Corel PHOTO-PAINT offers a wide variety of special effects filters that let you take your image as far as your imagination will allow.

This tutorial introduces you to some of the "cool" and useful filters you'll find in Corel PHOTO-PAINT.

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Finding out about some of the "cool" special effects

Learning about some of the effects that are useful for photo-editing

Applying some eye-catching effects to text

You can apply many dazzling special effects to your images with Corel PHOTO-PAINT. Learn about the Lighting Effects, Ripple, Wind, Radial Blur, Terrazzo, Canvas, and Alchemy filters.

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Finding out about using filters in Corel PHOTO-PAINT

Applying the Lighting Effects, Ripple, Wind, and Radial Blur effects filters

Applying a kaleidoscope effect using the Terrazzo filter

Applying a surface texture effect using the Canvas filter

Making your image look like a natural media painting with the Alchemy filter

Effects filters execute a predefined series of commands to produce an effect. They automatically calculate the values and characteristics of pixels in your image and then alter the pixels according to new values defined by the filter.

For example, the Motion Blur filter analyzes all pixel values, then "smears" the values in a specified direction, creating the illusion of motion.

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To open the Motion Blur filter dialog box, click Effects menu, Blur, Motion Blur. In this dialog box, you will see a number of buttons and controls.

Some of these are common controls that you will find in most effects dialog boxes.

Others are unique to this effect.

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Effects filters can be applied one at a time or in combination with others.

Click here to see an example of an image altered by two filters used in combination.

You have now learned some of the basic concepts of effects filters in Corel PHOTO-PAINT.

Apply four effect filters together to achieve a spectacularly enhanced image.

Click here to open a sample image.

Tip

You should begin by applying each filter and undoing it so that you can see how it affects the image.

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To give the image a fire-lit effect, apply the Lighting Effects filter using four different light sources.

1. Click Effects menu, Render, Lighting Effects.
2. Drag the light source selector to the center of the image, to place it in the space between the firemen.
3. On the Light Source tab, type 80 in the Brightness box, and 180 in the Cone Size box.
4. Click the Color Picker and click the white color swatch.
5. Click the Add Light Source button, and drag the new light source selector to the left side of the image to place it behind the fireman's head.
6. On the Light Source tab, type 100 in the Brightness box.
7. Click the Color Picker and click the orange color swatch.
8. Click the Add Light Source button, and drag the new light source selector to the extreme right-center edge of the image.
9. Type 110 in the Cone Size box.
10. Click the Add Light Source button again, and drag the new light source selector to the upper right of the image.
11. Click the Directional button, and click OK.

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Now apply the Ripple filter.

1. Click Effects menu, 2D Effects, Ripple.
2. Click the Single Wave button.
3. Type 6 in the Period box.
4. Type 1 in the Amplitude box.
5. Type 110 in the Direction Angle box.
6. Click OK.

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Add a windblown effect to the image using the Wind filter.

1. Click Effects menu, 2D Effects, Wind.
2. Type 25 in the Opacity box.
3. Type 100 in the Strength box.
4. Type 180 in the Direction box, and click OK.

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To apply a blurry zoom effect, apply the Radial Blur filter.

1. Click Effects menu, Blur, Radial Blur.
2. In the Mode section, click the Zoom button.
3. Type 35 in the Amount box.
4. Click the Best button.
5. Click OK.

You have now learned how to apply four different dazzling special effects to an image. Here's an example of what your image might look like.

Create an image with a repeating tiled pattern of butterflies resembling a kaleidoscope design. To see an example of the end result, click here.

To do this, you will use these tools:

Image Sprayer tool

The Terrazzo filter.

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Use the Image Sprayer tool to paint a butterfly pattern on your image.

Click here to open a new image.

1. Click View menu, Roll-Ups, Tool Settings.
2. Click the Image Sprayer tool in the Brush Tools flyout.
3. In the Tool Settings Roll-Up, Click the flyout button and choose Load An Image List.
4. Choose the file Butrfly.cpt from the ImgLists folder and click the Open button.

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Butrfly.cpt is used to generate the stream of butterflies you'll use in the next step. This file is called an Image List.

