Corel gurus - I need you! Gradiants on edges

[letterman7]

Ok, here's what I have. I'm trying to replicate a hand painted Maltese Cross for a company to be used on other vehicles (and to have it for posterity). The original hand painted cross has multiple fades on it that I just cannot for the life of me replicate by any of the traditional Corel methods (blend, mesh fill - which I despise). Is there a way to do this? The effect I'm looking for is the inner edges of the portions in grey to match the center circle. Any I making sense?

Rick

EBC

• letterman7
• Oct 21, 2020
• 1

 

[jwlllpl]

Easiest would be to vector image. Combine the grey areas. Under object properties use your fountain fill with elliptical checked. Use grey at 0% white at 30% and another white on end at 0%. should get you pretty close. Then outline in black. Posted a screenshot below.

 

[jwlllpl]

 

[letterman7]

No, not the look I need. I need each "lobe" to be "inlined" with the gradient, not the entire thing as a gradient. The gradient needs to follow the contour - a simple fill gradient won't do that.

 

[jwlllpl]

 

[letterman7]

jw - you're not seeing the photo I posted. Gradient has to follow the contour, not just fill them.

 

[jwlllpl]

Gotcha...in that case break each section apart and use the interactive fill tool right above the elliptical box still using the elliptical checked. You can use it to fill one section and then just copy the fill properties the other sections.

 

[letterman7]

Tried that - won't work as the fill won't follow the contour. I've even tried a "contour to center" mimicing how Corel blends and it still won't do it.

 

[jwlllpl]

The blend tool using just one row maybe. That's the only other way I can think of without going into a paint/photo program to do it. Hopefully someone else will have the answer for you.

 

[letterman7]

Appreciate the effort! I'm trying a sideways method of bringing those pieces into CPaint and "hand painting" those areas. We'll see..

 

[Bobby H]

It looks like a Photoshop effect, done either within Photoshop or a live raster-based effect (like inner glow) within Adobe Illustrator. As far as gradients on line strokes goes, Adobe Illustrator does support that. However, I don't think a gradient on a line stroke is going to achieve the right look.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

I'm sure this is the wrong way but it will work. Copy your outline and stick it under the first outline. Give it a larger stroke, convert to bitmap, blur > gaussian blur and adjust the slider. You may have to fiddle with the size of the stroke. Then cover up the side you don't want the effect in.

 

[Jester1167]

I think I have what you are looking for.

1. Create your vector shape
2. Create a contour where you want the final color and assign the interior and exterior shape target colors.
3. Simplify the nodes in the contour so they match your original shape. If you don't the blend tool gets out of wack
4. Apply a blend. the more steps the smoother the gradient. If you want it really smooth you can convert it to a bitmap and blur it then use outlines to cover the blur.

 

[unclebun]

I do that effect by copying the shape to the clipboard, pasting it back, making a larger contour of it and combining the contour with the object. Then powerclip it inside the original object and make a glow shadow of it in the color you need.

 

[Jester1167]

I do that effect by copying the shape to the clipboard, pasting it back, making a larger contour of it and combining the contour with the object. Then powerclip it inside the original object and make a glow shadow of it in the color you need.

Nice simple solution, just like a drop shadow on a negative shape.

 

[letterman7]

Excellent solutions - will giv them a go in the morning!

 

[Schwabby]

Easy Peasy.....Get Illustrator! Trying to be funny! Couldn't resist that answer!

 

[letterman7]

I think I have what you are looking for.

1. Create your vector shape
2. Create a contour where you want the final color and assign the interior and exterior shape target colors.
3. Simplify the nodes in the contour so they match your original shape. If you don't the blend tool gets out of wack
4. Apply a blend. the more steps the smoother the gradient. If you want it really smooth you can convert it to a bitmap and blur it then use outlines to cover the blur.

That's pretty much the effect I'm looking for but am failing spectacularly in obtaining it. When I do that blend as you illustrate, even with minimal nodes, the blend is going in all directions. It's weird. But if I do a "contour to center" I get the same effect.

 

[McDonald Signs]

In Corel try taking each section of the Maltese Cross apart that you want to add the shadow to and make it "Shape" with a small outline, where it's just a shape with an outline combined
and not a solid Shape. Add a drop shadow to the shape, I think you can change the shadow to brown instead of black.
Then Break the shadow and shape apart....
Then Reduce the size of the shadow and move it to fit inside the Shape so its the same on all 4 sides.
Attached is a crude example but should give you an idea....

 

[letterman7]

I think I got it. I used a combination of the suggested ideas and came up with basically layering blends (or, more specifically, blend wanna-be's using the contour-to-center option) and overlays. It's not totally perfect, but I think it'll work fine for printed on RealGold.

EBC Maltese

• letterman7
• Oct 22, 2020

Thanks to all who contributed!