Create Boundary tool in CorelDRAW X3 and X4

May 9th, 2008 Val Posted in CorelDRAW |

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.

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