Object Overview

What is an object?
In CorelDraw, an object is any item you create or
import into your document. It may be a rectangle,
a circle, text, a photograph. All work in
CorelDraw is done through selecting an object.
Various effects can be applied to an object
depending on the type of object and the tool you
have selected. For this tutorial, choose the
Rectangle Tool and create a rectangle. (See
Rectangle Tool tutorial in this series.)

Pick Tool Selection

Choose the Pick Tool from the Toolbox and click on the
rectangle. Note the 8 square "handles" that surround the
square. These handles indicate that the object is active.
You can resize the rectangle proportionately by clicking
and dragging on the corner handles. The side handles
resize only in one direction.

Move Object
Click and drag anywhere on a filled object, or on the outline of
an object that has no fill to move. Release mouse button when
object is in desired position. Click anywhere off the rectangle to
deselect.

Rotate Object
Double click on the
rectangle. Note how
the handles change
to double-ended arrows. This indicates that the object can be rotated or skewed. Click and
drag on corner handles to rotate. Press the CTRL key while you rotate to constrain the
rotation to 15 degree increments. Note the target-like icon in the middle of the rectangle
when the rotate selection is active. Click and drag this icon to change the point of
rotation. Click off the rectangle to deselect.

Skew Object
Double click on the rectangle and the double-
ended selection arrows will appear. Click and
drag on one of the side handles to skew the
rectangle. Release mouse button when desired
effect is created.

Shape Tool Selection

Delete the distorted rectangle. Draw a
new rectangle. Choose the Shape Tool
from the Toolbox and click on the
rectangle. Note the selection now
appears as four corner handles and
dotted lines. This indicates that the
object is active with the Shape Tool.
Click and drag on one of the corner
handles. Note how the corners become
round. The Shape Tool and Pick Tool
have very different functions with
objects.
Node Selection

Choose the Freehand Tool from the

Toolbox. Click and drag to create a
curved line. (See Freehand Tool
tutorial.) Release the mouse button.
Choose the Shape Tool. There should
be three or four blank squares along
the line. These are nodes, and can be
moved individually. Click on a node.
Note how it becomes black, indicating
that this node is active. The dotted
lines coming from the node control
the shape of the line (see next step).
Drag the selected node a short
way. Note how the line shape
changes.

Controlling Curves
Click and drag the handle at the end
of the dotted line coming from the
node. This is a control point. As you
drag the control point, note how the
shape of the line changes. The blue
line in the sample above shows the
progression of the line shape as you
drag the control point. Release the
mouse when you have the shape you
desire.
Choose the Pick Tool
Click on the Pick Tool in the Toolbox. The Pick Tool is the main selection tool in
CorelDraw. When using any other tool, you can change to the Pick Tool by pressing your
keyboard spacebar (CTRL spacebar when using the Text tool in Edit Mode).

Resize Object with Pick Tool

Draw a rectangle and fill with any
color. Click and drag on the corner
handles to change the size of the
rectangle proportionately. Click and
drag handles in the middle of any side
to change the size of the rectangle in
that direction only.

Move Object with Pick Tool

Click and drag anywhere the rectangle to
move. The outline of the object will
follow the mouse on the screen for easy
positioning. Release mouse button when
object is in desired position.

Status and Property Bar Features

As you move or otherwise transform your objects, pay attention to the property bar above
your workspace. In the sample above, note the % value which represents transformation
as you are resizing an object. As soon as you release your mouse button, this value
returns to 100%. It is excellent practice to pay attention to this information, as you will
learn to use it for fast, precise positioning and resizing work.

Resize Text with Pick Tool

Choose the Text Tool from the Toolbox.
Type the word "Sample." Choose the
Pick Tool. Click and drag on the bottom
right corner handle to increase the size of
the text. Note the Property Bar as you
resize the text. The Object Size, Position
and Scale Factor changes, but toward the
right end of the Property Bar, the Font
Size changes as well. You can also
change text size with the Text Tool.

Pick Tool Properties

Right click on the Pick Tool to open a
pop-up menu. Choose Properties.
You can control personal choices for
the Pick Tool from this screen.
Choose Treat All Objects as Filled
for easy selection of objects with no
fill. If you are just learning
CorelDraw, it is advised to leave the
other features as they are. Tutorials
and the manuals assume the default
settings are in place.

Zoom Tool Overview

Choose the Zoom Tool
Click on the Zoom Tool in the Toolbox. The Zoom Tool controls the view on your
workspace and is one tool you should learn well. In CorelDraw, much of your
work will toggle between close-up work and working with the entire design. Time
spent learning to navigate zoom options will be repaid many times over as you
work.
 Mouse Zoom In
Place any object on your screen. Choose the Zoom
Tool and click on the object with your left mouse
button. The object will zoom in. Repeat to zoom
closer. Where you click will become the center of
the screen when zoomed.

Mouse Zoom Out

Click on the screen with your right
mouse button. Note how the cursor
icon changes from + to -. Click
again to repeat. Mouse zoom out
will return you to your previous
view.

