................................................................................................103
Finding content with the Get More docker.................................................................................................................................. 105
Accessing content.........................................................................................................................................................................107
Browsing and searching for content.............................................................................................................................................109
Viewing content........................................................................................................................................................................... 112
Using content...............................................................................................................................................................................113
Installing fonts..............................................................................................................................................................................114
Managing content........................................................................................................................................................................ 115
Syncing trays with OneDrive......................................................................................................................................................... 116
Content types............................................................................................................................................................................... 118
Editing images................................................................................................................................................................................... 121
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Changing image dimensions, resolution, and paper size.................................................................................................................... 123
Changing image dimensions.........................................................................................................................................................123
Changing image resolution...........................................................................................................................................................124
Changing paper size..................................................................................................................................................................... 125
Cropping, stitching, scaling, and changing orientation....................................................................................................................... 127
Cropping images.......................................................................................................................................................................... 127
Stitching images together.............................................................................................................................................................129
Scaling images by using Smart Carver.......................................................................................................................................... 130
Straightening images.................................................................................................................................................................... 133
Correcting perspective distortions................................................................................................................................................. 135
Rotating and flipping images....................................................................................................................................................... 136
Retouching......................................................................................................................................................................................... 139
Improving scanned images........................................................................................................................................................... 139
Removing red-eye......................................................................................................................................................................... 140
Removing dust and scratch marks................................................................................................................................................ 141
Cloning image areas..................................................................................................................................................................... 144
Sharpening images....................................................................................................................................................................... 146
Removing artifacts and noise from JPEG images...........................................................................................................................148
Erasing image areas......................................................................................................................................................................148
Smearing, smudging, and blending colors....................................................................................................................................150
Adjusting color and tone....................................................................................................................................................................153
Using the Image Adjustment Lab................................................................................................................................................. 153
Using individual color-adjustment effects and tools...................................................................................................................... 158
Exploring adjustment filters.......................................................................................................................................................... 162
Working with color channels........................................................................................................................................................ 166
Working with lenses........................................................................................................................................................................... 169
Creating lenses............................................................................................................................................................................. 169
Editing lenses............................................................................................................................................................................... 173
Combining lenses with the image background............................................................................................................................. 175
Reshaping image areas....................................................................................................................................................................... 177
Smearing image areas.................................................................................................................................................................. 177
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Adding twirl effects...................................................................................................................................................................... 178
Reshaping image areas by pulling or pushing away pixels............................................................................................................ 179
Color, fills, and transparencies...........................................................................................................................................................181
Working with color............................................................................................................................................................................ 183
Understanding color models.........................................................................................................................................................183
Understanding color depth...........................................................................................................................................................185
Choosing colors............................................................................................................................................................................ 186
Using the Image palette............................................................................................................................................................... 192
Creating and editing custom color palettes.................................................................................................................................. 194
Organizing and displaying color palettes...................................................................................................................................... 197
Displaying or hiding color palettes in the Palette libraries............................................................................................................. 199
Setting the properties of color palettes........................................................................................................................................ 200
Using spot color channels............................................................................................................................................................ 201
Changing color modes....................................................................................................................................................................... 205
Changing the color mode of images............................................................................................................................................ 205
Converting images to the black-and-white color mode.................................................................................................................207
Converting images to the paletted color mode.............................................................................................................................207
Converting images to the duotone color mode............................................................................................................................ 210
Using color management................................................................................................................................................................... 213
Understanding color management............................................................................................................................................... 213
Getting started with color management in Corel PHOTO-PAINT....................................................................................................217
Installing, loading, and embedding color profiles......................................................................................................................... 218
Assigning color profiles................................................................................................................................................................ 220
Converting colors to other color profiles...................................................................................................................................... 220
Choosing color-conversion settings............................................................................................................................................... 221
Soft proofing................................................................................................................................................................................ 221
Working with color management presets..................................................................................................................................... 224
Working with color management policies.....................................................................................................................................225
Managing colors when opening documents.................................................................................................................................226
Managing colors when importing and pasting files...................................................................................................................... 227
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Managing colors for print............................................................................................................................................................ 227
Using a safe CMYK workflow....................................................................................................................................................... 228
Managing colors for online viewing............................................................................................................................................. 228
Filling images......................................................................................................................................................................................229
Applying uniform fills................................................................................................................................................................... 229
Applying fountain fills.................................................................................................................................................................. 230
Applying bitmap pattern fills........................................................................................................................................................ 233
Applying texture fills.....................................................................................................................................................................235
Applying transparency patterns to fills..........................................................................................................................................237
Working with transparency.................................................................................................................................................................239
Applying uniform transparency.....................................................................................................................................................239
Applying fountain transparency.................................................................................................................................................... 240
Applying bitmap pattern transparency..........................................................................................................................................242
Applying texture transparency...................................................................................................................................................... 244
Applying transparency by using brushstrokes............................................................................................................................... 245
Making selected colors in objects transparent.............................................................................................................................. 246
Blending objects........................................................................................................................................................................... 246
Managing and sharing fills and transparencies...................................................................................................................................249
Managing fills and transparencies................................................................................................................................................ 249
Saving and sharing fills and transparencies.................................................................................................................................. 252
Masks and paths............................................................................................................................................................................... 253
Working with masks...........................................................................................................................................................................255
Distinguishing protected and editable areas................................................................................................................................. 255
Defining editable areas................................................................................................................................................................. 257
Defining editable areas by using color information.......................................................................................................................261
Expanding and contracting editable areas.................................................................................................................................... 264
Inverting and removing masks......................................................................................................................................................266
Moving and aligning editable areas..............................................................................................................................................267
Transforming editable areas.......................................................................................................................................................... 269
Adjusting the edges of editable areas.......................................................................................................................................... 271
Adjusting the transparency of masks............................................................................................................................................ 274
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Cutting out images.......................................................................................................................................................................274
Using paths to define image areas.....................................................................................................................................................279
Creating paths.............................................................................................................................................................................. 279
Managing paths........................................................................................................................................................................... 281
Shaping paths.............................................................................................................................................................................. 283
Adding and deleting path nodes.................................................................................................................................................. 285
Joining and breaking paths.......................................................................................................................................................... 286
Changing node types................................................................................................................................................................... 286
Applying brushstrokes to paths.................................................................................................................................................... 288
Working with clipping paths........................................................................................................................................................ 289
Managing multiple masks with alpha channels.................................................................................................................................. 291
Creating and editing alpha channels............................................................................................................................................ 291
Saving masks and alpha channels................................................................................................................................................ 292
Loading masks and alpha channels.............................................................................................................................................. 293
Managing alpha channels.............................................................................................................................................................294
Painting and special effects............................................................................................................................................................... 297
Drawing and painting........................................................................................................................................................................ 299
Drawing shapes and lines.............................................................................................................................................................299
Applying brushstrokes.................................................................................................................................................................. 303
Spraying images........................................................................................................................................................................... 306
Painting symmetrical patterns and orbits...................................................................................................................................... 309
Repeating brushstrokes.................................................................................................................................................................310
Creating custom brushes.............................................................................................................................................................. 311
Using pressure-sensitive pens and devices.................................................................................................................................... 313
Understanding merge modes....................................................................................................................................................... 315
Applying special effects...................................................................................................................................................................... 319
Working with special effects.........................................................................................................................................................319
Applying preset styles................................................................................................................................................................... 321
Applying color and tone effects................................................................................................................................................... 322
Special effects categories.............................................................................................................................................................. 322
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Applying Bevel effects...................................................................................................................................................................329
Applying the Bokeh Blur effect..................................................................................................................................................... 329
Applying Lens Flare effects........................................................................................................................................................... 331
Applying Lighting effects.............................................................................................................................................................. 331
Adding photo frames................................................................................................................................................................... 332
Gallery of special effects............................................................................................................................................................... 333
Managing plug-ins....................................................................................................................................................................... 345
Objects...............................................................................................................................................................................................347
Working with objects......................................................................................................................................................................... 349
Creating objects............................................................................................................................................................................350
Changing object properties...........................................................................................................................................................351
Selecting objects...........................................................................................................................................................................352
Moving, copying, and deleting objects......................................................................................................................................... 354
Displaying and arranging objects..................................................................................................................................................355
Aligning and distributing objects..................................................................................................................................................357
Using alignment guides................................................................................................................................................................ 358
Locking objects.............................................................................................................................................................................361
Grouping and combining objects................................................................................................................................................. 361
Choosing a merge mode for grouped objects.............................................................................................................................. 363
Working with clipping groups...................................................................................................................................................... 364
Modifying objects............................................................................................................................................................................... 367
Transforming objects.................................................................................................................................................................... 367
Cropping objects.......................................................................................................................................................................... 371
Changing the edges of objects..................................................................................................................................................... 372
Adding drop shadows to objects..................................................................................................................................................374
Using clip masks...........................................................................................................................................................................377
Protecting the area around an object........................................................................................................................................... 379
Linking and embedding objects..........................................................................................................................................................381
Inserting linked or embedded objects into another application.....................................................................................................381
Editing linked or embedded objects............................................................................................................................................. 382
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Text.....................................................................................................................................................................................................383
Creating and formatting text.............................................................................................................................................................. 385
Adding and selecting text.............................................................................................................................................................385
Adding color to text.....................................................................................................................................................................387
Formatting text.............................................................................................................................................................................388
Working with OpenType features..................................................................................................................................................390
Inserting special characters, symbols, and glyphs..........................................................................................................................394
Kerning, shifting, and rotating text...............................................................................................................................................397
Aligning text.................................................................................................................................................................................398
Adjusting line, character, and word spacing................................................................................................................................. 398
Anti-aliasing text...........................................................................................................................................................................399
Fitting text to a path....................................................................................................................................................................399
Working with legacy text..............................................................................................................................................................401
Managing fonts..................................................................................................................................................................................403
Viewing fonts............................................................................................................................................................................... 403
Filtering fonts............................................................................................................................................................................... 404
Searching for fonts....................................................................................................................................................................... 406
Identifying fonts........................................................................................................................................................................... 407
Choosing fonts with Font Playground...........................................................................................................................................407
Using Corel Font Manager............................................................................................................................................................410
Working with text in different languages........................................................................................................................................... 411
Modifying encoding settings to display text correctly................................................................................................................... 411
Working with Asian and Middle Eastern text................................................................................................................................412
OpenType support for Asian text.................................................................................................................................................. 413
Web images and movies................................................................................................................................................................... 415
