Apply bitmap effects

To apply a bitmap effect to an object
To apply a bitmap effect to an image area
To work with bitmap effects
To flatten effects
To inflate a bitmap manually
To choose default bitmap inflation settings
To add a plug-in filter

You can choose bitmap effects by using the Effects menus and the FX tab in the Properties docker. To browse the effects that are available in the application, see Special effects categories.

Before you apply an effect, you can customize it. All dialog boxes of bitmap effects have a preview window that allows you to preview your designs in real-time as you adjust the effect settings. You can pan to a new area, zoom in or out, and choose how to display the artwork in the preview window, so you can evaluate the adjustments you make. By default, the application also shows a live preview of the image in the drawing window as you modify the effect settings.

The before and after full (top) and split (bottom) previews are particularly useful to keep track of edits and understand how different settings affect the image.

You can apply a bitmap effect to one or more objects, a group of objects, or an image area.

A bitmap effect is applied to two selected objects (top) and to a group of objects (bottom).

To apply a bitmap effect to an image area, choose a drawing tool, draw a closed shape to select the area you want, convert the shape to a lens, and then apply an effect to the lens. For more information about using lenses, see Lenses.

A bitmap effect is applied to an image area. The lens defines the boundaries of the image area to which the effect is applied and protects the area from the effect.

Once you apply a bitmap effect, it appears in the Properties docker. The FX tab in the Properties docker is the hub for non-destructive editing, allowing for quick adjustments and unlimited experimentation. You can show and hide special effects, edit applied effects, and apply multiple special effects to the same object. Plus, you can change the order of the applied special effects, and you can delete a special effect. Effects are cumulative; each time you apply an effect, it's stacked on top of the previous effect. On the FX tab, the effects appear in the order in which you apply them, with the most recently added effect at the top of the list. You can also flatten effects to apply changes permanently.

When you apply a bitmap effect to a bitmap object, CorelDRAW automatically adds a border around the bitmap so that the effect covers the entire image. Disabling the automatic inflate option cuts off the effect at the edges of the image. For example, if you apply the Gaussian Blur effect to a rectangle, the corners are cut off.

Gaussian Blur with Auto Inflate (left); Gaussian Blur without Auto Inflate (right)

If you want to use a custom border size, disable automatic inflation, and manually specify the dimensions of the inflated bitmap.

CorelDRAW lets you track, record, and automate special-effects operations. For more information, see Use macros and scripts to automate tasks.

Adding plug-in filters to CorelDRAW provides additional features and effects that you can use to edit images. You can add plug-in filters, and you can remove them when you no longer need them.

To apply a bitmap effect to an object

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1 Select a vector or bitmap object.
2 Click Effects, choose an effect category, and click an effect.
3 Adjust any settings.
To preview your design while adjusting the effect settings, click the Preview button , and perform a task from the following table.

 

To
Do the following
Pan to another area of the image
Using the Pan tool , drag the image until the area you want to see is visible.
Zoom in and out
Using the Zoom in tool or the Zoom out tool , click in the preview window.
Fit the image in the preview window
Click the Zoom to fit button.
View the resulting image in a single pane
Click the Full preview button .
View the original and resulting image in separate panes
Click the Before and after full preview button .
View the original and resulting image in a single pane
Click the Before and after split preview button , and drag the split view divider in the center of the window to the left or right.

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Some effects support only RGB images. If an image is in a color mode that is not supported, the application converts the image to the RGB (24-bit) mode.

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To browse the bitmap effects that are available in the application, see Special effects categories.

By default, as you modify the effect settings, the application shows a representation of the adjusted image in the drawing window. To disable the live preview, disable the Preview check box.

You can copy effects applied to an object. For more information, see To copy effects from one object to another.

You can change the visibility of the effects applied to an object. For more information, see To work with bitmap effects.

You can also apply an effect to a selected object by doing one of the following:

• Click the FX tab of the Properties docker (Window Dockers Properties), click the Add effect button , choose an effect category, and click an effect.
• Click the Add Effect button in the Objects docker (Window Dockers Objects), choose an effect category, and click an effect.

To apply a bitmap effect to an image area

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1 In the toolbox, click a drawing, rectangle, or ellipse tool.
2 In the document window, draw a closed shape to select an area.
3 Click Effects Lens, and choose Bitmap Effect from the list box in the Lens docker.
4 Click Effects, choose an effect category, and click an effect.
The effect is applied to the content on all the layers that are beneath the lens.

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You can adjust the shape of a lens by using any of the Edit Shape and Curve tools. For more information about shaping objects, see Shape objects.

Feather the edges of a lens to make it blend seamlessly into your composition. For more information about feathering, see Feather object edges.

You can apply multiple effects to a lens. Click the Add effect button on the FX tab of the Properties docker, and choose an effect from the menu. Repeat this step for each effect that you want to add. On the FX tab, the effects appear in the order in which you apply them, with the most recently added effect at the top of the list.

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By default, each new object that you create with a drawing, rectangle, or ellipse tool has a black outline. You can remove the outline if you don't need it. For more information, see To remove the outline of an object.

When you convert a vector object to a lens, a lens icon appears in the Objects docker to the right of the object.

To work with bitmap effects

Back to Top
1 Select a vector or bitmap object that has a bitmap effect applied.
2 Open the Properties docker (Window Dockers Properties), click the FX tab, and perform a task from the following table.

 

To
Do the following
Show or hide an effect
Click the Show/Hide icon for the effect you want to show or hide.
Apply additional effects
Click the Add effect button , and choose an effect from the menu.
Edit an applied effect
Select an effect, and click the Edit icon .
Change the order of applied effects
Click an effect, and drag it to a new position in the list.
Delete an effect
Select an effect, and click the Delete button .

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Clicking the Show/Hide icon on the FX tab of the Properties docker changes the visibility of individual effects, whereas clicking the Show/Hide Effects icon in the Objects docker changes the visibility of all effects applied to an object and overrides the visibility settings for individual effects that you may have set on the FX tab of the Properties docker.

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You can also hide and show effects by clicking the Show/Hide Effects toggle icon in the Objects docker (Window Dockers Objects). To hide or show the effects of multiple objects, select the objects, and click the Show/Hide Effects toggle icon .

To flatten effects

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• Click Effects Flatten Effects.

To inflate a bitmap manually

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1 Select a bitmap.
2 Click Bitmaps Inflate Bitmap Manually Inflate Bitmap.
3 In the Width and Height areas, do one of the following:
• In the Inflate to boxes, type the number of pixels that should make up the dimensions of the inflated bitmap.
• In the Inflate by boxes, type the percentages by which to inflate the original bitmap.
To inflate the bitmap proportionally, enable the Maintain aspect ratio check box.

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To automatically inflate the bitmap to cover the entire image, click Bitmaps Inflate Bitmap Auto Inflate Bitmap.

To choose default bitmap inflation settings

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1 Click Layout Document Options.
2 Click General.
3 Enable or disable the Auto inflate bitmaps for effects check box.

To add a plug-in filter

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1 Click Tools Options CorelDRAW.
2 Click Plug-ins.
3 Click Add.
4 Choose a folder containing a plug-in.
5 Restart the application.
The plug-in appears in the Bitmaps Plug-ins menu.

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To remove a plug-in filter, click a plug-in folder from the Plug-in folders list, and click Remove.

 

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The features documented in the Help are available in the full version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 2021. Some features may not be available in this version of the product.