May 29th, 2009 Val
Someone in the Yahoo CorelDRAWbeginnersgroup asked this question:
Hi..silly question I’m sure but how do you create a border? I’m use to Omega software for designing vinyl cut signs. There’s a border icon in this program…
It was such a good question, I thought I’d post the answer here as well, along with a few illustrations that the Yahoo group doesn’t allow.
Rectangular Borders
There really isn’t a “border” button in CorelDRAW. There’s a lot more versatility, but you’ll have to work only a little harder to get what you want. Part of what you do will depend on what sort of border you want, and around what.
Basic rectangular borders
A Page sized border
If all you need is a basic rectangular shape, the Rectangle tool is all you need – even for rounded corners. To draw a page sized rectangle, simply double click the Rectangle tool. At that point a page sized border is automatically drawn in your default object settings for outline and fill. Simply change the outline and fill properties to what you would like them to be.
A page sized border
A Border somewhere inside the page
For a border that is smaller than the page but set out from the objects it surrounds, choose the rectangle tool and draw your border the size and place you want it. At that point, switch to the Shape tool and you’ll see nodes on the rectangle corners that can be dragged in to round the corners. You can also set the size and roundness in the property bar(probably just above your work area and ruler). Set color and outline thickness either from the property bar or from double clicking the Outline swatch in the Status Bar (probably at the bottom right of the work area) or by selecting the outline properties icon from the toolbox. (Simply right click on an onscreen color well to set outline color if you have the right palette showing.)
A border inside the page
Ok, that’s the simple answer, harder to describe than the two seconds it takes to draw the borders, but there’s much more to rectangular borders than that.
Borders tight around an object or group
If you want to draw a rectangle tightly around a single object or group of objects, select the object or group, then Shift double click to automatically create a rectangular border right around them. Then set the outline color, width, style, and corner roundness as you wish.
Border drawn automatically around a group of objects
Getting Fancy
If you set the rectangle where you want the border, but want something fancier than a solid border, you can set outline properties for dashes or dotted lines. The one below was done with a dashed style, but with rounded corners and line caps and the Calligraphy set to a 54% Stretch and an Angle of -34 degrees in the Outline Pen dialog to get the slanted dashes.
A dashed border set with outline styles
You can also select the rectangle, convert to curves, switch to an Artistic
Media brush, then change to another brush without unselecting the rectangle.
Border changed to use Artistic Media Brush
Don’t ask me why the first brush doesn’t take. You can create all sorts of
borders that way, using any of the Artistic Media tools. Just remember that these tools tend to be a bit flaky, so save your work before you attempt using them and then experiment until you get something you like.
Not so rectangular borders
Using the Fillet/Scallop/Chamfer Docker
If you are using one of the later versions of CorelDRAW, you can use the Fillet, Scallop, Chamfer docker to create interesting corners. Your rectangle will need to be converted to curves to use this tool, but the tool will offer to do the conversion for you if you don’t get it done ahead of time.
Scallops cut into the border corners
The Create Boundary Effect
Let’s say you want a tight outline around an irregular group of objects. Select the objects the go to the Effects menu and choose Create Boundary. A new object will be created along the exterior paths of all your selected objects. Note that it is drawn along the PATH of the object, not the outside of any outline. In the image below, the green line is the new boundary object. Since the scalloped outline from the above image was so thick, it shows on either side of the boundary.
Using the Create Boundary Effect
More Options
You can also draw your own borders using blends or the Artistic Media spray can tool. Finally, there are gobs of clipart included with the extras, including a Borders folder with LOTS of various types of artistic borders. Import one of them onto the page, adjust to the size you want, then, with it selected, tap the P key to center it on the page if appropriate.
Hope that gets you started! Use your own creativity and combine techniques to create the borders you need for your creations. Let me know how it goes.
Have fun!
Val P.
Posted in CorelDRAW, General LVS info | 2 Comments »