Creating and editing movies............................................................................................................................................................... 417
Opening and playing movies........................................................................................................................................................ 417
Creating movies............................................................................................................................................................................ 418
Modifying frame sequence and frame display time...................................................................................................................... 421
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Saving movies...............................................................................................................................................................................423
Creating images for the web..............................................................................................................................................................427
Exporting images for the web...................................................................................................................................................... 427
Saving and applying web presets................................................................................................................................................. 433
Creating palette-based images with transparent colors and backgrounds..................................................................................... 434
Slicing images...............................................................................................................................................................................435
Creating and editing rollovers.......................................................................................................................................................438
E-mailing images.......................................................................................................................................................................... 441
Printing.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 443
Printing basics.................................................................................................................................................................................... 445
Printing your work........................................................................................................................................................................445
Laying out print jobs.................................................................................................................................................................... 446
Previewing print jobs.................................................................................................................................................................... 447
Applying print styles..................................................................................................................................................................... 448
Fine-tuning print jobs................................................................................................................................................................... 449
Printing colors accurately.............................................................................................................................................................. 450
Printing to a PostScript printer..................................................................................................................................................... 452
Viewing preflight summaries........................................................................................................................................................ 453
Preparing files for print service providers............................................................................................................................................ 455
Preparing a print job for a print service provider.......................................................................................................................... 455
Working with imposition layouts.................................................................................................................................................. 456
Printing printers’ marks................................................................................................................................................................ 458
Printing color separations............................................................................................................................................................. 460
Working with color trapping and overprinting............................................................................................................................. 461
Printing to film............................................................................................................................................................................. 462
Preparing images for canvas printing........................................................................................................................................... 463
Working with a print service provider...........................................................................................................................................463
File formats........................................................................................................................................................................................465
Exporting to PDF................................................................................................................................................................................ 467
Exporting documents as PDF files................................................................................................................................................. 467
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Including hyperlinks, bookmarks, and thumbnails in PDF files.......................................................................................................469
Reducing the size of PDF files...................................................................................................................................................... 470
Specifying an encoding format for PDF files................................................................................................................................. 471
Specifying color management options for exporting PDF files.......................................................................................................471
Setting security options for PDF files............................................................................................................................................ 472
Optimizing PDF files..................................................................................................................................................................... 473
Viewing preflight summaries for PDF files.................................................................................................................................... 474
Preparing PDF files for a print provider.........................................................................................................................................474
Working with office productivity applications..................................................................................................................................... 477
Exporting files to office productivity applications..........................................................................................................................477
Adding objects to documents...................................................................................................................................................... 477
Working with RAW camera files......................................................................................................................................................... 479
Using RAW camera files............................................................................................................................................................... 479
Bringing RAW camera files into Corel PHOTO-PAINT.....................................................................................................................480
Adjusting the color and tone of RAW camera files....................................................................................................................... 483
Sharpening and reducing noise in RAW camera files.................................................................................................................... 485
Previewing RAW camera files and obtaining image information................................................................................................... 486
Supported file formats........................................................................................................................................................................489
Adobe Illustrator (AI).................................................................................................................................................................... 490
Windows Bitmap (BMP)................................................................................................................................................................490
OS/2 Bitmap (BMP).......................................................................................................................................................................491
Computer Graphics Metafile (CGM)..............................................................................................................................................491
CorelDRAW (CDR)......................................................................................................................................................................... 492
Corel Presentation Exchange (CMX).............................................................................................................................................. 492
Corel PHOTO-PAINT (CPT)............................................................................................................................................................. 493
Cursor Resource (CUR).................................................................................................................................................................. 493
AutoCAD Drawing Database (DWG) and AutoCAD Drawing Interchange Format (DXF).................................................................493
Encapsulated PostScript (EPS)....................................................................................................................................................... 494
PostScript (PS or PRN)...................................................................................................................................................................496
GIF................................................................................................................................................................................................497
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JPEG (JPG).................................................................................................................................................................................... 498
JPEG 2000 (JP2)........................................................................................................................................................................... 499
Kodak Photo CD Image (PCD).......................................................................................................................................................500
PICT (PCT)..................................................................................................................................................................................... 501
PaintBrush (PCX)........................................................................................................................................................................... 502
Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF)...................................................................................................................................... 503
HPGL Plotter File (PLT).................................................................................................................................................................. 503
Portable Network Graphics (PNG)................................................................................................................................................. 504
Adobe Photoshop (PSD)............................................................................................................................................................... 505
Corel Painter (RIF)......................................................................................................................................................................... 506
TARGA (TGA)................................................................................................................................................................................507
TIFF...............................................................................................................................................................................................508
Corel Paint Shop Pro (PSP)............................................................................................................................................................508
WordPerfect Graphic (WPG)..........................................................................................................................................................509
RAW camera file formats..............................................................................................................................................................509
Wavelet Compressed Bitmap (WI).................................................................................................................................................509
Windows Metafile Format (WMF)................................................................................................................................................. 509
Additional file formats.................................................................................................................................................................. 510
Recommended formats for importing graphics.............................................................................................................................510
Recommended formats for exporting graphics............................................................................................................................. 511
Customizing and automating............................................................................................................................................................ 513
Customizing Corel PHOTO-PAINT........................................................................................................................................................515
Creating workspaces.....................................................................................................................................................................515
Customizing workspace appearance............................................................................................................................................. 516
Customizing keyboard shortcuts................................................................................................................................................... 518
Customizing menus...................................................................................................................................................................... 520
Customizing toolbars....................................................................................................................................................................521
Customizing the toolbox.............................................................................................................................................................. 524
Customizing the property bar.......................................................................................................................................................524
Customizing the status bar...........................................................................................................................................................525
Customizing filters........................................................................................................................................................................ 527
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Customizing file associations........................................................................................................................................................ 527
Using macros and scripts to automate tasks...................................................................................................................................... 529
Working with macros................................................................................................................................................................... 529
Working with scripts.................................................................................................................................................................... 534
Reference........................................................................................................................................................................................... 539
Corel PHOTO-PAINT for Adobe Photoshop users.................................................................................................................................541
Comparing terminology................................................................................................................................................................ 541
Comparing tools........................................................................................................................................................................... 542
Glossary.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 545
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Getting started
Installing CorelDRAW Graphics Suite..................................................................................................................................................... 17
Corel accounts and services...................................................................................................................................................................23
What’s new in CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X8?..................................................................................................................................... 27
Learning resources................................................................................................................................................................................. 37
Starting and setting up......................................................................................................................................................................... 45
Corel PHOTO-PAINT workspace tour...................................................................................................................................................... 47
Setting options...................................................................................................................................................................................... 67
Bringing images into Corel PHOTO-PAINT..............................................................................................................................................69
Displaying images and image information............................................................................................................................................. 79
Using the guidelines, grid, and rulers.................................................................................................................................................... 85
Undoing, redoing, repeating, and fading actions.................................................................................................................................. 93
Saving and closing.................................................................................................................................................................................97
Finding and managing creative tools and content............................................................................................................................... 103
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Installing CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
This section contains the following topics:
• “System requirements” (page 17)
• “Preparing for installation” (page 18)
• “Installing CorelDRAW Graphics Suite applications” (page 18)
• “Installation options” (page 18)
• “Modifying and repairing installations” (page 20)
• “Uninstalling CorelDRAW Graphics Suite” (page 21)
• “Frequently Asked Questions” (page 21)
System requirements
The following list includes the minimum system requirements. Note that for optimum performance, you need more RAM and hard disk
space than indicated in the list.
• Windows 7, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10, in 32-bit or 64-bit, with the latest updates and service pack
• Intel Core i3/5/7 or AMD Athlon 64
• 2 GB RAM
• 1 GB hard disk space
Electronic software downloads require more space to allow for the download, the uncompressed setup files, and the actual installation,
which includes copies of the source files as well.
• Multi-touch screen, mouse, or tablet
• 1280 x 720 screen resolution at 100% (96 dpi), 1920 x 1080 at 150%, and 2560 x 1440 at 200%
• DVD drive (required for installing the box version of the software)
• Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 or later
• Internet connection is required to sign in to authenticate CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, receive performance and stability updates, access
online content, and use some features, such as QR Codes or the Content Exchange.
If the Microsoft .NET Framework is not available on your computer, it will be installed during product installation.
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Preparing for installation
• Make sure that your system’s date and time are set correctly.
• Close all applications, including all virus detection programs and applications that are open in the system tray or on the Windows
taskbar. Not doing so may increase the installation time and interfere with the installation.
• Log in as a user with administrative privileges.
• Make sure that you have enough free disk space available on the drive where you want to install the application.
• Delete the contents of the system’s TEMP folders to avoid file and memory conflicts. To navigate to the Temp folders, type %temp% in
the Search box on the Windows 7 or Windows 10 Start menu or the Windows 8 desktop.
• Install CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite X8 in its own directory to avoid conflicts with previous versions.
Installing CorelDRAW Graphics Suite applications
The installation wizard makes it easy to install CorelDRAW Graphics Suite applications and components. You can choose a typical installation
to quickly install the suite, or you can customize the installation by choosing different options.
To install CorelDRAW Graphics Suite applications
1 Close all applications, including all virus detection programs.
2 Do one of the following:
• Insert the DVD in the DVD drive.
If the installation wizard does not start automatically, browse to the root of the DVD, you must locate setup.exe on the DVD, and
double-click the file. Be sure to navigate to the folder that corresponds to the version of your operating system: 64-Bit or 32-Bit.
• Download the product.
3 In the installation wizard, scroll down to read the license agreement, and then accept the terms by enabling the check box.
4 Click Next.
5 Type your name in the User name text box.
6 Type your serial number in the Serial number text box.
The serial number is not case-sensitive, and the dashes are optional.
7 Click Next.
8 Follow the instructions for installing the software.
Installation options
You can choose between the following types of installations:
• Typicalinstallation — automatically installs the main programs and utilities of the suite to a default location in the Program Files folder.
If later you need a component that is not installed, you can modify your installation.
• Custominstallation — lets you choose additional features, exclude components that you don’t need, and specify where to install the
suite. For example, you can install desktop shortcuts.
• Deployment — available only for multiseat purchases. This option lets you create a server image for installing the software to individual
workstations. For more information, see the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X8 Deployment Guide.
Programs
The following table lists the programs that are installed by default. To exclude a program from the installation, you must choose Custom
installation.
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Program Description
CorelDRAW®
An intuitive and versatile graphics application for creating highquality vector illustrations, logo designs, and page layouts
Corel® PHOTO-PAINT®
A complete image-editing application that lets you retouch and
enhance photos as well as create original bitmap illustrations and
paintings
Corel® CONNECT™
An application that provides easy access to content such as clipart,
photos, and fonts
Corel® CAPTURE™
An easy-to-use application for capturing images from your
computer screen
Corel Font Manager™ An application for finding, organizing, and managing fonts
Program features and utilities
The following table lists the program features that you can install. Not all components are available in all versions of the software.
Feature or utility Description Notes
Writing Tools Include Spell Checker, Thesaurus, and
Grammatik in various languages to help you
proofread and edit documents
Writing tools in the language of the
operating system are required and installed
by default. For example, the English writing
tools are installed by default on an English
operating system.
Duplexing Wizard Lets you configure a printer for two-sided
printing
Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications 7.1 A subset of the Microsoft Visual Basic
(VB) programming environment, which is
suitable for beginners.
Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for
Applications (VSTA)
A built-in program environment that allows
developers and other programming experts
to use VSTA for creating the most advanced
macro projects
To install additional languages, you must
choose Custom installation, or modify your
installation later.
Requires Custom installation
You can use VBA to create basic macros
for personal use, but you can also use it to
create more advanced macro projects.
To use VSTA with CorelDRAW Graphics
Suite, you must have your own copy of
Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 installed.
If you install Microsoft Visual Studio after
installing CorelDRAW Graphics Suite,
you must re-install the VSTA feature by
modifying your CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
installation. For more information, see “To
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Feature or utility Description Notes
modify or repair a CorelDRAW Graphics
Suite X8 installation” on page 21.
Windows Shell Extension Lets you view thumbnails of native Corel
files such as CorelDRAW (CDR), Corel
PHOTO-PAINT (CPT), pattern fill (FILL), and
other native file.
GPL Ghostscript Highly recommended if you import EPS
If you have installed CorelDRAW Graphics
Suite or CorelDRAW Technical Suite
before, this option does not appear in the
installation wizard.
Included with the Typical installation
and PDF files in your documents. This
feature lets you isolate and use individual
elements of imported EPS files rather than
only header images. It also improves the
import of PDF files generated by third-party
applications.
Additional options
The following table lists additional installation options.
Option Description Notes
Language packs Let you use the programs and Help in two
or more languages
This option is included only with
multilingual versions of the software and
requires Custom installation.
Allow product updates Automatically downloads product updates
Included with the Typical installation
and asks you before installing them
Install desktop shortcuts Adds product icons to your desktop for easy
Included with the Typical installation
access
Copy installation files Lets you maintain and update the software
Included with the Typical installation
without using the installation disc
Modifying and repairing installations
You can also use the installation wizard to do the following:
• modify the current installation by adding or deleting components
• repair the current installation by fixing errors such as missing or corrupt files as well as inaccurate shortcuts and registry entries
Repairing an installation is helpful when you encounter problems in using the application, or when you suspect that the installation is
corrupt.
Before repairing an installation, try resetting the current workspace to the default settings by holding down F8 while starting the
application. Note that when you reset the workspace, all workspace preferences are reset.
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To modify or repair a CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X8 installation
1 Close all applications.
2 On the Windows Control Panel, click Uninstall a program.
3 Double-click CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X8 on the Uninstall or change a program page.
4 Enable the Modify option or the Repair option in the wizard that appears, and follow the instructions.
Components that are already installed do not appear in the wizard, or their check boxes appear disabled.
Certain features, such as Copy installation files and Install desktop shortcuts, cannot be added by modifying your installation.
Uninstalling CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
You can uninstall CorelDRAW Graphics Suite from the Control Panel. If you want to uninstall the product and then reinstall it with the same
serial number on another computer, make sure to uninstall while being connected to the Internet. This will restore by one the number of
computers on which you can legitimately install the product.
To uninstall CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
1 On the Windows Control Panel, click Uninstall a program.
2 Double-click CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X8 on the Uninstall or change a program page.
3 Enable the Remove option in the wizard that appears, and follow the instructions.
To completely uninstall the product by removing user files, such as presets, user-created fills, and customized files, enable the Remove
user files check box.
Any additional components and applications that you installed with the suite, such as the Corel Graphics - Windows Shell Extension
or Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Applications (VSTA), must be uninstalled separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
If your question is not included in the list below, visit Corel® Support Services, and search the Corel® Knowledge Base.
• “I am upgrading my version of the software. Do I need to uninstall the previous version?” (page 21)
• “What is the difference between an upgrade and an update?” (page 21)
• “What if I lost my serial number and need to reinstall the software?” (page 21)
• “What is the difference between Typical and Custom installation? Which type of installation is suitable for me?” (page 22)
• “How do I deploy CorelDRAW Graphics Suite to my organization’s network?” (page 22)
I am upgrading my version of the software. Do I need to uninstall the previous version?
No, you don’t need to uninstall the previous version. By default, the new version is installed to a separate folder, which ensures that you
can work with both versions. Do not change the installation folder to install the upgrade and the previous version to the same folder.
What is the difference between an upgrade and an update?
An upgrade lets you install the latest major version of the software. After a major version is released, updates usually follow to offer
defect fixes, and performance and stability improvements. Updates have the name of the major version with a number appended — for
example, .1. By default, the application notifies you when a product update is available, but you can also check for updates by clicking
Help Updates.
What if I lost my serial number and need to reinstall the software?
For download versions, check the email you received from Corel when you purchased the product.
Installing CorelDRAW Graphics Suite | 21
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Sign in on corel.com to access Your Account page.
If you purchased a box, check the cover of the installation disk.
What is the difference between Typical and Custom installation? Which type of installation is suitable for me?
See “Installation options” on page 18.
How do I deploy CorelDRAW Graphics Suite to my organization’s network?
If you purchased multiple licenses of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, you have the option of deploying the applications to your organization’s
network. The CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X8 Deployment Guide provides more information about network installations. To purchase a
volume license of the software and obtain its deployment guide, please contact Corel Support Services.
