Line Art: great for rendering black and white images or drawings.The Outline Trace can be found in the same location as the Centerline Trace and has numerous subsets, including Line Art, Logo, Detailed Logo, Clipart, Low-Quality Image and High-Quality Image ( Figure G).Īlthough these options do produce similar results and offer a dialogue box (PowerTrace) for further adjustments, here is a quick reference guide for when to use each: The Outline Trace options are probably going to be more useful for the user working with colored logos and artwork, as it produces only fills (no outlines) and handles multicolored images well. The Line Drawing option produces thicker lines and offers a dialogue box to interface with for more control over the results ( FIGURE F). The Technical Illustration produces thinner lines and does not have a dialogue box.
FIGURE E shows a bitmap of a technical drawing and the rendered result using the Line Drawing option. It does not, however, handle colors well and does not render to a fill. This tool renders a black-and-white image to lines or strokes. Both are useful when rendering schematics, maps, or technical drawings into a collection of lines. The Centerline Trace has two subsets: Technical Illustration and Line Drawing. There are two basic Trace tools: Centerline Trace and the Outline Trace. The Trace options can be found under the Bitmap menu as well ( Figure D). Trace Tool Optionsįor the Trace tool options to appear in the property bar, an image must be selected in the workspace. The final file could then be readied for use in many processes, depending on the client’s needs, including screen printing, lasering, sublimation, or embroidery, to name a few. For most black-and-white images and relatively uncomplex logos, this tool works great, although there is no PowerTrace dialogue box to open that can control results. Because this drawing was a simple pen and ink, the Quick Trace tool was sufficient and as promised, rendered the image quickly. This would have taken more time if I had to redraw the artwork repeatedly to get to my final design. For example, FIGURE A is a scanned pen and ink drawing I created for what would become a T-shirt design for a local running club ( FIGURE B).īecause I was able to vectorize my original drawing, this allowed me to make several quick design changes ( FIGURE C) using other vector tools until I was satisfied with the results. In this tutorial, I will compare these options as they exist in their current form in version 2020.įor those unfamiliar with the Trace tool, this tool transforms a raster image or photo (bitmap, JPEG, PNG, etc.) into a vector/mechanical drawing. Since its addition to CorelDRAW in 1992, the Trace tool has improved significantly and the options within it are now many. I still consider this tool one of the most useful tools Corel offers. But since that time, it has played a significant role in my graphic design career.
Twenty-three years ago, I certainly did not know the importance and impact this tool would have for me. I cannot tell you when it was that I discovered the Trace tool. In the late ’90s, I was just beginning my relationship with CorelDRAW. This mailed artwork would often arrive as a tri-folded piece of paper in an envelope-a piece of paper that probably had two creases running through what the client was calling “artwork.” My job was to digitize the artwork using a “state-of-the-art” HP flatbed scanner (a process that often took 20 to 30 minutes) and make it production-ready for whatever process was required for the product requested.īy Shon Roti, Sublimation Consultant, Graphic Designer This had as much to do with the size constraints of email attachments at the time, as with the clients’ familiarity with email technology. Have you ever stopped to think how certain tasks were completed without the use of the tools and technology that exist today? I can still recall-as a production artist in 1998-receiving artwork via mail.
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