User Guide

Copyright © 2014 Corel Corporation. All rights reserved.

CorelDRAW® X7 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,
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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, CorelDRAW, the CorelDRAW balloon, CAPTURE, CONNECT, PaintShop, PaintShop Pro, Painter, PerfectShapes, PowerClip, PowerTRACE,
Presentations, Quattro Pro, QuickCorrect, VideoStudio, and WordPerfect are trademarks or registered trademarks of Corel Corporation and/or
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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

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 Contents

Getting started...................................................................................................................................................................................... 1

Installing CorelDRAW Graphics Suite...................................................................................................................................................... 3

System requirements.........................................................................................................................................................................3

Preparing for installation.................................................................................................................................................................. 3

Installing CorelDRAW Graphics Suite applications............................................................................................................................. 4

Installation options........................................................................................................................................................................... 4

Modifying and repairing installations................................................................................................................................................6

Uninstalling CorelDRAW Graphics Suite............................................................................................................................................ 6

Frequently Asked Questions.............................................................................................................................................................. 7

Corel memberships and services............................................................................................................................................................. 9

CorelDRAW memberships................................................................................................................................................................. 9

Using your account........................................................................................................................................................................ 10

Updating Corel products................................................................................................................................................................ 10

Corel Support Services.................................................................................................................................................................... 10

About Corel....................................................................................................................................................................................11

What’s new in CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X7?

.................................................................................................................................... 13

Get up and running easily..............................................................................................................................................................13

Work faster and more efficiently.................................................................................................................................................... 16

Design with creativity and confidence............................................................................................................................................ 20

Share and expand your experience................................................................................................................................................. 23

Finding out what was new in previous versions............................................................................................................................. 24

Learning resources................................................................................................................................................................................25

Getting help................................................................................................................................................................................... 25

Using the Help and tooltips........................................................................................................................................................... 26

Quick Start Guide........................................................................................................................................................................... 27

Insights from the Experts................................................................................................................................................................27

Video learning resources.................................................................................................................................................................27

Using Hints.....................................................................................................................................................................................28

Welcome screen............................................................................................................................................................................. 28

Tips and Tricks................................................................................................................................................................................ 29

Contents | 1
 Macro programming guide............................................................................................................................................................ 29

Network deployment guide............................................................................................................................................................ 29

Web-based resources......................................................................................................................................................................29

Customized training and integration resources............................................................................................................................... 29

Starting and setting up........................................................................................................................................................................ 31

Starting and quitting CorelDRAW................................................................................................................................................... 31

Changing languages....................................................................................................................................................................... 31

Changing startup settings...............................................................................................................................................................32

CorelDRAW basics................................................................................................................................................................................ 33

Understanding vector graphics and bitmaps...................................................................................................................................33

Starting and opening drawings...................................................................................................................................................... 34

Scanning images............................................................................................................................................................................ 37

Working with multiple drawings.................................................................................................................................................... 37

Undoing, redoing, and repeating actions....................................................................................................................................... 38

Zooming, panning, and scrolling....................................................................................................................................................39

Previewing drawings.......................................................................................................................................................................41

Choosing viewing modes................................................................................................................................................................42

Working with views........................................................................................................................................................................44

Saving drawings............................................................................................................................................................................. 45

Working with locked files............................................................................................................................................................... 47

Backing up and recovering files......................................................................................................................................................47

Adding and accessing drawing information....................................................................................................................................48

Closing drawings............................................................................................................................................................................ 48

Exploring basic tasks.......................................................................................................................................................................49

CorelDRAW workspace tour..................................................................................................................................................................51

CorelDRAW terms........................................................................................................................................................................... 51

Application window....................................................................................................................................................................... 52

Standard toolbar............................................................................................................................................................................ 54

Exploring the toolbox..................................................................................................................................................................... 56

Property bar....................................................................................................................................................................................68

Dockers...........................................................................................................................................................................................68

2 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

 Status bar.......................................................................................................................................................................................70

Choosing a workspace....................................................................................................................................................................70

Finding and managing content............................................................................................................................................................ 73

Exploring Corel CONNECT...............................................................................................................................................................73

Accessing content...........................................................................................................................................................................78

Browsing and searching for content...............................................................................................................................................80

Viewing content............................................................................................................................................................................. 82

Using content.................................................................................................................................................................................83

Installing fonts................................................................................................................................................................................85

Managing content.......................................................................................................................................................................... 85

Syncing trays with OneDrive........................................................................................................................................................... 87

Content types................................................................................................................................................................................. 88

Collaborating........................................................................................................................................................................................ 91

Using ConceptShare....................................................................................................................................................................... 91

Lines, shapes, and outlines..................................................................................................................................................................93

Working with lines, outlines, and brushstrokes.....................................................................................................................................95

Drawing lines..................................................................................................................................................................................95

Drawing calligraphic, pressure-sensitive, and preset lines..............................................................................................................103

Formatting lines and outlines....................................................................................................................................................... 105

Adding arrowheads to lines and curves........................................................................................................................................108

Copying, converting, and removing outlines.................................................................................................................................110

Closing multiple line segments..................................................................................................................................................... 111

Applying brushstrokes.................................................................................................................................................................. 112

Spraying objects along a line........................................................................................................................................................113

Drawing connector and callout lines............................................................................................................................................ 115

Drawing dimension lines.............................................................................................................................................................. 118

Using a pressure-sensitive pen......................................................................................................................................................121

Drawing shapes.................................................................................................................................................................................. 123

Drawing rectangles and squares...................................................................................................................................................123

Drawing ellipses, circles, arcs, and pie shapes.............................................................................................................................. 126

Drawing polygons and stars......................................................................................................................................................... 127

Contents | 3
 Drawing spirals.............................................................................................................................................................................129

Drawing grids...............................................................................................................................................................................130

Drawing predefined shapes.......................................................................................................................................................... 130

Drawing by using shape recognition............................................................................................................................................ 131

Shaping objects.................................................................................................................................................................................. 135

Using curve objects...................................................................................................................................................................... 135

Selecting and moving nodes........................................................................................................................................................ 136

Manipulating segments................................................................................................................................................................ 138

Adding, removing, joining, and aligning nodes............................................................................................................................ 139

Using node types..........................................................................................................................................................................140

Transforming nodes...................................................................................................................................................................... 141

Breaking the path of curve objects............................................................................................................................................... 142

Mirroring changes in curve objects...............................................................................................................................................143

Skewing and stretching objects.................................................................................................................................................... 144

Smudging and smearing objects.................................................................................................................................................. 146

Roughening objects...................................................................................................................................................................... 148

Smoothing objects........................................................................................................................................................................150

Shaping objects by attracting or pushing away nodes..................................................................................................................151

Applying distortion effects............................................................................................................................................................152

Adding twirl effects...................................................................................................................................................................... 154

Shaping objects by using envelopes............................................................................................................................................. 155

Cropping, splitting, and erasing objects....................................................................................................................................... 157

Trimming objects.......................................................................................................................................................................... 161

Filleting, scalloping, and chamfering corners................................................................................................................................ 163

Welding and intersecting objects..................................................................................................................................................164

Creating PowerClip objects........................................................................................................................................................... 166

Objects, symbols, and layers............................................................................................................................................................. 173

Working with objects......................................................................................................................................................................... 175

Selecting objects...........................................................................................................................................................................176

Transforming objects.................................................................................................................................................................... 178

Copying, duplicating, and deleting objects................................................................................................................................... 181

4 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

 Creating objects from enclosed areas........................................................................................................................................... 184

Creating a boundary around selected objects............................................................................................................................... 184

Using object coordinates to draw and modify objects.................................................................................................................. 185

Copying object properties, transformations, and effects............................................................................................................... 192

Cloning objects.............................................................................................................................................................................193

Positioning objects........................................................................................................................................................................194

Aligning and distributing objects..................................................................................................................................................196

Applying object hinting................................................................................................................................................................ 199

Snapping objects.......................................................................................................................................................................... 199

Using dynamic guides.................................................................................................................................................................. 202

Using alignment guides................................................................................................................................................................205

Changing the order of objects......................................................................................................................................................209

Sizing and scaling objects............................................................................................................................................................ 210

Rotating and mirroring objects.....................................................................................................................................................211

Using the Object Properties docker to modify objects.................................................................................................................. 212

Grouping objects.......................................................................................................................................................................... 213

Combining objects........................................................................................................................................................................214

Locking objects.............................................................................................................................................................................216

Finding and replacing objects.......................................................................................................................................................216

Constraining objects..................................................................................................................................................................... 217

Inserting bar codes.......................................................................................................................................................................217

Inserting and editing QR codes.......................................................................................................................................................... 219

Inserting QR codes....................................................................................................................................................................... 219

Editing QR codes.......................................................................................................................................................................... 220

Validating QR codes..................................................................................................................................................................... 221

Working with layers............................................................................................................................................................................223

Creating layers.............................................................................................................................................................................. 223

Changing layer properties.............................................................................................................................................................226

Moving and copying layers and objects........................................................................................................................................229

Working with symbols........................................................................................................................................................................231

Creating, editing, and deleting symbols........................................................................................................................................231

Contents | 5
 Using symbols in drawings........................................................................................................................................................... 233

Managing collections and libraries............................................................................................................................................... 235

Reference: Working with symbols................................................................................................................................................. 236

Linking and embedding objects..........................................................................................................................................................239

Inserting linked or embedded objects...........................................................................................................................................239

Editing linked or embedded objects............................................................................................................................................. 240

Managing projects..............................................................................................................................................................................241

Setting up the project database................................................................................................................................................... 241

Assigning and copying object data...............................................................................................................................................242

Viewing an object data summary................................................................................................................................................. 243

Color, fills, and transparencies...........................................................................................................................................................245

Working with color............................................................................................................................................................................ 247

Understanding color models.........................................................................................................................................................247

Understanding color depth...........................................................................................................................................................249

Choosing colors............................................................................................................................................................................ 250

Using the Document palette.........................................................................................................................................................256

Creating and editing custom color palettes.................................................................................................................................. 258

Organizing and displaying color palettes...................................................................................................................................... 260

Displaying or hiding color palettes in the Palette libraries............................................................................................................. 262

Setting the properties of color palettes........................................................................................................................................ 263

Filling objects......................................................................................................................................................................................265

Applying uniform fills................................................................................................................................................................... 265

Applying fountain fills.................................................................................................................................................................. 266

Applying pattern fills.................................................................................................................................................................... 268

Applying texture fills.....................................................................................................................................................................272

Applying PostScript fills................................................................................................................................................................ 274

Applying mesh fills....................................................................................................................................................................... 275

Applying fills to areas...................................................................................................................................................................277

Working with fills......................................................................................................................................................................... 279

Changing the transparency of objects................................................................................................................................................ 281

Applying uniform transparency.....................................................................................................................................................281

6 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

 Applying fountain transparency.................................................................................................................................................... 282

Applying pattern transparency......................................................................................................................................................284

Applying texture transparency...................................................................................................................................................... 286

Copying, freezing, and removing transparencies...........................................................................................................................287

Applying merge modes................................................................................................................................................................ 287

Managing and sharing fills and transparencies...................................................................................................................................291

Managing fills and transparencies................................................................................................................................................ 291

Saving and sharing fills and transparencies.................................................................................................................................. 293

Using color management................................................................................................................................................................... 295

Understanding color management............................................................................................................................................... 295

Getting started with color management in CorelDRAW................................................................................................................ 299

Installing, loading, and embedding color profiles......................................................................................................................... 302

Assigning color profiles................................................................................................................................................................ 303

Converting colors to other color profiles...................................................................................................................................... 304

Choosing color-conversion settings............................................................................................................................................... 304

Soft proofing................................................................................................................................................................................305

Working with color management presets..................................................................................................................................... 308

Working with color management policies.....................................................................................................................................308

Managing colors when opening documents.................................................................................................................................310

Managing colors when importing and pasting files......................................................................................................................310

Managing colors for print............................................................................................................................................................ 311

Using a safe CMYK workflow....................................................................................................................................................... 311

Managing colors for online viewing............................................................................................................................................. 312

Special effects....................................................................................................................................................................................313

Using lenses with objects................................................................................................................................................................... 315

Applying lenses.............................................................................................................................................................................315

Editing lenses............................................................................................................................................................................... 317

Adding 3D effects to objects..............................................................................................................................................................319

Contouring objects....................................................................................................................................................................... 319

Applying perspective to objects.................................................................................................................................................... 322

Creating extrusions....................................................................................................................................................................... 323

Contents | 7
 Creating bevel effects................................................................................................................................................................... 327

Creating drop shadows................................................................................................................................................................ 329

Blending objects........................................................................................................................................................................... 331

Text.....................................................................................................................................................................................................337

Adding and manipulating text............................................................................................................................................................339

Importing and pasting text...........................................................................................................................................................339

Adding artistic text....................................................................................................................................................................... 341

Adding paragraph text................................................................................................................................................................. 341

Adding columns to text frames.................................................................................................................................................... 344

Combining and linking paragraph text frames..............................................................................................................................346

Aligning text by using the baseline grid....................................................................................................................................... 348

Selecting text................................................................................................................................................................................ 349

Finding, editing, and converting text............................................................................................................................................ 349

Shifting, rotating, mirroring, and flipping text..............................................................................................................................351

Moving text.................................................................................................................................................................................. 352

Wrapping text.............................................................................................................................................................................. 353

Fitting text to a path....................................................................................................................................................................354

Inserting special characters, symbols, and glyphs..........................................................................................................................356

Embedding graphics..................................................................................................................................................................... 359

Working with legacy text..............................................................................................................................................................359

Formatting text...................................................................................................................................................................................361

Choosing typefaces and fonts.......................................................................................................................................................361

Formatting characters................................................................................................................................................................... 363

Changing text color...................................................................................................................................................................... 365

Kerning a range of characters...................................................................................................................................................... 366

Changing text case....................................................................................................................................................................... 367

Working with OpenType features..................................................................................................................................................368

Adjusting character and word spacing......................................................................................................................................... 372

Adjusting line and paragraph spacing.......................................................................................................................................... 373

Adding bullets to text.................................................................................................................................................................. 375

Inserting drop caps.......................................................................................................................................................................376

8 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

 Changing character position and angle........................................................................................................................................ 377

Aligning text.................................................................................................................................................................................378

Adding tabs and indents.............................................................................................................................................................. 380

Working with text styles............................................................................................................................................................... 381

Hyphenating text.......................................................................................................................................................................... 381

Inserting formatting codes........................................................................................................................................................... 383

Displaying nonprinting characters.................................................................................................................................................384

Working with text in different languages........................................................................................................................................... 385

