Make your first drawing

This short exercise creates a simple illustrated title page. Activate the application before starting work that you need to save.

1. Choose File > New project, or click + New project. A new project opens with one page. Choose Page setup below the page tabs and select a paper size, orientation and safe margin. Click Apply.
2. In NEW SHAPES at the top, choose Solid fill, a Fill colour, an Outline colour and an Outline mm value. Use 0 for no outline. These controls set the appearance of the shapes you create next.
3. Choose Rectangle in the left toolbox or Shapes menu. Click one corner of the rectangle, move the pointer to preview its size, then click the opposite corner. The finished rectangle becomes selected.
4. Change the selected rectangle using Properties on the right. Change Fill colour or edit Width (mm) and Height (mm). Click empty paper to see PAGE PROPERTIES instead.
5. Choose Circle. Click its centre, then a point on the circumference. Choose Shapes > More shapes > Star for an additional motif and click two opposite corners of its enclosing rectangle.
6. Choose Text. Enter a short title, choose Font and Height mm, then click Place text. Click on the page to position the text. Select the text later and use Edit > Edit text to revise it.
7. Select objects and use Arrange to position or group them. Use the Objects list to select artwork that is difficult to reach on the page.
8. Press Ctrl+S. Choose a folder and save a .meldraw project. Use File > Export active page for a picture or vector PDF, or File > Export all pages to PDF for the entire project.

Note: Read the status bar while a tool is active: it tells you which point to pick next. Enter finishes a point-based path; Esc cancels an unfinished operation. Use Undo if a completed change is not what you intended.