Many users require a specific program to perform graphic design tasks. Whether for professional or academic reasons, the truth is that the network we can find large companies that are dedicated to creating design tools and suites aimed at all types of users with which to adapt to each of the needs allowing them to carry out your work more comfortably. One of the most popular options to opt for is Canva , which we are going to talk about today.
Canva is a simplified graphic design platform that was founded in 2012 as a website that enables students, teachers, and professionals in the design industry to work with photo editing within an easy-to-use platform. Over time it has been expanding its possibilities, since it currently has versions for Android and iOS, as well as a desktop version for both Windows and macOS.
What is it and what can we do with Canva
This application is characterized by including all kinds of tools suitable for both amateur designers and more advanced users. It includes its own image bank and a vast collection of over 250,000 free templates for 100 types of designs. With this we will be able to carry out all kinds of graphic design work that we need. We can use Canva to design anything we need. It is possible to create a custom design from scratch or choose from the different types of content it offers.
Some of the things we can do with this tool are:
- Presentations
- Resume
- Social Media Posts
- Logo
- posters
- thumbnails
- Wallpapers
- infographics
- brochures
- certificates
- Labels and Invoices
- Planners and Banners
- Work sheets
- Invitations and business cards
- newsletters
- newsletters
- Website
- Magazine and e-book covers
- Calendar
- T-shirts and Mugs
It currently has more than 30 million active users and has gained great popularity , mainly among the most inexperienced users, since it does not require prior experience and has an easy-to-use interface. It is extremely versatile because we will be able to access it from the browser or install its application for desktop or mobile device. In addition, it offers extensive possibilities for collaboration with other users or create our own design team.
start to use
When starting to work with Canva, the first thing we must choose is whether we prefer to use its online platform or download and install its software on our computer.
If we want to use the online platform , we will only need a web browser from which to access and an Internet connection, so it is ideal if we are going to work on it from different points. The installation of the software is more recommended if we are going to work more frequently from the same computer.
To use Canva’s online platform, we simply have to access its website . If we prefer to use its desktop version, we can download the application for free from its official website , being available for both Windows and macOS computers. For Windows, we can also choose to download your UWP app from the Microsoft Store itself.
Regardless of whether we use the browser or its desktop application, we must register our email and password or log in through Google, Apple Facebook, Microsoft, Clever or work email and we will obtain our free account .
Later we must indicate the type of use that we are going to give it, so we must choose between: student, non-profit organization, personal use, small company, large company or teacher. With this, the platform will try to adapt its experience to our needs to simplify its use, recommending templates and designs that may be of interest to us.
Then it will offer us the possibility to start a free trial period of Canva Pro for 30 days or we can use its free version by clicking on “Maybe later”.
Finally, we will have the possibility of subscribing to be able to receive emails to be aware of its news. In the event that we are interested, click on “Yes, I want to subscribe”, otherwise we click on Not now, and we will have access to its interface.
plans and prices
Canva is an application that we can use for free to carry out our design work. In case we want to use all of their premium content and tools, we can subscribe to Canva Pro or Canva for Business. In addition, Canva offers free subscriptions of its Pro version for both NGOs and special educational programs for both students and teachers.
Next, we are going to see the different plans that it offers us:
- Free : includes everything we need to start designing, with more than 250 free templates, more than 100 types of designs, hundreds of thousands of photos and free graphic elements. It allows us to invite people to the team, collaborate and comment simultaneously and 5 GB of cloud storage.
- Pro – The ideal version for team designing, creating professional and beautiful designs with unlimited access to premium tools and content. In addition to what the free plan includes, we will have more than 100 million photos, videos, audios and premium resources and more than 600 thousand templates. Save and apply the colors, logos and fonts of a brand or campaign with more than 100 brand kits. In addition, it includes 100 GB of cloud storage. Its price starts at 109.99 euros per year for up to 5 people and allows you to use a trial version for 30 days.
- Companies : especially aimed at teams of a minimum of 25 people. It includes all the features of the Pro version and includes unlimited storage space and single sign-on. Its price starts at 27 euros per month per person .
The free version is ideal for all those who want to try the application and start doing our design work, while the Pro version is aimed at advanced users and the Business version for larger work teams.
How Canva works
Once we have logged in we will find its main screen, which has a simple interface , easy to use and in Spanish. On the left side we find a column where we will have a menu of options from where we can access our projects, templates, shared elements and the trash can.
On the right side we can choose what we want to design such as presentations, social networks, videos, marketing impressions, office and more. Just below we can choose different elements more specifically such as Poster, Instagram Post, Curriculum, Presentation, among others. All you have to do is select any of them to start, which will make us access its editing menu, which is very similar for all the available options.
create poster
For example, if we want to create our own poster, we click on its section and it will take us to its editing menu, where we can choose from a large number of templates that are ordered by categories. On it we can make all kinds of modifications so that we can leave it completely to our liking. In this way, we can rotate, crop and edit it, adjusting the brightness, contrast and saturation, and even adding filters. In addition, we can add elements or enter text, all from the left column.
It is also worth mentioning that Canva does not allow us to conjure elements . These are pre-made layouts and design-enhancing elements such as lines, frames, icons, shapes, and stickers that we can add to our creations. We can only use what they give us. We can change colors and sizes, rotate and move them, but that’s it.
Once finished we have the possibility to download the image in JPG, PNG, MP4, GIF or PDF format by clicking on the Share button. Also, we can share a link with our friends so they can see it and can even edit it, as well as send it by email. In addition, it has a printing service with which the final result will be sent directly to our home already printed.
Design a slideshow
With Canva we will also be able to design our own slideshow. Along with the possibility of inserting Templates , we can also use their Mockups or, if we prefer, start the design from scratch. We will find different options to add a list of elements, title, column, videos, collage to the presentation.
We also find different Elements that we can select and that are organized by Lines and shapes, Graphic elements, Tables, Photos, Videos, Audio, Graphics, Stickers, Frames and Grids. Of course, we will also have the possibility of uploading our own files (images, videos and audio) directly from our hard drive or connecting with our Google Drive, Dropbox, Facebook, Instagram or Google Photos account.
There is also the possibility of being able to add Text , starting with the inclusion of a title, subtitle or text to each slide. It even has predefined phrases and texts combined with different fonts.
As happens with the posters or any other creation that we carry out, from the Share menu we will be able to save our creations, share them or use their printing service.
Other graphic design alternatives
Canva is a good option for doing graphic design work, either using the web browser or via its desktop app. But in the event that we have not been completely convinced, we should know that we can also choose one of the following alternatives.
Desygner – Allows you to perform design tasks completely free of charge. It is aimed at both casual and professional designers, making it a great alternative to Canva.
Fotor : we can carry out tasks, such as designing an image, creating a collage or editing photographs, being one of the most complete in terms of design types. It has a free version.
Adobe Spark – Especially aimed at graphic designers who are more familiar with Adobe‘s toolkit. It has both a free and paid version.
