Corel Draw Lesson: Placing a bitmap in a closed shape

Corel Draw Lesson #1

placing a bitmap inside a closed shape

I want to scan my own fabric and use it in my quilt designs in Corel Draw. How Can I do this?

Answer: When I want to see what a fabric will look like inside a CorelDraw. "quilt template" (actually a closed shape) I use the "power clip curve" You can also use this same process to place photographs into your templates. Here's how it works:

basicblock.gif (1071 bytes)

First you draw your basic block or quilt design, with all "closed objects" that is the lines surrounding the shape have no breaks in them and the object can be filled with color.

colorgeese.gif (1237 bytes)

Color in the parts of the block that will have solid colors with stock Corel Draw colors.

templatesa&b.gif (1231 bytes)

Now suppose you want to use some of that gorgeous Bryerpatch Studio fabric in the gray templates.

Scan your fabric on a flat bed scanner or take a digital picture of it.

Import the bitmap of your fabric into Corel Draw. You can stretch or shrink the bitmap so that the scale of the print is in the same relative proportion to the template that it will be in the finished quilt.

Place the shape you want to "cut" out of that fabric on top of the bitmap.

Unfill the shape, so that you can see the area of fabric that will fill the template.	Make sure there is an outline around the shape so you can see it on top of the fabric bitmap.	Now you can move your template around until just the right area of the fabric is framed inside the shape.

This is almost like placing a see-through template on top of your real fabric.

	When the area of fabric you want is showing inside your shape, click on the bitmap to select it. Go to the word "effects" at the top of the page, and click on it. A drop down list will appear.
Click on the words "power clip" From the list that appears to the right of "power clip" select "place inside container" You will instantly see a big black arrow on your screen. Put the point of the arrow on the line around your shape, and click.

Taa daaaaa!!!! The bitmap will magically appear inside your shape.

Place the templates back in your block, and there it is.

finishedblock.jpg (7555 bytes)