Print Preview (see Figure 27-8) is a separate application window and includes its own
command menus, toolbars, property bar, status bar, and toolbox. When Print Preview is
open, CorelDRAW is still open in the background. The Print Preview utility provides a
higher level of control over the finished print than preferences you set in the File | Print
dialog.
Browsing and Viewing Previews
The first thing you’ll want to do in Print Preview is to examine how your printed pages will
look. Across the bottom of the Print Preview window, you’ll find page controls, shown next,
so you can browse each printed page. Use the arrow buttons to move forward or backward in
the sequence, or click a page tab to display a specific page. As you do this, you’ll discover
874 CorelDRAW X5 The Official Guide
FIGURE 27-8 Print Preview is a program within a program, with its own interface, tools,
shortcuts, and commands.
Zoom tool
Imposition
Layout tool
Pick tool
Marks
Placement
tool
Close Print Preview
Standard toolbar
Property bar
Status bar
Print preview of page
each printed page is represented—including individual ink separation pages for each page in
your document when you’re printing separations.
Ill 27-7
You can view your pages in a number of different ways based on output mode, color,
and object type. To change view modes, choose one of the following from the View menu:
●

Show Image Choosing this lets you hide the display of page contents to speed
screen redraw times when you’ve got a lot of objects on a specific page.
●
Preview Colors Choose this to access three basic previewing states. Auto
(Simulate Output) shows each page’s color according to your selected options and
your printer’s capabilities. If your chosen printer driver does not print in color, you’ll
see only grayscale color on your pages. To override this, choose either Color or
Grayscale, which forces a specific view.
●
Preview Separations Choose Preview Separations to access three basic states.
Auto (Simulate Output) displays separations according to your printer driver and
selected print options. If Separations are not selected to print, only a composite is
shown, and vice versa. You can override this by choosing either Composite or
Separations to force a specific separation display state. Overprints do not display
accurately in Print Preview, and trapping cannot be seen.
●
Printable Area This varies from printer to printer; the printable area is the
physical area that the printer can render onto a page. Choose this option (selected by
default) to show a dotted line representing the maximum extent to which the printer
can render.
●
Render PostScript Fills Use this option to have PostScript fills display as they
will print. Deactivating this option can free up system resources when viewing
documents where you used a lot of PostScript-filled objects.
●
Show Current Tile This option highlights individual tiles as you hover your
cursor over them when previewing, and it’s useful when printing large documents
in sections onto small output material (called tile printing, covered earlier in this
chapter). To use tile printing from within Print Preview, choose Settings | Layout to
open the Print Options dialog to the Layout tab, and then click to activate the Print

Tiled Pages option.
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First page
Backward one
Click to open
Go To dialog.
Forward one
Last page
Page tabs
To get to Print Options without leaving Print Preview, press CTRL+E to bring up the
General tab, and then click your way to the tab you seek.
Print Preview Tools and the Property Bar
The key to using Print Preview to its fullest is learning where all the options are, what each
tool does, and what print properties are available while using each. Four tools are on the
toolbox—the Pick tool, Imposition Layout tool, Marks Placement tool, and the Zoom tool—
each of which is discussed in the sections to follow. The standard toolbar, shown next,
contains printing options, viewing options, and shortcuts you can use to open print-related
dialogs.
Ill 27-8
First is the Print Style selector, which is used to choose all printing options according to
a saved set of print parameters. As with other CorelDRAW Preset features, you can select,
save, delete, or modify print styles in the selector. Choose an existing Print Style, use the
current unsaved settings on the current print job, or choose Browse to show the Open dialog
so you can work with a saved Print Style. To delete a selected Print Style, click the Delete
Print Style (–) button. To save a Print Style, click the Save Print Style As (+) button (or use
the
F12 shortcut) to open the Save Settings As dialog. Use the Settings To Include options to
specify which print options to save with your new style, and click Save to add the Print Style
to the selector.

