Creating a Seal Die Using the Blend Tool

Creating a Seal Die Using the Blend Tool

By Mike Clarke
Oct 1, 2003, 23:28

One of the things that you may have to do if you own a laser is to create a seal die and corporate logo. You can do this one of two ways. One is to use the repeat command where you repeat the image until you fill up your circle. The second is to use the blend tool. This article will talk about using the blend method.

Figure 1 is an image of a seal die that I created in CorelDraw. The following exercise will take you through creating the image.

Figure 1

1. First of all create a circle that is the proper size let’s say we use the size 2.00 by 2.00.
2. Next above the circle let us create our impression lines for the seal. To do this we need to create one of the lines – although we do not need to make sure that its size etc is right I would suggest that you get it as close to the final size as you can. Figure 2 shows me the first impression line and it duplicated and spread out from the first.

Figure 2

3. Next go to the EFFECTS | BLEND. You will see that you will have a docker window appear on the right side of the screen. See Figure 3.

Figure 3

4. Now select the two impression lines – see Figure 4.

Figure 4

5. Now go to the blend docker and select the “Apply” button. Do not worry about the number of lines that we create. Figure 5 shows the blend.

Figure 5

6. With the blend selected click on the path button in the Blend Docker. See Figure 6 blue box.
7. Select “New Path”

Figure 6

8. You cursor will change into a crooked arrow. See Figure 7

Figure 7

9. Next click inside the circle.
10. Figure 8 shows you that the lines are oriented around the circle.

Figure 8

11. Well this is certainly something that we do not want. The lines are not oriented right and they are not evenly spaced. No problems
12. Make sure the image in figure 8 is selected.
13. In the Blend Docker place a check mark beside “blend along full path” and “rotate all objects”.
14. Now click the “apply” button.
15. Figure 9 shows the lines “fixed”.

Figure 9

16. Now we want to increase the number of lines. To do this select the blend and circle and increase the number of steps to what ever you want. Let us say 60. See Figure 10.
17. Click “apply”.

Figure 10

18. Figure 11 shows the increase in the number of lines.

Figure 11

19. If you want to add more steps than you can add more steps to the process.
20. If you are happy with the blend than select the blend and go to ARRANGE | BREAK BLEND APART.
21. Select the circle and delete it.

You now notice that the lines are too small and you want to make them bigger.

22. If the Object Manager is not open than go to WINDOWS | DOCKERS | OBJECT MANAGER. The Object Manager will dock at the right side of the window.
23. Expand out the layer as per the blue box in Figure 12.

Figure 12

24. Now select the objects as I have them in Figure 12. Select the first and hold down the ctrl key and click with your mouse on the second.
25. Now you will notice the 2 of the lines are selected. Drag the image or adjust its size etc. You will notice that each of the other lines will mimic the 2 originals that you changed. See Figure 13.

Figure 13

26. When you have these two control objects selected what you do to these objects will be transferred to the other objects. For example change the background to blue of the two selected items and the rest of the images change colour.