Thursday Tip: Using Symbols Makes Changes Easy

Someone recently had a file with hundreds of copies of the same object or group of objects. The boss wanted them to replace all of the existing copies with something different. This task could take a couple of minutes, it could take hours. It all depends on how the file was created.

The key to making the task simple is to use Symbols. Now some users will be confused with the term Symbols because it has meant different things over the years in CorelDRAW. We are not talking about the symbol characters in fonts that are accessed with Ctrl + F5. No, we're talking about using the Symbol Manager Docker (Ctrl + F3). Using this Docker, an object or group of objects can be converted to a symbol. Copies of that symbol can be used all over a file. Go back to the Docker and edit the symbol and all copies of it will be automatically updated. That would be the way the user could fix the file in just a minute or two. If Symbols weren't used, it most likely has to be done manually.

Of course Jeff Harrison reminded me that the Dizzy: Shaping Version 3 macro will allow you to do a search and replace on graphic objects. So if you run into a situation where you haven't used Symbols, the cost of the macro could easily pay for itself.

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Tutorial Tuesday: Dancing in the Dark in the Park

A common question I see users ask is how to access the "clip art" in the symbols section of the CorelDRAW content manual. The first thing you need to know is that it isn't clip art. They are symbol fonts and the individual graphics are characters in the font. Once you install them as fonts, you can access the "symbols" in the Insert Character Docker (Ctrl + F11 to access it).

Hmm, that sounds like a tip and it is only Tuesday. That means I'm supposed to tell you all about a tutorial. So let's build on the theme of using symbol fonts and look at Ruth Huking's Dancing in the Dark in the Park tutorial. While this is an older tutorial, you can still do the same things in newer versions of CorelDRAW. Ruth really likes to use the characters in symbol fonts, dress them up a bit and use them in her graphics. This tutorial uses a number of different symbol characters. While the graphic you need to create may be drastically different, quite likely you can use the same techniques. Another idea is to use some of the symbol fonts I've discussed in my Font Friday blogs.

I would also like to include a brief comment. I got a very upsetting e-mail in response to last week's tutorial. The author of the e-mail was absolutely furious that the tutorial cost money. When you do a design for clients, do you give away your work? Most likely not. Our authors work very hard to create a tutorial and some of these tutorials do have a small cost. I will certainly link to free tutorials, but I will also link to some that have a cost.

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Font Friday: Roadgeek Fonts

When I drew up the plans for my daily topic, today was supposed to be Font Friday. That means one font. I decided we should start with a bang and I'll direct you to a bunch of fonts today.

Roadgeek fonts were created to duplicate the fonts used on highway signage. Please read the license agreement carefully as they are not licensed for sign production, commercial logo design or mass publication. As you scroll down the page, you'll find links to download the individual fonts or series. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the list and find the one labeled Complete. Click this and you can download them all at once. That means you get a total of 27 different fonts. While we're about road sign fonts, let me throw out yet another freebie for today. There is a font created by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources that contains a number of recreation symbols.

Whew, that's 28 fonts today. That should keep all of the font fanatics out there satisfied until next Friday.

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