Canva has recently exploded onto the online graphic design scene, and it’s easy to see why! Canva offers thousands of templates that will instantly give your designs a modern, professional look. They also offer thousands of images, fonts, and custom shapes that you can use to create the exact design you want to share with your readers.
Canva’s online graphic design tool can help you create stunning designs, even if you’re new to graphic design or don’t have the funds to hire someone to create the graphics you need. Although it looks easy and simple, Canva comes with a number of features that offer useful tips and tricks, allowing you to create a wide variety of designs on your own.
The question then becomes how do I get started? In this post, we’ll outline some simple steps to follow that will have you designing like a pro in no time!
What is Canva?
Canva is a user-friendly graphic design tool that is perfect for creating stunning designs for your blog, social media, or even marketing materials. With a massive library of built-in templates and easy-to-use tools, Canva makes it easy to create professional designs in minutes.
Canva can be accessed on your web browser, but I would highly recommend that you take advantage of their apps for desktop or mobile so you can easily synchronize your designs and access projects wherever you go.
1. Make Any Template Match Your Brand In One Click
Save time and stay consistent with your brand presence by creating your own brand kit on Canva including the colors, fonts, and logo to include in your designs. Then, any template you select can be updated to match your brand in just one click!
2. Bring Your Work Anywhere With The Canva Apps
Canva has incredible apps for your mobile device and desktop. Save time, synchronize your work, and get access to your designs wherever you go!
3. Clean Up Your Images With The Background Remover
Easily remove the background of any image to make your photo pop!
4. Get Smart With Canva Mockups
Not only can you design a shirt, mug, canvas print, and even more on Canva, but you can also instantly mockup the image to see how it would look printed!
This is my favorite tip for anyone who is interested in starting a print-on-demand business, as it allows you to see what your product looks like without spending any money or creating waste with unnecessary printing.
5. Find Elements That Match Your Brand
One of the best things about Canva is that you can find templates and elements that perfectly match your brand. Whether you’re looking for a specific color scheme or style, you can find it on Canva. Just click on the Elements tab and use the search bar to find what you need.
Pro Tip: Click on the dots at the top of any element, then click "See more like this" to explore similar elements!
Canva Pro vs Free
If you are frequently using pro design elements and want to avoid paying for each design, it is absolutely worthwhile to get a Canva Pro account. However, you should also know that there are lots of attractive and complementary design elements you can utilize for free.
Use this link for a free trial of Canva Pro and see what you think before subscribing. If you only want to use a few design elements, you can buy them separately and save on a monthly subscription.