The Corel Journal - Expand Your Creativity!

Starting this week, I'm going to review the "dropdown" menus in CorelDRAW X3.  We'll start from "File" and work our way across to "Help"....talking about the commands and tools available and how they can help you achieve your creative goal. :)

Check out the companion The CorelDRAW Journal , don't forget to post any comments or questions!

hcmuze at 7:33:40 AM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

This site has some great resources for the professional graphic designer.....

Graphic Products Association at www.GraphicsPro.org

A great graphics book/course section at the "Graphics Pro Bookstore".  The "Graphics Pro Digital" sounds like the thing for me!  I'm going to look into it!  Check out the "Education Calendar" as well!

 

hcmuze at 12:19:22 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

Another addition to the Corel family, Winzip!  Read the official press release here....Corel Corporation - Corel Welcomes WinZip

We can only imagine the possibilities...

hcmuze at 9:52:56 AM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

Ok, so I'm not sure where my brain was when I did this, but it shows the effects that can be done with KPT Effects. 

        

The "Gradient Map" helped with the coloring.  THIS is a GREAT filter to work with.  It allows so much freedom in colorizing pictures and really gives a different look.  I then "sculpted" the picture using KPTs "Hypertiling" and played with the settings.  Thats actually a great way to describe it...."sculpting". 

With all the photographers out there, and especially in MY area of the world....I needed to be able to find a way to make my photos look different.  I know that the designs I create are original as I use my OWN photos and create designs from them using the "unpredictability" of various filters and effects.  No two images will ever come out the same!  (of course I save the settings into "presets" after I'm done JUST in case!)

hcmuze at 9:08:02 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 2 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

Ok, so if you celebrate Easter.....you'll see the humor in this one.  And if not, hopefully you'll just have fun!

As most people know, lots of different software titles out there have secret little macros in them called "Easter Eggs".  Yup, even our very own CorelDRAW has'm too!  Now I'm NOT sure about the new X3....but check these out and have your own little "Easter Egg" hunt today!

www.eeggs.com

www.eggheaven2000.com

www.eggcentral.com

www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,109378,00.asp

www.dvdreview.com/eastereggs

One of my all-time faves is the Flight Simulator in Excel 97.  I know I know, but I still have that loaded on one of my machines!  And the egg WORKS!  I tried the Egg in Corel 10, that works too! 

Any faves out there?  :)

Muze

hcmuze at 7:40:20 AM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 7 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

There's nothing more frustrating than "creative block".  So we look to the web for creative...inspiration!  I'd like to get back on track a little with some sites that offer that bit of artistic spark that we all need from time to time :)

Community - Gallery Home - Corels gallery of images and works of art created with Corel products.

Maine Photographer Jack Kennealy - kennealy photography & imaging - I can only HOPE to be as good as this guy some day..... I've met him at one of our Camera Club meetings.  A phenomenal photographer and had very insightful things to say....

The Workshops - This one may look a little familiar to people.  Rockland is a very picturesque "Maine" town that offers a multitude of photographic opportunites.  This "workshop" company is attended by many from around the world. 

ANDREW HOLT PHOTOGRAPHY AND PHOTOLIBRARY - A bit of international inspiration for ya :)  I've been to the UK a few times me-self and none of MY photos turned out like this.......

Earth Action Arts - Some amazing aerial and panoramic shots..... I've got a few faves here :)

And one of my faves.....

Scott Perry photographer, specialist in panoramic photographs - This guy is gooood :)

Be back tomorrow with more! :)

hcmuze at 4:06:49 AM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

New to Corel Photopaint is the Image Adjustment Lab!

You can adjust things such as:

*Temperature and Tint (new to PP)

*Saturation (better than before)

*Brightness/Contrast (improved)

*Highlights, Shadows and Midtones (improved)

You can also track your progress and keep track of your changes by using the "snapshot" feature.  With this, if you like a particular setting but want to continue tweaking, just take a quick snapshot of what you currently have, and keep going!  You can save the individual snapshots as their own files too!

Enjoy...and happy tweaking!

hcmuze at 2:27:12 AM EST Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 1 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

Ok, so have you ever done something REALLY cool with a program or plugin that you wanted to remember?  Saving to "presets" is a great idea...if the program has it. 

The other thing you can try is to create "logs" in a word processing program that has a layout of ALL the factors and settings listed.....you just fill in the values! 

I created pages using CorelDRAW and Wordperfect that are specific to programs I use most such as KPT 5, KPT6, KPT Effects (Channel Surfing, etc).  On these pages are all the categories within those specific filters.  When I come across one that I REALLY like, I not only save it to presets, but I log the titles, all the values I can, and any notes to talk about specific steps and such.

This way, I not only have my presets to fall back on, but a visual log of what settings are used.   If you can, keep it in a tabbed notebook for future reference!

Keep the creativity going........

hcmuze at 9:59:55 PM EST Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

This is a completely awesome Blog! 

Digital Traveler

 

hcmuze at 9:51:42 PM EST Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

...I'm SOOOO glad you asked!

For starters....

Corel PowerTRACE - Bigger, better and more accurate than before!  Turn your pictures into vector for easy editing in DRAW and go beyond just 'picture editing'!  With TRACE, the results can be imported into a variety of applications such as DRAW and RAVE to be used in signmaking, creating ani-GIFs and much more!

Image Adjustment Lab in PHOTOPAINT - This new feature really tunes up your photos better than in previous versions of Corel PP.  The new Photo Lab works on tones, colors, contrast and much more.  You can even save various versions of your editing with a quick click of the mouse!  See which version you like best!

NEW SUPPORT FOR RAW FILES - CorelDRAW now features Pixmantec's "RawShooter" essentials!  RAW is the preferred digital photo format used by professionals these days and now  Corel supports it!  Recently acquired by Corel, Pixmantec's RawShooter Essentials is one of the leading names in RAW processing. 

Interactive Fit Text to Path tool in DRAW - Now better than before you can make text follow any line or curve you create!  This is great for making logos and such.  Make the text sit directly on the line, hover above it, "sit" upright on it, etc.

Overprints Preview - This new feature simulates the color of areas where objects overlap.  Handy to know when taking to a service bureau!

CROP TOOL in DRAW! - Ok, so this hasn't been the most friendly thing in the past...but now handy and easy to use!  This version is more precise and similar to the crop tool in Photopaint.  Very cool!

 

More images, fonts and photos too!

 

 

hcmuze at 8:20:22 PM EST Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own