The remaining options in the standard toolbar have the following functions, many of
which are covered earlier in this chapter:
●
Print Options This button opens the Print Options dialog.
●
Print This button immediately sends the document to the printer using the current
options. Use
CTRL+T as a shortcut; CTRL+P works, too, as a common Windows
command for applications that can print.
●
Zoom Select a predefined zoom level from the list to change the view
magnification level.
●
Full Screen Preview This button is self-explanatory. Press ESC to return to Print
Preview. You can also use
CTRL+U as a shortcut.
876 CorelDRAW X5 The Official Guide
Print Style
Save Print Style As
Delete Print Style
Print Options
Zoom
Print (immediately)
Full Screen
Preview
Invert
Mirror
Close Print
Preview
Enable Color

Separations
●
Enable Color Separations This button sends the printing of color separations to
the output device using color selected in the Separations tab of the Print Options
dialog.
●
Invert This button inverts the printed image to print in reverse. This is for film
using an image-setting device, but can also provide an amusing special effect (and
use a lot of ink!).
●
Mirror This button flips the printed document to print backward to set emulsion
orientation on image-setting devices. You can also use this to print to T-shirt transfers.
●
Close Print Preview Pressing this button (or using the ALT+C shortcut) returns
you to the current CorelDRAW document.
Pick Tool Property Bar Options
The Pick tool in Print Preview is used in much the same way it’s used in the drawing
window; with it you select and move (by click-dragging) the contents of the current page.
While the Pick tool and objects on a page are selected, the property bar features a variety of
printing options, shortcuts, position settings, and tool settings, as shown here:
Ill 27-9
Many of these options are for positioning and scaling the contents or whole pages in
relation to the printed output page size that your printer is currently set to use. Click-
dragging the object control handles lets you scale the objects interactively.
Imposition Layout Tool Property Bar Options
The Imposition Layout tool provides control over the print layout. Only certain image setters
are capable of printing multiple pages in signature formats, so it’s best to check with the person
doing your print job before making changes using the imposition options.
When the Imposition Layout tool is selected, the preview is changed to display imposition-
specific properties. This tool has four separate editing states, each of which is chosen on the

Edit Settings selector. Options accessible on the property bar while Edit Basic Settings is
selected, shown next, give you control over imposition layout options. Choosing Edit Page
Placements, Edit Gutters & Finishing, or Edit Margins from this selector displays a set of
imposition options for each state.
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Image Position Within Page
Numeric Image Positioning
Scale Factor
Print Tiled Pages
Units
Maintain Aspect Ratio
Ill 27-10
Marks Placement Tool Property Bar Options
The Marks Placement tool lets you alter the position of crop and fold marks, registration
marks, color calibration bars, printing information, and Densitometer (density scale)
positions. When the Marks Placement tool is selected, the property bar features options for
positioning and printing certain mark types, as shown in Figure 27-9.
To position crop and fold marks, click-drag the top, bottom, or sides of the rectangle
defining their position, or enter values in the property bar boxes. To change the position of
other marks you have selected to print with your document page, choose the Marks
Placement tool, and drag directly on the marks.
Zoom Tool Property Bar Options
The Zoom tool in the Print Preview window is used much the same way as the Zoom tool in
CorelDRAW, so you can increase or decrease the view of your Print Preview. Many of the
878 CorelDRAW X5 The Official Guide
Current Imposition Layout
What To Edit
Template/
Document

Preview
Signature
Format
Options
Save
Imposition
Layout
Delete
Imposition
Layout
Single/
Double
Sided
Maintain
Document
Page Size
Binding
Mode
functions of the Zoom tool are performed interactively or by using hot keys. While the
Zoom tool is selected, the property bar features all Zoom options and magnification
commands, as shown here:
Ill 27-11
You can also change Zoom settings by choosing View | Zoom (CTRL+Z) to open the
Zoom dialog to choose among all Zoom tool functions. Use shortcuts to change your view
magnification while using Print Preview’s Zoom tool: Zoom Out using
F3, Zoom To Page
using
SHIFT+F4, Zoom To Selection using SHIFT+F2, and Zoom To Fit using F4.
Print Preview doesn’t have an Undo command; to reset options quickly, click the
Print Styles selector and then choose CorelDRAW Defaults. All crop marks vanish,