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Corel accounts and services
This section contains the following topics:
• “Authenticating CorelDRAW Graphics Suite” (page 23)
• “Checking account settings and product details” (page 24)
• “Updating Corel products” (page 24)
• “Upgrade Program” (page 24)
• “Changing user credentials” (page 24)
• “Corel Support Services” (page 25)
• “About Corel” (page 25)
Authenticating CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Authentication lets you access online features and content that are included with your software. You can authenticate CorelDRAW Graphics
Suite after the suite installation, before starting an application, or while using an application.
To authenticate CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, you must sign in with your Corel.com account. This action associates your product with your
account. If you don’t have a Corel.com account or you want to associate your product with a new account, you need to create an account
before signing in.
After you install and authenticate CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, the product appears in Your Account page on corel.com. If you want
to associate the product with a different account, you must change your user credentials. For more information, see “Changing user
credentials” on page 24.
To authenticate CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
1
Click Help Product Details.
The Welcome screen appears open at the Product Details page.
2 On the Account tile, click Sign in to Authenticate.
3 In the dialog box that appears, do one of the following:
• Follow the instructions to create an account, and sign in.
• Sign in by entering the email address and the password associated with your Corel.com account.
You can now access online features and content provided you have Internet connection.
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Checking account settings and product details
You can check your account settings by accessing Your Account page from within the application. On Your Account page, you can find out
more about the products associated with your account, access support, and set your communication preferences.
From the Product Details page of the Welcome screen, you can access detailed information about your product status, available updates and
upgrade plans, your account, and more. For example, if you have purchased a subscription, you can quickly find out how many days you
have until your subscriptions expires.
To check your corel.com account
•
In CorelDRAW or Corel PHOTO-PAINT, click Help Account Settings.
To access detailed product information
•
In CorelDRAW or Corel PHOTO-PAINT, click Help Product Details.
Updating Corel products
Product updates, formerly known as service packs, include performance and stability improvements that enhance your product experience.
By default, you are automatically notified when product updates and news become available. In addition, with the default installation, the
application automatically downloads new product updates and asks you for permission to install them.
To view information about product updates and change update preferences, click Help Updates, and then view the Updates tile on
the Product Details page of the Welcome screen.
Upgrade Program
With the Upgrade Program, you always stay up-to-date by receiving the next major product version as soon as it becomes available. The
Upgrade Program replaces the Premium Membership, offered with previous versions of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite.
You can access former premium content from version X6 or X7 in CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X8 while your Premium Membership is active. If
you want to maintain access to former premium content after your membership expires, you need to purchase the Upgrade Program.
If you have subscribed to the product, the Upgrade Program is included with your subscription. Subscription is a payment method that
allows you to use the product for a fixed period of time, with the option to renew.
To purchase the Upgrade program, click Help Product Details, and click the Upgrade Program tile on the Product Details page of
the Welcome screen.
Changing user credentials
As a user and owner of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, you must know your user credentials:
• your product serial number — lets you install and reinstall your product. The serial number is the unique identifier of your product
license.
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• the email address associated with your Corel.com account. For each Corel.com account, a unique email address and password are
required. When you authenticate your product to access online features and content, you sign in with a specific Corel.com account,
associating the product with that account and its email address.
This topic describes two typical cases in which you need to change your account settings and then update your user credentials in the
installed product to match the new account settings. Updating your user credentials ensures that you don’t need to uninstall and reinstall
the product.
You want to merge two product subscriptions that you purchased with the same Corel.com account at a different time so that the
subscriptions have the same renewal date.
In this case, each subscription is associated with a different serial number. You must first go to Your Account page, and then associate both
subscriptions with one of the serial numbers. Second, you must edit the user credentials in the product that now has an obsolete serial
number.
Step 1: Go to Your Account page by signing in on corel.com, and then click Merge in the Product Status area. On the Subscriptions page,
select the subscriptions that you want to merge. Proceed to the Confirm selection page, and choose the serial number that you want to
keep.
Step 2: Start the version of CorelDRAW or Corel PHOTO-PAINT that now has an obsolete serial number. Click Tools Options , and in the
Global list of categories, click User Credentials. Next, click Edit Credentials, and in the dialog box, type the serial number that you chose in
step 1.
You have two Corel.com accounts associated with different email addresses, and you want to merge the two accounts.
First, you must call Corel Support Services to merge the accounts for you, and then you must update your email address through the
product.
Step 1: Contact Corel Support Services with a request to merge the two accounts for you. You will be asked to provide an active email
address for your merged account. If you have subscriptions or Upgrade Programs in each account, they are associated with different serial
numbers so you need to choose one of the serial numbers.
Step 2: Start the version of CorelDRAW or Corel PHOTO-PAINT that is now associated with an obsolete account and email address. Click
Tools Options, and in the Global list of categories, click User Credentials. Click Edit Credentials, and in the dialog box that appears, type
the email address that you chose for your merged account. Type your password. If necessary, type the serial number that you chose in step 1.
Corel Support Services
Corel Support Services can provide you with prompt and accurate information about product features, specifications, pricing, availability,
services, and technical support. For the most current information on support services available for your Corel product, please visit
www.corel.com/support.
About Corel
Corel is one of the world’s top software companies providing some of the industry’s best-known graphics, productivity and digital media
products. Boasting the most comprehensive portfolio of innovative software, we’ve built a reputation for delivering solutions that are easy
to learn and use, helping people achieve new levels of creativity and productivity. The industry has responded with hundreds of awards for
innovation, design and value.
Used by millions of people around the world, our product lines include CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, CorelDRAW Technical Suite, Corel®
Painter®, Corel® PaintShop® Pro, Corel® VideoStudio® and Corel® WordPerfect® Office. For more information on Corel, please visit
www.corel.com.
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What’s new in CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X8?
The new and enhanced features of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X8 are described in the following topics:
• “Jump in” (page 27)
• “Craft” (page 30)
• “Personalize” (page 32)
• “Finding out what was new in previous versions” (page 35)
For information about features and tools that were introduced or improved in earlier versions of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, see “Finding out
what was new in previous versions” on page 35.
Jump in
Whether you’re a first-time user or an experienced designer, CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite X8 makes it easy to get started. Learn the basics or
see what’s new with a Startup tour, and be productive immediately with a workspace that matches your workflow needs. Benefit from highquality content and versatile in-product learning resources to enrich your projects. Take advantage of the added power from Windows 10,
multi-monitor viewing and the new 4K displays support.
Take a tour
You can get to work faster and more efficiently thanks to a series of interactive start-up tours. Whether you are new to graphics software, an
experienced user, or someone familiar with other graphics applications, there's a start-up tour to help you quickly get up to speed and take
full advantage of the features and tools of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X8. For more information, see “Learning tours” on page 40.
What’s new in CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X8? | 27
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Take a tour to get started smoothly.
Support for UltraHD 4K displays
An updated interface and support for 4K monitors means that you can comfortably view CorelDRAW and Corel PHOTO-PAINT on even the
most high-definition monitors, including UltraHD. This allows you to edit photos at their native resolution and see the subtlest details in the
image. And with more pixels at your disposal, you can open several windows side-by-side for an efficient workflow.
Support of Windows 10
Thanks to our relentless pursuit of delivering the highest quality user experience, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X8 is fully compliant with and
certified for Windows 10. Corel delivers the same reliability and performance that users have come to expect when working on world’s most
popular operating system.
Improved Hints docker
The Hints docker is a hub of valuable learning resources designed to help reduce the learning curve for new users. It dynamically displays
context-sensitive information on the currently selected tool and provides links to related information. Enhanced in CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
X8, the Hints docker now gives you quick access to additional resources such as video hints, longer videos, and written tutorials, so you can
learn more about a tool or feature without having to search. For more information, see “Using Hints” on page 40.
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Enhanced Hints topics let you access additional resources about tools.
Advanced multi-monitor support
Per-Monitor UI scaling and improvements to multi-monitor support allow graphics professionals to take advantage of the sharpness and
fidelity of new High-DPI monitors and laptops while still using lower-DPI monitors to maximize design space (requires supported hardware
and Windows 8.1 or later). This ensures that UI elements scale properly and appear crisp and legible on screens of all resolutions. For
example, you can drag a document out of the application window and place it within a second screen, dedicating one monitor to a drawing
or image and the other to frequently used dockers and toolbars.
Learn about the product and your account in the updated Welcome Screen
The new Product Details page in the Welcome screen is your one-stop source for the latest on the suite and your user account. It provides
important information about your product or subscription, account status, product updates, and the new Upgrade Program.
Access e-Books
TheCorelDRAW X8 User Guide and Corel PHOTO-PAINT X8 User Guide are available as eBooks. Published to the EPUB and MOBI file formats,
the eBooks bring the most comprehensive information about product features to your eBook reader. Following the user guides on an eBook
reader saves you switching between program windows on your system, allows you to keep learning on the go, and ensures access to the
suite’s Help files when you don’t have Internet access. For more information, see “Accessing eBooks” on page 41.
What’s new in CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X8? | 29
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Craft
Make the most of your design dexterity with the high-caliber, yet intuitive, features of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X8. Quickly find fonts
for any project with the enhanced font search and filtering feature. Work faster with the enhanced Knife tool that helps you split vector
objects, text and bitmaps along any path. Refine your photos with the Healing Clone tool in Corel PHOTO-PAINT X8 and correct perspective
distortions in the enhanced Straighten Image dialog box.
Hide and display objects
CorelDRAW X8 lets you hide objects and groups of objects so that only the sections you want or need to see in a project are displayed.
When working with complex designs, the ability to hide a particular element in your drawing can be a great time-saver. It ensures that you
don’t inadvertently select and edit an object that you hadn’t intended to work on, and it lets you experiment with your designs more easily.
Split objects
With the enhanced Knife tool, you can split vector objects, text and bitmaps along straight, freehand or Bézier lines. You can create a gap
between the split objects or have them overlap. You can also choose whether to convert outlines into curve objects that can be manipulated
or keep them as outlines. And if you’re unsure, CorelDRAW can eliminate any guesswork by automatically choosing the option that best
preserves outline appearance.
Splitting objects with the enhanced Knife tool
Font list box
Finding the right font for your project just got a lot easier in CorelDRAW and Corel PHOTO-PAINT. Using the new Font list box, you can
quickly view, filter, and find the specific font you need. You can also now sort fonts based on weight, width, supported scripts, and more.
Font-searching capabilities have also been enhanced, allowing you to use keywords to locate fonts.
Select adjacent nodes
CorelDRAW X8 offers enhanced node selection that simplifies working with complex shapes. You can now select adjacent nodes on curves
by using the Shape tool while holding down Shift. You can also change the direction in which the nodes are selected.
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Selecting adjacent nodes
Copy curve segments
Another new time-saving enhancement in CorelDRAW X8 is ability to copy or cut a specific part of a curve segment. You can then paste it as
an object, making it easy to create new adjacent shapes with similar contours.
Copying curve segment
Drop shadows with Gaussian Blur feathering
Drop shadows are a great way to enhance elements in your designs. In CorelDRAW X8, you can create more realistic drop shadows that
have natural-looking feathered edges in an instant thanks to the Feathering direction button on the property bar.
A drop shadow with Gaussian Blur feathering
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Support for Real-Time Stylus (RTS)
You can use your RTS-compatible pen tablet or device to capture whatever inspires you on the fly. Support for the Windows Real-Time Stylus
delivers truly responsive pressure sensitivity and tilt and gives you full control of your brushstrokes in CorelDRAW and Corel PHOTO-PAINT.
What’s more, there’s no stylus driver to install, so you can get to work right away. For more information, see “Using pressure-sensitive pens
and devices” on page 313.
Healing Clone
It’s easier than ever to ensure that your photo subjects always look their best thanks to the new Healing Clone tool. It discreetly removes
unwanted spots and imperfections from an image by painting with sampled texture and matching it to the color of the area that you’re
retouching. In a few clicks, you can seamlessly repair and blend a blemish or scar into the rest of the photo.
Correct perspective distortions
With the enhanced Straighten Image dialog box in CorelDRAW and Corel PHOTO-PAINT, you can correct perspective distortions in photos
that have straight lines and flat surfaces. Now in a few clicks, you can easily fix photos of buildings, landmarks, or objects that appear in
the wrong perspective or that were taken from an angle other than directly in front. For more information, see “Correcting perspective
distortions” on page 135.
Gaussian Blur lens
The Gaussian Blur special effect in Corel PHOTO-PAINT is now available as a lens, so you can blur images without overwriting the original
image. When you create a lens, the changes you make are non-destructive, so any edits are displayed on the screen through the lens rather
than applied to the image pixels. The lens is created as a separate object on a layer above the image background so you can edit the lens
and the background image separately, maintaining the original’s data and quality.
Personalize
Feel right at home with all of your favorite tools! Adapt your design space to your needs with the updated interface and custom icon size,
desktop and window border color. Explore and organize fonts for your projects with the help of the new Corel Font Manager X8, plus
expand your collection of creative tools by purchasing apps, plugins and macros from within the application.
Corel Font Manager
When the number of fonts on your system become less of a benefit and more a hassle, Corel Font Manager is the answer. It lets you
easily handle, organize, and explore your typeface and font collections by giving you the tools to control every aspect of your typography
workflow. Whether you want to find and install fonts for your projects, organize fonts for easy access, or manage unneeded fonts, Corel
Font Manager has the tools you need. You can browse and search online and local fonts, preview font glyph sets, create font collections,
and more. For more information about Corel Font Manager, see the Help.
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Corel Font Manager
Fully customizable UI
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X8 offers more UI customization options than ever before, allowing you to tailor your design space to create a
unique work environment. Newly redesigned icons permit scaling up to 250%, and you can lighten or darken the application background by
choosing a theme. For more information, see “Customizing workspace appearance” on page 516.
