The sign said paint and when it said paint it meant a paint program used by some of the top artists in the trade. In the page below (and some) you will see a step by step discussion and directions on how to create some useful graphics using Corel Draw. If you want to jump right into it, then go to page 2 (the next one) where you will see the interface, and how to go about making something useful. If on the other hand you want to read about the background of computer graphics, then carry on, just scroll down, until you come to the end and then you can go to the next page.

Hello there! So you have decided to have a look at CorelDRAW 6.

In this introductory section you will see some of CorelDRAW's intricacies explained, some exercises and some useful tips on how to get around.

This does not pretend to be the last word on this extensive graphic program. It should be read as a reference material when you are actually working on creating some graphics or text. Hopefully by the time you have gone through the material in these pages you would have gained some insight on how the program works and how the basic steps have to be taken. After that the sky is the limit as far as your imagination is concerned. Also keep in mind that when you are familiar with the tools and what they can do, you can apply your knowledge to the other paint programs, Adobe PhotoShop for example.

But enough of this…lets explore!

Before we begin, let's talk about how computers handle graphics. That will make it easier to understand how the different parts of the CorelDRAW package fit together. Graphics programs fall into one of two categories: paint or draw, depending on how they work. Paint programs are great for working with scanned images and photographs. An image is made up of rows of dots called picture elements (or pixels). Each dot is assigned a value and a location on a map of the page, known as a bitmap. Paint programs allow you to manipulate each pixel, changing its color or shade to create an illustration. They work rather like a paint-by-number kit - which’s why they're called Paint programs.

The more sophisticated paint programs let you retouch and special effects to photographs and even mimic traditional art tools. They are relatively easy to learn, but bitmap editing leaves a lot to be desired for several reasons. Files can be very large, over 100 megabytes for a full-color eight by ten-inch drawing. The computer has to list the location and the type of every dot in the picture. That's one bit of information for every pixel on the page for basic black and white images. If you want 256 colors, it will require eight bits per pixel. It increases to 24 bits per pixel for true color photographic quality (16.7 million colors).

Bitmap images are prone to jagged lines, especially when they are enlarged or reduced. That limits their use with certain special effects or for creating smooth-looking type. But nothing beats a bitmap when you want to work with scanned images.

Draw programs build images as a collection of objects: things like lines, circles, rectangles, and the letters of the alphabet. Instead of saying, "Put a black dot in the upper-left hand corner of the page, then a white dot, another white dot, and so on," to get a round shape, a Draw program can just say, "Place a 2-inch black circle in the center of the page." Then if you want to make it a 3-inch circle, all the computer has to change is the size. This is somewhat like saying, "Make that circle 1 inch wider." Of course the computer is doing all this with some very fancy mathematics, but you don’t have to worry about that at all.

The result is an easy way to draw things like perfect circles and squares, reduce jagged lines, and produce smaller files than bitmap applications. The most powerful Draw (or vector-type art) programs offer a host of fancy effects for shaping objects and playing with type in an illustration.

Each type of program has advantages and drawbacks. The trick is knowing how to use both effectively. Bitmap programs shine when working with photo-realistic images. Object-oriented programs let you create drawings and technical illustrations and perform wonders with type that would be very difficult (if not impossible) in a Paint program.

Professional illustrators and designers don't limit themselves to one medium. They mix photographs with drawings, use type to set a mood, and take advantage of the wide range of available graphic arts tools. Most serious computer artists have several programs on their systems, which lets them use the application best suited to the task. The Draw program market is getting very competitive, making vendors work hard to get your business. CorelDRAW has been considered a leader. It is very easy to learn and has excellent features and control over type.

There are seven full-featured applications that come in the CorelDRAW package, in this manual we will concentrate on CorelDRAW itself. CorelDRAW is a draw program offering all the tools required producing a simple letterhead design or creating complex full-color illustration. CorelDRAW has gained popularity because of its interface, wide range of special effects, and outstanding typographical control. It can use things created in other programs, including bitmaps, charts, and blocks of text from word processors, as part of a drawing.