Marquee Zoom
Click and drag your mouse over the area of
the document you would like to have fill the
screen. Marquee selected zoom is usually
much faster when you need to work on
sections of your document and require a close
view.
Zoom Property Bar
Select Zoom Tool. Note the Property Bar above your workspace. These tools provide one
click access to the following (from left to right): Zoom Tool, Pan Tool (see step 7), Zoom
In, Zoom Out, Display actual size, Zoom to Selected object, Zoom to All Objects, Zoom
to Page, Zoom to Page Width, Zoom to Page Height, View Manager Docker window.

Drop Down View Selection

Locate the Zoom Levels fly-out box just below the
Main Menu. This selection provides fast access to
preset Zoom Levels. Click on the triangle to expand
selection list and click on desired view level.

Pan Tool
Click on the triangle at the bottom right corner of the
Zoom Tool to choose the Pan Tool. You can also
click on the Pan Tool icon in the Property Bar. Click
and drag anywhere on your workspace. The Pan
Tool will move your document in the screen
allowing you to scroll or position any portion of the
document. This only affects the view, not any
positioning of your objects.
Tool Properties
Right click on the Zoom or Pan Tool to open the Zoom, Pan Tool Properties window.
You can change your right mouse button to provide a menu, but I do not advise this. The
right mouse button is more valuable as a tool for changing view. Previous CorelDraw
version users: You can check the Use Traditional Zoom Fly-out option, as this places the
Property Bar tools into the fly-out as with earlier versions. However, the Property Bar
provides access with one click, compared to two for the fly-out access.

Freehand Tool Overview

Choose Freehand Tool
Click on the Freehand Tool in the Toolbox. This is your freehand drawing tool
and is used to create drawn objects that are not variations of rectangles, spirals or
circles.

Draw Curved Line

Choose Freehand Tool. Click and drag to

draw the shape you desire. You can release
the mouse button and still continue with the
same object, by clicking close the the last
node in the section you have just completed.
The new line will automatically join to the
end of the last one. In the sample above, the
 yellow rectangle highlights where the line
was stopped and then started again.

Draw Straight Line

Click and release your mouse button to place
the initial node for your line. Move your
cursor to the desired end for your line. Click
the mouse to place the end node. You can
constrain the line to 15 degree increments by
pressing your CTRL key as you position the
end node (use this to create a straight line).
You can also join a new line to this object as
in step 2.

Create Closed Shapes: Part 1

Choose Freehand Tool. Click and drag
in an approximate circular shape, but
do not bring the end all the way to the
starting point as in the top sample
above. Click a color in the color palette
at the right edge of the screen. This
should fill your object with color, but
since the ends are not closed, the fill
does not show. Look at the bottom
right of your screen to note that the
color status area shows that the object
is filled.

Create Closed Shapes: Part 2

Click on the Auto-Close button in the
Property Bar above your workspace
(icon shown highlighted with a yellow
rectangle in a cutout from the Property
Bar). Your object should fill as the end
points are joined.
Change Outline
Find the Outline section of the Property Bar above your workspace. Click on the fly-outs
to select desired outline size or style.

Freehand Tool Fly-out

Click on the triangle in the bottom right corner of
the Freehand Tool to open the fly-out tool options.
This presents other freehand tools, but all are outside
the scope of this basic tutorial.

Freehand Tool Properties

Right click on the Freehand Tool to
open the Freehand/Bezier Options
window. Most of these controls are
for advanced features. The Auto-join
can be increased if you would like
CorelDraw to automatically join
nodes that are further apart.

Rectangle Tool
Overview

Choose Rectangle Tool

Choose Rectangle Tool from the Toolbox.
 Create Rectangle
Choose Rectangle Tool. Click and drag to
create rectangle of the shape and size you
desire.

Create Square
Choose Rectangle Tool. Click and drag with the
CTRL key pressed down to constrain the
rectangle to a square. You can also hold down
the SHIFT key to have the rectangle drawn from
the center out, rather than the top left corner, or
use both the CTRL key and the SHIFT key
together to create a square drawn from the
center.

Create Rounded Corners

Draw a rectangle. Choose the Shape
Tool. Click and drag on any corner
handle to shape the corners. Release
mouse when you achieve the desired
corner roundness.
Rectangle Tool Properties
Right click on the Rectangle Tool to open the Rectangle Tool Options window. Use the
slider to set the Corner Roundness.

Ellipse Tool Overview

Choose Ellipse Tool

Choose Ellipse Tool from the Toolbox.

Create Ellipse
Choose Ellipse Tool. Click and drag to
create ellipse of the shape and size you
desire.

Create Circle
Choose Ellipse Tool. Click and drag with the
CTRL key pressed down to constrain the ellipse
to a circle. You can also hold down the SHIFT
key to have the ellipse drawn from the center out, rather than the top left corner, or use
both the CTRL key and the SHIFT key together to create a circle drawn from the center.