Customize the desktop color
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X8 offers flexible desktop color scheme options. You can change the color of the area surrounding the drawing
page in CorelDRAW or the image in Corel PHOTO-PAINT to set up the optimal environment for each project, reduce the overall workspace
contrast, or increase the legibility of design elements.
Customize the color of window borders
You can customize the color of window borders in CorelDRAW and Corel PHOTO-PAINT to match your personal preference. If you use both
applications simultaneously, you can set different border colors for each, which lets you quickly identify them when switching programs.
Prepare images for canvas printing
One of the best ways to show off a great photo is to print it to canvas. With the Prep and Stretch docker in Corel PHOTO-PAINT X8, you can
prepare your photos and images for canvas printing in three easy steps. By resizing, fine-tuning, and stretching the image, you can achieve
the perfect composition for your wall art. To use the Prep and Stretch docker, you must first download the Prep and Stretch extension.
For more information, see “To acquire an extension” on page 104. For information about how to use the Prep and Stretch docker, see
“Preparing images for canvas printing” on page 463.
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Expand your collection of creative tools
Expand your collection of creative tools by downloading for free or purchasing applications, plug-ins, and extensions directly from within
CorelDRAW and Corel PHOTO-PAINT. You can download your free license of Corel Website Creator, purchase AfterShot Pro for the ultimate
RAW workflow, experience Corel ParticleShop for amazing bitmap effects, and more. In order to access this collection of creative tools, you
need to be connected to the Internet. For more information, see “Acquiring applications, plug-ins, and extensions” on page 103.
Expand your collection of creative tools with the Get More docker.
Open documents in floating windows
So you can set up your workspace in the way that best suits your style, Corel PHOTO-PAINT offers options for how your photos open. You
can now have a number of documents visible simultaneously in floating windows. Or if you want to focus on one image at a time, you can
open files in a the default tabbed view. For more information, see “To open documents in floating windows” on page 70.
Move the status bar
You can now place the status bar at the top of the application window, making it easier to see useful information about selected objects,
such as color, fill type, outline, and more. For more information, see “To change the position of the status bar” on page 526.
Community website for developers
With support from the new Developer Community site, you can create your own automation tools. There's a variety of useful resources,
including in-depth programming articles and code samples, which can help you automate tasks with macros and create custom features.
And when you have questions, you can turn to a community forum, knowledge base, or the FAQ page.
Visit http://community.coreldraw.com/sdk/ to get started.
Prepare banners for printing
CorelDRAW X8 accelerates the workflow of production professionals with the Border and Grommet dialog box, which simplifies preparing
banner designs for printing. It has intuitive controls for precisely creating the perfect border for the job, whether it’s stretching or mirroring
the document edges or setting a color. This feature also simplifies adding grommets, which are rings or edge strips inserted into holes
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through thin material used to insert ropes and properly hang a banner. The Border and Grommet dialog box even gives you the flexibility to
create a banner from entire active page or just selected objects.
To use the Border and Grommet dialog box, you must first download the Border and Grommet extension.
Finding out what was new in previous versions
You can easily identify what features have been improved or introduced since the last version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite that you used.
To find out what was new in previous versions of CorelDRAWGraphicsSuite
•
Click Help Highlight what’s new, and click one of the following commands:
• Since version X7— highlights menu commands and tools for features introduced or improved in version X8
• Since version X6 — highlights menu commands and tools for features introduced or improved in version X7 and X8
• Since version X5— highlights menu commands and tools for features introduced or improved in version X6, X7, and X8
• No highlight — removes highlighting from menu commands and tools in the toolbox
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Learning resources
You can learn to use the product in various ways: by reading the Quick Start Guide; by accessing the Help, Hints, and tooltips, by viewing
video tutorials, and by exploring the resources on the Corel website (www.corel.com). On the website, you can access tips, additional
tutorials, and training and integration resources. You can also check the Readme file (readme.html ), which is installed with the software.
This section contains the following topics:
• “Getting help” (page 37)
• “Using the Help and tooltips” (page 38)
• “Using Hints” (page 40)
• “Learning tours” (page 40)
• “Welcome screen” (page 41)
• “Accessing eBooks” (page 41)
• “Quick Start Guide” (page 42)
• “Insights from the Experts” (page 42)
• “Video learning resources” (page 42)
• “Community website for developers” (page 43)
• “Network deployment guide” (page 43)
• Web-based resources
Getting help
Various learning resources are available. The following table can help you decide what learning resources to consult when you need
assistance. You can access more information about some resources by clicking the corresponding links.
To See
Start learning the applications “Video learning resources” (page 42)
“Quick Start Guide” (page 42)
“Learning tours” (page 40)
Learn about new and enhanced features “Video learning resources” (page 42)
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To See
“Learning tours” (page 40)
Obtain additional information about product tools and features Help
Web-based resources
“Using Hints” (page 40)
eBook
Advance your knowledge of the suite by learning from graphics
design experts
“Insights from the Experts” (page 42)
Web-based resources
Learn to automate tasks by using macros Community website for developers
Find information about deploying the suite on a network “Network deployment guide” (page 43)
Find specific information about the latest version of the suite Readme file, which is accessible from the installation wizard
Using the Help and tooltips
The Help provides comprehensive information about product features from within the application. If you are connected to the Internet, the
application displays the web-based Help, which contains the latest updates. If no Internet connection is available, the application displays
the local Help, which was copied to your computer during product installation.
You can browse through the entire list of topics, look up tools and topics in the index, or search for specific words. You can also access the
Corel Knowledge Base on the Corel website and other online resources from the Help window.
Tooltips provide helpful information about application controls when you position the pointer over icons, buttons, and other user interface
elements.
Documentation conventions
The following table describes important conventions used in the documentation.
Convention Description Examples
Menu Menu command
A menu item and menu command that you
Click File Open.
need to click in sequence
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Convention Description Examples
A note contains important information
that is relevant to the preceding steps. It
may describe conditions under which the
procedure can be performed.
A compound blend cannot be copied or
cloned.
If you click the Equal margins button, you
must specify values in the Top/left margin
boxes.
A tip contains suggestions for performing
the preceding steps. It may present
alternatives to the steps, or other benefits or
uses of the procedure.
Trimming an object can reduce the drawing
file size.
You can change the number of swatches in
the color grid by dragging the Size slider.
To use the Help
1
Click Help Product Help.
2 Click one of the following tabs:
• Contents — lets you browse through topics in the Help. To open a topic, click the topic heading in the left pane.
• Index — lets you use the index to find a topic
• Search — lets you search the full text of the Help for a particular word or phrase
You can also
View context-sensitive Help from within a dialog box Click the Help button in the dialog box.
Print a specific Help topic Open a Help topic, click the page that you want to print, and click
Print at the top of the Help window.
You can also access the Help by pressing F1 .
You can also access the Help from the Welcome screen.
To search the Help
1
Click Help Product Help.
2 Click the Search tab, and type a word or phrase in the search box.
For example, if you are looking for information about the RGB color mode, you can type “RGB” to display a list of relevant topics. To
search for a phrase, type the phrase, and enclose it in quotation marks (for example, type “dynamic guides” or “color mode”).
3 Choose a topic from the list that appears.
If your search results do not include any relevant topics, check whether you spelled the search word or phrase correctly. Note that
the English Help uses American spelling (for example, “color,” “favorite,” “center,” and “rasterize”), so searching for British spellings
(“colour,” “favourite,” “centre,” and “rasterise”) produces no results.
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Using Hints
Hints provide information about tools in the toolbox from within the application. When you click a tool, a hint appears, telling you how to
use the tool. If you need additional information about a tool, you can access relevant learning resources such as a Help topic, video hint,
longer video or written tutorial.
Hints are displayed in the Hints docker on the right side of the application window, but you can hide them when you no longer need them.
For information about working with dockers, see “Dockers” on page 62.
To use Hints
To Do the following
Display or hide Hints
Click Help Hints.
When the Hints command is enabled, the Hints docker appears
and provides information about the active tool in the toolbox.
Display information about a tool Click the tool, or perform an action with a tool that is already
active.
Get additional information about the active tool In the Learn more section, click a link to a relevant Help topic,
video, or a written tutorial.
Navigate to previously viewed topics Click the Back and Forward buttons at the bottom of the Hints
docker.
Learning tours
Whether you are new to graphics software, upgrading from a previous version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, or transitioning from other
graphics software; there is a learning tour designed to help you get started quickly. You can take a tour when you start an application or
later.
Tours are easy to navigate, allowing you to go through consecutive steps or navigate to a specific step. You can stop a tour at any point and
save the results so that you can continue from where you stopped later.
To complete a tour
1
Click Help Take a Tour .
2 Choose any of the following tours:
• Learn the Basics — for users who are new to graphics and photo-editing applications
• Tour New Features — for users who are familiar with earlier versions of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
• Transition to Corel — for users who are familiar with other graphics and photo-editing applications
You can also
Navigate to a specific step Click a step in the progress bar.
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You can also
Exit an unfinished tour and save the results Click Quit, and click Yes in the dialog box that asks you if you want to
save the results.
Resume a tour Click the tour title, and click Continue in the dialog box that appears.
You can also access a tour from the Start Creating screen when you start the application for the first time, or from the Welcome
screen.
To show or hide tour links in the Welcome screen
1
Click Tools Options. In the Workspace list of categories, click General.
2 Enable or disable the Show tours in Welcome Screen check box.
Welcome screen
The Welcome screen gives you easy access to learning resources, including the Discovery Center, and lets you quickly complete common
tasks, such as opening files and starting files from templates. You can find out about the new features in CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X8
and get inspired by graphic designs featured on the Gallery page. In addition, you can check the latest product updates, find detailed
information about your product, and more.
To access the Welcome screen
•
Click Help Welcome screen.
To view and access the available resources, click the links on the left side of the Welcome screen.
You can also access the Welcome screen by clicking the Welcome screen button on the tab bar. If you want to hide the Welcome
screen button from the tab bar, click Tools Options , click General in the Workspace list of categories, and disable the Show
Welcome Screen button on tab bar check box.
To stop displaying the Welcome screen each time you start the application, disable the Always show the Welcome screen at launch
check box in the lower-left corner.
Accessing eBooks
The CorelDRAW X8 User Guide and Corel PHOTO-PAINT X8 User Guide are available as eBooks. Published to the EPUB and MOBI file format,
the eBooks bring the most comprehensive information about product features to your eBook reader.
The user guides are now available in EPUB and MOBI file format.
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To access an eBook
1 Sign in to your corel.com account.
2 On Your Account page, click Downloads, and proceed to download the eBook you want.
Quick Start Guide
The Quick Start Guide, available in PDF format, can help you get started quickly with the suite by introducing you to useful tools and
features.
To access the Quick Start Guide
•
Click Help Quick Start Guide.
Insights from the Experts
The Insights from the Experts is a series of tutorials by graphic design professionals who use CorelDRAW Graphics Suite in their everyday
work. You can access these online tutorialsas individual PDF files directly from the Help menu.
To access Insights from the Experts
•
Click Help Insights from the Experts.
Video learning resources
Two types of video learning resources are available: short videos, known as video hints, and video tutorials.
The short videos show you how to complete basic tasks such as drawing, shaping, and coloring objects in CorelDRAW, or masking and
cropping in Corel PHOTO-PAINT. The videos do not have sound, but they include captions that provide useful tips and help you understand
the features that are shown. The length of a short video does not exceed two minutes.
The video tutorials show you how to get the most out of features such as such as font management, fills and transparencies, Content
Exchange, alignment tools, QR codes, photo effects, and more. Whether you are a new or long-time user, you will find useful demos and
tips to boost your productivity and expand your experience.
To access a video
1
Click Help Video tutorials.
2 Click a title in the Videos pane.
You can also
Pause a video Click the Pause button on the control bar.
Display full screen Click the Full screen button in the lower-right corner of the video
window.
Jump to a specific frame in the video Point to the bottom of the video window, and click the progress
bar.
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Community website for developers
Whether you are automating tasks by using macros, creating custom tools, or developing commercial solutions that integrate with
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite; the developer community website can help you with its wealth of useful resources: a programming guide,
detailed Object Model reference documentation with code samples, and in-depth programming articles.
You can use either Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) or Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Applications (VSTA) to create macros and
customized solutions for CorelDRAW and Corel PHOTO-PAINT.
Network deployment guide
The CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X8 Deployment Guide is a step-by-step resource for deploying CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X8 to a network.
This guide is provided to customers who purchase a volume (“multi-seat”) license of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X8 for their organization. To
purchase a volume license of the software and obtain its deployment guide, please contact Corel Support Services.
Web-based resources
The following web-based resources can help you get the most out of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite:
• Corel Knowledge Base — articles written by the Corel Technical Support Services Team in response to questions by users
• Community.CorelDRAW.com — an online environment to share your experience with the product, ask questions, and receive help and
suggestions from other users
• Tutorials on the Corel website— in-depth tutorials in which CorelDRAW Graphics Suite experts share their knowledge and techniques
An active Internet connection is required to access web-based resources.
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Starting and setting up
This section contains the following topics:
• “Starting and quitting Corel PHOTO-PAINT” (page 45)
• “Changing the language” (page 45)
• “Changing startup settings” (page 46)
Starting and quitting Corel PHOTO-PAINT
You can start Corel PHOTO-PAINT from the Windows taskbar and end a Corel PHOTO-PAINT session from the application window.
