Create Boundary tool in CorelDRAW X3 and X4

May 9th, 2008 Val Posted in CorelDRAW | 2 Comments »

There is a little known tool hidden in the Effects menu of CorelDRAW X3 and X4. Let’s take a look at a couple of uses for this tool to get a good introduction to it.

First, I’ll draw a couple of shapes with some outlines.

shapes

Now prior to X3, in order to get a single outline around all three shapes and keep the shapes, I’d have to make a duplicate of the shape group, weld them together, and use the outline from the new shape. In X3 and X4, I simply select the group (it doesn’t have to be grouped), Click Effects/Create Boundary, and there is a new shape created as an outline around the shapes. Then you can set the color and thickness as you would any object.

shapes with boundary

You can even move that object and/or fill it with another color if you want.

boundary shape filled

Some folks find this boundary object great for laser work and cutting. Another artistic use for the tool is with text.

Here’s a piece of text in the Planet Benson 2 font.

text

Now, to make things interesting, I’m going to apply a thick outline applied behind the fill.

with outline

Next, I’ll go to Arrange/Convert Outline to Object. This will let us delete it easily when we’re done with it and ensure that the boundary goes where we want it – outside the outline.

Finally, I select the text and the new outline object and go to Effects/Create Boundary and apply a boundary around the whole thing, giving it a 2.5 pt outline width.

Text with boundary

The very last step is to delete that red outline object for a very interesting, but somewhat cleaner effect.

finished text with boundary

Have fun!

Val P.

2 Responses to “Create Boundary tool in CorelDRAW X3 and X4”

  1. Your lesson on creating a boundary around an image was very interesting. I can make a boundary around an image, but I do not know how to put the boundary onto a new layer on it’s own, so that It can be used for laser cutting.

    Could you say how to do that?
    Thanks for any advice.

  2. Open the Object manager. If you select the boundary on the main part of the screen, it should be selected in the Object manager. Create a new layer in the Object manager then simply drag the boundary object in the Object manager to the new layer in the Object manager.

    If you need more details, let me know. I’m just now working on my first cup of coffee here.
    Have fun!
    Val P.

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