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Hints for using Corel Photo Paint

Mask Tools

Image Sprayer

Fill Tool

Air Brush Tools

Undo Commands

Tile (pattern) Fill

Brightness Tool

Hot Key Setup

Making Simple Tile Patterns

Clone Tool

Selecting Multiple Images

Making Complex Tile Patterns

new:  Problems using Corel Photo Paint 8 and Windows XP Operating Systems

 

Forward

This section is a free section that covers some of the enhanced features of Corel Photo Paint 8 - and likely will also include guidance therefore on several other editions of Corel Photo Paint and Corel Draw.  Some of the usages of Corel Photo Paint were shown in our digital photo section tips which you can go to by clicking here.

The power of a program such as Corel Photo Paint 8 is quite extensive, and it is likely that many owners of it are only using a small fraction of its capabilities.  This section will try to explain using some of the moderate to advanced features.

Mask Tools 

Mask tools are used to cut out a portion of a larger picture.  That portion that is cut out can be copied and pasted either as a separate object within the same picture - in order to duplicate objects, or copied and pasted as a separate document.  Mask tools are found in the "toolbox" toolbar.

Note that mask tools can also be used to create ".cpt" images - that have irregular backgrounds and are in the shape of the image itself rather than rectangular.  These images therefore have transparent portions.

Normal, Plus and Minus

Note that when using a mask tool, that one needs to select "normal" (shows as an arrow on the "property" toolbar), "+", "-" or "Xor".  I generally only use the normal setting or "-" setting. To cut out the item directly that is of interest, one would use the "normal" setting, and click that option with their mouse.  A more complex usage is the "-" setting, which is used instead to eliminate portions of the picture.

Property bar mask portion, showing it set to "normal": 

Mask Reset

Note that if at any time you make a mistake on a mask, you can redo it.  You can undo it either with the "undo" command under "edit" or by clicking the mask remove    symbol on the top toolbar.  Clicking this lets you start over with a fresh new mask.

  Rectangular Mask

The rectangular mask is the easiest to use.  If this option is not showing already under the mask picture in the toolbox, then click your mouse on the lower right hand arrow of the mask control and select the rectangular mask - which will show up as a rectangle with dotted lines.  Before using this tool, decide if you wish "normal" setting.  That is the most likely one to use - if you intend to directly capture the area of interest.  Ensure that "normal" is showing as a selected arrow on the property bar.  Then, line up the crosshairs of the rectangle tool on your drawing with a corner of the image that you wish.  Then press down the left mouse button and drag the rectangle control to the opposite corner - and it will encircle the area that you wish.  Then this area can be copied using "Ctrl" and "C" or "Ctrl" and "Insert" depending on your settings.  Once your target picture area has been copied to the clipboard, you can go to "edit" in the pull down menu and paste it as an object inside another picture, or paste it as a brand new object.  An example of a rectangular mask is given at the end of the first page of the digital photo section. In this example, it is used to highlight a good portion of  a photo to make that good portion the end photo desired.

Note that the rectangular mask can also be used in "-" mode.  If your desired picture has a bad area on top or sides or on the bottom, you can set the "property" toolbar to "-" for the mask and subtract the portion of the picture that you don't want.  Some times this rectangular subtract mode is also good for eliminating large background areas that we wish invisible within a target image.  In this last case, we are referring to the making of a ".cpt" image - one where an image shape may be irregular with some of the background invisible.

Free Hand Mask

This mask is mostly used for acquiring an irregularly shaped area that you will use or save as a ".cpt" type artwork.  In this irregular shaped picture, some of the picture will be in its full color, and some will be transparent.  This free hand mask is often used best when the property bar is set to "normal" (the arrow).  In this case, start at a convenient portion of the outer perimeter line of the object you wish to cut out.  Then hold down the left mouse button, and cut the item out around its perimeter going around all of it carefully.  When you have circled the whole object carefully with this tool, double click it at its ending.  Then you can copy the cut out item to the clipboard (ctrl C again or ctrl insert) and then paste it into another picture or save it as a separate ".cpt" image.  Note that pictures done like this can be superior to rectangular cutouts - since the unneeded portion has an invisible background.

Note that you can also use the free hand mask as a "-" item also. If the object that you have just made with your freehand mask cut also has an internal section that should be invisible - for example - then set your property bar to "-" for the mask.  Then again set your mouse cross hair on the perimeter of the section to be removed, and hold down the left mouse button and go carefully around its edges, and double click when back to the start.  Then when you copy this revised image to the clipboard, this new area that you have removed with the "-" control, should now be invisible.  Corel Photo Paint 8 shows invisible areas as a checkerboard pattern.  An example of this is below, where the cards are the image and the invisible background shows up as a checkerboard pattern:

Magic Wand Mask

Well, this next mask can be fun and be a real time saver. It does take some adjustment and practice to get it right though.  In this case, if an object is on a plain background such as a total white background or a total light blue background or something similar, then the magic wand mask can often do the encircling of the outline of the image that you wish on its own.  For this case, start with the image on the plain background.  Let us try the magic wand with the property bar set to "-".  Click the magic wand with your left mouse button inside the areas of blank color that are to be removed - both on the exterior and interior portions of the image.  Note that you might have to have a good outline of the image on the areas to be wanded.   Then when you copy the image to the clipboard and re-paste it, you should see that the wand has at least mostly found the image and removed the other portions by making them transparent.  The magic wand settings used in the above playing card example were "HSB mode" where H = 20, S = 10, and S = 10.  These settings are likely not optimum but worked in this case.  One can get to the magic wand settings when that tool is in use under "view/rollups/tool settings" in the main pull down menu.

Air Brush Tool

This is great "paint" tool, and is particularly useful for gentle shading - blending colors together while making some sections a little bit darker than others.  Ensure that you adjust its tool settings to suit.  Its tool settings are available when the air brush is selected and then under "view/rollups/tool settings" in the main pull down menu.  If not sure of this tool, put the settings at something like rate of flow = 3, and transparency = 84, as a possible starting point.  Then practice.

Brightness Tool

This is an "effects" tool, that can be used for shadows, or help to frame images and make them more lifelike.  Some practice with this tool is also a good idea.  Some starting settings for it (under "view/rollups/tool settings") would be:  amount = - 12 (minus in this case means darken, as for a shadow; with no "-" sign it would brighten the area.)  transparency = 50, soft edge = 35.

Clone Tool

This wonderful top member of the "clone tools" toolbar was described here in the digital photo section in the discussion about removing unwanted items.  Yes, the clone tool is great for "repairs".  If you want an item on a picture to disappear, or want to repair a messed up area, the clone tool might help.  For this tool, you might want to adjust the settings first on "size" to ensure an adequate drawing tool size.  Then first use the right mouse button to place the clone tool cross hairs on the area to be copied.  Then move the round drawing area to the space where the want that area to be copied now.  In the normal case, the cross hairs would be set on an undamaged portion of the background, and the drawing area would begin in the section to be repaired or covered over.  Then press down the left mouse button, and the clone tool should copy the area in the cross hair to the new area.  An example below shows an image of a piano being copied.  The original piano image is on the right in the cross hairs, and the area being copied is to the left with the circular drawing tool.

shows the clone tool in action

 

 

NEXT PAGE - Image-Sprayer Usage and Setup

 

 

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