To start and quit Corel PHOTO-PAINT
To Do the following
Start Corel PHOTO-PAINT Do one of the following:
• (Windows 7 and Windows 10) From the Windows
taskbar, click Start Programs CorelDRAW Graphics
SuiteX8 Corel PHOTO-PAINT.
• (Windows 8) Click the Corel PHOTO-PAINT X8 tile on your
desktop.
Quit Corel PHOTO-PAINT
Click File Exit.
Changing the language
If an application has been installed in more than one language, you can change the language of the user interface and Help at any time.
To change the language of the user interface and Help
1
Click Tools Options.
2 In the list of categories, click Global.
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3 Choose a language from the Select the language for the user interface list box.
If you want to change the language of the user interface and Help when you start the application, enable the Ask me the next time the
software starts check box.
4 Restart the application.
If there is only one language available in the Select the language for the user interface list box, you must first install the additional
languages that you want. For more information, see “To modify or repair a CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X8 installation” on page 21.
Changing startup settings
You can specify the startup settings for Corel PHOTO-PAINT, which control how the application appears when it’s opened. For example, you
can start the application with the Welcome screen open or a new blank document.
To change startup settings
1
Click Tools Options.
2 In the Workspace list of categories, click General.
3 In the Getting Started area, choose an option from the On start-up list box.
If you want to hide the Create a new image dialog box when starting images, disable the Show new image dialog box check box.
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Corel PHOTO-PAINT workspace tour
Becoming familiar with the terminology and workspace of Corel PHOTO-PAINT will help you follow the concepts and procedures found in
the user guide and in the Help.
This section contains the following topics:
• “Corel PHOTO-PAINT terms” (page 47)
• “Corel PHOTO-PAINT application window” (page 48)
• “Choosing a workspace” (page 50)
• “Toolbars” (page 51)
• “Toolbox” (page 53)
• “Property bar” (page 62)
• “Dockers” (page 62)
• “Color palette” (page 64)
• “Status bar” (page 64)
Corel PHOTO-PAINT terms
Before you get started in Corel PHOTO-PAINT, you should understand the following terms.
Term Description
Channel An 8-bit grayscale image that stores color or mask information for
an image
Editable area An editable area of a mask allows paint and effects to be applied to
a selected area of an image
Image A file you open or create in Corel PHOTO-PAINT
Lens An object layer that protects part or all of an image when you
perform color and tonal corrections
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Term Description
Mask A mask can be applied to an image during image editing to define
protected areas and editable areas
Object An independent bitmap that is layered above the background
image
Path A series of line and curve segments connected by adjustable
endpoints called nodes
Thumbnails A miniature, low-resolution version of an image
For more terms and definitions, see the “Glossary” on page 545.
Corel PHOTO-PAINT application window
The Corel PHOTO-PAINT application window contains elements that help you access the tools and commands you need to view and edit
images. Application commands are accessible through the menu bar, toolbox, property bar, toolbars, or dockers.
The application window appears below.
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Circled numbers correspond to the numbers in the following table,
which describes the main components of the application window.
Part Description
1. Toolbox A bar that contains tools for editing, creating, and viewing images.
The toolbox also contains the color control area, which lets you
select colors and fills.
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Part Description
2 Document tab A tab displays for each open document to allow you to quickly
move between documents
3. Title bar The area on the image window displaying the title of the image
4. Property bar A detachable bar containing commands that change according to
the active tool
5. Menu bar The area containing drop-down menus with commands grouped
by category
6. Toolbar (standard) A bar that contains shortcuts to some menus and other basic
commands, such as opening, saving, and printing
7. Image window The area in which the image appears. Although more than one
image window can be open at the same time, you can apply
commands to the active image window only.
8. Status bar An area that displays image information, system information, and
tips
9. Navigator A button that lets you view a thumbnail of the entire image so that
you can focus the image window on a specific area. The Navigator
is available only when the total image cannot be viewed in the
image window.
10. Docker A window that provides access to additional commands and image
information. Some dockers provide a visual display area. The Hints
and Object manager dockers are displayed by default.
11. Color palette A dockable bar that contains color swatches
You can customize many of the elements in the application window to suit your workflow. For information about customizing Corel PHOTOPAINT, see “Customizing Corel PHOTO-PAINT” on page 515.
Choosing a workspace
Corel PHOTO-PAINT includes a collection of workspaces that are designed to help you increase your productivity. A workspace is a
configuration of settings that specifies how the various command bars, commands, and buttons are arranged when you open the
application. Their purpose is to make more accessible the tools that you use most often. You can choose a workspace from the Welcome
Screen, or you can switch to a different workspace from within the application.
The following table describes the available workspaces.
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Workspace Description
Lite This workspace makes Corel PHOTO-PAINT’s most commonly used
tools and features more accessible. If you are new to Corel PHOTOPAINT, the Lite workspace is ideal for getting started.
X6 Inspired This workspace is almost identical to the default Corel PHOTO-
PAINT X6 workspace. It is best suited for experienced Corel PHOTOPAINT users who are looking for a seamless transition to a modern
yet familiar environment in Corel PHOTO-PAINT X8. Many elements
of the workspace have been optimized for a more streamlined
workflow.
Default This workspace has been redesigned to provide a more intuitive
placement of tools and controls. If you have experience using Corel
PHOTO-PAINT, or another photo-editing application, the default
workspace is a good choice.
Help topics are based on the Default workspace.
Adobe Photoshop Simulates the Adobe Photoshop workspace by positioning the Corel
PHOTO-PAINT features where you would find the equivalent feature
in Adobe Photoshop. This workspace is useful if you recently
switched from Adobe Photoshop to Corel PHOTO-PAINT and you
are not familiar with the Corel PHOTO-PAINT workspace.
If you have a unique workflow, you can create a custom workspace that is optimized for your specific needs. For more information, see
“Creating workspaces” on page 515.
To choose a workspace
•
Click Window Workspace, and choose one of the available workspaces.
You can also choose a workspace from the Welcome Screen or by clicking Tools Option , clicking Workspace in the list of
categories, and then enabling the check box beside a workspace in the Workspace list.
Toolbars
Toolbars consist of buttons that are shortcuts to menu commands. The standard toolbar consists of commonly used commands. The table
below outlines the buttons on the standard toolbar.
Press this button To
Start a new image
Open an image
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Press this button To
Save an image
Print an image
Cut selected objects to the Clipboard
Copy selected objects to the Clipboard
Paste the Clipboard contents into an image
Undo the last action
Redo the last action
Display the Get More docker to acquire more creative tools or
search for content such as clipart, photos, fonts, and more
Import an image
Export an image
Change the zoom level
Display a full-screen preview
Show or hide rulers
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Show or hide guidelines
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Press this button To
Show or hide the image slicing grid
Show or hide the mask marquee
Show or hide the object marquee
Invert a mask
Clear a mask
Open the Options dialog box
Start Corel applications
In addition to the standard toolbar, Corel PHOTO-PAINT has toolbars for specific kinds of tasks. For example, if you frequently work with
masks, you can display the Mask/object toolbar. Unlike the contents of a property bar, the contents of a toolbar remain the same.
For information about moving and re-sizing toolbars, and changing which toolbars display by default, see “To customize toolbar position
and display” on page 522. You can also create a custom toolbar to include the tools and commands you use most often.For information
about creating custom toolbars, see “Customizing toolbars” on page 521.
To hide or display a toolbar
•
Click Window Toolbars, and click a toolbar.
A check mark next to a toolbar name indicates that the toolbar is displayed in the image window.
Toolbox
The toolbox contains tools for editing, creating, and viewing images. Some of the tools are visible by default, while others are grouped in
flyouts. Flyouts open to display a set of related tools.
A small flyout arrow in the bottom-right corner of a toolbox button indicates a flyout. The last tool used in a flyout displays in the toolbox.
You can access the tools in a flyout by clicking the small black arrow that appears in the bottom, right corner of a toolbox button. After you
open one flyout, you can easily scan the contents of other flyouts by hovering over any of the toolbox buttons that have flyout arrows.
Flyouts function like toolbars when you drag them away from the toolbox. This lets you view all the related tools while you work.
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In the default workspace, clicking the flyout arrow on the Clone tool opens the Touch up flyout.
In addition to the tools, the color control area appears in the toolbox. The color control area lets you choose colors and fills.
You can hide and display the toolbox by clicking Window Toolbars Toolbox.
To hide or display tools in the toolbox, click the Quick customize button , and enable or disable the corresponding check
boxes. For more information, see “Customizing the toolbox” on page 524.
The following tables provide descriptions of the tools and the color control area.
Tools
Pick tools
The Object pick tool lets you select,
position, and transform objects.
Mask tools
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The Mask transform tool lets you position,
size, and transform editable areas.
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The Rectangle mask tool lets you define
rectangle editable areas.
The Ellipse mask tool lets you define
elliptical editable areas.
The Magic wand mask tool lets you
define irregularly shaped editable areas
that include the first-clicked pixel and all
adjacent pixels of similar color.
The Lasso mask tool lets you define
editable areas that are irregular in shape
and surrounded by pixels of similar colors.
The Magnetic mask tool lets you snap the
mask marquee to the edges of areas that
contrast in color with their surroundings.
The Freehand mask tool lets you define
irregularly shaped or polygonal editable
areas.
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Crop tool
The Brush mask tool lets you define an
editable area by brushing an area as if you
were painting.
The Planar mask tool lets you create
feathered masks that are defined by parallel
lines.
The Crop tool lets you trim images and
straighten crooked images.
Zoom tools
The Image slicing tool lets you cut a large
image into smaller sections to be used in a
webpage.
The Zoom tool lets you change the
magnification level in the image window.
The Pan tool lets you drag image areas
into view when the image is larger than its
window.
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Touch-up tools
The Clone tool lets you duplicate part of an
image and apply it to another part of the
same image or to another image.
The Red-eye removal tool lets you remove
the red-eye effect from the eyes of subjects
in photos.
The Touch-up brush tool lets you remove
imperfections, such as tears, scratch marks,
and wrinkles, from an image by blending its
textures and colors.
Liquid tools
The Healing Clone tool lets you fix photo
imperfections seamlessly by painting with
sampled texture that matches the color of
the surrounding area.
The Liquid smear tool lets you create an
effect similar to dragging wet paint.
The Liquid twirl tool lets you create swirls
from specific image areas.
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Effect tool
The Liquid attract tool lets you reshape
image areas by pulling pixels towards the
brush center.
The Liquid repel tool lets you reshape
image areas by pushing pixels away from
the brush center.
The Effect tool lets you perform local color
and tonal corrections on the image.
Text tool
Brush tools
The Text tool lets you add text to your
image and edit existing text.
The Paint tool lets you paint on an image
by using the foreground color.
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The Image sprayer tool lets you load one
or more images and paint them on your
image.
The Undo brush tool lets you restore image
areas to how they looked before your last
brushstroke.
The Replace color brush tool lets you
replace the foreground color in your image
with the background color.
Shape tools
The Rectangle tool lets you draw square or
rectangular shapes.
The Ellipse tool lets you draw circular or
elliptical shapes.
The Polygon tool lets you draw polygons.
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Eraser tool
The Line tool lets you draw single or joined
straight-line segments using the foreground
color.
The Path tool lets you create and edit paths.
The Eraser tool lets you erase image areas
or object areas to reveal the object or
background underneath.
Interactive/Transparency tools
The Drop shadow tool lets you add
shadows to objects.
The Object transparency tool lets you
gradually fade the colors of objects to reveal
image areas underneath.
The Color transparency tool lets you make
pixels with a specific color value in an object
transparent.
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Eyedropper tool
Fill tools
The Object transparency brush tool lets
you brush areas on an object to make them
more transparent.
The Eyedropper tool lets you choose colors
from an image.
The Fill tool lets you fill areas with one of
four fill types: uniform, fountain, bitmap,
and texture.
Color control area
The Interactive fill tool lets you apply a
gradient fill to the entire image, object, or
selection.
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The Foreground color swatch displays the
current foreground color, which applies to
all paint tools and text.
The Background color swatch displays the
current background color, which is shown
when you erase portions of the background
or increase the paper size.
The arrow lets you swap the foreground
color and background color.
The Fill color swatch displays the current
fill color, which applies to the shape and fill
tools.
You can change the foreground,
background, or fill color by double-clicking
the respective color swatch.
The Reset color icon lets you return to the
default colors — black as foreground and
fill colors, and white as a background color.
Property bar
The property bar displays commonly used commands that are relevant to the active tool. Unlike toolbars, the contents of the property bar
change depending on which tool is active. For example, when you use the Text tool, the contents of the property bar change to display textrelated settings such as font type, font size, and alignment. You can also
To hide or display tools on the property bar, click the Quick customize button , and enable or disable the corresponding check
boxes. For more information, see “Customizing the property bar” on page 524.
Dockers
Dockers display the same types of controls as a dialog box, such as command buttons, options, and list boxes. Unlike most dialog boxes, you
can keep dockers open while working on a document, so you can readily access the commands to experiment with different effects. Dockers
have features similar to palettes in other graphics programs.
Dockers can be either docked or floating. A docked docker is attached to the edge of the application window, a toolbar, or a palette. A
floating docker is not attached to a workspace element. If you open several dockers, they usually appear nested, with only one docker fully
displayed. You can quickly display a docker hidden from view by clicking the docker’s tab.
You can move dockers, and you can collapse dockers to save screen space.
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An example of a docker is the Object manager docker. The Object manager docker displays thumbnails of
the image background and each object layer, as well as command buttons and options related to objects.
