This tutorial shows you how to create your own Preset Shapes from vector images.

Before beginning the tutorial you may wish to customize PSP so that all of your shapes are saved to a folder separate from the default PSP "Shapes" folder for easier maintenance and backup. Click here for instructions.

It is recommended that you save your work often in the PSP format or use the "Autosave" feature located under File > Preferences to prevent loss of your work due to program or system crashes.

*Screenshots shown at 50% of actual size.

Create the Shape

Shapes are created entirely of vector objects. The only tools in PSP that will create vector objects are the Draw Tool, the Preset Shapes Tool and the Text Tool. The Text Tool actually creates vector "text" instead of "objects", but this will be covered in a different tutorial.

Open a new 200 x 300 image with a white background.

Change the foreground color to "Null" and the background color to a pear green, I used #ADCC7C.

Activate the Preset Shapes Tool with the following settings and draw an ellipse.

Preset Shapes - Tool Options Retain Style: unchecked Antialias: checked Create as vector: checked Line width: default Line style: default

Activate the Object Selector , click on the ellipse to select it then click on the "Node Edit" button in the Tool Options Palette. You should now see the shape as a series of nodes and curved line segments.

Double click on one of the nodes (this selects all of the nodes in a contour) then right click on the image and choose Node Type > Asymmetric from the context menu. By using asymmetric nodes we can retain smooth curves.

Click on an empty area within the image to cancel the node selections then click on individual nodes and adjust the control arms until you get a pear shape.

Click on the button under the "Styles" section of the color palette that contains the pear green color. When the Corel Color dialog box appears move the "Light" slider to the right, or, if you want to used the color that I used, type #DDEAC8 in the "HTML code" entry area.

If you do not see sliders, you are not using the correct color dialog box. Choose File > General Program Preferences > Dialogs and Palettes and uncheck the "Use standard Windows color picker" option.

Activate the Preset Shapes Tool and, with the previously used settings, draw an elongated ellipse inside the pear shape. Activate the Object Selector once again, select the new ellipse and click the "Node Edit" button. Double click on a node to select all nodes, right click on the image and choose Node Type > Asymmetric. Adjust the nodes so that this lighter green flows with the contour of the pear.

Click on the color button and move the "Light" slider to the left to darken the green. I used #7FA741. Draw another ellipse on the right side of the pear and then edit the nodes to change this shape so that it flows with the contour of the pear.

Change the color to a leaf green. I used #5B7232. Activate the Preset Shapes Tool with the following settings and draw an ellipse for the leaf. Activate the Object Selector once again, select the new ellipse and click the "Node Edit" button. Pull the control arms for the node on the far right toward the leaf to create a point and then adjust the position of the other nodes until you have a leaf shape that you are happy with.

Preset Shapes - Tool Options Retain Style: unchecked Antialias: checked Create as vector: checked Line width: default Line style: default

Click on the "Style Switcher" arrows to change the fill style to a stroke style and change the color to brown (#4E4534).

Activate the Draw Tool with the following settings. Click once at the top of the pear then click above and to the left of the first point, hold the mouse button in and drag up and slightly to the left to create a curved line for the stem.

Draw - Tool Options Type: point-to-point Width: 3-4 Line Style: #1 solid Antialias: checked Create as vector: checked Close path: unchecked

Export as Preset Shape

Activate the Object Selector , right click on the image and choose "Select All" from the context menu. Right click again and choose "Group". If you do not group the objects used for a particular shape, prior to exporting, the shape will be disassembled in the shape selection area of the Tool Options dialog box. In other words, the stem will be a separate shape, the leaf will export as a separate shape, etc.

Expand the vector layer in the layer palette. You should now see all of the objects used for the pear listed under a "Group 1" sublayer (see screenshot). Right click on the sublayer and rename it "Pear". The name given to this group sublayer will be the name that appears under the shape in the Preset Shapes selection area of the Tool Options dialog box.

Delete the white "Background", activate the Object Selector , right click on the image and choose "Select None" from the context menu. Choose File > Export Shape.

Always test your shapes before closing the source image.

If you completed the Vector Honeybee tutorial you can also use this same process to export the bee as a Preset Shape.