In terms of solid colours, there are new options for finding and modifying sets of complementary colours through harmony rules.

The main focus in CorelDRAW X7 is a complete overhaul of its handling of formatting. The new option to position the outline within an object is particularly important, since it makes it far easier to create an object at a precise size. You can also now control the positioning of an object’s outline so that it appears inside, outside or centred on the object’s edge.

In terms of core drawing functionality, there’s been some reorganisation and rationalisation of the toolbox, but only one new tool has been added – the Smooth tool that lets you retrospectively reduce the number of nodes and the jagged appearance of existing lines. There’s also a new Align and Distribute docker to help you organise the placement of the elements of your design.

The second, Alignment and Dynamic Guides, lets you take full control over which interactive guidelines CorelDRAW X7 shows onscreen, which can be handy for aligning, sizing, angling and distributing objects as you draw and transform them. The first, Guidelines, lets you precisely manage the placement of horizontal, vertical and now angled guidelines. You can also create your own workspaces and, to help make this easier, you can now quickly customise toolbars on-the-fly via the new Quick Customize command icon.Ĭorel has also introduced new dockers, providing greater control over document setup. Workspace presets include a Lite option for beginners, an Illustrator option for those shifting allegiance from Adobe, dedicated options for Page Layout and Illustration, and a Classic option for those who liked things the way they were. The biggest interface advance in X7 is the introduction of workspaces, which let you quickly switch between customised working environments. If you’re using a smaller tablet device, the improved support for high-DPI displays and the introduction of overflow buttons to quickly access hidden options will be especially welcome. The Welcome Screen with its access to resources and update notifications has also been turned into a permanently available docked tab, and you can now undock documents and drag them outside the application, which could prove handy if you use multiple monitors.

Coreldraw x7 outline tool