Formatting Asian text................................................................................................................................................................... 385

Using line-breaking rules for Asian text........................................................................................................................................ 386

OpenType support for Asian text.................................................................................................................................................. 387

Formatting multilingual text......................................................................................................................................................... 387

Displaying text correctly in any language......................................................................................................................................388

Managing fonts..................................................................................................................................................................................391

Substituting fonts......................................................................................................................................................................... 391

Embedding fonts.......................................................................................................................................................................... 392

Previewing and identifying fonts...................................................................................................................................................393

Choosing fonts with Font Playground...........................................................................................................................................394

Using the Bitstream Font Navigator.............................................................................................................................................. 396

Using writing tools............................................................................................................................................................................. 397

Using QuickCorrect....................................................................................................................................................................... 397

Using the spelling checker and Grammatik...................................................................................................................................399

Using the thesaurus......................................................................................................................................................................401

Working with languages...............................................................................................................................................................402

Customizing the writing tools...................................................................................................................................................... 402

Using checking styles....................................................................................................................................................................403

Using rule classes......................................................................................................................................................................... 406

Analyzing a drawing.....................................................................................................................................................................407

Using word lists............................................................................................................................................................................408

Checking statistics........................................................................................................................................................................ 410

Reference: Using writing tools...................................................................................................................................................... 411

Contents | 9
Templates and styles..........................................................................................................................................................................415

Working with templates..................................................................................................................................................................... 417

Searching for templates................................................................................................................................................................417

Using templates............................................................................................................................................................................419

Creating templates....................................................................................................................................................................... 419

Editing templates..........................................................................................................................................................................420

Working with styles and style sets......................................................................................................................................................423

Creating styles and style sets........................................................................................................................................................ 424

Applying styles and style sets....................................................................................................................................................... 426

Editing styles and style sets.......................................................................................................................................................... 426

Managing default object properties..............................................................................................................................................427

Exporting and importing style sheets............................................................................................................................................429

Assigning keyboard shortcuts to styles or style sets...................................................................................................................... 429

Finding objects that use a specific style or style set...................................................................................................................... 430

Breaking the link between objects and styles or style sets.............................................................................................................430

Working with color styles................................................................................................................................................................... 431

Creating and applying color styles................................................................................................................................................ 431

Editing color styles....................................................................................................................................................................... 434

Viewing color styles......................................................................................................................................................................438

Exporting and importing color styles............................................................................................................................................ 439

Breaking the link between a color style and an object..................................................................................................................439

Pages and layout............................................................................................................................................................................... 441

Working with pages and layout tools.................................................................................................................................................443

Specifying the page layout........................................................................................................................................................... 443

Choosing a page background.......................................................................................................................................................446

Adding, duplicating, renaming, and deleting pages..................................................................................................................... 447

Inserting page numbers................................................................................................................................................................449

Using the rulers............................................................................................................................................................................ 451

Calibrating the rulers.................................................................................................................................................................... 451

Setting up the document grid...................................................................................................................................................... 452

10 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

 Setting up the baseline grid......................................................................................................................................................... 453

Setting up guidelines....................................................................................................................................................................454

Modifying guidelines.................................................................................................................................................................... 457

Setting the drawing scale............................................................................................................................................................. 458

Working with tables........................................................................................................................................................................... 459

Adding tables to drawings........................................................................................................................................................... 459

Selecting, moving, and navigating table components................................................................................................................... 461

Inserting and deleting table rows and columns............................................................................................................................ 463

Resizing table cells, rows, and columns........................................................................................................................................464

Formatting tables and cells...........................................................................................................................................................465

Working with text in tables.......................................................................................................................................................... 467

Converting tables to text.............................................................................................................................................................. 468

Merging and splitting tables and cells.......................................................................................................................................... 469

Manipulating tables as objects..................................................................................................................................................... 470

Adding images, graphics, and backgrounds to tables...................................................................................................................471

Importing tables in a drawing...................................................................................................................................................... 471

Bitmaps.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 473

Working with bitmaps........................................................................................................................................................................475

Converting vector graphics to bitmaps......................................................................................................................................... 475

Importing bitmaps........................................................................................................................................................................477

Cropping bitmaps.........................................................................................................................................................................477

Changing the dimensions and resolution of bitmaps....................................................................................................................477

Straightening bitmaps.................................................................................................................................................................. 479

Using Digimarc watermarks to identify bitmaps........................................................................................................................... 481

Removing dust and scratch marks from bitmaps.......................................................................................................................... 482

Applying special effects in bitmaps...............................................................................................................................................482

Working with colors in bitmaps................................................................................................................................................... 487

Using the Image Adjustment Lab................................................................................................................................................. 489

Adjusting color and tone..............................................................................................................................................................493

Using the Tone Curve filter........................................................................................................................................................... 494

Transforming color and tone........................................................................................................................................................ 495

Contents | 11
 Editing bitmaps with Corel PHOTO-PAINT.....................................................................................................................................496

Working with bitmap color modes.....................................................................................................................................................497

Changing the color mode of bitmaps...........................................................................................................................................497

Changing bitmaps to black-and-white images.............................................................................................................................. 498

Changing bitmaps to duotones.................................................................................................................................................... 499

Changing bitmaps to the paletted color mode............................................................................................................................. 500

Tracing bitmaps and editing traced results......................................................................................................................................... 503

Tracing bitmaps............................................................................................................................................................................ 503

PowerTRACE controls....................................................................................................................................................................506

Previewing traced results.............................................................................................................................................................. 507

Fine-tuning traced results............................................................................................................................................................. 508

Adjusting colors in traced results..................................................................................................................................................510

Setting default tracing options..................................................................................................................................................... 512

Tips for tracing bitmaps and editing traced results.......................................................................................................................512

Working with RAW camera files.........................................................................................................................................................515

Using RAW camera files............................................................................................................................................................... 515

Bringing RAW camera files into CorelDRAW................................................................................................................................. 516

Adjusting the color and tone of RAW camera files.......................................................................................................................518

Sharpening and reducing noise in RAW camera files.................................................................................................................... 520

Previewing RAW camera files and obtaining image information................................................................................................... 521

Printing.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 523

Printing basics.................................................................................................................................................................................... 525

Printing your work........................................................................................................................................................................525

Laying out print jobs.................................................................................................................................................................... 526

Previewing print jobs.................................................................................................................................................................... 527

Applying print styles..................................................................................................................................................................... 528

Fine-tuning print jobs................................................................................................................................................................... 529

Printing colors accurately..............................................................................................................................................................530

Printing to a PostScript printer..................................................................................................................................................... 532

Using print merge........................................................................................................................................................................ 534

Viewing preflight summaries........................................................................................................................................................ 537

12 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

 Preparing files for print service providers............................................................................................................................................ 539

Preparing a print job for a print service provider.......................................................................................................................... 539

Working with imposition layouts.................................................................................................................................................. 540

Printing printers’ marks................................................................................................................................................................ 542

Maintaining OPI links................................................................................................................................................................... 544

Printing color separations............................................................................................................................................................. 545

Working with color trapping and overprinting............................................................................................................................. 546

Specifying In-RIP trapping settings................................................................................................................................................549

Printing to film............................................................................................................................................................................. 551

Working with a print service provider...........................................................................................................................................551

Web graphics.....................................................................................................................................................................................553

Creating objects for the web..............................................................................................................................................................555

Exporting bitmaps for the web.....................................................................................................................................................555

Saving and applying web presets................................................................................................................................................. 560

Exporting objects with transparent colors and backgrounds......................................................................................................... 561

Creating rollovers..........................................................................................................................................................................562

Adding bookmarks and hyperlinks to documents......................................................................................................................... 563

Adding hotspots and alternate text to objects..............................................................................................................................565

Exporting to HTML............................................................................................................................................................................. 567

Setting preferences for exporting images to HTML....................................................................................................................... 567

Creating web-compatible text.......................................................................................................................................................568

Previewing and verifying files before exporting to HTML...............................................................................................................568

Exporting to HTML....................................................................................................................................................................... 569

File formats........................................................................................................................................................................................571

Importing and exporting files............................................................................................................................................................. 573

Importing files.............................................................................................................................................................................. 573

Exporting files...............................................................................................................................................................................576

Exporting to PDF................................................................................................................................................................................ 579

Exporting documents as PDF files................................................................................................................................................. 579

Including hyperlinks, bookmarks, and thumbnails in PDF files.......................................................................................................581

Contents | 13
 Reducing the size of PDF files...................................................................................................................................................... 582

Working with text and fonts in PDF files...................................................................................................................................... 583

Specifying an encoding format for PDF files................................................................................................................................. 585

Specifying a viewing option for EPS files...................................................................................................................................... 585

Specifying color management options for exporting PDF files.......................................................................................................585

Setting security options for PDF files............................................................................................................................................ 586

Optimizing PDF files..................................................................................................................................................................... 588

Viewing preflight summaries for PDF files.................................................................................................................................... 589

Preparing PDF files for a print provider.........................................................................................................................................589

Working with office productivity applications..................................................................................................................................... 591

Importing files from office productivity applications..................................................................................................................... 591

Exporting files to office productivity applications.......................................................................................................................... 591

Adding objects to documents...................................................................................................................................................... 591

Supported file formats........................................................................................................................................................................593

Adobe Illustrator (AI).................................................................................................................................................................... 594

Adobe Type 1 Font (PFB).............................................................................................................................................................. 596

Windows Bitmap (BMP)................................................................................................................................................................597

OS/2 Bitmap (BMP).......................................................................................................................................................................598

Computer Graphics Metafile (CGM)..............................................................................................................................................598

CorelDRAW (CDR)......................................................................................................................................................................... 599

Corel Presentation Exchange (CMX).............................................................................................................................................. 599

Corel PHOTO-PAINT (CPT)............................................................................................................................................................. 600

Corel Symbol Library (CSL)............................................................................................................................................................600

Cursor Resource (CUR)..................................................................................................................................................................600

Microsoft Word (DOC, DOCX, or RTF).......................................................................................................................................... 601

Microsoft Publisher (PUB)............................................................................................................................................................. 602

Corel DESIGNER (DES, DSF, DS4, or DRW).................................................................................................................................... 603

AutoCAD Drawing Database (DWG) and AutoCAD Drawing Interchange Format (DXF).................................................................604

Encapsulated PostScript (EPS)....................................................................................................................................................... 605

PostScript (PS or PRN)...................................................................................................................................................................609

GIF................................................................................................................................................................................................610

14 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

 JPEG (JPG).................................................................................................................................................................................... 610

JPEG 2000 (JP2)........................................................................................................................................................................... 611

Kodak Photo CD Image (PCD).......................................................................................................................................................612

PICT (PCT)..................................................................................................................................................................................... 613

PaintBrush (PCX)........................................................................................................................................................................... 614

Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF)...................................................................................................................................... 615

HPGL Plotter File (PLT).................................................................................................................................................................. 616

Portable Network Graphics (PNG)................................................................................................................................................. 617

Adobe Photoshop (PSD)............................................................................................................................................................... 618

Corel Painter (RIF)......................................................................................................................................................................... 619

Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG).....................................................................................................................................................620

Adobe Flash (SWF)....................................................................................................................................................................... 623

TARGA (TGA)................................................................................................................................................................................ 624

TIFF...............................................................................................................................................................................................625

Corel Paint Shop Pro (PSP)............................................................................................................................................................625

TrueType Font (TTF).......................................................................................................................................................................625

Visio (VSD)....................................................................................................................................................................................626

WordPerfect Document (WPD)......................................................................................................................................................626

WordPerfect Graphic (WPG)..........................................................................................................................................................627

RAW camera file formats..............................................................................................................................................................627

Wavelet Compressed Bitmap (WI).................................................................................................................................................628

Windows Metafile Format (WMF).................................................................................................................................................628

Additional file formats..................................................................................................................................................................628

Recommended formats for importing graphics.............................................................................................................................629

Recommended formats for exporting graphics............................................................................................................................. 630

General notes on importing text files........................................................................................................................................... 630

Customizing and automating............................................................................................................................................................ 633

Setting basic preferences.................................................................................................................................................................... 635

Disabling warning messages.........................................................................................................................................................635

Viewing system information......................................................................................................................................................... 635

Customizing CorelDRAW.................................................................................................................................................................... 637

Contents | 15
 Saving defaults............................................................................................................................................................................. 637

Creating workspaces.....................................................................................................................................................................638

Customizing keyboard shortcuts................................................................................................................................................... 639

Customizing menus...................................................................................................................................................................... 640

Customizing toolbars....................................................................................................................................................................642

Customizing the toolbox.............................................................................................................................................................. 644

Customizing the property bar.......................................................................................................................................................645

Customizing the status bar...........................................................................................................................................................646

Customizing filters........................................................................................................................................................................ 647

Customizing file associations........................................................................................................................................................ 647

Using macros to automate tasks........................................................................................................................................................ 649

Working with macros................................................................................................................................................................... 649

Reference........................................................................................................................................................................................... 657

CorelDRAW for Adobe Illustrator users...............................................................................................................................................659

Comparing terminology................................................................................................................................................................ 659

Comparing tools...........................................................................................................................................................................660

Using the Adobe Illustrator workspace......................................................................................................................................... 662

Glossary.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 663

16 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

Getting started

Installing CorelDRAW Graphics Suite....................................................................................................................................................... 3

Corel memberships and services.............................................................................................................................................................. 9

What’s new in CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X7?

...................................................................................................................................... 13

Learning resources................................................................................................................................................................................. 25

Starting and setting up......................................................................................................................................................................... 31

CorelDRAW basics..................................................................................................................................................................................33

CorelDRAW workspace tour...................................................................................................................................................................51

Finding and managing content............................................................................................................................................................. 73

Collaborating......................................................................................................................................................................................... 91

Getting started | 1
2 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide
Installing CorelDRAW Graphics Suite

This section contains the following topics:

• “System requirements” (page 3)
• “Preparing for installation” (page 3)
• “Installing CorelDRAW Graphics Suite applications” (page 4)
• “Installation options” (page 4)
• “Modifying and repairing installations” (page 6)
• “Uninstalling CorelDRAW Graphics Suite” (page 6)
• “Frequently Asked Questions” (page 7)

System requirements
The following list includes the minimum system requirements. Note that for optimum performance, you need more RAM and hard disc
space than indicated in the list.
• Operating system with latest service pack: Windows 8 (32-bit or 64-bit Editions) or Windows 7 (32-bit or 64-bit Editions)
• Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon 64
• 2 GB RAM
• 1 GB hard disk space
Electronic software downloads (ESD) require more space to allow for the download, the uncompressed setup files, and the actual
installation, which includes copies the source files as well.
• Mouse or tablet
• 1280 x 768 screen resolution or greater
• DVD drive
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 or later

If the Microsoft .NET Framework is not available on your computer, it will be installed during product installation.

