corel help?

[Darren Null]

What I want to do is -making cards- cut out a window in the front, but have shapes and letters embedded in the window. Happy birthday, say.

External card cut-out...no problem
Window shape inside that...no problem
Trying to weld stuff inside that shape...corel explodes.

I'l trying to cut out the bits that AREN'T the letters, so you have 'happy birthday welded into the card, and gaps between that you can see through to the interior of the card. I can, of course, lay the letters across and use the 'detect a shape' thingy to find all the holes; but that's not very elegant.

Is there a better way of doing it please?

[Steve Clarkson]

Like this?

[Darren Null]

After a fashion; only instead of the 4-pane window you did, I want a 1-pane one with the letters/whatever inside, attached top/sides/bottom; and welded to the main body of the card.

I hope I'm explaining clearly enough...if I could draw what I'm talking about I wouldn't need to ask the question...

EDIT: Oh. Here we go. I did it in photoshop because I can work that. The black bits are the holes, and the sum is surrounded by a frame that cuts the whole card out

[Scott Shepherd]

Not sure I'm following you either. Not like this, is it?

If so, just "back minus front", but I don't think that's what you are looking for.

[Scott Shepherd]

Oh, you added a photo. Simple- back minus front, or front minus back, depending on what's where.

[Scott Erwin]

Is this what you are looking for...Started with Steve's idea and just made it fit on all sides in a single pane....

[Darren Null]

I swear I tried back minus front. God I feel like a muppet now. Thanks chaps, that was it. Maybe I'd done something else to it first that was confoozling corel.

I shall award myself the following file. I figured out where I was going wrong...I was trying to make the window inside the card frame, and thus not getting results. Window first THEN frame.