In Build Your CorelDRAW Files Efficiently, I told you how a blend group of 14 objects could be re-built as 2 objects. One of those objects was the label so it isn’t even part of the circle. Just by doing that, you can make a file more efficient if the object(s) are used quite a bit in a file.

We can take that one step further by converting the red dot into a symbol. In this post, I’ll focus on the most basic usage of symbols where they are stored inside the file. If you used the symbol 100 times, the graphics would only be stored a single time.

For our example red dot, simply select the object and then Edit | Symbol | New Symbol in most newer versions of CorelDRAW. The dialog box shown at right will appear and ask you to name the symbol.

Once it is saved, the new symbol will appear in the Symbol Manager Docker shown at left. If it isn’t already open, press the Ctrl + F3 shortcut key. To add more of the symbol to your file, just drag the symbol from the Docker to your drawing page. If you ever want to change it, you can edit the symbol and all instances will change.

By following the steps to convert the red circle from a blend and into a symbol, you can make your files far more efficient.