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.

Installing CorelDRAW Graphics Suite | 3

• Log in as an administrator.
• 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 Start menu or the Windows 8 desktop.
• Install CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite X7 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 Insert the DVD in the DVD drive.
(Windows 7 and Windows 8) 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.
3 Scroll down to read the license agreement, and then click I accept.
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 two types of installations:
• Typical installation — 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.
• Custom installation — 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 or install Ghostscript for better handling of imported EPS and PDF files.

Programs

The following table lists the programs that are installed by default. To exclude a program from the installation, you must choose Custom
installation.

Program Description

CorelDRAW® An intuitive and versatile graphics application for creating high-

quality 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

4 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

Program Description

Bitstream Font Navigator An application for browsing, 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 Writing tools in the language of the
Grammatik in various languages to help you operating system are required and installed
proofread and edit documents by default. For example, the English writing
tools are installed by default on an English
operating system.

To install additional languages, you must

choose Custom installation, or modify your
installation later.

Duplexing Wizard Lets you configure a printer for two-sided Requires Custom installation
printing

Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications 7.1 A subset of the Microsoft Visual Basic You can use VBA to create basic macros
(VB) programming environment, which is for personal use, but you can also use it to
suitable for beginners. create more advanced macro projects.

Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for A built-in program environment that allows To use VSTA with CorelDRAW Graphics
Applications (VSTA) developers and other programming experts Suite, you must have your own copy of
to use VSTA for creating the most advanced Microsoft Visual Studio 2012 or later
macro projects 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
modify or repair a CorelDRAW Graphics
Suite X7 installation” on page 6.

Windows Shell Extension Lets you view thumbnails of native Corel If you have a previous version of
files such as CorelDRAW (CDR), Corel CorelDRAW Graphics Suite installed, this
PHOTO-PAINT (CPT), and pattern fill (FILL) option does not appear in the installation
files. wizard.

GPL Ghostscript Highly recommended if you import EPS Requires Custom 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.

Installing CorelDRAW Graphics Suite | 5

Option Description Notes

Language packs Let you use the programs and Help in two This option is included only with
or more languages 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 for trial
access versions of the product, this option requires
Custom installation for all other versions.

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.

To modify or repair a CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X7 installation

1 Close all applications.
2 On the Windows Control Panel, click Uninstall a program.
3 Double-click CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 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.

To uninstall CorelDRAW Graphics Suite

1 On the Windows Control Panel, click Uninstall a program.
2 Double-click CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 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 CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X7 - Windows
Shell Extension or Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Applications (VSTA), must be uninstalled separately.

6 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

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 7)
• “What is the difference between an upgrade and an update?” (page 7)
• “What if I lost my serial number and need to reinstall the software?” (page 7)
• “What is the difference between Typical and Custom installation? Which type of installation is suitable for me?” (page 7)
• “How do I deploy CorelDRAW Graphics Suite to my organization’s network?” (page 7)

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, performance and stability improvements as well as new features for premium members. 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.
If you are a standard or a premium member, check your My accounts page on corel.com.
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 4.

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 X7 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.

Installing CorelDRAW Graphics Suite | 7

8 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide
Corel memberships and services

This section contains the following topics:

• “CorelDRAW memberships” (page 9)
• “Using your account” (page 10)
• “Updating Corel products” (page 10)
• “Corel Support Services” (page 10)
• “About Corel” (page 11)

CorelDRAW memberships
CorelDRAW memberships provide cloud-based access to product updates, digital content, new product features, and online services. Two
membership options are available: Standard and Premium.

CorelDRAW Standard Membership

Included with your product purchase, this free membership provides access to:
• performance and stability updates
• online library of content such as clipart, photos, templates, and pattern fills
• extensive online selection of fonts

CorelDRAW Premium Membership

This paid membership lets you enrich your product experience with:
• exclusive online content such as clipart, photos, and pattern fills
• exclusive online selection of professional fonts
• early access to new features and services as they become available
• upgrades to the latest versions of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite

Signing up and signing in

To sign up for a membership and take full advantage of its benefits, you must have a corel.com account and sign in. The Sign in/Sign out
button shows your sign-in and membership status.

Corel memberships and services | 9

Button state Indicates that...

You have not signed in.

You have signed in as a standard member.

You have signed in as a premium member.

Using your account

You can check your account settings from within CorelDRAW and Corel PHOTO-PAINT at any time, and you can download any utilities or
applications provided with your membership from your Accounts page.

To become a member
1 Click Help  About CorelDRAW memberships.
2 Follow the instructions.

If you don’t have a corel.com account, you must create one first.

To sign in
• Click Help  Sign in.

To check your corel.com account

• In CorelDRAW or Corel PHOTO-PAINT, click Help  Account settings.

Updating Corel products

During product installation, you can choose the option to download product updates and service packs. After installing the product, you can
view information about product updates by clicking Help  Updates.

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. However, you can change the update
settings at any time.

To change the update settings

1 Click Help  Welcome screen.
2 Click Settings at the top of the Updates page.
3 In the Update settings window, enable or disable either of the following check boxes:
• Notify me of available product updates, news, and tutorials.
• Automatically download product updates and ask me before installing.

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.

10 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

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, Corel® Painter®, Corel® PaintShop®
Pro, Corel® VideoStudio® and Corel® WordPerfect® Office. For more information on Corel, please visit www.corel.com.

Corel memberships and services | 11

12 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide
What’s new in CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X7?

The new and enhanced features of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X7 are described in the following topics:
• “Get up and running easily” (page 13)
• “Work faster and more efficiently” (page 16)
• “Design with creativity and confidence” (page 20)
• “Share and expand your experience” (page 23)

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 24.

Get up and running easily

From a redesigned Welcome screen and workspaces that suit your needs to a wealth of content such as clipart and photos, CorelDRAW
Graphics Suite X7 helps you to get started and become productive quickly.

New! Welcome Screen navigation

The Welcome Screen has been completely redesigned, making it easier to navigate and discover the abundance of available resources,
including Workspace selection, What’s New, a Gallery of inspiring user creations, application updates, Tips and Tricks, video tutorials,
CorelDRAW.com, as well as Membership and Subscription information.

New! Workspace selection

The revamped Welcome Screen now includes a Workspace tab, which lets you choose from a variety of workspaces that were designed for
different proficiency levels and specific tasks.

New! Workspaces

A variety of tailor-made, workflow-specific workspaces have been introduced to help new users get accustomed to the suite faster and
easier. We’ve worked with professional industry experts who use the suite routinely to arrange tools and features for specific tasks, such as
page layout and illustration. For more information, see “Choosing a workspace” on page 70.

What’s new in CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X7?| 13

 You can choose from a variety of workspaces.

New! Lite workspaces

Designed to help new users get acclimated to the suite more quickly, new Lite workspaces for both CorelDRAW X7 and Corel PHOTO-PAINT
X7 provide exploration-friendly, scaled-down options in the toolboxes and property bars. The Lite workspaces were designed to make each
application’s most commonly used tools more readily accessible and easier to find.

New! Default workspaces and Classic

The new default workspaces for CorelDRAW X7 and Corel PHOTO-PAINT X7 have been refashioned to offer a more intuitive and efficient
configuration of tools, menus, status bar, property bars, and dialog boxes. Plus, the classic workspaces are still included for longtime users
who may prefer the suite’s legacy appearance.

New! Advanced workspaces

With CorelDRAW X7, the new Page Layout and Illustration workspaces have been designed in consultation with industry professionals to
better expose specific application functionality. For example, the Illustration workspace provides a toolbox loaded with drawing tools and a
readily accessible Color Styles docker.

New! Simple customization

The toolbox, dockers, and property bars contain handy new Quick customize buttons which will help you tailor the interface to suit your
workflow. Available in both CorelDRAW X7 and Corel PHOTO-PAINT X7, these buttons offer a faster and more convenient way to add
dockers to your workspace, add or remove tools from the toolbox, and add or remove items from a property bar.

For more information, see “Customizing the toolbox ” on page 644, “Dockers ” on page 68, and “To add or remove a toolbar item on
the property bar” on page 645.

New! Font embedding

You can now embed fonts when you save CorelDRAW documents so that shared recipients can view, print, and edit the document exactly
as designed. This is especially useful when sending a CorelDRAW file to a print shop, ensuring that the document can be viewed and printed
accurately.

CorelDRAW X7 respects any restrictions encoded with each font, so a font must support embedding to be saved with the document. While
some fonts cannot be embedded, most will support embedding for either print and preview, or for editing.

For more information, see “Embedding fonts” on page 392.

14 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

New! Lens corrections

The new Correct lens distortion slider in the Straighten image dialog box helps you preview and adjust your image to quickly and easily
remove pincushion and barrel distortions. Pincushion distortions make photos appear pinched in from the center, while barrel distortions
make photos appear pushed out from the center. By dragging the slider to the right, you can reduce pincushion distortions; conversely,
dragging the slider to the left will reduce barrel distortions. There’s also a customizable grid for the preview window that you can use to
help realign the distortion.

New! Multi-Seat license

You can now purchase a single serial number for use by several registered users, which includes access to Corel membership benefits such as
online content and application updates.

New! Overflow buttons

For tablet and mobile device users, new overflow buttons have been added to the toolbox, property bar, dockers, and color palettes to
indicate the presence of additional controls that do not fit within the workspace. You simply click an overflow button to instantly access the
hidden tools or controls.

New & Enhanced! Content

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X7 includes a wealth of project-ready content that you can use to enhance your artwork. The suite’s content
library includes:
• more than 13,000 high-quality clipart images
• 2,000 photos
• more than 600 professionally designed templates
• more than 1,200 objects
• 75 interactive text frames
• 75 interactive PowerClip™ frames
• more than 100 image lists
• more than 400 Artistic Media
• 75 content-ready photo frames
• more than 1000 fonts
• more than 400 pattern fills

You can access a wealth of content.

What’s new in CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X7?| 15

Work faster and more efficiently
Become more efficient and productive by taking advantage of a wide array of new and enhanced features — from fills, transparencies, brush
selection, and text enhancements to improved multiple document and automation workflows.

New & Enhanced! Fountain fills

You can now create elliptical and rectangular fountain fills, apply transparency to individual fill color nodes, repeat a fill within a filled object,
adjust a fill’s angle of rotation, and smooth the blend transition of a fountain fill.

With CorelDRAW X7, you can apply and adjust fountain fills more quickly, accurately, and creatively by using the new interactive controls in
the Object properties docker. In Corel PHOTO-PAINT X7, the enhanced Edit fill dialog box provides quick access to all available controls for
adjusting fountain fills.

For more information, see “Applying fountain fills” on page 266.

New & Enhanced! Vector and bitmap pattern fills

With CorelDRAW X7, you can efficiently preview, apply, and interactively transform both vector pattern and bitmap pattern fills by using
the enhanced controls in the Object properties docker. You can also save personally created or modified fills, and the new FILL format is
supported by Patterns™, a new iOS app that makes it easy to create bitmap patterns from photos. For more information, see “Applying
pattern fills” on page 268.

Examples of pattern fills

New! Edit Fill dialog box

In both CorelDRAW X7 and Corel PHOTO-PAINT X7, the new Edit fill dialog box gives you more efficient access to all available controls for
uniform, fountain, vector pattern, bitmap pattern, two-color pattern, texture, and PostScript fills. With CorelDRAW X7, the Edit fill dialog
box also provides a real-time preview as you make adjustments.

New & Enhanced! Custom fills

Both CorelDRAW X7 and Corel PHOTO-PAINT X7 introduce new options that make it easy to save and share your custom fills. With
CorelDRAW, the Save as new button appears in the Object properties docker and the Edit fill dialog box. The button also appears in the
Edit fill dialog box in Corel PHOTO-PAINT. Plus, the new FILL format preserves and exposes all fill settings, making it quick and simple to
modify both saved fills and fills downloaded from the Content Exchange.

For more information, see “Saving and sharing fills and transparencies” on page 293.

New! Fill picker

With both CorelDRAW X7 and Corel PHOTO-PAINT X7, a new Fill picker makes searching, previewing, and selecting fills quick and easy. The
Fill picker also provides access to both locally stored fills and those available in the Content Exchange.

16 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

 The new Fill picker makes searching, previewing, and selecting fills quick and easy.

New! Fill creation

In CorelDRAW X7, you can now instantly create new bitmap pattern and vector pattern fills from selected objects in your workspace. When
you click the New from document button in the Object properties docker, the cursor changes to the Crop tool so that you can define an
area of your workspace to use as a pattern. For more information, see “To create a vector or bitmap pattern from the workspace” on page
271.

Enhanced! Transparency

Transparency settings have been added to the Object properties docker in CorelDRAW X7, making it faster and easier to apply and adjust
object transparency. New options help you to quickly specify whether transparency is applied to an object’s outline, fill, or both. Plus, you
can instantly save transparency settings as a style to enable effortless reuse of your favorite effects. For more information, see “Changing the
transparency of objects” on page 281.

It is faster and easier to apply and adjust object transparency.

What’s new in CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X7?| 17

New! Outline Position

With CorelDRAW X7, the new Outline Position options help you create objects with more precise sizes. The Outside outline, Centered
outline, and Inside outline buttons let you specify whether an outline is positioned inside the object, outside the object, or an equal
combination of both. By positioning an outline inside an object, you can more easily create layouts with specific sizes because the outline
will be rendered within the object’s original measurements. For more information, see “Formatting lines and outlines” on page 105.

Enhanced! Object Properties docker

With CorelDRAW X7, the redesigned Object properties docker has a new tab option that can help new users gain efficiency by reducing
congestion. The Scroll/Tab mode button sets the docker to present only one group of formatting controls at a time, making it easier to focus
on the task at hand. For more information, see “Using the Object Properties docker to modify objects” on page 212.

New! Brush picker

With Corel PHOTO-PAINT X7, the new Brush picker helps you find the brush you’re seeking by combining all brush categories and brush
types in one location. Available for the Paint, Effect, and Clone tools, the new Brush picker provides nib and brush stroke previews as you
hover over each preset. It also stores the settings for the last five brushes you’ve used, which makes it easier to reuse a favorite combination.

The new Brush picker helps you find and choose brushes.

New! Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2012

The inclusion of Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2012 provides access to the latest development tools, making it easy for
developers to create VSTA automations for all applications in the suite.

