This class introduces you to the basics of Corel PHOTO-PAINT, the bitmap image editor included in CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3. Topics covered include navigating the PHOTO-PAINT workspace, using tools and dockers, creating images from scratch, editing and repairing photos, working with objects, using lenses and masks, working with text, and applying special effect filters.

This class is appropriate both for students who have no prior experience with bitmap image editing and for those who have experience with another image editor but who are new to PHOTO-PAINT.

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LESSON 1

Getting Acquainted with PHOTO-PAINT

This week we take a tour of the Photo-Paint work space. You'll take a look at the various tools and controls, and learn how to create a new image, open an existing image, and save your work.

Starting Up

When you first load Photo-Paint, you're greeted by the Welcome screen:

Here you can click an icon to tell Photo-Paint what you want to do. Photo-Paint then loads and sets itself up to do what you told it. Although some folks find this helpful, especially when they're first getting just to Photo-Paint, many people find this screen annoying. You can just click the close button on the upper right if you want to simply load Photo-Paint. If you want to load Photo-Paint without selecting a task and without the Welcome screen showing up again when you run Photo-Paint, select the checkbox at the lower left corner of the window.

Basic Controls

The work space is made up of a large open area in which you do your work and the various controls that surround the work space: the Menu bar, Standard toolbar, Property bar, Toolbox, Docker(s), Color palette, and Status bar.

Menu Bar

Along the top of the work space is the Menu bar. As with any standard Windows application, you access commands from the Menu bar by clicking on a menu title and then selecting a menu option. For example, to open a new image you can select File | New:

When there's an image open in the work space, several more categories populate the Menu bar.

Standard Toolbar

Below the Menu bar is the the Standard toolbar, which holds shortcuts to many of the commands that are accessible from the menus.

These commands are for common tasks such as creating a new image, opening a new image, saving, printing, and so on.

Toolbox

Now take a look at the left edge of the work space.
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