Ellipse Tool Property Bar

Choose the Ellipse Tool and draw a circle. Make sure the circle is selected and locate the
ellipse controls above the work screen. From left to right the tools are: Ellipse, Pie, Arc,
Starting and Ending Angles and Clockwise/Counterclockwise Arcs or Pies.

Create a Pie Shaped Graphic

Draw or select an ellipse. Fill with any color.
Click on the Pie icon. Change the value in the
Starting Angle to 45 and in the ending angle to
325. You should have the same results as the left
sample above. Duplicate your ellipse and click on
the Clockwise/Counterclockwise icon to reverse
the pie shaping. Fill with a different color. The
new pie will fit perfectly into the original.

Create an
Arc
Draw or select an ellipse. Click on the Arc
icon. Change the value in the Starting Angle to
40 and in the ending angle to 295. You
should have the same results as the left sample
above. Duplicate your arc and click on the
Clockwise/Counterclockwise icon to reverse the
arc shaping. The new arc (right above)
will fit perfectly into the open space of the
original.

Ellipse Tool Properties

Right click on the Ellipse Tool to
open the Ellipse Tool Options window. You can set the Ellipse Tool to default to the Pie
or Arc ellipse types here. Instead of transforming on the screen as we did above, the
Ellipse Tool will initially draw an Arc or Pie if you have specified that in the Options
window.

Spiral Tool Overview

Choose Spiral Tool
Choose the Spiral Tool from the Toolbox. Note the
position in the Toolbox. The Polygon or Graph
Paper Tool may be showing, and you will have to
click on the triangle in the bottom right corner to
open the fly-out. Choose Spiral Tool.

Draw a
Symmetrical Spiral
Choose Spiral Tool. Choose number of
revolutions for your spiral from the Property
bar above the workspace. Click on the
Symmetrical icon. (A symmetrical spiral has
equal distance between spiral
revolutions.) Click and drag on the workspace
to create spiral of desired size. Hold your
CTRL key down as you drag to create a
spiral with a circular shape. Hold your
SHIFT
key down
to have the spiral drawn from the center.
Draw a Logarithmic Spiral
Choose Spiral Tool. Choose number of revolutions for your spiral from the Property Bar.
Click on the Logarithmic icon. (A logarithmic spiral increases the spacing on each
revolution.) Choose the Spiral Extension Factor from the Property Bar. A lower number
reduces space difference between revolutions. Click and drag on the workspace to create
spiral of desired size. Hold your CTRL key down as you drag to create a spiral with a
circular shape. Hold your SHIFT key down to draw spiral from the center.

Spiral Properties
Right click on the Spiral Tool to open the Spiral Options window. Although the Option
window does not provide any features that are not available in the Property Bar, there is a
preview of the resulting spiral which could save time. Also, setting properties in the
Option box creates.

Polygon Tool Overview

Choose Polygon Tool

Choose the Polygon Tool
from the Toolbox. Note
the position in the
Toolbox. The Spiral or
Graph Paper Tool may be
showing, and you will
have to click on the
triangle in the bottom
right corner to open the fly- out. Choose Polygon
Tool.

Create Polygon
Choose Polygon Tool. Click and drag on the workspace to
create a polygon of the size and shape desired. Locate
Number of Points on Polygon button on the Property Bar.
Increase or decrease number as desired. The changes in point numbers are instantly
reflected on your object.

Create Star
Choose Polygon Tool. Click on the
Polygon/Star button in the Property Bar
(highlighted with yellow rectangle). Click
and drag on the workspace to create a star
of the size and shape desired. Locate
Number of Points on Polygon button on
the Property Bar. Increase or decrease
number as desired. The changes in point
numbers are instantly reflected on your
star.

Polygon Properties
Right click on the Polygon Tool to
open the Polygon Options window.
The Option window only provides
features that are available in the
Property Bar, but there is a preview
of the resulting polygon or star,
which could save time. Also, setting
properties in the Option box creates a
default style, which can save time if
you have many polygons or stars to
create.

Graph Paper Tool

Overview
Choose Graph Paper Tool
Choose the Graph Paper Tool from the Toolbox.
Note the position in the Toolbox. The Spiral or
Polygon Tool may be showing, and you will have to click on the triangle in the bottom
right corner to open the fly-out. Choose Graph Paper Tool.

Create a Grid
Choose the Graph Paper Tool. Determine
the number of columns and rows you
require for your grid and enter number in
the Graph Paper Column and Rows box
in the Property Bar. Click and drag to
create a grid of the size and shape you
desire.

Color the Grid

Choose the Pick Tool from the Toolbox. Click
anywhere on the grid to select. Click on any
color in the color palette to fill the grid with
one solid color.

Color One Cell

The grid is created from several small
rectangles grouped together. To fill one
cell, choose the Pick Tool and, with the
CTRL key pressed, click on the cell. Note how only one cell is selected. Click on any
color in the color palette to fill the cell.