New! Font Playground

In CorelDRAW X7 and Corel PHOTO-PAINT X7, the new Font Playground docker introduces an easier way to browse, experiment with, and
choose the perfect font. You can easily add sample text to view its appearance in different fonts, and a handy Zoom slider lets you quickly

18 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

adjust the size of sample text. With a single click, you can also choose whether the sample text appears as a single line, multiple lines, or a
cascading series of increased sizes.

The Font Playground also provides access to advanced features within OpenType fonts. If a text sample uses an OpenType font, you simply
select the text to display the Interactive OpenType arrow and then choose which features to apply.

Font Playground lets you experiment with and preview fonts easily so that you can choose the perfect font for your project.

Enhanced! Special characters, symbols, and glyphs

The revamped Insert character docker presents all characters, symbols, and glyphs associated with a selected font, making it easier than
ever to find these items and then insert them into your documents. Available in both CorelDRAW X7 and Corel PHOTO-PAINT X7, the docker
includes a filtering option that lets you display only the character subsets that you want. For example, you can choose to display only the
Cyrillic characters and symbols for a selected font.

New! Object Styles previews

A new pop-up now appears when you hover over a style in the Object styles docker, offering a quick preview of the style before it’s applied.

New! Welcome Screen - content notification

The redesigned Welcome Screen now provides update notifications directly in the navigation pane, so that you will be immediately informed
of any available new content. This makes it easier to stay current with CorelDRAW Graphics Suite application updates, content, learning
resources, and more.

New! Welcome Screen docking

You can now keep the Welcome Screen open as a docked tab in the workspace or as a separate floating window, providing constant access
to its wealth of versatile resources.

New! Multiple document interface

You can now work with multiple documents in a tabbed view, which helps you stay organized and quickly switch between several active
documents.

New! Undocking documents

When working with multiple documents, you can now drag a document outside of the application window to undock it, which is especially
useful for dual-monitor workflows.

New! Support for high-resolution monitors

The suite’s applications have been optimized for high DPI resolutions, ensuring that user interface elements appear crisp and legible when
displayed on high-resolution monitors.

What’s new in CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X7?| 19

Design with creativity and confidence
New and enhanced features such as Liquid tools, special effects, alignment and dynamic guides, and QR codes help you design with
creativity and confidence.

New! Liquid tools

In Corel PHOTO-PAINT X7, four new, pressure-sensitive Liquid tools — Smear, Attract, Repel, and Twirl — offer fresh creative options for
retouching photos. You can use these tools to reshape specific image areas to produce unique artistic effects. Each tool responds to the
pressure of your digital pen or stylus, and provides options that help you control the intensity of the effect.

With the Liquid smear tool, you can push pixels around an image area to produce distortion effects. You can set the size of the brush nib,
specify the amount of the effect to apply, and choose between a rounded or pointy smear. The Liquid twirl tool produces twirl effects from
image areas. You can set the size of the brush nib, the speed of the twirl effect, and the direction of the twirl from the center of the brush.
The Liquid attract and Liquid repel tools pull pixels toward or push pixels away from an image area. You can set the size of the brush nib
and the speed at which the pixels move.

With the new Liquid tools, you can retouch photos and create unique artistic effects.

New! Align and Distribute docker

The new Align and distribute docker provides quick and easy access to all available alignment options so that you can position objects with
precision. Docking the alignment options keeps the drawing window uncluttered, so you can instantly view the effects of any align and
distribute modifications. There are also new options that you can use to align and distribute objects from the edge of their outlines. Plus,
you can align objects with a reference point by specifying its exact x and y coordinates. For more information, see “Aligning and distributing
objects” on page 196.

New! Finding complementary colors

With new harmony rules, you can snap all colors in a color harmony to a rule-based system, which lets you modify those colors while
preserving the color harmony. You can also use harmony rules to create a new color harmony from scratch. There are six harmony rules that
produce five-color harmonies based on a selected color swatch. For more information, see “Harmony rules” on page 434.

Enhanced! Color Styles docker

The enhanced Color styles docker makes it easier to view, arrange, and edit color styles and color harmonies. You can now specify the
brightness value for a color, and constrain the Harmony Editor’s selector ring which preserves saturation and hue while you adjust the color.

The Color styles docker now offers convenient view options, including Hint view which provides a visual indication of all document objects
that use a specific color style, and Page sorter, which displays thumbnails of all pages in a document and previews changes as you adjust

20 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

colors. You can also click View  Page sorter to access thumbnails of all pages in a document, with live previews of changes you make to the
document’s color styles. For more information, see “Viewing color styles” on page 438.

Hint view helps you identify objects that use specific color styles.

New! OpenType support for Asian text

While working with Asian text, you can now use advanced OpenType typography features, such as widths, forms, vertical metrics, kana
glyph alternatives, and vertical alternates and rotation. For more information, see “OpenType support for Asian text” on page 387.

New! Alignment and Dynamic Guides docker

You can use the new Alignment and Dynamic Guides docker to access and modify the configuration of these guides more quickly. With
alignment guides, the new Intelligent Spacing guides make it easier to precisely position objects with the same spacing as nearby objects.
Plus, the new Intelligent Dimensioning guides help you scale or rotate an object in relation to the dimensions or rotation angle of nearby
objects. For more information, see “Using alignment guides ” on page 205 and “Using dynamic guides” on page 202.

Intelligent Dimensioning displays indicators when an object is rotated to

the same angle (top) or scaled to same size as the closest object (bottom).

What’s new in CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X7?| 21

 Intelligent Spacing displays indicators when an object is equidistant between two
other objects (left) or has the same spacing as the closest onscreen objects (right).

New! Guidelines docker

With the new Guidelines docker in both CorelDRAW X7 and Corel PHOTO-PAINT X7, it’s never been easier to add, manage, and modify
guidelines. You can position guidelines with precision by using x and y coordinates, alter the line style and color, set objects and editable
areas to snap to guidelines, and lock guidelines to avoid accidental changes. Plus, you can set up angled guidelines and specify their angle of
rotation. For more information, see “Setting up guidelines” on page 454.

New! Alignment Guides

The new alignment guides in Corel PHOTO-PAINT X7 help you position objects more quickly, appearing on the fly with suggested alignments
to other nearby objects. You can use the new Alignment guides docker to view, set up, and modify alignment guides. And with new margin
alignment guides, you can now specify inset and offset values when aligning an object relative to another object.

New! QR codes

With CorelDRAW X7, you can now create unique, artistic, and scalable QR codes by adding text, colors, and images. Popular in consumer
advertising and packaging, QR codes give smartphone users quick access to a brand’s website which can offer additional product
information. The Object properties docker makes it easy to customize a QR code, and you can create a style that saves a fixed appearance
for the QR code to enable quick and easy reuse.

You can change the shape, outline width, color, and fill type of the QR code pixels, change the background color and fill type, and more. You
can also choose which information to include in the QR code, such as URL, email address, phone number, SMS, Contact, Calendar event,
and Geo location. There’s also a Validate option, which analyzes the QR code to ensure it can be read by QR code readers, smartphones, and
scanners.

For more information, see “Inserting and editing QR codes” on page 219.

New! Smoothing objects

CorelDRAW X7 provides a new Smooth tool that you can use to remove jagged edges and reduce nodes in curve objects. You can control
the smoothing effect by varying the size of the brush nib, the speed at which the effect is applied, and by using the pressure of your digital
pen or stylus. For more information, see “Smoothing objects” on page 150.

New! Special effects

Corel PHOTO-PAINT X7 introduces new camera effects, such as Bokeh blur, Colorize, Sepia Toning, and Time Machine to help you recreate
historic photographic styles and give your images unique visual appearances.

With the Bokeh blur effect, you can define an area of focus and leave the rest of the image out of focus. You can create a duotone image by
using the Colorize effect to replace all colors in an image with a single hue. The Sepia Toning effect simulates a photo taken with sepia film,
which is similar to grayscale except with brown tones. And with the Time Machine, you can choose from seven historic photography styles
ranging from 1839 to the 1960s.

22 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

 Examples of special effects. From left to right: Original image, Sepia Toning, Time Machine, Colorize.

New! Unsharp Mask Lens

With Corel PHOTO-PAINT X7, the new Unsharp Mask Lens helps you sharpen photos without having to apply the effect directly to an object.
This lens increases the contrast of adjacent pixels while preserving both high- and low-frequency details, like edges and large structures. You
can have the lens cover the entire image, or you can create a lens from an editable area that you define. Plus, you can easily edit the lens by
adding or removing areas, and by adjusting the lens transparency.

New! Planar Mask tool

You can use the new Planar mask tool in Corel PHOTO-PAINT X7 to define a feathered editable area along parallel lines. When combined
with a blur effect, you can simulate depth of field, giving focus to a particular object while blurring areas outside the planar mask. You can
modify the effect of the planar mask by moving or rotating the lines, and you can also use mask modes with the Planar mask tool.

Example of a planar mask in combination with a blur effect

New! Interactive brushstroke transparency and feathering

With Corel PHOTO-PAINT X7, you can now use modifier keys to interactively adjust the transparency and feathering of brushstrokes. This
lets you apply transparency and feathering on the fly, and works with the Eraser, Red-eye removal, Clone, Touch-up brush, Paint, Effect,
Image sprayer, Undo brush, and Replace color brush tools.

Share and expand your experience

Access and share assets, and learn from a community of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite users.

What’s new in CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X7?| 23

New! Content Exchange

The new Content Exchange is an online repository that integrates with Corel CONNECT and the suite’s applications, making it quick and
effortless to access and share vector fills, bitmap fills, and fountain fills with a community of other users. For more information, see “Using
the Content Exchange” on page 78.

New! Sharing fountain and pattern fills

You can now save personal fountain, vector pattern, and bitmap pattern fills and share them in the new Content Exchange, an online
repository of community content that can be downloaded and is accessible to anyone with a corel.com account. You can also instantly share
personally created or modified bitmap pattern fills to the new Patterns iOS app. For more information, see “Saving and sharing fills and
transparencies” on page 293.

You can share your custom pattern fills in the new Content Exchange.

New! Content Exchange - Vote up and Vote down

A pop-up appears when you click an asset in the Content Exchange, which gives you the opportunity to vote up or vote down the asset. You
can sort assets in the Content Exchange based on the results of user voting.

New! Content Exchange - Favorites

You can instantly set any asset that catches your eye in the Content Exchange as a favorite, which is a quick and convenient way to keep a
list of content that you might want to download later.

New! Syncing trays with Microsoft OneDrive

You can now sync Corel CONNECT trays with Microsoft OneDrive, which provides cloud-based access to your tray contents on other
computers or mobile devices.

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 CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
• Click Help  Highlight what’s new, and click one of the following commands:
• Since version X6— highlights menu commands and tools for features introduced or improved in version X7
• Since version X5 — highlights menu commands and tools for features introduced or improved in version X6 and X7
• No highlight — removes highlighting from menu commands and tools in the toolbox

24 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

Learning resources

You can learn to use the product in various ways: by reading the Quick Start Guide; by accessing the Help 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 25)
• “Using the Help and tooltips” (page 26)
• “Quick Start Guide” (page 27)
• “Insights from the Experts” (page 27)
• “Video learning resources” (page 27)
• “Using Hints” (page 28)
• “Welcome screen” (page 28)
• “Tips and Tricks” (page 29)
• “Macro programming guide” (page 29)
• “Network deployment guide” (page 29)
• “Web-based resources” (page 29)
• “Customized training and integration resources” (page 29)

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 27)

“Quick Start Guide” (page 27)

Learn about new and enhanced features “Video learning resources” (page 27)

Obtain additional information about product tools and features Help

“Web-based resources” (page 29)

“Using Hints” (page 28)

Learning resources | 25
To See

Advance your knowledge of the suite by learning from graphics “Insights from the Experts” (page 27)
design experts
“Web-based resources” (page 29)

Learn to automate tasks by using macros “Macro programming guide” (page 29)

Find information about deploying the suite on a network “Network deployment guide” (page 29)

Find information about customized training and workflow solutions “Customized training and integration resources” (page 29)

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

A note contains important information A compound blend cannot be copied or

that is relevant to the preceding steps. It cloned.
may describe conditions under which the
If you click the Equal margins button, you
procedure can be performed.
must specify values in the Top/left margin
boxes.

A tip contains suggestions for performing Trimming an object can reduce the drawing
the preceding steps. It may present file size.
alternatives to the steps, or other benefits or
You can change the number of swatches in
uses of the procedure.
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.

26 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

You can also

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.

Quick Start Guide

The Quick Start Guide can help you get started quickly with the suite by introducing you to useful tools and features.

The Quick Start Guide is available in PDF format.

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 the 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 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 introduce you to the refreshed application interface, and new and enhanced features such as fills and transparencies,
Content Exchange, Font Playground, 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. The video tutorials include audio and captions.

To access a short video

1 In the Hints docker, click the Videos tab.

Learning resources | 27
 If the Hints docker is not open, click Window  Dockers  Hints.
2 Click a video thumbnail.

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.

To access a video tutorial

1 Click Help  Video tutorials.
2 Click a title in the Videos pane.

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 a relevant Help topic by clicking the Help button in the upper-
right corner of the Hints docker.

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 68.

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 Click the Help button in the upper-right corner of the Hints
docker.

Navigate to previously viewed topics Click the Back and Forward buttons at the bottom of the Hints
docker.

Welcome screen
The Welcome screen gives you easy access to application resources and lets you quickly complete common tasks, such as opening files and
starting files from templates. You can also find out about the new features in CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X7 and get inspired by graphic
designs featured on the Gallery page. In addition, you can access videos and tips, receive the latest product updates, and check your
membership or subscription.

The Welcome screen appears when you start CorelDRAW or Corel PHOTO-PAINT. You can also access the Welcome screen after starting the
application.

28 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

To access the Welcome screen
• Click Help  Welcome screen.
To view and access the available resources, click the buttons on the left side of the Welcome screen.

Tips and Tricks

To access Tips and Tricks

1 Click Help  Welcome screen.
The Welcome screen appears.
2 Click the Need Help? button , and click Tips & tricks.

Macro programming guide

The CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X7 Macro Programming Guide provides a streamlined instructional approach to programming macros
for CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X7. You can use either Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) or Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for
Applications (VSTA) to create macros that automate tasks and provide customized solutions for CorelDRAW and Corel PHOTO-PAINT.

To access the macro programming guide

• On the Windows Start menu, click Start  All Programs  CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X7  Documentation  Macro Programming Guide
PDF.

