Graphic design can be intimidating if you don’t have much experience with it. But what if there was a powerful design app perfect for any skill level, right here on your web browser? What if it was so simple you could start creating elegant, eye-catching designs the moment you sign up? If you’ve never heard of Canva, prepare to discover a world of endless design inspiration.
What is Canva?
Canva is an online design platform for creating posters, social media graphics, digital presentations, and a host of other visual content. Launched in 2013, it’s a free creative app that anyone can start using today. It’s simple enough that beginners can jump right in 一 and so well-stocked with creative assets that even experienced designers use it.
Whether you’re a freelance artist, marketer, presenter, small business owner, or anyone looking for stunning visual content, Canva’s for you. No matter your skill level, it won’t be long before you’re producing pro-level designs.
So, let’s break down how Canva can unlock your inner graphic designer.
Simplicity
Canva simplifies the design tools that make programs like Adobe Photoshop so popular without sacrificing functionality. The layout is clean and structured so everything you need is only a click away.
Professionally-designed templates
The app understands the wide range of design needs we all have. Canva offers you over 400k templates to start with, from newsletters and Facebook posts to book covers and infographics.
Each template is created as a ready-made design, and all of its elements are editable. All you have to do initially is select a template with the right style, theme, and feel. This way, you can find the perfect design even when you’re not sure what you want the final product to look like.
Intuitive tools
Whether you’re starting with a template or a blank design, the tools you use are easy to find and apply. The lefthand taskbar organizes the main tools as groups labeled: text, elements, and uploads.
Uploads are the image and video files you add from your computer, so they’re all in one place when you want to use them
Clicking on the ‘Text’ or ‘Elements’ tabs opens the subgroups for each, displaying more options. Those options include presets like complimentary font styles, gradients, frames, and additional graphics from Canva’s extensive library.
Not sure how to edit a part of your design? Just click on any element you want to change and Canva will display all of its corresponding tools for effortless editing. Yup, background included!
Online functionality
As a browser app, Canva stores your designs on a cloud system. Not only does this make saving and sharing easier, but it means you can access your designs from any computer with internet access. Work on the go, invite other accounts to view and edit, instantly email files – Canva lets you do it all.
Extensive stock library
Finding the right visuals can be tricky, especially if you don’t start with any. Canva’s internal library has all the stock photos you need to bring your designs to life. The Canva Pro package opens up even more options with over 60 million stock images.
If you don’t want to pay a monthly or annual subscription, you can still use Canva Pro stock content, it’ll just be watermarked. You can remove the watermark for $1 once you’re satisfied with how the element looks.
Edited Canva content is generally available for personal and commercial use, but it’s always best to check their licensing guidelines first.
Versatile integrations
Canva’s templates are platform-specific to help you create posts for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.
You can even narrow down your options to specific parts of each platform, from header banners to 24-hour Instagram stories. The dimensions you’d need are preset so you can be sure your graphics will fit seamlessly wherever you post them.
That covers outgoing integrations, but what if you want to upload pictures and videos onto Canva. Well, Canva lets you import media from:
- Google Drive
- Dropbox
- Typeform
- YouTube
- Pexels
- Pixabay
- and many more
Why not start on Canva today?
Canva isn’t just free to use, it’s tailored to anyone who needs quality graphics. It’s a fantastic platform to grow as a designer, produce stunning content, and find your creative inspiration.