imposition settings revert, and any repositioned object reverts.
Setting Printing Preferences
Once you’re familiar with the ocean of printing options, what your output device is capable
of, and what you want from a specific print job, Printing Preferences can be your one-stop
shop for most of the items covered in this chapter. Choose Settings | Printing Preferences
(
CTRL+F is the shortcut) while in the Print Preview window to open the Printing Preferences
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FIGURE 27-9 While the Marks Placement tool is selected, the property bar features
these options.
Auto-Position
Marks Rectangle
Marks Alignment
Rectangle (numerically)
Print File
Information
Print Page
Numbers
Print Crop/
Fold Marks
Print
Registration
Marks
Color
Calibration
Bar
Densitometer
Scales
Open Print

dialog to
Prepress tab.
Zoom In (by 2)
Zoom 1:1
To Fit
To Width
Open Zoom Dialog
Zoom Out (by half)
To Selection
To Page
To Height
dialog, shown in Figure 27-10. Preferences are subdivided into General, Driver Compatibility,
and Preflight options. To change any of the options, click a Setting title; a drop-down
selector appears, and then you make your change.
General Printing Preferences
Options in the General tab provide control over fonts, crop mark color, driver banding, and
so on, and they set the parameters for potential preflight issues or warning dialogs that
appear before and during printing. These options are set by default to the highest fault
tolerance for most printing jobs; 99 percent of the time your prints will come out fine if you
don’t change the settings. Here’s a list explaining the most common states:
●
Spot Color Separations Warning This option lets you control the warning state
while printing color separations. The warning can be set to appear if more than one,
two, three, or any spot colors are used in the document being printed.
●
Preview Color Default This option sets the initial color display of your printed
document when the Print Preview window is first opened. Choose Auto (Simulate
Output), Color, or Grayscale.
880 CorelDRAW X5 The Official Guide
FIGURE 27-10 The Printing Preferences dialog offers comprehensive control over

output settings.
●
Preview Separations Default This option sets the initial color display of your
separations when the Print Preview window is first opened. Choose Auto (Simulate
Output) or Composite.
●
Preview Image Default This controls whether your document image is automatically
set to show when the Print Preview window first opens. Choose On At Startup (the
default) or Off At Startup.
●
Overprint Black Threshold (PS) During overprinting, CorelDRAW X5 sets a
default value for overprinting black objects only if they contain a uniform fill of 95
percent or more black. The Overprint Black Threshold setting can be changed using
this option, so you can further customize the global overprinting function. The
threshold limit can be set between 0 and 100 percent black.
●
Send Large Bitmaps in Chunks This option works in combination with the
Bitmap Output Threshold setting and can be set to Yes, If Larger Than Threshold
(referring to the Bitmap Output Threshold value), or No.
●
Bitmap Output Threshold (K) When printing to non-PostScript printers, this
option lets you set a limit on the size of bitmaps, as measured in kilobytes, sent to
the printing device. By default, this value is set to the maximum, but you can set it to
specific values within a range of 0 to 4,096 (the default). This is a good option to
change if your non-PostScript printer doesn’t have a lot of memory and you’re
pulling prints that are unfinished due to lack of RAM for processing the image.
●
Bitmap Chunk Overlap Pixels If a printing device has insufficient memory or
another technical problem processing very large bitmap images, you can have
CorelDRAW tile sections of such a bitmap. The overlap value is used to prevent