Network deployment guide

The CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X7 Deployment Guide is a step-by-step resource for deploying CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X7 to a network.
This guide is provided to customers who purchase a volume (“multi-seat”) license of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X7 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 CorelDRAW Graphics
Suite users
• CorelDRAW.com community — an online environment to share your experience with the product, ask questions, and receive help and
suggestions from other users
• Tips and tricks on the Corel website— valuable information provided by the Corel Documentation Team to help you take full advantage
of product features
• Tutorials on the Corel website— in-depth tutorials in which CorelDRAW Graphics Suite experts share their knowledge and techniques
• Third-party resources — print and online resources that provide additional information about CorelDRAW Graphics Suite tools and
features, as well as various areas of graphic design

An active Internet connection is required to access web-based resources.

Customized training and integration resources

Corel Corporation has training partnerships with other firms.

Learning resources | 29
Corel customized training

Corel Training Specialists can provide you with customized training, tailored to your work environment, to help you get the most out of
the Corel software that you’ve installed. These experts will help you develop a curriculum that is practical and relevant to the needs of your
organization. For more information, please visit www.corel.com/customizedtraining.

Corel Training Partners

A Corel Training Partner (CTP) is an independent, officially accredited local organization that provides training and training resources for
Corel products. CTPs are located worldwide for your convenience. Please visit www.corel.com/trainingpartners to find a partner near you.

Corel Technology Partners

Corel Technology Partners are businesses that embed Corel technology in their products, develop plug-in applications for Corel software,
or integrate standalone applications into Corel technology solutions. This comprehensive program is designed especially for developers and
consultants. It includes the components that are necessary to design, develop, test, and market custom solutions related to Corel products.

For more information about Corel Technology Partners, please email Corel Corporation at techpartner@corel.com.

30 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

Starting and setting up

This section contains the following topics:

• “Starting and quitting CorelDRAW” (page 31)
• “Changing languages” (page 31)
• “Changing startup settings” (page 32)

Starting and quitting CorelDRAW

You can start CorelDRAW from the Windows taskbar and end a CorelDRAW session from the application window.

To start and quit CorelDRAW

To Do the following

Start CorelDRAW Do one of the following:

• (Windows 7) From the Windows taskbar,
click Start  Programs CorelDRAW Graphics
Suite X7  CorelDRAW.
• (Windows 8) Click the CorelDRAW tile on your desktop.

Quit CorelDRAW Click File  Exit.

Changing languages
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.

If you did not install a specific Writing Tools language when you first installed the product, you can do so now.

To change the language of the user interface and Help

1 Click Tools  Options.
2 In the list of categories, click Global.
3 Choose a language from the Select the language for the user interface list box.

Starting and setting up | 31

 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 X7 installation” on page 6.

To add a language for Writing Tools

1 Close any open applications.
2 On the Windows taskbar, click Start  Control Panel.
3 Click Uninstall a program.
4 Double-click CorelDRAW Graphics Suite on the Uninstall or change a program page.
5 Enable the Modify option in the installation wizard, and click Next.
6 In the Writing tools area on the Program features page, open the list box, and enable the check box next to the language that you
want to install.
7 Follow the instructions in the installation wizard.

Changing startup settings

You can specify the startup settings for CorelDRAW, 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 CorelDRAW start-up list box.
If you want to hide the Create a new document dialog box when starting documents, disable the Show New Document dialog box
check box.

32 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

CorelDRAW basics

CorelDRAW lets you create and edit drawings. In this section, you can find information about commonly performed tasks.

This section contains the following topics:

• “Understanding vector graphics and bitmaps” (page 33)
• “Starting and opening drawings” (page 34)
• “Scanning images” (page 37)
• “Working with multiple drawings” (page 37)
• “Undoing, redoing, and repeating actions” (page 38)
• “Zooming, panning, and scrolling” (page 39)
• “Previewing drawings” (page 41)
• “Choosing viewing modes” (page 42)
• “Working with views” (page 44)
• “Saving drawings” (page 45)
• “Working with locked files” (page 47)
• “Backing up and recovering files” (page 47)
• “Adding and accessing drawing information” (page 48)
• “Closing drawings” (page 48)
• “Exploring basic tasks” (page 49)

Understanding vector graphics and bitmaps

The two main types of computer graphics are vector graphics and bitmaps. Vector graphics are made of lines and curves, and they are
generated from mathematical descriptions that determine the position, length, and direction in which lines are drawn. Bitmaps, also known
as raster images, are composed of small squares called pixels; each pixel is mapped to a location in an image and has numerical color values.

Vector graphics are ideal for logos and illustrations because they are resolution-independent and can be scaled to any size, or printed and
displayed at any resolution, without losing detail and quality. In addition, you can produce sharp and crisp outlines with vector graphics.

Bitmaps are excellent for photographs and digital paintings because they reproduce color gradations well. Bitmaps are resolution-dependent
— that is, they represent a fixed number of pixels. They look good at their actual size, but they can appear jagged or lose image quality
when scaled, or when displayed or printed at a resolution higher than their original resolution.

You can create vector graphics in CorelDRAW. You can also import bitmaps (such as JPEG and TIFF files) into CorelDRAW and add them to
your drawings. For information about working with bitmaps, see “Working with bitmaps” on page 475.

CorelDRAW basics | 33
 Top: A vector graphic consists of lines and fills. Bottom: A bitmap is made up of pixels.

Starting and opening drawings

CorelDRAW lets you start a new drawing from a blank page, a template, or an existing drawing. A blank page gives you the freedom to
specify every aspect of a drawing. A template provides you with a starting point and leaves the amount of customization up to you.

For information about starting a drawing from a template, see “To start a document from a template” on page 419. For more information
about creating and using templates, see “Working with templates” on page 417.

Notes for starting new drawings

When starting a new drawing, CorelDRAW lets you specify page, document, and color management settings. You can choose from a list of
preset settings, which are based on how you intend to use the drawing. For example, you can choose the Web option if you are creating
a drawing for the Internet, or the Default CMYK option if you are creating a document destined for commercial printing. However, if the
preset settings are not suitable for the drawing that you want to create, you can also customize the settings and save them for future use.

Notes for opening existing drawings

Basing a new drawing on an existing drawing lets you reuse objects and page settings. CorelDRAW lets you open existing drawings saved
to the CorelDRAW (CDR) format as well as drawings and projects saved to various file formats such as Corel DESIGNER (DSF or DES), Adobe
Illustrator (AI), Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), Encapsulated PostScript (EPS), and Computer Graphics Metafile (CGM). However,
you may not be able to open certain files, depending on their file type and contents. In such cases, you can try importing the files as objects
in an open drawing. For information about the file formats that you can import into CorelDRAW, see “Supported file formats” on page
593.

If the drawing you are opening is from an earlier version of CorelDRAW and contains text in a language different from the language of your
operating system, you can choose code page settings to ensure that text is properly converted according to the Unicode Standard. Code
page settings help you correctly display text such as keywords, file names, and text entries outside the drawing window — for example, in
the Object manager and Object data manager dockers. To display text correctly in the drawing window, you must use encoding settings.
For more information, see “Displaying text correctly in any language” on page 388.

If the drawing you are opening contains an embedded International Color Consortium (ICC) profile, the embedded color profile remains the
document’s color profile. For more information, see “Understanding color management” on page 295.

You can search for drawings by different criteria, such as filename, title, subject, author, keyword, comment, text within the file, and other
properties attached to the file. For more information about searching for files, see the Windows Help. For more information about browsing
and searching for content, see “Browsing and searching for content ” on page 80.

34 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

You can also display previous versions of a drawing.

To start a drawing
1 Do one of the following:
• On the Welcome screen, click Get started  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 drawing:
• CorelDRAW default — applies the CorelDRAW default settings for creating graphics that are destined for printing
• Default CMYK — applies settings for creating graphics that are destined for commercial printing
• Default RGB — applies settings for creating graphics that are destined for printing to a high-fidelity printer
• Web — applies settings for creating graphics that are destined for the Internet
• Custom — lets you customize destination settings for a document

You can also

Change the unit of measurement for the page Choose a unit of measurement from the Drawing units list box.

Change the page size Choose a page size for the drawing from the Size list box or type
values in the Width and Height boxes.

Change the page orientation Click one of the following page orientation buttons:
• Portrait
• Landscape

Set the number of pages Type a value in the Number of pages box.

Set the default color mode for the document to RGB or CMYK Choose a color mode from the Primary color mode list box.

Set the resolution for effects that will likely be rasterized, such as Choose a rendering resolution from the Rendering resolution list
transparency, drop shadow, and bevel effects box.

Choose the preview mode for the drawing Choose a preview mode from the Preview mode list box.

Choose an RGB profile for the drawing In the Color settings area, choose a default RGB profile from the
RGB profile list box.

Choose a CMYK profile for the drawing Choose a default CMYK profile from the CMYK profile list box.

Choose a Grayscale profile for the drawing Choose a default Grayscale profile from the Grayscale profile list
box.

Choose a default method for out-of-gamut colors to be mapped Choose an option from the Rendering intent list box.
into gamut

When you choose a color mode from the Primary color mode list box, it becomes the default color mode for the document. The
default color mode affects how colors work together in effects such as blends and transparencies. It does not restrict the type of
colors that you can apply to a drawing. For example, if you set the color mode to RGB, you can still apply colors from a CMYK color
palette to the document.
The primary color mode also specifies the default color mode for exporting documents. For example, if you choose the RGB color
mode and export a document as a JPEG, the color mode is automatically set to RGB.

The settings that are displayed in the Color settings area of the Create a new document dialog box are based on the settings that
are specified in the Default color management settings dialog box.

CorelDRAW basics | 35
 If you do not want to show the Create a new document dialog box and prefer to use the last used settings to create new
documents, enable the Do not show this dialog again check box.

You can restore the Create a new document dialog box when starting drawings by clicking Tools  Options, clicking General in the
Workspace list of categories, and enabling the Show new document dialog box check box.

To create a custom preset

1 In the application window, click File  New.
2 In the Create a new document dialog box, choose the settings that you want to save as a preset destination.
3 Click the Add preset button .

4 In the Add preset dialog box, type a name for the new destination preset.

You can delete a destination preset by choosing the preset name from the Preset destination list box and clicking the Remove preset
button.

To open a drawing
1 Click File  Open.
2 Locate the folder where the drawing is stored.
3 Click a filename.
4 Click Open.

You can also

Extract an embedded International Color Consortium (ICC) profile Enable the Extract embedded ICC profile check box.
to the color folder in which the application is installed
This option is not available for all file formats.

Maintain layers and pages when you open files Enable the Maintain layers and pages check box.

If you disable the check box, all layers are combined in a single
layer.

This option is not available for all file formats.

View thumbnail of a drawing Click the arrow button next to the Views button, and click Extra
large icons, Large icons, Medium icons, or Small icons.

Choose a code page Choose a code page from the Select code page list box. This
option is not available for all file formats.

Search for a drawing 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 a drawing in another location, you must
first navigate to the folder where the drawing 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.

36 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

 You can view file information, such as version number and compression ratio. For example, a compression ratio of 80 percent means
that the file size was reduced by 80 percent after the file was saved. You can also see in what application and language the drawing
was last saved, and you can view keywords and notes associated with a drawing.

To open a file you have recently worked on, click File  Open recent, and click the filename.

If you have multiple files open, you can navigate between them by clicking Window  Document, and then clicking the name of the
file that you want to display in the drawing window.

Scanning images
You can scan images in CorelDRAW. CorelDRAW 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 images in
CorelDRAW. TWAIN is supported by both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of CorelDRAW. However, note that there are very few 64-bit TWAIN
drivers available.

The software interfaces and options vary. For information about using the software associated with your scanner, see the manufacturer’s
documentation.

To scan images
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.

To scan additional images during the same session, click File  Acquire image  Acquire.

Working with multiple drawings

Multiple drawings can be opened in a single drawing window, making it easy to handle many drawings simultaneously. You can access each
open drawing from its tab at the top of the drawing window, and you can start new drawings.

Open drawings appear docked, but you can undock any drawing you want and drag it inside or outside the application window.

CorelDRAW basics | 37
To work with multiple drawings
To Do the following

Switch to another open drawing At the top of the drawing window, click the tab that has the
filename you want.

Start another drawing Click theNewbutton to the left of the last tab in the drawing
window.

Undock a drawing Drag the tab to a new position inside or outside the application
window.

Undoing, redoing, and repeating actions

You can undo the actions that you perform in a drawing, starting with the most recent action. If you don’t like the result of undoing an
action, you can redo it. Reverting to the last saved version of a drawing also lets you remove one or more actions. Certain actions applied to
objects, such as stretching, filling, moving, and rotating, can be repeated to create a stronger visual effect.

Customizing the Undo settings lets you increase or decrease the number of actions that you can undo or redo.

To undo, redo, and repeat actions

To Do the following

Undo an action Click Edit  Undo manager.

Redo an action Click Edit  Redo.

Undo or redo a series of actions Click Edit  Undo manager. In the Undomanager docker, click the
action that precedes all the actions that you want to undo, or click
the last undone action that you want to redo.

Revert to the last saved version of a drawing Click File  Revert.

Repeat an action Click Edit  Repeat.

When you undo a series of actions in the Undo manager docker, all actions listed below the action that you click are undone.

When you redo a series of actions in the Undo manager docker, the action that you click and all preceding undone actions are
redone.

You can repeat an action on another object or group of objects by selecting the object or objects and clicking Edit  Repeat.

You can also undo or redo a series of actions by clicking the arrow button next to the Undo button or Redo button on the
Standard toolbar and choosing an action from the list.

To specify the Undo settings

1 Click Tools  Options.
2 In the Workspace list of categories, click General.
3 In the Undo levels area, type a value in one or both of the following boxes:

38 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

 • Regular — specifies the number of actions that can be reversed when you use the Undo command with vector objects
• Bitmap effects — specifies the number of actions that can be reversed when you work with bitmap effects

The value that you specify is limited only by your computer’s memory resources. The higher the value you specify, the greater the
demand on memory resources.

Zooming, panning, and scrolling

You can change the view of a drawing by zooming in to get a closer look or by zooming out to see more of the drawing. You can
experiment with a variety of zoom options to determine the amount of detail you want.

Panning and scrolling are two additional ways to view specific areas of a drawing. When you work at high magnification levels or with large
drawings, you may not be able to see the whole drawing. Panning and scrolling let you move the page around in the drawing window to
view previously hidden areas.

You can use the Pan tool to pan around a large image and view particular areas.

You can zoom in and out while you are panning, and you can pan while you are zooming. In this way, you can avoid having to alternate
between the two tools.

You can also use the Quick Pan mode to switch from any active tool to the Pan tool. This feature lets you pan without having to change
tools.

If you use a mouse wheel, the wheel zooms in and zooms out by default. You can also use the mouse wheel to scroll.

You can specify default zooming and panning settings.

