CorelDRAW Envelope Presets for Text Distortion

CorelDRAW offers a robust set of Envelope tool presets and editing modes designed to deform and shape artistic text instantly. By utilizing pre-defined envelope templates, node modes, and mapping configurations, designers can wrap, bend, and fit text to specific silhouettes without manually manipulating complex vectors or individual letterforms.

Core Envelope Modes

When applying an envelope to text, CorelDRAW provides four fundamental editing modes on the Property Bar. These serve as the baseline operational presets for distorting typography:

  • Straight Line Mode: Constrains envelope edges to straight vector paths. Moving a control point shifts the entire adjacent edge linearly, ideal for creating trapezoids, wedges, or flat perspective slants.
  • Single-Arc Mode: Restricts boundaries to smooth, consistent curves. Adjusting a midpoint creates an even arch or wave across the text block, ideal for basic arched text and dome effects.
  • Two-Arc Mode: Allows an S-curve or dual-bulge along each border. This mode introduces an inflection point, producing fluid waveforms, flags, and ribbon-style bends.
  • Unconstrained Mode: Removes all path restrictions, granting full freedom to manipulate individual nodes and control handles. While it allows freeform warping, it can also function as a customized preset canvas.

Pre-Made Envelope Shape Presets

Inside the Envelope Docker (accessible via Window > Dockers > Effects > Envelope or Ctrl + F7), CorelDRAW includes a category of ready-made geometric shape presets. These automatically conform highlighted text to specific profiles:

  • Banner and Ribbon: Pinches the sides inward or outward while undulating the top and bottom paths, mimicking dynamic flowing banners.
  • Bridge and Arch: Curves the top boundary upward or downward while keeping the baseline horizontal, or vice versa, producing classic collegiate and poster lettering.
  • Hourglass and Pinch: Pulls the horizontal or vertical midsection inward to create an hourglass figure, or pushes it outward for a barrel distortion.
  • Perspective and Slant: Tapers text along a vanishing point to simulate depth and three-dimensional surface orientation.
  • Circular and Oval: Wraps linear text blocks into rounded pill or disc contours.

Mapping Modes for Preset Text

Applying a preset also relies on CorelDRAW’s mapping presets, which govern how the internal typography stretches to fill the target shape:

  • Putty: Maps the corners of the text bounding box directly to the envelope corners, producing a liquid-like, dynamic warp.
  • Horizontal: Stretches the text proportionally along the horizontal axis to fit the preset edges.
  • Vertical: Prioritizes vertical distribution of the characters across the envelope profile.
  • Original: Preserves the base proportions of the original font as closely as possible while matching the new perimeter.

How to Apply Envelope Presets to Text

  1. Select the Pick Tool and click on your target artistic text.
  2. Select the Envelope Tool from the Toolbox (nested under the Drop Shadow/Blend flyout) or open the Envelope Docker.
  3. In the Property Bar or Docker, open the Preset dropdown menu and choose a shape.
  4. Select a mapping style (Putty, Original, Horizontal, or Vertical) to refine how the glyphs stretch.
  5. Click Apply to instantly transform the text.