Hi, here is a translated tutorial of lovely vector halftones, as per requested by one of the folks in the forums.
The original Russian page is here
Lessons Corel DRAW: Halftone:
Effect halftone usually done in raster editors (Adobe Photoshop, Corel
Photo-Paint, etc.). In such a vector can be done by tracing a raster
image, but the result leaves much to be desired: roughness, angularity
and redundant nodes sharply limit the scope of application of this
effect (eg Cutting Plotter). But Nevertheless, there is a way to create
simple and beautiful vector halfton, on the implementation of this
method in the editor CorelDraw and will be discussed.
I think nestoit go into the theory of construction, all will become clear after the example.
To begin with the same draw the line and rotate it 45 degrees
(Freehad / Besier / Pen Tool caught with Ctrl, and Ctrl Thus we turn,
or in a window вбить 45 Angle of Rotation in the Property Bar), the
size of the line set times, say five (not Required five, it is not
crucial, but more convenient to choose the «flat» numbers, understand
why a little later), in this example is 70 mm.
Now the tool Ellipse Tool (F7) draw two circles, the size of my example
of 10 and 1 mm, but may itself vary according to the desired result.
Choosing Interactive Blend Tool make their move and let the line check
Blend along full path in the properties of the transition. Now a little
матчасти: number of steps is calculated as follows: the size of the
control lines divide by 5, and takes 1 to our line (70 mm) are 13 steps
total of 15 objects, 50 mm for the line - it is 9 steps and 11 objects.
The thing is that in order to achieve the desired effect, it is
important to get the same distance between the centers of neighboring
circles in vertical, horizontal and diagonal, and the easiest way to do
this is located at a distance obviously taken the necessary number of
objects, sounds wildly, understand, but later everything became clear.
So after a breakdown (Edit> Break Apart or Ctrl + K) blind to the
objects (which can be grouped or merged, who as a matter of
convenience), one element of the future halftona ready. By the way I
advise copying unbroken Blend where something aside, to read. You can
begin to overlap: Duplicate Distance set the value in the horizontal
(X) - 10, the vertical (Y) - 0, and then several times Ctrl + D, where
everything is done correctly obtain accurate horizontal halfton by
setting an offset X - 0, and on Y - 10, get vertical, and the values of
5 to give the coordinates of the two diagonal shift, the positive (5,
5) upwards, and negative (-5, -5), respectively down.
To not wear button «D» in CorelDraw a docker Step and Repeat (a
combination of Ctrl + Shift + D), it sets tezhe coordinates and the
displacement of the necessary number of duplicates, push the button
«Apply» and save a few seconds of precious time and a a resource life
of the keyboard.
Well, doing halftone in linear vector is easy, but if you want to make it
like a wave? You can spend a little more time to build everything by
hand, but there are simpler alternatives, and each of them can be used
so I consider everything in my opinion the most effective.
Method 1: Manual.
To get started, decide to form and draw the outline.
Now you need to build elements in accordance with the form. Set Nudge
Offset equal five, and Duplicate Distance: X - 10, Y - 0. Then put the
top part of halftone «Waves» and duplicating it by pressing Ctrl + D to
periodically shifts the arrows on the keyboard in accordance with the
bend shape (down - down and right, up - up and left).
You can slightly modify the way (for this element halftona should be a
group of objects). The difference is in the manual arrangement of the
elements of pre-formed auxiliary grid. Since the distance between the
centers of deliberately chosen, to build a correct and smooth halfton
not be a problem, all you need - draw a grid with cell size of 10 mm
(by overlapping lines rotated by 45 degrees with a step on the
horizontal - 10mm) and it points to align objects .
With included attachment to objects (Snap to Objects pane properties
(Alt + Z) to drag the elements at the center circle - just highlight an
item, roll the center of a circle until you see the corresponding
caption in blue «center» tyanem traps and near the intersection of the
control lines to be built inscription «intersection», sdublirovat you
can right-click or left neotpuskaya space (with a space neat, if you
overdo it on top will be unnecessary duplication).
The resulting grouping halfton / merge, crop, paint, etc. etc., there
is already a technical process ends and imagination begins.
Method 2: semiautomatic:
For a simple effect to do a manual alignment, and not much time
will be required to chegoto more complicated, but I would not if I
could not find a way to automate this process.
A bit of theory: the manual way to show the principle of
construction, that is correct for the effect you need to make some of
the elements (in this case taken by the horizontal and vertical
distance of 10 mm between the centers of objects). Arrange a lot of the
same elements can be hood, place them in a certain order hood on the
road, but the order in this case must be strict, mean, and the path
should not be normal and special. Consist of the elements of a certain
length (a multiple of five in our case), and even perpendicular. You
can draw a path through the same pre-established grid, or to edit
pre-drawn. But it is possible, and by tracking low-resolution bitmaps.
Thus, a preliminary outline for the transfer to the two-screen
with the resolution at which the size of pixels wakes about 5 mm (all
depends on the size, just-in value is unlikely to get, if someone knows
a way to share). Then bitmam trassiruem with the greatest detail
(Detail) and the lowest smoothing (Smoothing).
Now you need to fit the size so that the length and height of resulting
«steps» was a multiple of 5 mm. I just drew a line frihend Tuloma
former pixel size (at sites with attachment included) was the size of
five millimeters, brought up to five or copied percentage (Scale
Factor) in the properties of the entire facility. That's me and waited
in frustration and the initial name of the second mode of «automatic»
had to add the prefix «floor». I do not know but what algorithm works
Power Trace and Corel Trace 12 which I tried with different settings,
but the size of pixels, they feel different in different parts of the
raster, the logical explanation that I nenashel, so I do not have a
little fix future path leveled some segments of grid ( «downed»
segments was not a lot of cryptic way of an object just fell into the
net).
Well, all that is left is to put the pivot center of the group
at the center of smaller circle sdublirovat and make peretekanie hood
appointing prepared the way and set the distance between the sites
flows to 5 mm.
Conclusion: what advantages this halftona to raster? Descending the
general advantages of vector graphics to raster, you can mention a few
points: 1) the effect may consist not only of circles, and of
absolutely any shape of objects or even groups of objects, and 2) as
the main element is created through the hood, you can halfton do not
similar objects from a peretekaniya one another (eg a square circle, a
shape of a star, etc.), and 3) the same thing only in color ... In
general, all limited only by your imagination. Good luck!