1. Place the Image Sprayer tool cursor anywhere in the Image Window and click your mouse button. One click releases a single butterfly. Hold down the mouse button to produce a stream of butterflies.
2. Continue to spray the image until every square inch of the window is covered with butterflies.

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Apply the Terrazzo filter to your butterflies to create a kaleidoscope effect.

1. Click Effects menu, Fancy, Terrazzo.
2. Click the Symmetry button, click the Turnstile Symmetry option, and click OK.
3. Adjust the size and placement of the tiles using the settings in the Terrazzo dialog box, until you're satisfied with the image in the Result preview window.

Now you've seen how you can apply a tiled, kaleidoscope pattern to an image. Here's an example of what your image might look like.

Create a realistic surface texture for your image using the Canvas filter. This can add impressive finishing touches to a photograph or painting, or it can be used as an effect in its own right.

Click here to see an example of the Canvas filter.

Click here to open a sample image.

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The image you will be working with is a landscape. Make the image look like a painting on canvas by applying a cloth surface texture to it.

The tiled bitmap texture patterns applied to your image are called canvas maps.

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Load the cloth canvas map and adjust the settings in the Canvas dialog box to produce an artistic, surface effect.

1. Click Effects menu, Artistic, Canvas.
2. In the Canvas dialog box, click the Load button.
3. In the Load Canvas Map Files dialog box, select LINEN2C.PCX from the list of canvas files and click Open.

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The Canvas filter gives you control over the following:

Transparency

Emboss

X and Y Offset.

Tile Offset

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Now you have learned how to apply a cloth texture to the surface of your image. Here's an example of what your image might look like.

You've just seen an effective, basic use for the Canvas filter. Because this filter can use any bitmap image as a canvas map, you can use it to merge two images with startling results.

Try applying this filter with a partial mask over your image, or try using other textures as Canvas maps. The brush textures in the GRAPHICS8/PHOTOPNT/BRUSHTXR directory give unique results.

Make an image look like a natural media painting by applying four different instances of the Alchemy filter.

Click here to open a sample image.

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There are many different presets available with the Alchemy filter. The following instructions explain how to use them.

1. Click Effects menu, Fancy, Alchemy.
2. In the Saved Styles section, choose Canvas Dense from the Style list box.
3. Click OK.

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Apply three more Alchemy preset effects to the image. Observe the result of each effect.

1. Click Effects menu, Fancy, Alchemy.
2. In the Saved Styles section, choose Oil Canvas Detail from the Style list box, and click OK.
3. Click Effects menu, Fancy, Alchemy.
4. In the Saved Styles section, choose Mosaic Medium from the Style list box, and click OK.
5. Click Effects menu, Fancy, Alchemy.
6. In the Saved Styles section, choose Cubist from the Style list box, and click OK.

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You have learned how to create sensational effects using the Alchemy filter. Here's an example of what your image might look like.

There are literally thousands of possibilities available; try experimenting with the settings on the Brush, Color, Size, Angle, and Trans tabs in the Alchemy dialog box.

Tip

We recommend that you preview the result of changing one option at a time in the Alchemy dialog box, as each setting has a profound effect on the image.

Click here to learn more about applying special effects.

You can use Corel PHOTO-PAINT to touch up scanned photographs using its powerful photo-editing filters.

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Removing halftone dots from a scanned magazine photograph

Sharpening a blurred image

Adding a professional look to a photograph using the Blur and Vignette filters

The Remove Moire filter, new to Corel PHOTO-PAINT 8, allows you to remove unwanted patterned noise that can occur in scanned halftone images.

Click here to open a sample image.

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The repeating halftone pattern in the sample image is even more obvious when you zoom out using the Zoom tool.

1. Click the Zoom tool.
2. Position the Zoom tool cursor over the image, and right-click to zoom out.

Note

Try experimenting with different zoom levels in order to see the undesirable patterning that occurs with scanned halftone images. Double-click the Zoom tool when you are ready to continue, to set the zoom level to 100%.

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Now use the Remove Moire filter to remove this unwanted patterned effect.

1. Click Effects menu, Noise, Remove Moire.
2. Set the Amount slider to 10.
3. Click the Better button.
4. Type 150 in the Output box, and click OK.

Sharpen a blurry scanned image using one of the Sharpen filters.

Click here to open a sample image.