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To open or close a docker
•
Click Window Dockers, and click a docker.
To open or close dockers, you can also click the Quick customize button on the right side of a docker, and enable or disable
the corresponding check boxes.
You can also close a docker by clicking the X button on its title bar. Clicking the X button on the title bar closes all nested dockers in a
group. To close only a specific docker, click the X button on the docker’s tab.
To move dockers
To move Do the following
A docker Drag the docker’s tab to a new
location.
Multiple nested dockers Drag the title bar of the active docker
to a new location.
To dock a floating docker
• Drag the docker’s title bar or tab to an edge of the drawing window and position the pointer along the edge. When a grey preview of
the docker’s position appears, release the mouse button.
To collapse a docker
•
Click the Collapse docker button on the docker’s title bar.
To expand a collapsed docker, click its tab.
Color palette
A color palette is a collection of color swatches. You can choose foreground, background, and fill colors by using the default color palette,
which contains RGB colors. For more information about choosing colors, see “Choosing colors” on page 186.
Status bar
The status bar displays information about the image, system memory, and the active tool. It also displays information about the document
color and the color proofing status. You can change the type of information that is displayed to help you with your current task. For
example, if you are working with images that have different dimensions, you can display the dimension of the current image.
You can also customize the status bar by adding command buttons. For information about customizing the status bar, see “Customizing the
status bar” on page 525.
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To change the type of information displayed on the status bar
•
Click the arrow on the status bar, and click one of the following:
• File size
• Current tool
• Document dimensions
• Document color information
• Memory
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Setting options
You can change a variety of settings in Corel PHOTO-PAINT according to your preferences.
This section contains the following topics:
• “Changing workspace options” (page 67)
• “Disabling warning messages” (page 68)
Changing workspace options
In Corel PHOTO-PAINT, you can change the default workspace settings according to your preferences.
There are two types of workspace options — general and display. General options let you specify settings, such as unit of measure, cursor
type, dialog box position.
You can also set the nudge and super nudge values. The nudge value defines the distance (in pixels) that you can move an object, editable
area or guideline using arrow keys. The super nudge value is a multiple of the value.
Display options let you specify settings such as the color of paths, the mask tint color, the color of guidelines, transparency grid patterns, as
well as the threshold settings for the mask and object marquees.
To set general options
1
Click Tools Options.
2 In the Workspace list of categories, click General.
3 Specify the settings you want.
To set display options
1
Click Tools Options.
2 In the Workspace list of categories, click Display.
3 Specify the settings you want.
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Disabling warning messages
You may encounter warning messages while working in Corel PHOTO-PAINT. Warning messages explain the consequences of an action you
are about to perform, and inform you of permanent changes that might result from that action. Although the warnings are helpful, you can
disable them so you don’t have to view them after you become familiar with the software. Avoid disabling warning messages until you are
comfortable with the application and familiar with the results of the commands you use.
To disable warning messages
1
Click Tools Options.
2 In the Workspace list of categories, click Warnings.
3 Disable one or more of the check boxes.
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Bringing images into Corel PHOTO-PAINT
You can bring images into Corel PHOTO-PAINT in a variety of ways.
This section contains the following topics:
• “Opening images” (page 69)
• “Importing files” (page 71)
• “Scanning images” (page 73)
• “Creating images” (page 74)
• “Working with multiple images” (page 76)
• “Working with vector graphics” (page 76)
For information about bringing RAW camera files into Corel PHOTO-PAINT, see “Bringing RAW camera files into Corel PHOTO-PAINT” on
page 480.
Opening images
You can open most bitmaps in Corel PHOTO-PAINT. Each image you open appears in its own image window.
When you open documents in Corel PHOTO-PAINT, by default they are displayed in tabbed view. You can customize the application so that
documents are opened in floating windows.
You can also import images. Importing allows you to add a new image to the active image window. For more information, see “Importing
files” on page 71.
You can use the clipart and photos that are included on the Corel DVD. If you are using Windows 7 or Windows 8, you can search for
images by different criteria, such as filename, title, subject, author, keyword, comment, and other properties attached to the file. For more
information about searching for files with Windows 7 or Windows 8, see the Windows Help. You can also browse and search for content by
using the Get More docker. For more information, see “Finding content with the Get More docker” on page 105.
Opening earlier versions of multilingual files
You can open or import an image from version 11 or earlier of Corel PHOTO-PAINT that contains text in a language different from the
language of your operating system. To do this, you can use code page settings to ensure that object names and notes saved with the image
are displayed correctly in the Object manager docker. To ensure that text is correctly displayed in the image window, you need to use
encoding settings. For more information, see “Modifying encoding settings to display text correctly” on page 411.
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To open an image
1
Click File Open.
2 Locate the folder where the file is stored.
3 Click a filename.
If necessary, you can search for an image by using the search box. You can search by filename, title, subject, author, keyword, or
comment.
4 Click Open.
You can also
Detect a watermark Enable the Check for watermark check box.
This option is not available for all file formats.
Remove unwanted areas from an image as you open it In the Open list box, click Crop and load.
Decrease the dimensions of an image as you open it In the Open list box, click Resample and load.
Search for an image Type a word or phrase in the search box.
The search box looks for files only in the current folder and
subfolders. To search for an image in another location, you must
first navigate to the folder where the image is stored.
Access a previous version of a file Right-click a file, and click Restore previous versions.
You can access a previous version of a file only if System Protection
is turned on.
For detailed information about accessing previous versions of files,
see the Windows Help.
Display object names and notes correctly in an image that was
created in an earlier version of Corel PHOTO-PAINT
Choose the corresponding option from the Select code page list
box.
This option is not available for all file formats.
You can also open an image by clicking the Open button on the standard toolbar. If the standard toolbar is not displayed, click
Window Toolbars Standard.
To open documents in floating windows
1
Click Tools Options.
2 In the Workspace list of categories, click General.
3 Enable the Open documents in floating windows check box.
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To insert a file into an active image
• Drag the image or sound file to the image window.
You can also open a file in a new image window by dragging the file to the application window.
Importing files
Corel PHOTO-PAINT provides filters that convert files from one format to another when you import them. You can import a file and place it
in the active application window as an object. The imported file becomes part of the active image. You can also bring in a file by opening it
in a new application window.
You can use the import filter’s default settings or choose the settings you want when you import the file. You can also save a file’s
embedded International Color Consortium (ICC) profile to a local color folder.
While importing a bitmap, you can resample it to change the number of pixels, eliminate unusable detail, and reduce the file size. You can
also crop a bitmap to select only the exact area and size of the image you want to import.
You can import the clipart and photos that are included on the Corel DVD. If you are using Windows 7 or Windows 8, you can search for
images by different criteria, such as filename, title, subject, author, keyword, comment, and other properties attached to the file. For more
information about searching for files with Windows 7 or Windows 8, see the Windows Help. You can also browse and search for content by
using the Get More docker. For more information, see “Finding content with the Get More docker” on page 105.
You can also export Corel PHOTO-PAINT images to a variety of file formats. The file format that you choose depends on how you want to use
the image in the future. For more information about exporting files, see “Exporting images to other file formats” on page 99.
For information about specific file formats, see “Supported file formats” on page 489.
To import a file into an active image
1
Click File Import.
2 Locate the folder where the file is stored.
3 Choose a file format from the list box next to the File name box.
If you are not sure about the format of the file you want to import, choose All file formats.
4 Click a filename.
If the file contains text in a language different from the language of your operating system, choose the corresponding option from the
Code page list box to ensure that notes and object names are displayed correctly. This option is not available for all file formats.
5 Click Import.
6 Click the image window.
You can also
Save the embedded International Color Consortium (ICC) profile Enable the Extract embedded ICC profile check box to save the
ICC profile to the color folder in which the application is installed.
Check for watermark or copyright information Enable the Check for watermark check box.
Use the filter’s default settings without opening its dialog box Enable the Do not show filter dialog check box.
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You can also
Select the page to import when importing multi-page TIFF
documents
In the Import TIFF dialog box, enable an option in the Select the
page(s) to import area.
In Corel PHOTO-PAINT, you can open only one page of a multi-page
TIFF at a time.
Search for an image Type a word or phrase in the search box.
The search box looks for files only in the current folder and
subfolders. To search for an image in another location, you must
first navigate to the folder where the image is stored.
The Import an Image from Disk dialog box displays the size of the file you want to import and any annotations associated with the
file.
You can also import a file by opening it in a new application window. For more information about opening a file in a new application
window, see “To open an image” on page 70.
To resample an image while importing
1
Click File Import.
2 Choose the folder where the file is stored.
If necessary, you can search for an image by using the search box. You can search for such things as filename, title, subject, author,
keyword, or comment, bitmap names, object names, and so on.
3 Choose a file format from the list box that is beside the File name box.
If you are not sure about what file format the file is, choose All file formats.
4 Click the filename.
5 Click Import, and click Resample and load.
6 In the Resample image dialog box, type values in any of the following boxes:
• Width — specifies the width of the graphic in a chosen unit of measurement or as a percentage of its original width
• Height — specifies the height of the graphic in a chosen unit of measurement or as a percentage of its original height
7 In the Resolution section, type values in any of the following boxes:
• Horizontal — lets you specify the horizontal resolution of the graphic in pixels or dots per inch (dpi)
• Vertical — lets you specify the vertical resolution of the graphic in pixels or dots per inch (dpi)
8 Click the image window.
You can also
Maintain the width-to-height ratio of the image Enable the Maintain aspect ratio check box.
Change the units of measurement Choose a unit type from the Units list box.
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You can also
Maintain equal horizontal and vertical resolution values
automatically
If a dialog box for the import format opens, specify the options you want. For detailed information about file formats, see
“Supported file formats” on page 489.
You cannot increase the resolution of a file when importing.
You can also import a file by opening it in a new application window. For more information about opening a file in a new application
window, see “To open an image” on page 70.
Enable the Identical values check box.
To crop an image while importing
1
Click File Import.
2 Choose the folder where the file is stored.
If necessary, you can search for an image by using the search box. You can search for such things as filename, title, subject, author,
keyword, or comment, bitmap names, object names, and so on.
3 Choose a file format from the list box that is beside the File name box.
If you are not sure about what file format the file is, choose All file formats.
4 Click the filename.
5 Click Import, and click Crop and load.
6 Type values in any of the following boxes:
• Top — specifies the area to remove from the top of the graphic
• Left — specifies the area to remove from the left edge of the graphic
• Width — specifies the width of the graphic you want to keep
• Height — specifies the height of the graphic you want to keep
7 Click the image window.
When you import 16-color bitmaps, they are automatically converted to 256-color.
You can also resize an image by dragging the selection box in the preview window.
You can change the units of measurement by choosing a unit type from the Units list box, in the Crop image dialog box.
Scanning images
You can scan images in Corel PHOTO-PAINT. Corel PHOTO-PAINT supports scanners that use Microsoft Windows Image Acquisition (WIA),
which provides a standard interface for scanning images.
If your scanner does not support WIA, but has a compatible TWAIN driver, you may be able to use this driver for scanning. TWAIN is
supported by both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Corel PHOTO-PAINT. However, note that there are very few 64-bit TWAIN drivers
available.
The software interfaces and options vary. For information about using your scanner’s software, see the manufacturer’s documentation.
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For more detailed information about bringing in RAW camera files, see “Bringing RAW camera files into Corel PHOTO-PAINT” on page
480.
To scan an image
1
Click File Acquire image, and click one of the following commands:
• Select WIA source — for a scanner that uses a WIA driver
• Select TWAIN source— for a scanner that uses a TWAIN driver
A command appears disabled if a compatible WIA or TWAIN scanner driver is not installed.
2 Choose a scanner from the dialog box that appears.
3 Click Select.
4
Click File Acquire image Acquire .
5 Preview the image, and select the area that you want to scan.
WIA, in combination with some scanners, supports scanning of multiple areas to separate files.
6 Click Scan.
On your scanner’s interface, this button may have a different name, such as OK or Send.
Creating images
You can produce original artwork by creating an image from scratch, or by duplicating an existing image. When creating an image from
scratch, Corel PHOTO-PAINT lets you specify various image and color management settings. You can choose from a list of preset settings,
which are based on how you intend to use the image. For example, you can choose the Web option if you are creating an image for the
Internet or the Photos option if you are creating a photo. However, if the preset settings are not suitable for the image that you want to
create, you can also choose custom settings and store them for future use.
In addition, you can create an image by using data copied to the Clipboard from another image window or another application.
When you create an image from scratch, you can specify the size of the image, its background color, and the color mode you want to use.
You can also choose the image resolution, or the number of pixels per unit of measure.
To create an image from scratch
1 Do one of the following:
• On the Welcome Page, click New document.
•
In the application window, click File New.
2 Type a filename in the Name text box.
3 From the Preset destination list box, choose an output destination for the image:
• Web — applies settings for creating images that are destined for the Internet
• Photos — applies settings for creating images that are photos
• Default CMYK — applies settings for creating images that are destined for commercial printing
You can also
Change the unit of measurement for the image Choose a unit of measurement from the Units list box.
Change the image size Choose a image size for the image from the Size list box or type
values in the Width and Height boxes.
Change the image orientation Click one of the following image orientation buttons:
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You can also
•Portrait
•Landscape
Change the background color of the image Open the Background color picker, and click on a color.
Change the color mode for the image Choose a color mode from the Color mode list box.
Set the resolution for the image Choose a resolution from the Resolution list box.
Choose a rendering intent that corresponds to the final output of
the image
Choose a color profile that corresponds with the selected color
mode
Create multiple frames for a movie within your file Type a value in the Number of frames box.
