Mastering All the Tools in CorelDRAW Toolbox

coreldraw tools


The toolbox contains all the necessary tools that we need to create every kind of stuff in CorelDRAW. Some of the tools are visible in the default while some are grouped together with other tools. They can be seen when we open the flyout (a flyout is a small icon that looks like a triangle. It is located at the right-hand corner of each tool in the toolbox). Once you click on the flyout, it will show you allthe tools. Some of the tools have keyboard shortcuts that we can use instead of going to select them from the toolbox.


You can hide the toolbox by going to the Window > Toolbars > Toolbox. If you uncheck it, the toolbar will be hidden. To reveal the toolbar, check it.


The Tools and Functions

Pick Tools (Selection)



  • Pick Tool: This tool helps us to select, resize or rotate an object
  • Freehand Pick Tool: It will help you select an object using freehand marquee selection.
  • Free Transform Tool: We can freely transform an object by rotation, scaling, resizing or skewing

Shaping Tools





  • Shape Tool: With this tool, you can edit any shape directly by using the corners
  • Smooth Tool: It is used to make a curve smooth and reduce the number of nodes in an object.
  • Smear Tool: It edits an object by pulling in or pushing out from the shape.
  • Twirl Tool: It will create a spiral form from the object.
  • Attract Tool: It will attract nodes to the direction of your cursor.
  • Repel Tool: It will push away the nodes from the cursor position.
  • Smudge Tool: If you drag along the shape with this tool, it will create distortion
  • Roughen Tool: It will distort a shape by dragging along its outline
Cropping Tools


  • Crop Tool: You can remove any part from a shape by cropping it out.
  • Knife Tool: It will help you to slice a shape into two, just the same way as a knife. If you hold the SHIFT key on your keyboard, the slicing will be a straight line.
  • Virtual Segment Delete: This tool will remove any overlapping between the point of intersection.
  • Eraser Tool: Simply select an object, use the eraser tool to wipe it out.
Zoom Tools

  • Zoom Tool: You can change the magnification of the object.  Holding the SHIFT key while doing this will cause you to zoom out.
  • Pan Tool: This tool looks like the shape of a hand. It helps us to drag an area of the object into view. Simply click on the area and keep tapping to bring your object to view.
Curve Tools


  • Freehand Tool: You can draw a single line or curve freely. If you want a straight line, hold the SHIFT key while drawing.
  • 2-Point Line: This tool does not produce a freeform line, it will create a straight line with two points. Hold SHIFT key to make sure the straight line is at a fixed angle.
  • Bezier Tool: You can create a curve one segment at a time
  • Pen Tool: You can create a curve one segment at a time. Hold ALT key to make a straight line while you hold CTRL key to change the direction of the curve or segment
  • B-Spline Tool: You will create a continuous curve by just specifying the control points. If you want to end the curve, just double-click on the document.
  • Polyline Tool: This tool will create continuous and straight lines and segments as you click.
  • 3-Point Curve Tool: You create a curve by dragging with this tool and determining three points along the curve
  • Smart Drawing: This is a useful tool to help create smooth curves out of our freehand sketch. It removes the jaggy lines from it.
Artistic Media Tool


This is a stand-alone tool. It gives us access to artistic brushes, sprays, and calligraphic effects

Basic Shape Tools

  • Rectangle Tool: This tool will create a rectangle or square. To create a square, hold CTRL key while drawing.
  • 3-Point Rectangle: This tool is used to create a rectangle but at an angle.

  • Ellipse Tool: It enables us to create circles and ellipse. Hold CTRL key to create a circle
  • 3-Point Ellipse Tool: You can create an ellipse at an angle of your choice.

Object Tools


  • Polygon Tool: You can draw symmetrical polygons
  • Star Tool: To draw a uniform star
  • Complex Star Tool: To create a star that has several points of intersection
  • Graph Paper Tool: To draw grids of lines just as seen in graph paper.
  • Spiral Tool: It will draw a symmetrical spiral. Hold CTRL key to make it proportional
  • Basic Shapes Tool: This tool has many shapes in it (triangle, smiley, circle). You can check its property panel to see all the shapes in it.
  • Arrow Shapes Tool: To create arrows of different types, sizes, direction and shapes
  • Flowchart Shapes Tool: It is used to draw different flowchart shapes
  • Banner Shapes: To draw ribbon shapes 
  • Callout Shapes: This is used to draw speech sign and bubbles
Type Tool


  • Text Tool: This is used to add, edit and format texts
  • Table Tool: To create, edit table with specified number of columns and rows.
Interactive Tools


  • Drop Shadow Tool: To create a drop shadow effect to an object by simply dragging across the shape
  • Contour Tool: You can add a contour to an image using this tool. 
  • Blend Tool: This tool will create a blend between two objects. 
  • Distort Tool: You can distort by push or pull, zip or twist.
  • Envelope Tool: It will edit an object by dragging along the nodes.
  • Extrude Tool: It will create depth to an object.

Dimension Tools


  • Parallel Dimension: It will help you draw slanted dimension lines
  • Horizontal or Vertical Dimension: To create straight vertical or horizontal dimension lines
  • Angular Dimension: It will create angular dimension lines
  • Segment Dimension: It will display the distance between two nodes
  • 3-Point Callout: You can create a callout with two segment leader lines
Transparency Tool
It will add some level of transparency to an image.


Eyedropper Tools


  • Color Eyedropper: It allows you to sample and copy the color from an image or object in the workspace.
  • Attribute Eyedropper: This tool allows you to copy shape attributes such as size, thickness, and effect.
Interactive Fill Tools

  • Interactive Fill Tool: It is used to apply various fills to create a gradient effect
  • Mesh Fill Tool: It will help you to blend several colors using a mesh grid.
  • Smart Fill Tool:  This tool will create an object from an enclosed area. It will also apply a fill to it




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