Vectorizing images

Welcome to CorelDRAW, a comprehensive vector-based drawing and graphic-design program for the graphics
professional.
In this tutorial, you will trace a bitmap image of a company logo and convert it to a vector image destined for
commercial printing as a spot color print job. Bitmaps are composed of pixels; they are useful if you want to
achieve a photographic quality image with complex color gradients or bitmap effects. Vector images, on the other
hand, are composed of lines and curves, which are easy to manipulate as individual objects. In this project, you will
vectorize a logo, converting it from a bitmap to a vector image, and then you will replace the text of the logo
without affecting the rest of the image.

What you will learn

In this tutorial, you will learn

to import images

to add guidelines

to crop bitmaps

to trace bitmaps

to ungroup objects

to identify fonts

to add and modify text

to use the Eyedropper tool

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CorelDRAW tutorial

Tracing the bitmap

First, you will import the bitmap into CorelDRAW. Then, you will trace the bitmap using the
Corel PowerTRACE feature.
When you use the PowerTRACE feature to trace a bitmap, you can preview and adjust the results. The
PowerTRACE feature offers several preset styles for different tracing methods. Each preset style is a collection of
settings that are appropriate for the specific type of bitmap you want to trace (for example, line art, technical
illustration, high- or low-quality photo images, or logos of varying detail). In this case, you will use the Outline
tracing method, which converts colors in the bitmap to editable curve objects with no outlines. The Outline tracing
method has a variety of presets. You will use the Logo preset style, which lets you trace simple logos with little
detail and few colors. You will also make some adjustments to the preset style to achieve optimum results.
You will first import and crop the bitmap. Then, you will identify and install the text in the bitmap, so that you can
recreate it in the vector graphic.

To import the bitmap

1

Click File ` New to create a new document.

Click File ` Import.

Choose the folder Program files\Corel\CorelDRAW Graphics X4\Tutorial files.

Choose the filename logo.tif.

Click Import.

Press Enter to center the graphic on the page.

To add guidelines

Click the vertical ruler, and drag two guidelines, aligning them to both edges of Wisdom Tooth.
You will replace the text, using the guidelines to help you position it.
If the rulers are not visible, click View ` Rulers. A check mark next to Rulers indicates that the rulers are
enabled.

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To crop the bitmap

1

Click the Crop tool

Drag around the logo, and double-click in the crop area to remove the text and background.

in the toolbox.

This is what the bitmap should look like:

To trace the bitmap

1

Click the Pick tool

Click Bitmap ` Outline Trace ` Logo.

In the PowerTRACE dialog box, move the Smoothing slider to 38.

Move the Corner smoothness slider to 1.

To make the elements of the resulting vector image easier to edit, disable the Remove object overlap check
box.

To keep the purple background, disable the Remove background check box.

Enable the Delete original image check box.

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in the toolbox, and click the bitmap.

CorelDRAW tutorial

Click the Colors tab, and choose PANTONE solid matte from the Color mode list box.

Click the PANTONE 2925 M color swatch, and click Edit.

10 In the Select color dialog box, click the Palettes tab.

11 Choose PANTONE 293 M from the Name list box.
12 Move the Tint slider to 63, and click OK.
13 When you are done adjusting the settings, click OK.

Editing the vector image

The traced logo is a group of individual objects. To edit them separately, you will first ungroup the objects that
make up the logo. Then, you will expand the purple background.

To ungroup the individual vector objects

1

Open the Object manager docker.

If the Object manager docker is open but hidden behind another docker, click the Object manager tab to
display it. If the Object manager docker is not open, click Window ` Dockers ` Object manager.

Make sure the image is selected.

Click Arrange ` Ungroup to ungroup the objects.

The individual, ungrouped objects are displayed in the Object manager docker. All the objects are selected.

To expand the background

1

Click outside the image to deselect all the objects.

Click the Pick tool in the toolbox, and click the purple background.

Drag the bottom-right handle to expand the purple background to the right vertical guideline.

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CorelDRAW tutorial

Identifying and installing fonts

You can quickly identify the font used in the bitmap by capturing a sample containing text and sending it to
WhatTheFont.com, the online font identification service from Bitstream. You will analyze the original bitmap,
and identify the font.
Then, you will use Bitstream Font Navigator to find the font on your computer and install it.

To identify the font

1

Click File ` Import.

Choose the folder Program files\Corel\CorelDRAW Graphics X4\Tutorial files.

Choose the filename logo.tif.

Click Import.

Press Enter to center the graphic on the page.

Click the Zoom tool

Click Text ` WhatTheFont?!

Drag the cursor to create a marquee around Wisdom Tooth, and press Enter to complete the capture.

in the toolbox, and zoom in on Wisdom Tooth in the bitmap.

A sample of the graphic is automatically uploaded it to www.whatthefont.com for identification.

9

Follow the directions on the WhatTheFont?! Web site to complete the font identification.

10 The font is identified as Swiss721 Bold.

To check if that font is installed

1

In the toolbox, click the Text tool

On the property bar, choose Swiss721 Bold from the Font list list box.

If you cant find Swiss721 Bold in the Font list list box, perform the next procedure.

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CorelDRAW tutorial

To install the font

1

Click Start ` All programs ` CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 ` Bitstream Font Navigator.
The first time you start Bitstream Font Navigator, you must follow the steps in the setup wizard.

Insert the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 disc into your CD drive.

In the Font Navigator, choose your CD drive from the Go to a different folder list box.

Navigate to the fonts folder, and drag Swiss721 Bold from the Contents of Font Catalog list to the
Installed fonts list.

Adding the text

Now that you have identified the font used in the original bitmap, you will add text to the vector graphic. You will
modify the inter-character spacing to replicate the text in the bitmap. You will also fill it with the color used in part
of the logo graphic.

To create the text

1

In the toolbox, click the Pick tool, select the second bitmap you imported, and press Delete.

In the toolbox, click the Text tool

Choose Swiss721 Bold from the Font list list box.

In the Text attributes dialog box, enable the Artistic text check box, and click OK.

On the property bar, type 43 pt in the Font size list box.

Click on the left vertical guideline, and type Wisdom Tooth.

Click the Pick tool

in the toolbox, select the text, and position it between the two horizontal guidelines.

To change the inter-character spacing

1

Click Text ` Convert to paragraph text.

Click Text ` Paragraph formatting to open the Paragraph formatting docker.

Click the Spacing roll-down arrow, and click the up arrow in the Character box to increase the intercharacter spacing of the text in the bitmap until the text extends to the right vertical guideline.

Drag a side handle on the paragraph frame to make all the text visible.

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To fill the text

1

In the toolbox, click the Eyedropper tool

On the property bar, choose Object attributes from the list box.

Click the Properties flyout on the property bar, and ensure that the Fill check box is enabled.

Click the dark blue area of the logo.

Hold down Shift, and click the text.

From here . . .
You can explore CorelDRAW on your own, or you can learn more by completing other CorelTUTOR tutorials.
For more information about the topics and tools discussed in this tutorial, refer to the Help. To access CorelDRAW
Help, click Help ` Help topics.

Copyright 2007 Corel Corporation. All rights reserved. All trademarks or registered trademarks are the property
of their respective owners.

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