CorelDRAW Help | Apply distortion effects

Apply distortion effects

You can apply three types of distortion effects to shape objects.

Distortion effect	Description
Push and pull	Lets you push the edges of an object in or pull the edges of an object out
Zipper	Lets you apply a saw tooth effect to the edges of the object. You can adjust the amplitude and frequency of the effect.
Twister	Lets you rotate an object to create a swirl effect. You can choose the direction of the swirl, as well as the degree and amount of rotation.

From left to right: Original image; Zipper and Twister distortions applied; Pull distortion applied

After you distort an object, you can change the effect by altering the center of distortion. This point is identified by a diamond-shaped handle, around which a distortion appears. It is similar to a mathematical compass, where the pencil moves around a stationary point. You can place the center of distortion anywhere in the drawing window, or choose to center it in the middle of an object so that the distortion is distributed evenly and the shape of the object changes in relation to its center.

You can create an even more dramatic effect by applying a new distortion to an already distorted object. You don’t lose the effect of the original distortion if, for example, you apply a zipper distortion on top of a twister distortion. The CorelDRAW application also lets you remove and copy distortion effects.

When an object with a distortion effect is brought into Focus mode, the object and the effect are brought into focus together. Once in Focus mode, you can select and edit the object and the effect separately. For more information about Focus mode, see Edit objects in Focus mode.

To distort an object

1 In the toolbox, click the Distort tool

2 On the property bar, click one of the following buttons, and specify the settings you want:

• Push and pull distortion

• Zipper distortion

• Twister distortion

3 Point to where you want to place the center of distortion, and drag until the object is the shape you want.

You can also
Change the center of distortion	Drag the diamond-shaped position handle to a new location.
Adjust the number of points on a zipper distortion	Move the slider on the center of the distortion handle.
Apply a preset distortion	Choose a distortion preset from the Preset list box on the property bar.
Apply more than one distortion to an object	Click another distortion type on the property bar, click an object, and drag.

You can reapply the effects to distorted objects.

You can center a distortion by clicking the Center distortion button on the property bar.

You can use the interactive vector controls to edit a distortion effect. Upper left: Zipper effect applied to circle. Upper right: Zipper effects with higher frequency (more spikes) applied. Bottom: Results of applying zipper effects.

To remove a distortion

1 Select a distorted object.

2 Click Object

Clear Distortion.

Removing a distortion this way clears the most recent distortion you’ve applied.

You can also remove a distortion from a selected object by clicking Clear Distortion on the property bar.

To copy a distortion

1 Select the object to which you want to copy a distortion.

2 Click Object

Copy effect

Distortion from.

3 Click a distorted object.

You can also use the Eyedropper tool to copy the effect. For more information, see To copy effects from one object to another.