In this video I'll demonstrate a variety
of ways to create object cuts using
CorelDRAW's Knife tool. Before we get
started, if you're watching this video on
YouTube you'll find a link in the
description below that will take you to
our tutorial page on Corel's Discovery
Center. Here you can also download a
written copy of this tutorial. For my
first example, this heart consists of two
curves: the red heart-shaped curve and a
pink curve for the 3D effect. I'll
activate the Knife tool from the
toolbar and by default, the cut will be
along a two-point line. I can start the
tool on a point along the curve or I can
start in blank space. I'll drag out my
line so that it only cuts within the red
fill. Now I can see a faint cut line and
in the Objects docker I can see that
the heart is now split into two curves
and both curves are selected. I'll use
the Pick tool to first unselect
everything, then I can select just the
lower curve and move it. If I want to
move the top part I'll need to select
both the pink curve, which wasn't cut, and
the other curve of the heart. I'll undo
the cut. In addition to cutting curves,
the Knife tool can also slice through
groups. I'll select both the red and pink
curves and group them. With my Knife tool
again, this time I'll use a Bézier cut.
I'll click points to make a jagged cut,
double-clicking when finished. I now have
a group of 4 objects, because the knife
operations slice through both curves
that comprise the group. There are now 2
red curves and 2 pink curves. If I want
a broken heart this time, I need to
select both objects before moving. Next I
have some text to which I'll add an
outline in the Properties docker. This
time I'll use the Knife tool with a
freehand cut. This number controls the
level of smoothing of the freehand curve
and I'll set this to about 80. I'll click
and drag a wavy line across the text.
This operation results in 2 separate
groups. Each group has 2 curves: 1 for
the curves of the fill and the other for
the curves of the outline. But there are
no outline curves along the cut.
I'll undo to get the whole text again.
This time I'll use a Bézier cut and I'll
also turn on "Auto-close on cut" which
will close the outlines surrounding the
resulting text curves. I'll click and
drag to create a smooth set of curves
and double-click when finished. This time
when I select one of the groups and move
it, each group retains its outline.
Next I'll use the Pen tool to create a
wavy curve. In the properties bar I'll
thicken the curve and give it a start
and end arrowhead. To break up this arrow
I'll go back to the Knife tool. So far
with this tool I've been using Automatic
mode, which lets CorelDRAW decide where
and when to convert outlines to curves.
With my freehand cut, both objects are
now still curves. If I repeat this cut
using Convert to Objects I'll get the
same result in this case. But if I undo
again and cut again using Keep Outlines,
each part of this curve retains the same
arrow properties.
Next I have a graphic that I want to use
as a window banner and I want to add
gaps where the window frames will be.
From the ruler on the left I'll drag out
guidelines where the gaps are to go. I'll
activate the Knife tool, choose 2-point
Line and go back to Automatic. I'll also
add a gap and set its width to 1 inch.
I'll drag 3 cut lines across the
guide lines. The resulting gaps are
centered along the cut lines.
For my final example I have a graphic
that I'd like to print as a split-front
on a sports jersey. I'll want some
overlap along the center where the two
sides of the jersey will button together.
With the knife tool again, this time I'll
choose Overlap and set a width of half
an inch.
Keeping the Shift key pressed for a
vertical line, I'll draw a 2-point cut
line down the center. Now I'll use the
Pick tool to select everything on one
side of the graphic. After moving these
curves straight down, the overlap can be
clearly seen. This brings us to the end
of this tutorial on the Knife tool in
CorelDRAW. If you've been watching this
video on YouTube, you'll find a link in
the description below that will take you
to our tutorial page on Corel's
Discovery Center. Here you can also
download a written copy of this tutorial
to try out the steps yourself.