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Accentuate the edges in the image by increasing the contrast between pixels.

1. Click Effects menu, Sharpen, Sharpen.
2. Set the Edge Level (%) slider to 50.
3. Set the Threshold slider to 100, and click OK.

Tips

Try experimenting with some of the other Sharpen filters to find one that suits your needs.

You can apply multiple Sharpen filters at once. Click Effects menu, Adjust, Sharpness to access the Sharpness Control dialog box.

Now you have learned how to sharpen a blurry image. Here's an example of what your image might look like.

Give an image a professional look by blurring it and adding a frame to it.

Click here to open a sample image.

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To give the image a misty, blurred look, use the Gaussian Blur filter.

1. Click Effects menu, Blur, Gaussian Blur.
2. Type 1.5 in the Radius box, and click OK.

Tip

To access multiple Blur filters at once, use the Adjust flyout in the Effects menu.

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Continue touching up the photograph by applying a colored framing effect to the image with the Vignette filter.

1. Click Effects menu, Artistic, Vignette.
2. In the Color section of the Vignette dialog box, click the White button.
3. In the Shape section, click the Ellipse button.
4. Set the Offset slider to 100.
5. Set the Fade slider to 75, and click OK.

You have now learned how to apply professional-looking special effects to a photograph. Here's an example of what your image might look like.

Click here to learn more about applying special effects.

You can use Corel PHOTO-PAINT to apply amazing three-dimensional effects to text.

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Making a text selection appear raised or chiseled out of a background image

Making text glow

Use The Boss effect filter to add dramatic depth to an image. This is done by making text appear raised or carved out of a background. The technique used to create this illusion is called embossing.

Click here to open a sample image.

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Before you create the illusion you must first create a text selection.

1. Click the Text tool.
2. Choose a wide font style and large font size from the Property Bar.
3. Click anywhere in the Image Window and type some text.

Note

Adjust the settings on the Property Bar or Tool Settings Roll-Up to change the look of the text.

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Once you're satisfied with the look of the text, click outside the highlighting box. The text becomes a moveable object.

To move the object, click the Object Picker Tool and drag the text object to another position in the image.

1. Click the Object Picker tool
2. Click and drag the text object to the center of the Image Window.
3. Click Mask menu, Create From Object(s) to make a mask out of the text object.

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You will now use The Boss filter to create the embossing effect. The Boss filter uses a mask to create the relief effect. The text object is no longer needed.

Click Edit, Clear to delete the object from the image.

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Use the following commands in The Boss dialog box to create the embossing effect.

1. Click Effects menu, 3D Effects, The Boss.
2. Choose a preset from the Style drop-down box, or adjust the controls to change the quality of the effect.
3. Click the Auto Preview button to view the current settings. When you're satisfied with the result, click OK.
4. Click Mask menu, Remove, to remove the mask selection.

You have now learned how to create raised text. Click here for more information about The Boss effect filter. Here's an example of what your image might look like.

You can make text appear to glow like a neon sign.

This involves feathering a text object and applying two Drop Shadow effects to it.

Click here to open a sample image.

Tip

If you try this procedure with your own text, choose fonts with thick bold characters and a large point size.

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Creating the effect of softly glowing colored light is accomplished by "softening" the edges of the selection. This is called feathering.

1. Click the Object Picker tool.
2. Click Object menu, Feather.
3. In the Feather dialog box, type 10 in the Width box.
4. Select Linear from the Edges box, and click OK.

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You will now apply the first of two successive drop shadows to the text object to create the glowing effect.

1. Click Object menu, Drop Shadow.
2. In the Object Dropshadow dialog box, choose Default from the Presets list box.
3. Type 0 in the Offset box, or use the scroll arrows to lower the value to zero.
4. Choose a yellow color from the Color Picker.
5. Type 20 in the Width box.
6. Choose Outside from the Direction list box, and click OK.

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To add color depth to the neon glow, you must combine the text object with the drop shadow and apply a second drop shadow.

1. Click Object menu, Combine, Combine Objects Together.
2. Click Object menu, Drop Shadow.
3. Enter a value of zero in the Offset box.
4. Choose a red color from the Color Picker and click OK.

Now you've learned how to apply an impressive neon glow to text. Here's an example of what your image might look like.

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