CorelDRAW X8: The Official Guide

Book excerpt: The Corel-Authorized Guide to CorelDRAW®—Updated for CorelDRAW X8 This thoroughly revised guide offers complete coverage of CorelDraw X8, including the revamped interface and brand-new features. CorelDRAW X8: The Official Guide shows anyone—from a beginner to an experienced illustrator—how to create top-drawer commercial graphics and exquisite artwork. You will learn to draw photorealistic illustrations, use shortcuts to create complex art, lay out text like a pro, add special effects, and transform 2D objects into 3D graphics. The book features tips for printing high-quality work that matches what you’ve designed on your monitor. • Work in the customizable interface redesigned to reflect Windows® Metro style • Explore and understand the software’s menus, palettes, and dockers • Lay out brochures, flyers, and other multi-page documents • Add paragraph, artistic, and custom-shaped text to your designs • Search the Content Exchange for fonts, vector patterns, background designs, and the Get More docker • Use the Perspective, Extrude, Smear, Twirl, Attract, Repel, and Distortion tools • Incorporate lens effects, transparency, shadows, glows, and bevels • Put all the elements together in a professional, visually compelling way with layout and design tips from the author