Reset the default settings of the Create a new image dialog box From the Preset destination list box, choose PHOTO-PAINT
If you do not want to show the Create a new image dialog box and prefer to use the default settings to create new images, enable
the Do not show this dialog again check box.
You can restore the Create a new image dialog box when starting images by clicking Tools Options , then choosing Workspace
General from the list of categories, and enabling the Show new image dialog check box.
Choose a rendering intent from the Rendering intent list box.
For more information about rendering intents, see “What is a
rendering intent?” on page 215.
Choose a color profile from the corresponding color profile list box.
default.
To create a custom preset
1
In the application window, click File New.
2 From the Create a new image dialog box, choose the settings that you want to store as a preset destination.
3 Click the Add destination button.
4 In the Add destination dialog box, type a name for the new destination preset in the text box.
Higher image resolution results in a larger file size.
You can delete a destination preset by choosing the preset name from the Preset destination list box, and then clicking the Remove
destination button.
You can specify a custom page size by choosing Custom from the Sizelist box and typing values in the Width and Height boxes.
You can also create an image by clicking the New button on the standard toolbar. If the standard toolbar is not displayed, click
Window Toolbars Standard.
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To create an image from a duplicate
1
Click Image Duplicate.
2 Type a filename in the As box.
If you want to combine the objects and background in the new image, enable the Merge objects with background check box.
To create an image by using the Clipboard contents
•
Click File New from Clipboard.
Working with multiple images
Multiple images can be opened in a single image window, making it easy to handle many images simultaneously. You can access each open
image from its tab at the top of the image window, and you can start new images.
Open images appear docked, but you can undock any image you want and drag it inside or outside the application window.
You can also arrange images in overlapping (cascading) windows, side by side, or stacked vertically.
To handle multiple images
To Do the following
Switch to another open image At the top of the image window, click the tab that has the filename
you want.
Start another image
Undock an image Drag the image tab to a new position inside or outside the
Click the New button to the right of the last document tab.
application window.
To arrange multiple images
• Click Window, and click one of the following commands:
• Cascade — arranges image windows so that they overlap and the title bars are visible
• Tile Horizontally — arranges images side by side
• Tile Vertically — stacks images vertically
Working with vector graphics
In Corel PHOTO-PAINT, you work with bitmaps, also called raster images. Bitmaps are composed of tiny squares called pixels; each pixel is
mapped to a location in an image, and has numerical color values. The location and color value data is stored as bits — hence the name
bitmaps.
Vector graphics are made up of lines, curves, objects, and fills that are all calculated mathematically. Although you cannot work with vector
graphics in Corel PHOTO-PAINT, you can convert vector graphics to bitmaps as you open or import them. This conversion process is called
rasterization. You can also copy vector graphics from CorelDRAW and paste them into Corel PHOTO-PAINT.
Vector graphics usually have a smaller file size than bitmaps, so expect file size to increase when you convert vector graphics to bitmaps.
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The top illustration is a vector graphic consisting of lines, objects, and fills. The bottom version is a bitmap made up of pixels.
To open a vector graphic
1
Click File Open.
2 Choose the folder where the file is stored.
3 From the Files of type list box, choose the vector file format of the file you want to import.
4 Click the filename.
5 Click Open.
6 In the Convert to bitmap dialog box, specify the settings you want.
You can copy a vector graphic in CorelDRAW and paste it into Corel PHOTO-PAINT by clicking File New from clipboard.
To import a vector graphic
1
Click File Import.
You can also click the Import button on the toolbar.
2 Choose the folder where the file is stored.
3 From the Files of type list box, choose the vector file format of the file you want to import.
4 Click the filename.
5 Click Open.
6 Click in the image window.
7 In the Convert to bitmap dialog box, specify the settings you want.
You can copy a vector graphic in CorelDRAW and paste it into Corel PHOTO-PAINT by clicking File New from clipboard.
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Displaying images and image information
You can change the appearance of windows and the magnification level of an image. Changing the magnification level allows you to view
specific image areas and makes image editing easier. You can also obtain relevant image information, such as color model information, as
you edit an image.
Corel PHOTO-PAINT includes the ImageBridge plugin from Digimarc, which allows you to embed and detect digital watermarks in images.
These watermarks contain copyright and authorship information, but they do not interfere significantly with the visual quality of images.
This section contains the following topics:
• “Viewing images” (page 79)
• “Zooming” (page 81)
• “Viewing image information” (page 82)
• “Refreshing the image window” (page 83)
• “Detecting and embedding Digimarc watermarks” (page 83)
Viewing images
Images can be viewed in a number of different ways. You can hide windows, the toolbox and the toolbars, leaving only the menu bar
and the image windows visible. You can view a large representation of an image in a full-screen preview. The image is editable when the
windows are hidden, but you cannot change the image while using the full-screen preview. You can also maximize or restore the work area.
You can view image areas that fall outside the image window. For example, when you are working at a high magnification level or with large
images, you can pan or jump to a different image area without having to adjust the magnification level. You can use the Quick Pan mode to
switch from any active tool to the Pan tool.
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You can select the image area to be displayed in the image window by using the Navigator pop-up.
To hide windows, the toolbox, and toolbars
•
Click Window Hide windows.
If you want to return to normal view, right-click in the workspace, and click Show windows.
To maximize or restore the work area
•
Click Window Maximize work area.
To restore the work area, click Window Maximize work area again.
To view a full-screen preview of an image
•
Click View Full-screen preview.
If you want to return to normal view, press any key or click the screen.
To view an image area that falls outside the image window
To Do the following
Pan to another area of the image
In the toolbox, click the Pan tool . Drag the image until the
area you want to view appears in the image window.
Switch to the QuickPan mode Click any tool in the toolbox, and start using it. Hold down the
middle mouse button or wheel, and drag in the image window.
Jump to another area of the image
Click the Navigator pop-up at the lower-right corner of the
image window. Drag the rectangle to the area of the image you
want to view.
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You can pan around an image by clicking the Pan tool and pressing the Arrow keys.
You can also pan around an image using the scroll bars in the image window.
While moving the wheel on a mouse or another input device, you can scroll vertically by pressing Alt or horizontally by pressing Ctrl.
Image areas that fall outside the image window can be dragged into view by using the Pan tool. This photo has been
dragged from its original position (top left) toward the right (top right). The inset (bottom) shows the entire image.
To establish the default setting for the mouse wheel
1
Click Tools Options.
2 In the list of categories, click Workspace, and click Display.
3 To specify the default action of the mouse wheel, choose Zoom or Scroll from the Default action for mouse wheel menu.
4 Click OK.
Zooming
By default, images are displayed at 100% magnification; however, you can zoom in to get a closer look at image detail or zoom out to view
a larger portion of the image. You can also specify the magnification level at which images open.
To zoom
•
In the toolbox, click the Zoom tool .
To Do the following
Zoom in Click the image where you want to magnify it.
Zoom in to a specific area Drag across the area you want to magnify.
Zoom out Right-click in the image window.
Switch between the current and previous zoom levels
Zoom in or out by a preset level Choose a magnification level from the Zoom list box on the
Click the Zoom to previous button on the property bar.
property bar.
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You can also zoom in to or out from the image by using a mouse wheel.
To set the magnification level at which images are opened
1
Click Tools Options.
2 In the Workspace list of categories, click General.
Choose a magnification level from the Opening zoom list box.
The magnification level that you choose is used the next time you open an image.
Viewing image information
You can view image properties, such as name, file format, and file size. If an image is loaded from a digital camera, you can also view EXIF
information about the image, such as the date and time the photo was taken, the exposure, and flash settings.
You can view information about image areas, such as pointer coordinates, as you work. You can view the changes in the x-coordinate (X)
or the y-coordinate (Y) as you move the pointer in the image window. You can also make note of the angle (A) and distance (D) that the
pointer moves in the image window as you draw a shape or define an editable area. In addition, you can obtain statistics related to the xand y-coordinates of the center position (C) and the radius (R) when you create or select a circular editable area or shape.
You can also view color information for an image area that corresponds to the pointer position. By default, the RGB, Hex, and CMYK values
are displayed. You can choose to display color information in two color models at once. For example, you can view both the grayscale and
RGB values of a particular image area. For information about color modes and color models, see “Changing color modes” on page 205
and “Working with color” on page 183.
To view image information
•
Click File Document properties.
To view information about image areas
•
Click Window Dockers Info .
You can also
Choose a new color model
Change the units of measurement used to display image
information
By default, the Image info palette lists the RGB, Hex, and CMYK values from top to bottom.
Click the top flyout arrow , choose a color level, and click a
color model.
Click the bottom flyout arrow, and click a unit of measurement.
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You can also view color mode information by clicking the Eyedropper tool and pointing to an image area.
Refreshing the image window
You can refresh the image window at any time. For example, you may find this option useful when displaying large images.
To refresh the image window
•
Click Window Refresh window.
You can also refresh the image window by pressing Ctrl + W.
Detecting and embedding Digimarc watermarks
A Digimarc watermark embeds copyright details, contact information, and image attributes in an image. A watermark makes subtle changes
to the brightness of pixels in an image. These changes cannot be readily seen; however following image processing, you might notice
changes in the brightness of some pixels. Digimarc watermarks aren’t affected by normal editing, printing, and scanning.
The detecting and embedding of Digimarc watermarks is not supported by the 64-bit version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite.
Detecting watermarks
When you open an image in Corel PHOTO-PAINT, you can check for a watermark. If a watermark is present, a copyright symbol displays on
the title bar. You can find information about the watermarked image by reading the embedded message and by linking to the contact profile
in the Digimarc database.
Embedding watermarks
In Corel PHOTO-PAINT, you can also embed Digimarc watermarks in images. First, you must obtain a unique Creator ID by subscribing to
Digimarc’s online service. The Creator ID includes contact details, such as name, phone number, address, e-mail and web addresses.
Once you have a Creator ID, you can embed a watermark in an image. You can specify the copyright year, image attributes, and the
durability of a watermark. You can also specify the target output method for an image, such as print or web.
Digimarc watermarks do not prevent unauthorized image use or copyright infringement. But the watermarks do communicate copyright
claims. They also provide contact information for those who want to use or license an image.
For more information about Digimarc, see www.digimarc.com.
To detect a watermark
1
Click Effects Digimarc Read watermark .
2 Click Web lookup to view the webpage with contact details, or call the Digimarc fax-back service at the listed fax number.
This feature is not supported by the 64-bit version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite.
You can also detect a watermark by enabling the Check for watermark option when you open or import an image.
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To get a Creator ID
1
Click Effects Digimarc Embed watermark .
2 Click Personalize.
3 In the Personalize creator ID dialog box, click Register, and follow the instructions on the Digimarc website.
4 In the Personalize creator ID dialog box, type your Creator ID in the Creator ID box.
To embed a watermark
1
Click Effects Digimarc Embed watermark .
2 In the Copyright year(s) box, type a year or years.
You cannot type a year before 1922 or after the current year. Separate the years with commas.
3 In the Image attributes area, enable the check boxes for the applicable attributes.
4 Choose an option from the Target output list box.
Monitor and Web require a DPI setting of less than 200, while Print requires a dpi setting of 300 or higher.
5 Type a value in the Watermark durability box.
Higher values increase the persistence of the watermark.
If you want to confirm the information available to viewers when they detect the watermark, enable the Verify check box.
This feature is not supported by the 64-bit version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite.
Combine all objects with the background before adding a watermark. For more information about combining objects with the
background, see “Grouping and combining objects” on page 361.
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Using the guidelines, grid, and rulers
The guidelines, grid, and rulers let you position and size images, objects, and editable areas.
This section contains the following topics:
• “Setting up guidelines” (page 85)
• “Setting up the grid” (page 88)
• “Setting up the rulers” (page 90)
Setting up guidelines
Guidelines are vertical or horizontal lines that you can add anywhere in the image window to help you measure, align, and position image
components. The guidelines use the same units of measure as the rulers. When you save an image in the Corel PHOTO-PAINT application,
the guidelines are saved too.
You can display or hide the guidelines. You can also add, remove, move, and lock guidelines in the image window. You can add angled
guidelines and rotate existing guidelines.
You can have objects and editable areas snap to guidelines, so that when you move an object or editable area to a guideline, the object or
editable area automatically aligns to that guideline. You can set the sensitivity of this feature so that the object or editable area snaps when
you move within a specific number of pixels of a guideline.
You can change the color and line style of the guidelines to make them stand out against the image background. By default, when you
select a guideline, it turns red. When you deselect a guideline, it turns blue.
To display or hide the guidelines
•
Click View Show guidelines.
A check mark beside the menu command indicates that the guidelines are displayed.
You can also display or hide the guidelines by clicking Window Dockers Guidelines and clicking the Show guidelines button .
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Guidelines displayed
To add a horizontal or vertical guideline
1
Click Window Dockers Guidelines .
2 Choose one of the following options from the Guideline type list box:
• Horizontal
• Vertical
3 Specify the location of the guideline in the x or y box.
4 Click Add.
You can also add a guideline by dragging from the horizontal or vertical ruler to the image window.
To add an angled guideline
1
Click Window Dockers Guidelines .
2 Choose Angled from the Guideline type list box
3 Specify the location of the guideline in the x and y boxes.
4 Type a value in Angle of rotation box.
5 Click Add.
To remove a guideline
1
Click Window Dockers Guidelines .
2 Choose a guideline from the list.
You can choose multiple guidelines by holding down Ctrl as you click.
