Create Your Own Contours with Corel Draw

Contoured Text

Let's start by adding a Rectangle on the page. Select the Rectangle Tool from the Toolbox and draw.

Select any Color on the Color Palette to set the Fill of the Rectangle.

Move your cursor over the Drop Shadow Tool on the Toolbox.


 Click the Black Arrow on the Right of this Icon to open a Flyout Menu.

Select Contour.

Click on the Rectangle and Drag towards the Center, then release.

An Inside Contour with Linear Colors will be applied to the Shape.

The Reverse of this would be to Drag Outward in order to create an Outside Contour.

To change the Fill Color of the Contour, drag a Color of your choosing to the Square Handle and release.

  To change the Outline Color of the Contour, drag a Color of your choosing over the Diamond Handle and release.

Notice this Contour has about 4 Steps.

To adjust the Number of Steps, move the White Slider.

Moving towards the Center creates more Steps for the Inside Contour.

Inside Contour

You can make further adjustments on the Property Toolbar.

Here's a Contour with decreased Offset.

Outside Contour

Adjust the Contour Color Progression by clicking its Icon on the Property Bar.


Clicking this Icon will open a drop down menu.

Contour Color Progression

Here's the same Shape with Clockwise Contour Colors applied.

Clockwise Contour Colors

 Here's the same Shape with Counterclockwise Contour Colors.

Counterclockwise Contour Colors

And finally have a look at some practical examples of Contours.

Contoured Star

Contoured Spirals

How To Create Blends in Corel Draw

Blended Text

The Blend Tool is used to Blend 2 Objects together.

Start off by putting 2 Shapes on the page. Add a Rectangle and a Circle, using the Rectangle Tool and Ellipse Tool.

Add a different Fill Color to each Shape. First select the Rectangle and click a Color on the Color Palette located on the Left of the Screen.

Repeat for the Circle, choosing a different Color.

Move your cursor over the Drop Shadow Tool on the Toolbox.

Click the Black Arrow on the Right of this Icon to open a Flyout Menu.

Select Blend.

Move your cursor over any one of the Shapes, hold down your mouse button and drag to the next Shape.

You have a Blended Shape.

If you want to create your own Freehand Path for the Blend, hold down your Alt Key while making the Blend.

The Blend with follow the Path that you've drawn.

This is the Slider.


Move this Slider to the Left or Right to adjust the Color Progression from Start to End and also the Distance between Shapes in the Blend.

See the Progression of Color changes to be more Blue if the Slider is moved to the Left.

Here more Orange is seen as the Slider is moved to the Right.

If you want to change the Start Color of the Blend, select a Color from the Color Palette and drag to the White Square Handle located in the Middle of the Circle.

If you want to adjust an individual piece of the Blend, doulble click over that piece, and drag the Slider that appears.

You can clearly see 2 Sliders now, one is Green and the other is Red. Drag the new one Left or Right to make the adjustment.

You can now adjust the location of all 3 Handles of the Blend.

You can further manipulate the Blend by using the Blend Property Bar.

Check out the Presets.

Blend Presets

Hit the Drop Down Arrow and choose an Option to see how it changes your Blend.

Direct Blend

All the Blends done so far, have been Direct Blends because there is a Direct Color Progression.

This is the Direct Blend Icon.

Selecting the Clockwise Blend Icon will create a Clockwise Progression through the Color Spectrum.

Clockwise Blend

Here's the effect on the Blend.

Whereas, selecting the Counterclockwise Blend Icon will create a Counterclockwise Progression through the Color Spectrum.

Counterclockwise Blend

Here's the effect on the Blend.

Play around with the Property Bar and discover all you can do with Blending.

Here are some practical examples of the Blend Tool.

Blended Circles

Blended Lines