To zoom
1 In the toolbox, click the Zoom tool .
2 On the property bar, click one of the following:
• Zoom in

• Zoom out

• Zoom to selected

• Zoom to all objects

• Zoom to page

CorelDRAW basics | 39
 • Zoom to page width

• Zoom to page height

The Zoom to selected button is available only if one or more objects are selected before you click the Zoom tool.

When you are not editing text, you can also access the Zoom tool by pressing the Z key.
Using the Zoom tool, you can also zoom in by clicking anywhere in the drawing window or dragging to select a specific area to
magnify. To zoom out, right-click in the drawing window, or drag with the right mouse button to select a specific area.

You can also zoom in by using the Pan tool and double-clicking in the drawing window. To zoom out, right-click in the drawing
window.

To pan in the drawing window

1 In the toolbox, click the Pan tool .

2 Drag in the drawing window until the area you want to view appears.

When you are not editing text, you can also access the Pan tool by pressing the H key.
To pan in the drawing window while zoomed in on the drawing, click the Navigator button in the lower-right corner of the
drawing window.

You can quickly center the page in the drawing window by double-clicking the Pan tool in the toolbox.

Using the Navigator, you can display any part of a drawing without having to zoom out.

To switch to the Quick Pan mode

1 Click any selection, drawing, or shaping tool, and start using it.
2 Hold down the middle mouse button or wheel, and drag in the drawing window.

To scroll by using a mouse wheel

• Do one of the following:
• To scroll vertically, press Alt while you move the wheel.
• To scroll horizontally, press Ctrl while you move the wheel.

40 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

 The mouse wheel can be used for scrolling only if the Scroll option for the mouse is enabled. For more information, see “To establish
default setting for the mouse wheel” on page 41.

To specify default zoom settings

1 Click Tools  Options.
2 In the Workspace list of categories, double-click Toolbox, and click Zoom, Pan tool.
3 To specify the action of the Zoom or Pan tool when you right-click in the drawing window, enable one of the following options:
• Zoom out — zooms out by a factor of 2
• Context menu — displays a menu of commands that let you zoom to a specific level
4 To specify how the page appears when the zoom is set to 100%, enable or disable the Zoom relative to 1:1 check box.
• When the option is enabled, a 100% zoom displays real-world dimensions.
• When the option is disabled, a 100% zoom displays the full page, regardless of real-world dimensions.
5 To specify how the page appears when you zoom in and out using the mouse wheel, enable or disable the Center mouse when
zooming with the mouse wheel check box.
• When the option is enabled, the area where the mouse pointer is located moves to the center of the screen as you zoom in and out
using the mouse wheel.
• When the option is disabled, the area where the mouse pointer is located stays in the same position as you zoom in and out using the
mouse wheel.

You can click Calibrate rulers to ensure that one inch on your screen equals one inch of real-world distance. For more information,
see “Calibrating the rulers” on page 451.

To establish default setting for the mouse wheel

1 Click Tools  Options.
2 In the Workspace list of categories, click Display.
3 To specify the default action of the mouse wheel, choose Zoom or Scroll from the Default action for mouse wheel list box.

Previewing drawings
You can preview a drawing to see how it will look when printed or exported. When you preview a drawing, only the objects on the drawing
page and in the immediate area of the drawing window are displayed, and you can see all layers that are set to print in the Object manager
docker. If you want a closer look at specific objects in a drawing, you can select and preview them. When you preview selected objects, the
rest of the drawing is hidden.

Before you preview a drawing, you can specify the preview mode. The preview mode affects the speed with which your preview appears as
well as the amount of detail displayed in the drawing window.

By default, the borders of a page are displayed in the drawing window, but you can hide them at any time. If a drawing is intended for print,
you can display the area that will actually print as well as the bleed, the part of the drawing that extends beyond the page border. Bleeds are
useful when a drawing contains a color page background or objects that are positioned on the page border. Bleeds ensure that no white
space appears between the edges of a drawing and the edge of the paper after the printer cuts, binds, and trims the document.

To preview a drawing
• Click View  Full-screen preview.

Click anywhere on the screen, or press any key, to return to the application window.

CorelDRAW basics | 41
 You can press Page up and Page down to preview pages in a multipage drawing.

To preview selected objects

1 Select the objects.
2 Click View  Preview selected only.

Click anywhere on the screen, or press any key, to return to the application window.

If Preview selected only mode is enabled and no objects are selected, Full-screen preview displays a blank screen.

To choose a full-screen preview mode

1 Click Tools  Options.
2 In the Workspace list of categories, click Display.
3 In the Full-screen preview area, enable one of the following options:
• Use draft view — Drawings appear without PostScript fills or high-resolution bitmaps, and no anti-aliasing is used.
• Use enhanced view — Drawings appear with or without PostScript fills, and anti-aliasing is used to sharpen the display of the
drawings.

You can display PostScript fills when you preview a drawing in Enhanced mode by enabling the Show PostScript fills in enhanced
view check box.

To set the page display

1 Click Tools  Options.
2 In the Document list of categories, click Page size.
3 Enable one of the following options:
• Show page border — displays page borders
• Show bleed area — displays the area of the drawing extending beyond the page border. To change the bleed area, type a value in the
Bleed box.

When preparing a drawing for commercial printing, you may also need to set a bleed limit. For more information, see “To set a bleed
limit” on page 543.

You can also click View  Page  Page border, or View  Page  Bleed.

You can display the printable area of a drawing by clicking View  Page  Printable area. The printable area is usually indicated by two
dotted lines inside or around the page, depending on the current printer settings. One outline indicates the area that can be printed
on the current printer; the other outline indicates the paper size that your printer is set to use.

Choosing viewing modes

As you work, CorelDRAW lets you display a drawing in any of the following modes:
• Simple wireframe — displays an outline of the drawing by hiding fills, extrusions, contours, drop shadows, and intermediate blend
shapes; also displays the bitmaps in monochrome. This mode lets you quickly preview basic elements in a drawing.
• Wireframe — displays a drawing in simple wireframe mode plus intermediate blend shapes

42 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

• Draft — displays fills and bitmaps with a low resolution. This mode eliminates some detail to allow you to focus on the color balances in
a drawing.
• Normal — displays a drawing without PostScript fills or high-resolution bitmaps. This mode refreshes and opens slightly faster than the
Enhanced mode.
• Enhanced — displays a drawing with PostScript fills, high-resolution bitmaps, and anti-aliased vector graphics.
• Pixels — displays a pixel-based rendition of the drawing, which allows you to zoom in on an area of an object, and then position and
size the object more precisely. This view also lets you see what the drawing will look like when it is exported to a bitmap file format.
• Simulate overprints — simulates the color of areas where overlapping objects were set to overprint and displays PostScript fills, high-
resolution bitmaps, and anti-aliased vector graphics. For information about overprinting objects, see “To overprint selected objects” on
page 547.
• Rasterize complex effects — rasterizes the display of complex effects, such as transparencies, bevels, and drop shadows when in
Enhanced view. This option is useful for previewing how the complex effects will be printed. To ensure the successful printing of complex
effects, most printers require complex effects to be rasterized.

The viewing mode you choose affects the amount of time it takes for a drawing to open or be displayed on the monitor. For example, a
drawing displayed in Simple Wireframe view takes less time to refresh or open than does a drawing displayed in Simulate Overprints view.

Simple wireframe viewing mode (left); Enhanced viewing mode (center), and Simulate overprints
viewing mode (right). The fill for the gray diamond shape and the cup’s shadow are set to overprint.

To choose a viewing mode

• Click View, and click one of the following modes:
• Simple wireframe
• Wireframe
• Draft
• Normal
• Enhanced
• Pixels
• Simulate overprints
• Rasterize complex effects

If you are overprinting, it is important to preview the objects in the Simulate overprints mode before printing. The type of objects
you are overprinting and the type of colors you are mixing determine how overprinted colors are combined. For more information
about overprinting, see “Working with color trapping and overprinting” on page 546.

You can set the default viewing mode by clicking Tools  Options, clicking General in the Document list of categories, and choosing
an option from the View mode list box.

CorelDRAW basics | 43
 You can quickly switch between the selected viewing mode and the previous viewing mode by pressing Shift + F9.

Working with views

You can save a view of any part of a drawing. For example, you can save a view of an object at 230% magnification and then return to this
specific view at any time.

If a document contains multiple pages, you can view them all at once by using the Page Sorter view. You can also display consecutive left-
hand and right-hand pages on the screen at the same time (facing pages) and create objects that span two pages.

To save a view
1 Click Window  Dockers  View manager.
2 Click the Add currentview button .

You can also

Rename a view Double-click a view name, and type a new name.

Delete a saved view Click a view, and click the Delete current view button .

If you disable the page icon next to a saved view in the docker, CorelDRAW switches to the magnification level only, not the

page, when you switch to that view. Similarly, if you disable the magnifying glass icon , CorelDRAWswitches to the page only, not
the magnification level.

You can also save the current view by clicking the Zoom or Pan tool in the toolbox, clicking in the Zoom levels list box on the
standard toolbar, typing a name, and pressing Enter.

To switch to a saved view

1 Click Window  Dockers  View manager.
2 Click a view in the View manager docker.

You can also switch to a saved view by selecting it from the Zoom levels list box on the standard toolbar.

To view all pages in a multipage document

• Click View  Page sorter view.

To return to the default page view, click the Page sorter view button on the property bar.

To view facing pages

1 Click Layout  Page setup.
2 In the Document list of categories, click Layout.
3 Enable the Facing pages check box.

44 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

4 Choose one of the following settings from the Start on list box:
• Left side — starts the document on a left-hand page
• Right side — starts the document on a right-hand page

You cannot view facing pages if the document uses a Tent Card or Top-fold Card layout style, or if it contains multiple page
orientations. The Left side option is available only for the Full Page and Book layout styles.
When you enable the Facing pages check box, the content on the facing pages is merged on one page. The layer structure for
the merged page is based on the left-hand page. The layers from the right-hand page are inserted above the layers on the left-
hand page. This rule also applies if you reorder the pages. If you disable the Facing pages check box, the layers and content are
redistributed across separate pages. Objects that cross both pages are assigned to a page according to where the center of the object
is found.

It is recommended that you avoid switching back and forth between individual pages and facing pages within the same document.

Saving drawings
By default, drawings are saved to the CorelDRAW file format (CDR) and are compatible with the latest version of the application. You can
also save a drawing that is compatible with an earlier version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite and specify save options. Such options are useful
when the file contains new text, fill, outline, and transparency features that are not supported in earlier versions.

You can save a drawing to other vector file formats as well. If you want to use a drawing in another application, you must save it to a file
format that is supported by that application. For information about saving files to other formats, see “Exporting files” on page 576.

When saving a drawing, you can embed the used fonts to facilitate file sharing. By default, CorelDRAW embeds all used fonts, with the
exception of Asian fonts and fonts that do not have embedding permissions. For more information, see “Embedding fonts” on page 392.

When you save a drawing, CorelDRAW lets you add reference information so that you can easily find and organize drawings later on. On
Windows 7 and Windows 8, you can attach tags (also known as properties) such as title, subject, and rating.

You can also save selected objects in a drawing. For large drawings, saving only the selected objects reduces the file size, which can decrease
the time it takes to load the drawing.

When saving a file, you can use advanced options to control how bitmaps, textures, and vector effects, such as blends and extrusions, are
saved with the drawing.

You can also save a drawing as a template, which lets you create other drawings with the same properties. For information about saving a
drawing as a template, see “Working with templates” on page 417.

To save a drawing
1 Click File  Save as.
2 Type a filename in the File name box.
3 Locate the folder where you want to save the file.
If you want to save the drawing to a vector file format other than CorelDRAW (CDR), choose a file format from the Save as type list box.

You can also

Save only selected objects Enable the Selected only check box.

This option is available only if there are selected objects in the

drawing.

Embed fonts Enable the Embed fonts check box.

This check box is unavailable when you save a drawing to an earlier

version of CorelDRAW.

CorelDRAW basics | 45
You can also

Add reference information Do any of the following:

•Type a title and subject in the corresponding box.
•Assign a rating to the file.

If you are using an expired trial version of CorelDRAW, you will not be able to save drawings.

Saving a drawing to a previous version of CorelDRAW may result in loss of certain effects that were not available in the previous
version of the application.

You can also save a drawing by clicking File  Save.

You can also save a drawing by clicking the Save button on the Standard toolbar.

To use advanced options when saving

1 Click File  Save as.
2 Click Advanced.
3 Enable any of the following check boxes:
• Save presentation exchange (CMX) — saves a drawing as a Corel® Presentations™ Exchange (CMX) file so that you can open and
edit it in other Corel applications, such as WordPerfect
• Use bitmap compression — reduces the file size by compressing bitmap effects, such as bitmap extrusions, transparencies, and drop
shadows
• Use graphic object compression — reduces the file size by compressing vector objects, such as polygons, rectangles, ellipses, and
perfect shapes
Using compression increases the time required for opening and saving a drawing.
4 If a drawing contains texture fills, enable one of the following options:
• Save textures with the file — saves custom texture fills with the file
• Rebuild textures when opening the file — re-creates texture fills when you open the saved drawing
5 If a drawing contains blends and extrusions, enable one of the following options:
• Save blends and extrudes with the file — saves all blends and extrusions included in a drawing
• Rebuild blends and extrudes when opening the file — re-creates blends and extrusions when you open the saved drawing

Choosing to save textures, blends, and extrusions with the file increases the file size but lets you open and save a drawing more
quickly. Conversely, choosing to rebuild textures, blends, and extrusions when a saved drawing is opened decreases the file size but
increases the time required for saving or opening a drawing.

To save a drawing that is compatible with an older version of CorelDRAW

1 Click File  Save as.
2 Type a filename in the File name box.
3 Locate the folder where you want to save the file.
4 Choose a version from the Version list box.
5 Click Save.
If the drawing includes new features; enable one of the following options in the Save to a previous version dialog box:
• Keep appearance — preserves the appearance of text, fills, outlines and transparencies when the file is opened in a previous version
of CorelDRAW. However, this option may limit editing.
• Keep editable — preserves the file editable. However, this option may change the appearance of text, outlines, fills, and
transparencies when the file is opened in a previous version of CorelDRAW.

46 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

You can also

Specify save settings Click Tool  Options. In the Workspace list of categories, click Save,
and enable one of the following options:
• Keep appearance (suitable for limited edits)
• Keep editable (may change appearance)

Disable the prompt that appears when saving to an earlier version Click Tool  Options. In the Workspace list of categories, click Save,
and disable the Ask when saving check box.

Working with locked files

In a corporate environment you may open a locked file that is already being edited by another user. You can save changes that you make to
a locked file in one of the following ways:
• If the other user has modified the file or still has the file open, you must save the file with a new name by clicking File  Save As.
• If the other user has closed the file without modifying it, you can save the changes by clicking File  Save.

