How to Use the Freehand Pick Tool in CorelDRAW

The Freehand Pick tool in CorelDRAW allows you to select objects by drawing an irregular, free-form marquee around them, making it far more flexible than the standard rectangular Pick tool. This guide covers how to locate the tool in your toolbox, execute basic and advanced selections, use keyboard modifiers to control your workflow, and handle complex artwork with ease.

Locating the Freehand Pick Tool

By default, the standard Pick tool is visible at the top of the toolbox. To access the Freehand Pick tool:

  1. Look at the top of the Toolbox on the left side of the screen.
  2. Click and hold the small arrow in the bottom-right corner of the Pick tool icon to open the flyout menu.
  3. Select the Freehand Pick tool from the list.

Basic Selection

To make a standard selection:

  1. Click and hold the left mouse button on an empty area of your canvas.
  2. Drag the cursor around the objects you want to select, drawing a closed or nearly closed loop (lasso).
  3. Release the mouse button.

By default, only objects completely enclosed within your drawn marquee will be selected.

Using Modifier Keys for Precision

You can alter how the Freehand Pick tool behaves by using keyboard modifiers while drawing your selection:

  • Select Overlapping Objects (Alt Key): Hold down Alt while dragging your marquee. Any object that touches or crosses your selection line will be selected, even if it is not fully enclosed.
  • Add to an Existing Selection (Shift Key): Hold down Shift while drawing a new loop to add additional objects to your current selection without deselecting the original items.
  • Remove from a Selection (Shift Key): If you draw a loop around an already selected object while holding Shift, that object will be removed from the selection.
  • Combine Alt and Shift: Hold Alt + Shift to add any object touched by your freehand line to your existing selection.

Best Practices

  • Use it in crowded vector designs: The Freehand Pick tool is ideal for intricate vector illustrations, maps, and technical drawings where rectangular marquees accidentally grab background elements or adjacent objects.
  • Quickly switch back: Press the Spacebar to toggle between the active Freehand Pick tool and the last used creation tool.