I have found that there are many ways to accomplish this effect... this is
just one. This tutorial will take you step by step through the process of
creating a plaque with raised brass text using Corel PHOTO-PAINT 8.
1. Open Corel PHOTO-PAINT and create a new image.
Color mode: 24-bit RBG color, Paper color: White
400 x 185 pixels, Resolution: 72 dpi
Fill the background with your choice.
(I used a woodgrain bitmap fill from the Corel CD.)
2. Create the rectangular "metal" backing
To create the rectangle it is important that we begin with a new object:
Click [Object] / [Create] / [New Object] or click the "New Object" button in the Object Docker Window.
Make sure that this is the active (or selected) object for this part of the tutorial.
Choose the gradient fill:
Double click the fill tool, select the "fountain fill" button, click "edit" and make the following selections:
Type: Linear; Angle: 135; Steps: 256; Edge Pad: 0 %;
Color Blend: Two Color
From: (choose 30% Black, or RGB 178, 178, 178)
To: (choose 10% Black, or RGB 229, 229, 229)
Mid-point: 50. Click OK.
Draw the rectangle:
Click the rectangle tool and drag to draw a rectangle. The rectangle should now be filled with the gradient we chose.
Adjust the size of the rectangle by clicking on the object picker tool to display the Object Tool Settings dialog box. (If you don't see it, click CTRL-F8)
Click the Object Size tab (4th tab) and type:
Horizontal: 360 Vertical: 145
Click "Transform" and then click "Apply"
Center the rectangle:
Click [Object] / [Arrange] / [Align and Distribute] or (CTRL-A)
Then click "To Center of Document" and "Ok"
Apply the Boss filter to the rectangle to add depth:
First we must create a mask from the rectangle object, click
[Mask] / [Create from Object(s)] then click
[Effects] / [3D Effects] / [The Boss] and make the following selections:
Width: 3, Smoothness: 30, Height: 15, Brightness: 100, Sharpness: 10,
Direction: 135, Angle: 70, Drop Off: Flat. Click OK.
Click [Mask] / [Remove] or click the "Remove Mask" button.
3. Type the text.
For this exercise, I chose GaramondltcTEE as the font, which can be found in
the Corel font library on the CD. However, nearly any serif font
(such as Times New Roman) can be used.
To type the text:
Double-click the text tool. In the font drop down box choose the desired font. Size: 72 pts.
Click Bold, Italic and Center Justify.
Character Spacing 0%, Line Spacing 75%. Anti-aliasing.
Type the text close to the center of the rectangle and click the object picker tool to create a new object for your text.
Click CTRL-A to align the new text to the center of the document.
4. Now let's create the brass effect.
To create the effect we will apply the Emboss filter.
Make sure that the text object is active, and click
[Effects] / [3D Effects] / [Emboss] and make the following selections:
Emboss Color: Other (RGB values 219, 200, 147)
Depth:6, Level:20, Direction:300. Click Ok.
This looks pretty good, but we need to lift it up off the backing a little.
5. Let's add a drop shadow.
With the text object selected:
Click [Object] / [Drop Shadow]
Flat, 315 degrees, Offset: 5 pixels, Opacity: 50
Color: Black, Feather Width: 3, Direction: Average.
Click Ok.
Now look at that!
The brass text is now complete, but it would be nice to add a finishing
touch to our plaque.
6. Add 4 brass screws.
To create the first screw, it is important that we begin with a new object:
Click [Object] / [Create] / [New Object] or click the "New Object" button in the Object Docker Window.
Make sure that this is the active (or selected) object for this part of the tutorial.
Draw a circle:
Click the ellipse tool and drag (while holding down the CTRL key) to draw a small circle.
Adjust the size of the circle by clicking on the object picker tool (as we did with the rectangle) to display the Object Tool Settings dialog box.
Click the Object Size tab (4th tab) and type:
Horizontal: 14 Vertical: 14
Click "Transform" and then click "Apply"
Apply the Emboss filter:
Make sure that the circle object is active, and click
[Effects] / [3D Effects] / [Emboss] and make the following selections:
Emboss Color: (same as before)
Depth:6, Level:20, Direction:300. Click Ok.
Combine the screw with it's new drop shadow:
Click [Object] / [Combine] / [Combine Objects Together]
The brass screw is almost complete, we just need to add the slot. But to add
a touch of realism, the slot for each screw should be drawn independently.
So let's first make 3 duplicates of the new screw, and position them
on the plaque.
Duplicate the screw:
Make sure that the screw object is active, and click
[Object] / [Duplicate] or (CTRL-D) 3 times.
All four screws are now aligned on top of one another.
Position the screws:
Select one of the screw objects in the object docker window.
Click on the object picker tool. Now use the arrow keys (instead of the mouse)
to nudge the screw to the right until the screw is positioned correctly in
the top right corner of the plaque. (Hint: Press the SHIFT key while nudging
to move in larger increments). Repeat this procedure for the other two screws,
until each screw is correctly positioned in one of the four corners of the plaque.
Add the slots:
Select one of the screws in the object docker window. Important Note: We want to make sure that the screw we are drawing on
is the active screw object, so if the object marquee is not visible, click
[Object] / [Marquee Visible] and make sure there is a check mark next to it.
Click CTRL-F2 to pull up the paint color roll-up, and change the paint color
to RGB values 170, 151, 98.
Zoom in (about 400%) on the active screw and select the line tool to draw the
slot. In the tool settings dialogue box, check the following:
Line Width: 1, Transparency: 0, Paint Mode: Normal, Anti-aliasing.
Click and drag a small line through the slot. You may wish to experiment with
the placement of your slot. To do this, simply click undo and try again until
you are happy with the results. After you finish one screw, select another
screw in the object docker window and repeat the process (for each screw),
slightly altering the angle of the slot each time.
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CorelDRAW X4! Also available is the Premium Bonus Content Edition with Powertips and a Corel PHOTO-PAINT book.
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Click [Object] / [Drop Shadow]
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