Backing up and recovering files

CorelDRAW can automatically save backup copies of drawings and prompt you to recover them in the event of a system error.

The auto-backup feature saves drawings that you have opened and modified. During any working session with CorelDRAW, you can set
the time interval for automatically backing up files and specify whether you want the files to be saved in your temporary folder (the default
location) or in a specified folder.

You can recover the backup files from the temporary or specified folder when you restart CorelDRAW after a system error. If you choose not
to recover the backup file, it is automatically erased when you quit the application.

To specify auto-backup settings

1 Click Tools  Options.
2 In the Workspace list of categories, click Save.
3 Enable the Back up every check box, and choose a value from the Minutes list box.
4 In the Always back up to area, enable one of the following options:
• Temporary folder — lets you save auto-backup files in the temporary folder
• Specific folder — lets you specify the folder for auto-backup files

You can also

Create a backup file before saving Enable the Back up original file before saving check box.

Disable the auto-backup feature Choose Never from the Minutes list box.

Auto-backup files are named auto_backup_of_filename and can be saved in any folder you specify. Backup files are created when
you save a drawing. They are named backup_of_filename and are always stored in the same folder as the original drawing.

All open or modified files that are not in the CorelDRAW (CDR) file format are backed up as CorelDRAW files.

You can cancel the creation of an auto-backup file by pressing Esc while a file is being saved.

CorelDRAW basics | 47
To recover a backup file
1 Restart CorelDRAW.
2 Click OK in the file recovery dialog box that appears.
The file recovery dialog box appears upon startup after a system error.
3 Save and rename the file in the specified folder.

If you click Cancel, CorelDRAW ignores the backup file and deletes it when you quit the application.

Adding and accessing drawing information

CorelDRAW lets you add reference information, such as language, title, author, subject, keywords, rating, and other notes to a drawing.
Although adding document information is optional, doing so makes it easier to organize and locate drawings later on.

The application also lets you access other important document information, such as the number of pages and layers, fonts, object and text
statistics, and the types of objects the drawing contains. You can also view color information such as the color profiles that are used to
define document colors as well as the primary color mode and rendering intent.

To add drawing information

1 Click File  Document properties.
2 In the Document properties dialog box, type text in any of the following boxes:
• Language
• Title
• Subject
• Author
• Copyright
• Keywords
• Notes
3 To specify a rating, choose a rating from the Rating list box.
4 Click OK.

You can modify the drawing information at any time.

To access drawing information

• Click File  Document properties.

Closing drawings
You can close one drawing, or multiple drawings, at any time before quitting CorelDRAW.

To close drawings

To Do the following

Close one drawing Click File  Close.

48 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

To Do the following

Close all drawings Click File  Close all.

If you are unable to close a document, you may have a task, such as printing or saving, in progress or a task that has failed. Please
refer to the status bar to view the status of a task.

Exploring basic tasks

CorelDRAW has a virtually unlimited number of tools and capabilities to help you create drawings. The following table provides you with the
basic features of CorelDRAW to help you get started.

For information about See

Drawing lines “Formatting lines and outlines ” on page 105

Drawing shapes “Drawing shapes ” on page 123

Creating and manipulating objects “Working with objects ” on page 175

Adding color to objects “Filling objects ” on page 265

Adding text to a drawing “Adding and manipulating text ” on page 339

Creating drawings for use on the web “Exporting bitmaps for the web ” on page 555

Printing drawings “Printing basics ” on page 525

CorelDRAW basics | 49
50 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide
CorelDRAW workspace tour

Becoming familiar with the terminology and workspace of CorelDRAW will help you easily follow this user guide’s concepts and procedures.

In this section, you’ll learn about

• CorelDRAW terms
• the application window
• “Standard toolbar” (page 54)
• “Exploring the toolbox” (page 56)
• “Property bar” (page 68)
• “Dockers” (page 68)
• “Status bar” (page 70)
• “Choosing a workspace” (page 70)

CorelDRAW terms
Before you get started with CorelDRAW, you should be familiar with the following terms.

Term Description

Object An element in a drawing such as an image, shape, line, text, curve,

symbol, or layer

Drawing The work you create in CorelDRAW; for example, custom artwork,
logos, posters, and newsletters

Vector graphic An image generated from mathematical descriptions that

determine the position, length, and direction in which lines are
drawn

Bitmap An image composed of grids of pixels or dots

CorelDRAW workspace tour | 51

Term Description

Docker A window that contains available commands and settings relevant

to a specific tool or task

Flyout A button that opens a group of related tools or menu items

List box A list of options that drops down when a user clicks the down
arrow button

Artistic text A type of text to which you can apply special effects, such as
shadows

Paragraph text A type of text to which you can apply formatting options, and
which can be edited in large blocks

Application window
When you launch CorelDRAW, the application window opens containing a drawing window. Although more than one drawing window can
be opened, you can apply commands to the active drawing window only.

The CorelDRAW application window appears below.

52 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

 Circled numbers correspond to the numbers in the following table,
which describes the main components of the application window.

Part Description

1. Toolbox A docked bar with tools for creating, filling, and modifying objects
in the drawing

2. Document tab A tab displays for each open document to allow you to quickly
move between documents

3. Title bar The area displaying the title of the currently selected drawing

4. Menu bar The area containing pull-down menu options

CorelDRAW workspace tour | 53

Part Description

5. Toolbar A detachable bar that contains shortcuts to menu and other

commands

6. Update text toolbar A temporary toolbar that allows you to update documents created
in CorelDRAW X5 (or earlier) in order to edit the text

7. Drawing window The area outside the drawing page bordered by the scroll bars and
application controls

8. Property bar A detachable bar with commands that relate to the active tool or
object. For example, when the text tool is active, the text property
bar displays commands that create and edit text.

9. Docker A window containing available commands and settings relevant to

a specific tool or task

10. Rulers Horizontal and vertical borders that are used to determine the size
and position of objects in a drawing

11. Document palette A dockable bar that contains color swatches for the current
document

12. Document navigator The area at the bottom left of the application window that contains
controls for moving between pages and adding pages

13. Drawing page The rectangular area inside the drawing window. It is the printable
area of your work area.

14. Status bar An area at the bottom of the application window that contains
information about object properties such as type, size, color,
fill, and resolution. The status bar also shows the current cursor
position.

15. Navigator A button at the lower-right corner that opens a smaller display to
help you move around a drawing

16. Color palette A dockable bar that contains color swatches

To toggle between displaying and hiding the status bar, click Window  Toolbars  Status bar.
To toggle between displaying and hiding the rulers, see “To hide or display the rulers” on page 451.

To adjust the contrast of the application workspace, click Tools  Customization, and in the Appearance area, choose a setting from
the Contrast list box.

Standard toolbar
The standard toolbar, which appears by default, contains buttons and controls that are shortcuts to many of the menu commands. For
information about customizing the position, contents, and appearance of toolbars, see “Customizing toolbars” on page 642.

Click this button To

Start a new drawing

Open a drawing

54 | CorelDRAW X7 User Guide

Click this button To

Save a drawing

Print a drawing

Cut selected objects to the Clipboard

Copy selected objects to the Clipboard

Paste the Clipboard contents into a drawing

Undo an action

Restore an action that was undone

Display the Connect docker and search for content such as clipart,
photos, fonts, and more

Import a drawing

Export a drawing

Publish to PDF

Set a zoom level

Display Full-screen preview

Show or hide rulers

Show or hide grid

Show or hide guidelines

Enable or disable automatic alignment for the pixels, document

grid, baseline grid, guidelines, objects, and page

Open the Welcome screen

Open the Options dialog box

Start Corel applications

CorelDRAW workspace tour | 55

More about toolbars
In addition to the standard toolbar, CorelDRAW has toolbars for specific kinds of tasks. For example, the Text toolbar contains commands
relevant to using the Text tool. If you use a toolbar frequently, you can display it in the workspace at all times.

For information about customizing the position, contents, and appearance of toolbars, see “Customizing toolbars” on page 642.

The following table describes toolbars other than the standard toolbar.

Toolbar Description

Text Contains commands for formatting and aligning text

Zoom Contains commands for zooming in and out of a drawing page by

specifying percentage of original view, clicking the Zoom tool, and
selecting a page view

Internet Contains commands for web-related tools for creating rollovers and
publishing to the Internet

Print merge Contains commands for print merge items that combine text with a
drawing such as creating and loading data files, creating data fields
for variable text, and inserting print merge fields

Transform Contains commands for skewing, rotating, and mirroring objects

Macros Contains commands for editing, testing, and running macros

To toggle between displaying and hiding a toolbar, click Window  Toolbars, and click the command with the toolbar name.

To lock all toolbars so that you don’t inadvertently change their position, click Window  Toolbars  Lock toolbars.

Exploring the toolbox

The toolbox contains tools for drawing and editing images. Some of the tools are visible by default, while others are grouped in flyouts.
Flyouts open to display a set of related CorelDRAW tools. A small flyout arrow in the lower-right corner of a toolbox button indicates a
flyout. You can access the tools in a flyout by clicking the flyout arrow. After you open a flyout, you can easily scan the contents of other
flyouts by hovering over any of the toolbox buttons which 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.

In the default workspace, clicking the flyout arrow on the Shape tool opens the Shape edit flyout.

Some tools in the toolbox are not visible by default. You can choose which tools to display in the toolbox.

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 To toggle between displaying and hiding the toolbox, click 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 644.

The following table provides descriptions of the tools in the CorelDRAW toolbox.

Pick tools

The Pick tool lets you select, size, skew, and

rotate objects.

The Freehandpick tool lets you select

objects by using a freehand selection
marquee.

The Freetransform tool lets you transform

an object by using the Free rotation, Free
angle reflection, Free scale, and Free skew
tools.

Shape edit tools

The Shape tool lets you edit the shape of

objects.

The Smooth tool lets you smooth curved

objects to remove jagged edges and reduce
the number of nodes.

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 The Smear tool lets you shape an object by
pulling extensions or making indents along
its outline.

The Twirl tool lets you create swirl effects by

dragging along the edge of objects.

The Attract tool lets you shape objects by

attracting nodes to the cursor.

The Repel tool lets you shape objects by

pushing away nodes from the cursor.

The Smudge tool lets you distort a vector

object by dragging along its outline.

The Roughen tool lets you distort the

outline of a vector object by dragging along
the outline.

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Crop tools

The Crop tool lets you remove unwanted

areas in objects.

The Knife tool lets you cut through objects.

The Virtual segment delete tool lets you

delete portions of objects that are between
intersections.

The Eraser tool lets you remove areas of

your drawing.

Zoom tools

The Zoom tool lets you change the

magnification level in the drawing window.

The Pan tool lets you control which part

of the drawing is visible in the drawing
window.

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Curve tools

The Freehand tool lets you draw single line

segments and curves.

The 2-point line tool lets you draw a

straight two-point line segment.

The Bézier tool lets you draw curves one

segment at a time.

The Pen tool lets you draw curves one

segment at a time.

The B-spline tool lets you draw curved lines

by setting control points that shape the
curve without breaking it into segments.

The Polyline tool lets you draw lines and

curves in preview mode.

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 The 3-point curve tool lets you draw a
curve by defining the start, end, and center
points.

The Smart drawing tool converts your

freehand strokes to basic shapes and
smoothed curves.

Artistic Media tool

The Artistic media tool provides access to

the Preset, Brush, Sprayer, Calligraphic,
and Pressure tools.

Rectangle tools

The Rectangle tool lets you draw rectangles

and squares.

The 3-point rectangle tool lets you draw

rectangles at an angle.

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Ellipse tools

The Ellipse tool lets you draw ellipses and

circles.

The 3-point ellipse tool lets you draw

ellipses at an angle.

Object tools

The Polygon tool lets you draw symmetrical

polygons and stars.

The Star tool lets you draw perfect stars.

The Complex star tool lets you draw

complex stars that have intersecting sides.

The Graph paper tool lets you draw a grid

of lines similar to that on graph paper.

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The Spiral tool lets you draw symmetrical
and logarithmic spirals.

The Basic shapes tool lets you choose from

a full set of shapes, including hexagram, a
smiley face, and a right-angle triangle.

The Arrow shapes tool lets you draw

arrows of various shape, direction, and
number of heads.

The Flowchart shapes tool lets you draw

flowchart symbols.

The Banner shapes tool lets you draw

ribbon objects and explosion shapes.

The Callout shapes tool lets you draw

callouts and labels.

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Text and Table tools

The Text tool lets you type words directly on

the screen as artistic or paragraph text.

The Table tool lets you draw and edit tables.

Dimension tools

The Parallel dimension tool lets you draw

slanted dimension lines.

The Horizontal or vertical dimension

tool lets you draw horizontal or vertical
dimension lines.

The Angular dimension tool lets you draw

angular dimension lines.

The Segment dimension tool lets you

display the distance between end nodes in
single or multiple segments.

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 The 3-point callout tool lets you draw a
callout with a two-segment leader line.

Connector tools

The Straight-line connector tool lets you

draw a straight connector line.

The Right-angle connector tool lets you

draw a right angle connector line.

The Rounded right-angle connector tool

lets you draw a right-angle connector line
with curved corners.

The Edit anchor tool lets you modify

connector line anchor points.

Interactive tools

The Drop shadow tool lets you apply a

drop shadow to an object.

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 The Contour tool lets you apply a contour
to an object.

The Blend tool lets you blend two objects.

The Distort tool lets you apply a Push or

Pull distortion, a Zipper distortion, or a
Twister distortion to an object.

The Envelope tool lets you shape an object

by dragging the nodes of the envelope.

The Extrude tool lets you apply the illusion

of depth to objects.

Transparency tool

The Transparency tool lets you apply

transparencies to objects.

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Eyedropper tools

The Color eyedropper tool lets you select

and copy a color from an object on the
drawing window or the desktop.

The Attributes eyedropper tool lets you

select and copy object properties, such as
line thickness, size and effects, from an
object on the drawing window.

Interactive fill tools

The Interactive fill tool lets you apply

various fills.

The Mesh fill tool lets you apply a mesh

grid to an object.

The Smart fill tool lets you create objects

from enclosed areas and then apply a fill to
those objects.

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Outline tool

The Outline tool opens a flyout that gives

you quick access to items such as the
Outline pen dialog box and Outline color
dialog box.

Fill tool

The Fill tool opens a flyout that gives you

quick access to items such as the fill dialog
boxes.

Property bar
The property bar displays the most commonly used functions that are relevant to the active tool or to the task you’re performing. Although
it looks like a toolbar, the property bar content changes depending on the tool or task.

