Most bitmap editors include an Emboss function. Zoner Draw also includes this function for bitmap images. When you select a bitmap using the Shape tool, the following button appears on the Alternate toolbar: []. Clicking it displays a dialog where you can set a lighting angle and basic color, and then apply the Emboss effect:

1. Embossing a Simple Vector Object

Now we'll show how easy it is to give vector objects an embossed appearance without first converting them to bitmaps. To simplify the example, we'll emboss a simple object - a rounded rectangle.

1a. On top of a gray background - a gray rectangle, for example - draw a rectangle with rounded corners and a white fill color. The object's pen color can be set as none.

1b. Create a copy of the selected object by, for example, pressing Ctrl-D. Give the new object a black fill.

1c. Create a third copy of the object and give it a fill color corresponding to the background - in this case, gray. Move this gray rounded rectangle a bit to the left and upwards.

2. A Web Button

2a. Using the above steps, you very quickly created an image that can serve as, for example, the basis of a Web button. To make the button look "pressed," switch the colors of the first two rounded rectangles.

2b. An example of a simple animation prepared in Zoner GIF Animator.

3. Embossing Effects for Other Objects

3a. Of course, you can do the same with more complex objects as well. The picture here shows an example of embossed artistic text.

3b. You can choose any colors for embossing. Just make sure the background and the last of the objects have the same color and that the objects surrounding the main one be lighter and darker, respectively, than the background.

Click here to download ZMF source file of this tutorial.