embossing image

[proton32060]

I am a little embarrassed to ask this question but after an entire day, and I mean an entire day of trying to figure this one out I am at my wits end.

All I need to do is take a logo, emboss it and then apply a bitmap fill over it.

To be specific- I am having to do a Web Page for my wife and I need to emboss her company logo and then insert a bitmap fill for a tiled Web Page background.

I am using Corel 11 and I am just about to lose it over this one.

I have been buying Corel since back in the Corel 4 days. Unfortunately, I only needed it for a few things and that was all I learned.
That’s not entirely true, but it has been years since I have needed to do anything like this and I honestly don’t remember how to do it and can not find instructions anywhere.

I got as far as converting the logo to gray scale and applying emboss from the 3d effects menu. I get a nice embossed image but I can not figure out how to overlay the sand bitmap of the Web Page background to get a logo embossed in sand.

Applying a bitmap fill simply wipes everything out and gives me a flat bitmap without the embossed logo in it.

I would appreciate any help anyone can provide.

I realize this is probably pretty simple but Corel is not known for their instructional materials.

 

[attrofy]

You are on the right track, but using the wrong tool. This is a rather simple effect. If I understand correct, the effect you are trying to produce an effect that looks like it has been punched with a Notary Publics seal, nd yet retains the original image that is beinge punched, without turning it grey.

The easiest way is to start out with a new layout, approximately the size of the final image. Import your "Sand" background image. Presumably this will be a small square. I would duplicate this square repeatedly and fill out your entire layout (paper sze) with "touching" sand squares - stretching it will change the size of the sand pieces, and it will be a noticeablly different color and texture when the final image is complete and set on top of your web background. If the area to fill is rather large, after you have a square of 4 sand tiles - select all 4, group them, then duplicate that group. Repeat as necassary with bigger grups to make the process faster. There may be an automated way to do this, but I am not sure of how to suggest it.

Now, you should have a layout approximately the size of your final logo - a little bigger - and have lots of little tiles all over. If you end up with some tiles overhanging the paper size - that is ok.

Import your company logo.

Mask your logo with the various masking tools. If this is already set against a colored background, you want to mask just the "line drwaing" areas, or letters, or image outline, or whatever. Otherwise your mask will only be a circle or a square. The magic wand works great, be sure to click the "+" button in the menu bar, as this will allow you to "add" to the mask everytime you click a new section instead of selecting a new section.

Once you have your mask outlining all of the pertinent areas, click the "eyeball" icon on your Object Docker (CTRL +F7 if it isn't there) to hide your Logo, or move it out of the way.

Now, with the sand background selected as the primary object (be sure you have grouped the whole background as one object), and the mask floating above it (you may have to turn off Mask Overlay if everything is red, and ensure Mask Marquee is turned on, as this makes it easier to see what you are working with).

Got to Effects -> 3D Effects-> The Boss - not to be confused with emboss.

From within the menu box, play with the settings. The height effects how far out of the background the object protudes, the Smoothness determines the "sharpness" of the edges and troughs, and the width determines how much background material gets pushed up. I usually use gausian under the Drop Off box, but the other effects have their place. Also, the lighting tab can lend some interesting effects. Note, it takes a bit of "horsepower" to render this effect, so the preview box can be a little slow, especially if you don't have one of the "preview panes" selected, and are doing "real time" previews. So be patient before sliding the slidders too much.

When you have applied the tool and have the final output, be sure to remove the mask, and remove the original logo (which is now hidden).

One word of note, be sure that you have the proper item selected before applying the boss, as it is a common mistake to think you have selected one image, while the Object Docker reveals that another object is selected (the one with the red box).

Sorry if this is oversimplified - I don't know your level of expertise, and I want to ensure you cover all the bases.

Hope that helps. I think that is the effect you are looking for. You can test this on any bitmap with a simple word masked before you go to all the trouble of the background sand tiles - to make sure this is what you want.

Good Luck