3
Click the Delete guideline button .
You can also remove individual guidelines by dragging them off the image window.
To move a guideline
1
In the toolbox, click the Object pick tool .
2 Drag a guideline to a new position in the image window.
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You can also move a guideline by nudging it.
To move a guideline by specifying x and y coordinates, click Window Dockers Guidelines. Select the guideline, type values in the x
and y boxes, and click Modify.
To rotate a guideline
1
In the toolbox, click the Pick tool .
2 Perform a task from the following table.
To Do the following
Rotate a guideline Click the guideline twice, and then rotate the guideline when
rotation handles appear.
You can also rotate a guideline by choosing Angled from the
Guideline type list box, typing a value in the Angle of rotation
box, and clicking Modify.
Rotate multiple guidelines Hold down Shift , select the guidelines, click a selected guideline
again, and rotate the guidelines when the rotation handles appear.
The center of rotation is determined by the last guideline you
selected.
Rotate a guideline by a specific value Click the guideline twice to display the rotation handles, and type a
value in the Angle of rotation box on the property bar.
You can also rotate multiple guidelines by a specific value.
Rotate a guideline in 15º increments Click the guideline twice to display the rotation handles, hold down
Ctrl, and rotate the guideline.
You can also rotate multiple guidelines in 15º increments.
Change the pivot point Drag the guideline’s center of rotation to a new location or type a
value in the Center of rotation box on the property bar.
To lock or unlock the guidelines
•
Click View Lock guidelines.
A check mark displays beside the menu command to indicate the guideline is locked.
You can also lock a guideline by clicking Window Dockers Guidelines and clicking the Lock guideline button .
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To have objects and editable areas snap to the guidelines
•
Click View Snap to Guidelines .
You can also set objects and editable areas to snap to a guideline by clicking Window Dockers Guidelines and clicking the Snap to
guideline button .
To set the snap sensitivity of the guidelines
1
Click Tools Options.
2 In the Workspace list of categories, click Display.
3 Type a value in the Guideline snap tolerance (pixels) box.
To set the line style and color of a guideline
1
Click Window Dockers Guidelines .
2 Open the Guideline color picker, and choose a color.
3 Open the Guideline style picker, and choose a line style.
Changing the line style or color affects all existing guidelines and any subsequent guidelines that you add.
Setting up the grid
The grid is a series of non-printing intersecting lines that are superimposed on an image to help you align and position objects accurately.
You can display or hide the grid at any time.
You can have objects and editable areas align automatically with the gridlines. You can customize the look of the grid by changing the grid
display and grid spacing. The grid display allows you to change the grid lines to dots or change the grid color. The spacing allows you to
set the distance between the grid lines. The spacing options are based on the unit of measure for the ruler. For example, if the ruler unit of
measure is set to inches, the spacing options are based on inches.
If the ruler unit of measure is set to pixels, you have additional options for customizing the look of the grid. For the pixel grid, you can
specify the color and opacity of the grid.
For more precise pixel editing at maximum zoom level, you can display a grid around each pixel.
To display or hide the grid
•
Click View Show grid.
A check mark beside the menu command indicates that the grid is displayed.
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The grid displayed.
To have objects and editable areas snap to the grid
•
Click View Snap to Grid .
To set the spacing of the gridlines
1
Click Tools Options.
2 In the Document list of categories, click Grid.
3 In the Document grid area, type a value in the Horizontal box.
If you want to change the grid spacing intervals or the number of lines displayed per unit of measure, choose an option from the list
box. The options are based on the unit of measure used for the ruler.
4 Type a value in the Vertical box.
To change the color and style of the grid
1
Click Tools Options.
2 In the Workspace list of categories, click Display.
3 Open the Grid color picker, and click a color.
4 Click one of the following Grid style buttons:
•
Solid line
•
Dashed line
•
Dots
You can also create a custom grid color by clicking More in the Grid color picker.
To change the color and style of the pixel grid
1
Click Tools Options.
2 In the Document list of categories, click Grid.
3 In the Pixel grid area, open the Color picker, and click a color.
4 Move the Opacity slider to the right to increase the opacity of the grid.
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To display a pixel grid at the maximum zoom level
1
Click Tools Options.
2 In the Document list of categories, click Grid.
3 In the Pixel grid area, enable the Show pixel grid at 800% and higher zoom check box.
Setting up the rulers
The on-screen rulers provide a visual reference to help you size and position images, objects, and editable areas. You can display or hide the
rulers at any time. As you move the pointer in the image window, marks on the rulers indicate its position. You can also customize the rulers’
zero mark position and specify a unit of measure for the current document.
You can move the rulers anywhere in the image window; however, by default they appear along the top and left sides of the image window.
Calibrating the rulers ensures the distances on the screen match real-world distances.
To display or hide the rulers
•
Click View Show rulers.
A check mark beside the menu command indicates that the rulers are displayed.
The rulers displayed.
To display the rulers by default
1
Click Tools Options.
2 In the Workspace list of categories, click Display.
3 Enable the Show rulers by default check box.
To customize the rulers
1
Click Tools Options.
2 In the Document list of categories, click Ruler.
3 In the Units area, choose a unit of measure from the following list boxes:
• Horizontal
• Vertical
If you want to use the same unit of measure for both the horizontal and vertical rulers, enable the Same units for horizontal and
vertical rulers check box.
4 In the Origin area, type values in the following boxes:
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• Horizontal
• Vertical
The origin value indicates the distance, in the units of measure you specify, between the zero mark of the ruler and the point of origin of
the ruler. For example, an origin value of 4 for the horizontal ruler moves the zero mark of that ruler four units away from the origin —
the point where the ruler begins.
5 Type a value in the Tick divisions box.
If you want to display fractions on the rulers, enable the Show fractions check box.
To move a ruler
• Hold down Shift, and drag a ruler to a new position.
You can also
Return the rulers to their original positions Hold down Shift, and double-click a ruler.
Move both rulers at the same time Hold down Shift, and drag the intersection point of the two rulers.
To calibrate the rulers
1
Click Tools Options.
2 In the Document list of categories, click Ruler.
3 Click Calibrate rulers.
4 Hold a clear plastic ruler next to the horizontal and vertical rulers displayed on your screen.
5 Type values in the following boxes so that one inch on each ruler corresponds exactly to one inch on the plastic ruler:
• Horizontal
• Vertical
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Undoing, redoing, repeating, and fading actions
Corel PHOTO-PAINT lets you undo, redo, repeat, and fade actions. You can also restore an image or part of an image to a previously saved
version.
This section contains the following topics:
• “Undoing and redoing actions” (page 93)
• “Reverting to an earlier image state” (page 94)
• “Repeating and fading actions” (page 95)
Undoing and redoing actions
Corel PHOTO-PAINT lets you undo actions you apply to an image, starting with the most recent action. If you don’t like the result of undoing
actions, you can redo them. You can undo or redo actions applied to an image, such as a brushstroke, an effect, or a transformation;
however, you cannot undo or redo actions applied to the workspace, such as changing preferences.
The undo settings can be customized, allowing you to increase or decrease the number of actions you can undo and redo.
Keep in mind that the higher the number of actions in the undo list, the more memory is required to maintain the undo list. You can free
memory by permanently clearing all actions from the undo list.
You can also restore parts of an image by erasing the last action. For more information, see “Erasing image areas” on page 148.
Left to right: Original image; cropped image; undoing the cropping action restores the dimensions of the image.
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To undo or redo actions
To Do the following
Undo the last action
Redo the last action
Click Edit Undo [last action].
Click Edit Redo [last action].
Undo or redo a series of actions In the Undo manager docker, choose an action from the list. All
actions listed below the action you choose will be undone. If the
Undo manager docker is not open, click Edit Undo manager or
Window Dockers Undo manager.
Remove all actions in the Undo manager docker to free memory
Click Edit Purge Undo list .
When you undo a series of actions, the action you choose and all actions listed below it are undone.
When you redo a series of actions, the action you choose and all actions listed between it and the last undone action are redone.
To customize undo settings
1
Click Tools Options.
2 In the Workspace list of categories, click General.
3 In the Memory area, type a value in the Undo levels box.
You can specify up to 99 undo levels; however, the number of undo levels affects the size of the swap disk. Reduce the number of
undo levels if you find that your computer is not operating at the speed you want.
Reverting to an earlier image state
As you create or edit an image, you can revert to its last-saved version to remove all the changes you made since you saved the image. If you
want to remove only some changes, you can restore specific image areas to the way they look in the last-saved version of the image.
You can also create a checkpoint to save the current image temporarily, so that later you can return the image to that state if necessary.
You can also create a workspace that lets you save automatically using a checkpoint. For more information, see “To specify auto-save
settings” on page 98.
To revert to the last saved version of an image
•
Click File Revert to saved.
You can also revert to the last saved image by clicking the Revert to last saved button in the Undo manager docker.
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To restore image areas
1
In the toolbox, click the Clone tool .
2
On the property bar, open the Brush picker, choose the Clone from saved brush category , and choose a preset brush type.
3 Drag in the image window.
If you are creating an image from scratch, you must save it before using the Clone from saved tool. For more information about
saving images, see “Saving and closing” on page 97.
To create or return to a checkpoint
To Do the following
Create a checkpoint
Return to a checkpoint
Click Edit Checkpoint.
Click Edit Restore to checkpoint.
Repeating and fading actions
You can repeat or fade actions. When you repeat an action, it is reapplied to the image, producing a stronger visual effect. When you fade
an action, it is gradually removed. You can also use a merge mode to modify the fade effects. For more information about merge modes, see
“Understanding merge modes” on page 315.
You can repeat the last action to intensify the effect. The image on the left is the original, a wind
effect is applied to the image in the middle, and the effect is repeated in the image on the right.
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You can fade the last action by a specified amount. The original image is on the
left, the center image is blurred, and the blur effect is faded in the right image.
To repeat or fade actions
To Do the following
Repeat the last action
Fade the last action
Click Edit Repeat [last action].
Click Edit Fade last command. Move the Percent slider to set the
fade level. If you want to modify the fade effect, choose a merge
mode from the Merge list box.
To repeat or fade an action, you must first apply an action, such as an effect, a brushstroke, or a transformation, to an image. Actions
performed on the work area, such as changing preferences, cannot be repeated or faded.
When you have maximized the settings for a special effect, you can repeat the effect to exaggerate it. For more information about
special effects, see “Applying special effects” on page 319.
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Saving and closing
In Corel PHOTO-PAINT, you can save your work as you create an image and before you close it. You can also save images to many different
file formats.
This section contains the following topics:
• “Saving images” (page 97)
• “Exporting images to other file formats” (page 99)
• “Working with locked files” (page 100)
• “Closing images” (page 100)
Saving images
You can save an image to preserve it. You can also save images automatically at regular intervals and save backup copies of the file.
Saving images
When you save an image, you can specify a file format, a file name, and a folder where you want to save the file. Images are automatically
saved using the currently selected file format, name, and location. The default format is the native Corel PHOTO-PAINT (CPT) file format.
Saving to the Corel PHOTO-PAINT (CPT) file format retains all image properties — objects, the most recently created mask, alpha channels,
grids, guidelines, and color information — so you can edit them later.
You can attach information (metadata) such as comments and notes (Windows 8 and Windows 7) to images so that you can find them and
organize them more easily.
You can also export an image to another file format. For more information, see “Exporting images to other file formats” on page 99.
Auto-saving and backing up images
You can specify auto-save settings to save an image automatically at regular intervals as you work. You can choose to save an image
temporarily at a particular stage in its development, or you can overwrite the last version of the image.
Specifying backup settings lets you create a copy of an image each time you save. A backup copy is stored in the folder you choose.
You can also create a checkpoint to save a snapshot of the current image temporarily, so that you can return the image to that state if
necessary. For more information about checkpoints, see “To create or return to a checkpoint” on page 95.
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To save an image
1
Click File Save as.
2 Choose the folder where you want to save the file.
3 Choose a file format from the Save as type list box.
4 Type a file name in the File name list box.
The file extension for the file format you choose is appended to the file name automatically, but can be removed.
5 Enable any of the following active check boxes:
• Selected only — saves only the editable areas defined in your image, when there are no active and selected objects. If there are no
editable areas, this option saves only the active and selected objects.
• Do not show filter dialog — suppresses dialog boxes that provide advanced exporting options
6 Click Save.
You can also
Compress a file Choose a compression type from the Compression type list box.
Specify information about a file Type any comments you want in the Comments box.
The Compression type list box is available only when you are
saving an image to a file format that can be compressed.
If you don’t see this option, drag the lower-right corner to increase
the size of the dialog box and display options hidden from view.
When you save an image containing objects to a file format that does not support objects, you can continue working on the original
file (which still contains the objects) in the image window. The image and its objects can still be saved to the Corel PHOTO-PAINT
(CPT) format.
You can also save an image by clicking the Save button on the standard toolbar.
You can view notes in the Notes box in the Open dialog box when you open an image, or in the Import dialog box when you import
an image. Some file formats do not let you save annotations with an image.
To specify auto-save settings
1
Click Tools Options.
2 In the Workspace list of categories, click Save.
3 Enable the Auto-save every check box, and type a value in the box beside it.
The value you type specifies the number of minutes between auto-saves.
4 Enable one of the following options:
• Save to checkpoint — saves a temporarily copy of the image in its current state without overwriting the version that has been saved
to disk
• Save to file — overwrites the last version of the file that you saved to disk
If you want a message displayed at every auto-save, enable the Warn me before saving check box.
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