Canva is a design program that helps even those with the least graphic design skills among us to create professional-looking designs using templates and pre-loaded design elements.
Canva can be useful for
and anyone else with design needs. Free membership is available and so are Canva pro plans for teams of various sizes. Educators and registered nonprofit organizations can get premium membership features for free.
When you’re on Canva, you can start with a blank design or choose a template. Follow this step by step guide to create your own designs on Canva using templates for a starting point.
Use the search bar on the homepage or scroll through the categories to select the type of project you want to create.
Once you’ve chosen a product type, look through the available templates to find one that meets your needs and design tastes. Pro templates are indicated with a crown logo, free templates do not have it.
To preview a template before you start using it, hover over it, click the three dots that appear, and click “preview this template.”
To use a template, click on it Then, you’ll be directed to the editor.
Canva’s social media templates allow users to create graphics and posts that fit each platform’s sizing specifications. You can use these to
And more.
Instagram Posts
Instagram Stories
Instagram Ads
Facebook Posts
Facebook Covers
Facebook Ads
Facebook Videos
YouTube Thumbnails
YouTube Intros
YouTube Channel Art
YouTube Video Ads
Twitter Posts
Twitter Headers
Twitter Ads
Twitter Videos
Pinterest Pins
Pinterest Idea Pins
Pinterest Video Pins
TikTok Videos
TikTok In-Feed Ads
TikTok Backgrounds
TikTok End Frames
LinkedIn Posts
LinkedIn Banners
LinkedIn Ads
No one likes a boring slideshow with the corny PowerPoint animations. Presentation templates for a variety of purposes and formats can make the next time you get up and present in front of people sing.
Presentation 16:9
Talking Presentations
Mobile-First Presentations
Canva templates can make easy to use digital and physical documents for office needs.
Calendars
Corporate Reports
Planners
Business Letters
Proposals
Graphic Organizers
Invoices
Checklists
Memos
Notebooks
eBook Covers
Templates on Canva aren’t just for online business. You can also use them for a variety of physical products.
Brochures
Business Cards
Banners
Postcards
Yard Signs
Invitations
Posters
Flyers
Photo Books
Newsletters
Magazine Covers
Resumes
Label Stickers
Logos
T-Shirts
Teachers can use these templates to make planning and teaching easier.
Worksheets
Lesson Plans
Google Classroom Headers
Classroom Banners
Report Cards
You can purchase template bundles for Canva from a variety of third-party sellers. Some are grouped by platform, others are grouped by type of business.
Once you’ve gotten the hang of creating Canva designs, try your hand at creating your own templates. Some people even sell premium templates on Etsy, Creative Market, FilterGrade, and other digital goods marketplaces. The process is similar to creating your own design, but there are a few differences that make it a template.
Every category on Canva has a blank template as the first option. Select that to start creating your own template.
The background can be a solid color, a pattern, or an image. To upload your own images and patterns, click the upload button and add them to your template.
Once you’ve chosen your background, click the elements button to browse lines, shapes, stickers, frames, and vector art. Once you add them to your template, you can change the color and transparency, flip them, and duplicate them.
Click the Text button to add sample headings, subheadings, and body text. Once the “Add a Heading” text box is in your template, click on it to type your own text and edit it from the toolbar at the top. This includes changing fonts, text size, text color, and other normal text editing stuff.
If your template needs more than one page, click the “Add Page” button at the bottom. To make it easier to stick with the theme, click the + icon above the page to copy the current page onto the next one.
Once you’re satisfied with your template, download the file. That way you can have it for your own reference and add it to a listing if you’re selling your template. They suggest downloading still Canva designs as PNGs, but you can also save them as JPGs and PDFs. Videos are saved as MP4s and animations are saved as GIFs. Canva Pro users also have the option to save as SVGs.
Click “Share” at the top of the page to see the share options. Then, toggle on link sharing and select “Publish as a template.” Otherwise, anyone with the link can make changes to your design.
Canva may be one of our favorite tools, but it’s far from the only one that can help small business owners and other creators succeed online. No matter what external tools you use, trust us with building and promoting your website. Start building today to learn more!