Modifying a contour effect interactively

The Contour tool creates a three-dimensional effect by creating a series of concentric curves that progress to the inside or outside of an object or text.

A center contour has been applied to the clams in this image.

To contour an object

In the toolbox, click the Contour tool .
Click the object and drag towards its center (to create an inside contour) or away from it (to create an outside contour).

An example of text with an outside contour (top) and an inside contour (bottom).

To adjust the number of steps and the degree of offset in the contour interactively, move the slider in the drawing window.

Fill color handle (1), slider (2), Outline color handle (3).

The smaller the offset (the distance between contour lines) and the higher the steps, the smoother the color progression.

In this example, the offset is set to 0.004 in and the steps are set to 300.

A contour with 11 steps (left) and 400 steps (right).

A contour with a 0.08 in (left) and 0.16 in (right) offset.

Tips

When the offset is very small, the Fill color and Outline color handles may overlap. Zoom in to access the interactive controls more easily.
To change the outline color for the contour, drag a color from the color palette to the diamond-shaped handle.
To change the fill color for the contour, drag a color from the color palette to the square handle.

Learn more about contouring objects in the CorelDRAW help.