seams from showing between “chunks” of the large image. When you’re printing to
non-PostScript printers, this option lets you define the number of overlap pixels
within a range of 0 to 48 pixels. The default is 32 pixels.
●
Bitmap Font Limit (PS) Usually, font sizes set below the Bitmap Font Size
Threshold preference are converted to bitmap and stored in a PostScript printer’s
internal memory. This can be a time-consuming operation that usually increases the
time your document takes to print. You can limit the number of fonts to which this
occurs, forcing the printer to store only a given number of fonts per document. The
default setting here is 8, but it can be set anywhere within a range of 0 to 100.
Unless your document is a specimen sheet of all the fonts you have installed, 8 is
a good number to set this option to.
●
Bitmap Font Size Threshold (PS) Most of the time CorelDRAW converts very small
sizes of text to bitmap format when printing to PostScript printers, such as 4-point legal
type on a bottle label. This option lets you control how this is done, based on the size of
the font’s characters. The default Bitmap Font Size Threshold is 75 pixels, but it can be
set within a range of 0 to 1,000 pixels. The actual point size converted to bitmap varies
CHAPTER 27: Printing: Professional Output 881
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according to the resolution used when printing a document. The threshold limit will
determine exactly which font sizes are affected. For example, the equivalent font size of
75 pixels when printing to a printer resolution of 300 dpi is roughly 18 points, while at
600 dpi it’s about 9 points. The higher the resolution, the lower the point size affected. A
number of provisions determine whether these controls apply, including whether the font
has been scaled or skewed, and whether envelope effects, fountain or texture fills, or print
scaling options such as Fit To Page have been chosen.
●
Small Fonts This controls a warning that appears if the document you’re printing
includes fonts below a 7-point size threshold by default. The Small Fonts warning option

can be set between 3 and 18 points. Resolution plays an important part in rendering small
point size typefaces, as does the design of the characters within the font. For example,
a 1,200 dpi laser printer can render 4-point Helvetica quite legibly, less so with a serif
typeface such as Times Roman because the serifs at this size are about equal to insect
parts. Choose a simple sans serif font for extremely small font sizes. Do not expect a
perfect rendering of a very small typeface, because the dots of ink or toner cartridge can
render only a finite number of dots to represent very small text.
●
Image Resolution Too Low By default, this value is set to 96 ppi, alerting you if
bitmaps have a resolution below this value. This is probably too low for even today’s
personal inkjets; it’s recommended that you increase this value to at least 225 ppi.
●
Composite Crop Marks (PS) This is a useful feature for setting the pen color of
crop marks either to Output In Black Only or to Output On All Plates—in process
(CMYK) color, making the crop marks print to every color plate during process
color separation printing.
●
PostScript 2 Stroke Adjust (PS) The PostScript Level 2 language has a provision
particularly useful for graphics programs such as CorelDRAW. Stroke Adjust
produces strokes of uniform thickness to compensate for uneven line widths due to
the conversion of vector artwork to raster printed graphics, which is what all printers
do. The PostScript 2 Stroke Adjust option should not be used for older printers that
are not compatible with PostScript Level 2 or Level 3 technology. Most recently
manufactured printing devices are at least PostScript Level 2 compatible. If you are
not sure what level your printing device is, leave this setting off or consult the docs
that came with the device.
●
Many Fonts This controls a warning that appears if the document you’re
printing includes more than ten different fonts. If you’re new to CorelDRAW and are
experimenting with all the cool fonts that came on the CD, your file can easily exceed

this limit. If your printer’s memory and/or your system resources are capable of
handling large numbers of different fonts, consider increasing this value. The Many
Fonts warning option can be set within a range of 1 to 50 fonts. Tangentially related to
this option is a creative design issue: very few professionals use more than ten different
typefaces in a design; five can express an idea using text quite well in most situations.
882 CorelDRAW X5 The Official Guide
●
Render to Bitmap Resolution This option by default is set to Automatic, which
causes bitmaps to be output at the same resolution as vector objects and text in your
document. To specify the resolution of bitmaps to be printed at lower or higher
resolutions than the rest of the document, choose specific settings within a range of
150 to 600 dpi.
Driver Compatibility
The Driver Compatibility area, shown in Figure 27-11, provides control over specific driver
features for non-PostScript printers. Choose a Printer from the drop-down menu, and then
choose specific options in the dialog to make changes. Clicking Apply saves and associates
your changes with the selected driver.
Printing Issues Warning Options
You can customize issues found by CorelDRAW’s built-in preflight feature using options in
the Preflight page of the Printing Preferences dialog (
CTRL+F), which can be accessed only
from within Print Preview by choosing Settings | Printing Preferences and clicking Preflight
in the tree directory, as shown in Figure 27-12.
CHAPTER 27: Printing: Professional Output 883
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FIGURE 27-11 Use the Driver Compatibility options to specify how non-PostScript printers
handle specific object types.