For example, when you click the Text tool in the toolbox, the property bar displays text-related commands. In the example below, the
property bar displays text, formatting, alignment, and editing tools.

You can customize the contents and position of the property bar to suit your needs. For more information, see “Customizing the property
bar” on page 645.

To toggle between displaying and hiding the property bar, click Window  Toolbars  Property bar.

To hide or display controls on the property bar, click the Quick customize button , and enable or disable the corresponding check
boxes.

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 is the Object properties docker. When this docker is open, you can click an
object in the drawing window to access various options for modifying object properties.

In this example, the Object properties and the Object manager dockers
are docked and nested. The Transformations docker is floating.

To open 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.

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 To move Do the following

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.

Status bar
The status bar displays information about selected objects (such as color, fill type, and outline, cursor position, and relevant commands). It
also displays document color information, such as the document color profile and color proofing status.

See “Customizing the status bar ” on page 646 for information about customizing the contents and appearance of the status bar.

Choosing a workspace
CorelDRAW includes a collection of specialized 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. You can choose a workspace from the Welcome Screen that displays when you first launch the application or you can switch to
a different workspace from within the application.

The specialized workspaces in CorelDRAW are configured according to specific workflows or tasks, such as page layout work or illustrating.
Their purpose is to make more accessible the tools that you use most often.

The following table describes the available workspaces.

Workspace Description

Lite This workspace makes CorelDRAW’s most commonly used tools

and features more accessible. If you are new to CorelDRAW, the
Lite workspace is ideal for getting started.

Default This workspace has been redesigned to provide a more intuitive

placement of tools and controls. If you have experience using
CorelDRAW, or another photo-editing application, the default
workspace is a good choice.

Help topics are based on the Default workspace.

Classic The Classic workspace is almost identical to the default CorelDRAW

X6 workspace. It is best suited for experienced CorelDRAW users
who are looking for a seamless transition to a modern yet familiar
environment in CorelDRAW X7. Many elements of the workspace
have been optimized for a more streamlined workflow.

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Workspace Description

Page layout This workspace is optimized for arranging graphics and text objects
so you can create compelling layouts for business cards, branding
materials, product packaging, or multipage documents such as
brochures and newsletters.

Illustration This workspace is designed to make the process of creating book

cover designs, magazine ads, storyboards, and other types of
illustrations more intuitive and efficient.

Adobe Illustrator Simulates the Adobe Illustrator workspace by positioning the

CorelDRAW features where you would find the equivalent feature
in Adobe Illustrator. This workspace is useful if you recently
switched from Adobe Illustrator to CorelDRAW and you are not
familiar with the CorelDRAW 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 638.

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  Customization, clicking Workspace in the list of
categories, and then enabling the check box beside a workspace in the Workspace list.

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Finding and managing content

CorelDRAW lets you access, search and browse the Content Exchange, a collection of clipart, photos, fonts, frames, patterns, and image lists.
In addition, you can find content located on your computer, local network, or the website of an online content provider. When you find the
content that you need, you can import it into your document, open it in its associated application, or collect it in a tray for future reference.

CorelDRAW is fully integrated with the search capabilities that are offered by Windows 7 and Windows 8. By default, the application
searches all locations that Windows Search is configured to index. For information about modifying indexing options in Windows Search,
see the Windows Help. Windows Search is available as a free download from the Microsoft Download Center. For more information, visit
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/desktopsearch/downloads/default.mspx. If you are using another third-party computer indexing and
search tool (for example, Google Desktop) or you don’t have Windows Search installed, the application has limited search capabilities and
lets you search only by filename.

This section contains the following topics:

• “Exploring Corel CONNECT” (page 73)
• “Accessing content” (page 78)
• “Browsing and searching for content” (page 80)
• “Viewing content” (page 82)
• “Using content” (page 83)
• “Installing fonts” (page 85)
• “Managing content” (page 85)
• “Syncing trays with OneDrive” (page 87)
• “Content types” (page 88)

Exploring Corel CONNECT

You can browse and search for content by using Corel CONNECT. Corel CONNECT is available both as a standalone utility and as a docker.
You can choose whichever mode better suits your workflow.

The image below shows the main components of the Corel CONNECT utility:

Finding and managing content | 73

Part Description

1. Libraries pane Lets you access content provided by Corel and Corel partners

2. Favorite folders pane Provides quick access to frequently used folders

3. Folders pane Displays a representation of the file structure available on your

computer

4. Tray pane Lets you collect files from one or more folders

5. Zoom slider Lets you adjust the size of thumbnails in the viewing pane

6. Viewing pane Lets you view thumbnails of content files

7. Helpand options button Lets you open a menu of commands that allow you to access Help,
configure content libraries, set preferences, and view version and
license information

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Part Description

8. Go to parent folder button Lets you go one level up from the current folder

9. Refresh/Cancel button Reloads the results from your last search or initiates a new search
based on the criteria that you have specified. When a search is
in progress, the button changes to the Cancel mode , which
allows you to stop a search at any time.

10. Search and address box Lets you search for files by using search terms, typing a folder path,
or specifying a web address

11. Filter toolbar Lets you choose which type of content to display in the viewing
area: folders, vector images, bitmap images, fonts, or files saved to
file formats that are not supported by the suite

12. Configure content libraries button Lets you activate access to local and online content libraries

13. Navigate forward button Takes you to the next page of content

14. Navigate back button Takes you to the previous page of content

In docker mode, the search utility has two components: Connect docker and Tray docker. The Connect docker has two viewing modes:
single pane and full view. In full view, all panes are displayed. In single-pane view, either the viewing pane or the Libraries, Favorite folders,
and Folders panes are displayed. You can resize the docker to display all panes or toggle between the viewing pane and the Libraries,
Favorite folders, and Folders panes.

Finding and managing content | 75

 The Connect docker with the viewing pane hidden (left) and the navigation pane hidden (right).
Click the toggle arrow (1) to display or hide panes. Resize the docker to display both panes.

You can also customize the size and display of individual panes.

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 The grab area (1, 2, 3) lets you resize a pane.

You can use the Favorite folders pane to create shortcuts to folders that you visit frequently. You can add locations to and remove locations
from the Favorite folders pane.

To start Corel CONNECT

To Do the following

Start the standalone utility Do one of the following:

• (Windows 7) On the Windows taskbar, click Start  All
Programs CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X7 Corel CONNECT X7.
•(Windows 8) Click the Corel CONNECT tile on your desktop.
Display or hide the Connect docker In CorelDRAW, click Window  Dockers  Connect.

Display or hide the Tray docker In CorelDRAW, click Window  Dockers  Tray.

To resize a pane
• Point to the pane’s grab area, and when the cursor changes to a two-directional arrow, drag the edge of the pane.

To display or hide a pane

• Click the arrow to toggle between displaying and hiding the pane.

To add a location to the Favorite Folders pane

• Drag a folder from the Libraries, Folders, or viewing pane to the Favorite folders pane.

You can also add locations to the Favorite folders pane by right-clicking a folder in the Libraries or Folders pane, and clicking Add
to favorites.

Finding and managing content | 77

To remove a location from the Favorite Folders pane
• Right-click a location in the Favorite folders pane, and click Remove from favorites.

Accessing content
You can access content available on the Content Exchange or on the websites of online content providers. You can also access content from
previous versions of the software that is stored on a CD or DVD.

Using the Content Exchange

The Content Exchange provides a collection of clipart, photos, fonts, frames, vector and bitmap patterns, and image lists that you can
access. You can browse the available content, or you can search by keywords, mark your favorites, vote for content that you like, or copy
content from the Content Exchange to your personal folder.

You must sign in to your corel.com account to use content from the Content Exchange.

You can browse the content available on the Content Exchange.

Using content from online content providers

You can find content on the websites of online content providers such as Flickr®, Fotolia, and iStock®. The images that you find online
are often subject to usage restrictions and may be watermarked or low-resolution. For information about using such images, see “Using
content” on page 83.

Note that online content is unavailable in workplaces with restricted Internet access.

Using content stored on a CD or DVD

To access clipart and other content included on a CD or DVD from a previous version of the software, you must insert the CD or DVD, or
browse to the folder to which you have copied the content.

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To use the Content Exchange
1 In the Libraries pane, click Content Exchange.
The available folders appear in the viewing pane.
2 Double-click a folder to access its content.
Thumbnail versions of the files appear in the viewing pane.
3 Point to a thumbnail to view more information about a file.
4 Click a thumbnail.
A pop-up window appears.
5 In the pop-up window, perform an action from the following table.

To Do the following

Search content by keyword Click one of the keywords associated with a file to perform a search
based on that keyword.

Search results include all types of content in the Content Exchange

that is tagged with this keyword. To narrow down search results to
specific types of content (such as bitmaps, vectors, or fonts), click
the corresponding button on the Filter toolbar.

Copy fills, pattern, image lists, and photo frames from the Content Click the More options button , and click the Copy to
Exchange to your personal folder
personal button .

The content is copied in the respective folder in the My Documents

\Corel\Corel Content folder.

Mark as a favorite Click the Favorite button .

To remove content from your favorites, click the Unfavorite button

.

Vote to rank content higher or lower Click the Vote up or the Vote down button .

Report inappropriate content Click the More options button , and click the Flag button .

Prevent a file from appearing in future searches Click the More options button , and click the Hide button .

You must sign in to your corel.com account to use content from the Content Exchange.

To access a content library stored on a CD or DVD

• Insert the content CD or DVD.

The content library appears in the Libraries pane.

To access a CD or DVD content library that was copied to your computer

1 In the Libraries pane, click the Configure content libraries button .
A warning sign next to a content library shows that it needs to be configured.

Finding and managing content | 79

2 Click a content library, click Locate, and browse to the folder where the library is stored.

The content library appears in the Libraries pane.

Browsing and searching for content

With the Corel CONNECT docker, you can browse for content, or you can search for content by using keywords.

You can browse and search for content in one or multiple locations on your computer or local network as well as online. You can also
navigate to previously viewed content.

Searching for content

You can search by the name, category (for example, clipart, photo images, or fonts), or reference information (for example, tags or notes)
associated with a file. When you type a term in the Search and address box and initiate a search, all matching files are displayed as
thumbnail images in the viewing pane. For example, if you type flower, the application automatically filters out all files that do not match
and displays only the files that have the word flower in the filename, category, or tags assigned to the file. You can also type phrases
and multiple words, and you can fine-tune your search by using Boolean operators such as AND, NOT, and OR. For example, you can
find content that contains both flower and sun images by typing flowers AND sun. For information about adding tags and reference
information, see “To add drawing information ” on page 48.

To increase the search speed for local content and improve results, you can adjust the Windows Search options by adding more locations to
the index.

You can also find all images on a webpage by typing the web address. For example, typing www.corel.com displays all the images that
appear on the Corel website.

Refining your search

By default, your search results include all relevant content such as vector graphics, bitmaps, and fonts. You can narrow down the search
results by excluding content. For example, if you are searching for graphics, you can display only vector graphics or only bitmaps. If you want
to choose a font for your project, you can display only fonts.

You can widen the scope of a search, and you can cancel a search at any time.

To browse for content

• Click a location in one of the following panes:
• Libraries — lets you browse online and local content
• Favorite folders — lets you browse your favorite locations
• Folders — lets you browse the folder structure available on your computer

You can browse the contents of only one folder at a time.

To specify the location where you want to browse for content, type or paste a path in the Search and address box, and press Enter.
The Search and address bar keeps track only of the locations that you enter manually. To delete all locations, click the drop-down
arrow, and click Clear list.

To search for content

1 Click a location in any of the following panes:
• Libraries — lets you search for online and local content as well as content on a CD or DVD
• Favorite folders — lets you search for content in your favorite locations
• Folders — lets you search for content in the folder structure available on your computer

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2 Type a word or multiple words in the Search and address box, and press Enter.
Files that match the search terms appear in the viewing pane.

If you want to search for a phrase, enclose the phrase with quotation marks.

You can also

Search for content in multiple locations Enable the check boxes for the libraries and folders that you want
to search, and click the Refresh button .

Show or hide search results for a location In the viewing pane, click the Show/Hide arrow to the right of the
location.

Specify how many online search results to display Click an online content provider in the Libraries pane, and choose
a number from the Search results list box. This number determines
the initial number of search results that are displayed in the viewing
pane, as well as the additional results that are displayed each time
you click More from.

Fine-tune a search by using Boolean operators Type one of the following Boolean operators between the search
terms:

AND — lets you find content that contains all search terms in the
Search and address box. Instead of AND, you can also use the plus
sign (+).

NOT — lets you exclude content that contains the search term after
NOT. Instead of NOT, you can also use the minus sign (-).

OR — lets you find content that contains at least one of the search
terms

Clicking a Show/Hide arrow (1) lets you show or hide the search results for a specific location.

When you search for online content, only vector files and bitmaps are included in the search results.

If you want to browse the folder where a file is stored or access the source webpage of an image, right-click the file, and click Open
source location.

Finding and managing content | 81

To find all images on a webpage
• Type a web address (for example, www.corel.com) in the Search and address box.

To refine your search

• On the Filter toolbar, click one of the following buttons:
• Folders — to hide or display folders in selected folders
• Vector drawing files — to hide or display vector graphics that are supported by the suite
• Bitmap files — to hide or display bitmaps that are supported by the suite
• Font files — to hide or display TrueType (TTF), OpenType (OTF), and PostScript fonts (PFB and PFM)
• Other files — to hide or display file formats that are not supported by the suite

A category is included in the search results if the button appears pressed.

To navigate to previously viewed content

• Click the Navigate back or Navigate forward button.

You can also go back to the previous search results by pressing Backspace.

You can also navigate to previously viewed content by clicking the Search and address bar drop-down arrow and choosing a
location from the list. The Search and address bar keeps track only of the locations that you enter manually.

To stop a search
• Click the Cancel search button .

Viewing content
Clipart, photos, and fonts appear in the viewing pane as thumbnail images. You can select individual, multiple, or all thumbnails.

By positioning your pointer over a thumbnail, you can display a larger preview. You can also display file information such as filename, file
size, image resolution, and color mode for content that was not provided by an online content provider. You can also preview the fonts that
you find. Thumbnail zooming makes recognizing a particular file easier and faster.

To select a thumbnail
• Click a thumbnail.

You can also

Select multiple thumbnails Do one of the following:

•Drag around the thumbnails that you want to select.
•Hold down Ctrl, and in the viewing pane click the thumbnails
that you want to select.
•Click a thumbnail, and holding down Shift, click the last
thumbnail in the range that you want to select.

Select all thumbnails Press Ctrl + A.

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