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If you are a digital entrepreneur and haven’t been using Canva, then you have been missing out on possibly one of the world’s best online digital content creation platforms.
But even if you have been on the platform for a while, there are probably some things that still did not know that you could do with this platform.
Whether you are using the free version of Canva or Canva Pro, there are actually tons of tips and tricks that you can discover on the platform. So in this article, I am going to give you 30 tips and tricks that you can
What is Canva?
Before I start diving into jargon that may get you completely lost, l want to make sure that you know what Canva is, to begin with.
Canva is an online platform that is created to fit the needs of any online digital creator. It is basically a video editor, image editor, and visual content creator all in one.
You can find templates for CVs, Youtube video intros, business presentations, blog banners, LinkedIn pages, and so much more.
Whether you are a blogger, YouTuber, film writer, or even an employee at a company. You will be able to find something for you on Canva.
There are just too many things on Canva for me to explain to you right now, so I recommend you read my full Canva review, where I take a deep dive into all the features you can get with Canva.
30 Canva Tips And Hacks That Will Completely Change Your Design Process
Now that you have hopefully understood what Canva is, we can get to the good stuff.
Now, these are in no particular order so don’t think that one is better than the other.
You will find plenty of cool Easter eggs that will make your Canva workflow and creation process so much easier.
1. How To Share Elements Across Designs In Canva
One of my absolute favorite things about Canva is the ability to easily be able to copy my designs.
But did you know that you can even copy elements between different designs?
This is something that has saved me tons of hours of work.
You can simply use the keyboard shortcuts to copy (ctrl+c) one element from one design and paste (ctrl+v) it into the next.
If you do this, all of the colors, transitions, and/or animations will follow, so you won’t have to make those adjustments again.
2. The Best Canva Shortcuts
If you are used to working on Canva, then you know that making your workflow faster could save you a lot of precious time.
One way to design more effectively is to use shortcuts.
I used Canva for a full year before I even knew that there were shortcuts on Canva. Once I found out, my whole design process became so much smoother.
So here are the Canva keyboard shortcuts that I have found to be the most useful:
- Ctrl (or cmnd) + Z to undo
- Ctrl (or cmnd) + shift + Z to redo
- Ctrl (or cmnd) + (+) to zoom in
- Ctrl (or cmnd) + (-) to zoom out
- Press “T” to add a text box
- Press “C” to add a circle form
- Press “R” to add a rectangle/square form
- Use command + [ or command + ] to send a layer backwards of forwards (or you can use ctrl + [ and ctrl +] for PC ).
- Clicking an element and holding command or ctrl will automatically select the element behind it.
- Ctrl (or cmnd) + shift + C to center align a text.
- Ctrl (or cmnd) + C to copy an element
- Ctrl (or cmnd) + V to past an element
- Ctrl (or cmnd) + G to group an element
- Shift + drag en element to resize it proportionally
- Command + D to duplicate an element
Here is a link to a great infographic from Canva that will give you some other keyboard shortcuts: Canva Keyboard Shortcuts
3. Using Guidelines In Your Designs
The last thing you want to do it so make a design, and then zoom out to see that all of your elements are misaligned.
In order to avoid this, you are going to want to use the guidelines in Canva.
These lines appear when you move the elements around to show you how they align to the canvas and how they align with each other.
So whether you want to make everything centered on the canvas or have everything aligned with something else, this is going to be useful for you.
To activate the guidelines, click File >Show rulers and guidelines.
4. Creating Green Screen Elements In Canva
This is one of the most hidden gems that Canva has to offer.
The day I found out that I could create green-screen elements for my video editor using Canva I nearly screamed.
And it’s super easy to do!
All you have to do is create a new design using the Video template (or any other template that you find fit).
Then add in the elements that you want to use. These can even have animations and transitions if you’d like.
Then add a green background to your creation and download it as an mp4.
Now you will be able to add this to your editor and remove the green background. Leaving you with a fully transparent element.
Considering all the components and customization that you can get on Canva, this opens the door for you to be able to create millions of different green-screen elements.
Turning your regular videos into extraordinary content that your viewers will want to stay on.
5. How To Get ONLY Free Stuff On Canva
If you are a Canva Pro user, then you know that you have access to millions of different videos, pictures, elements, and so much more.
But what if you are a free user?
Nothing is more frustrating than seeing something that you would like to use but realizing it is a paid product.
So how do you avoid this headache?
Simple!
You can filter out your elements directly when you search for what you want. Choose “free” so that Canva will only show you the ones that you do not have to pay for.
This way you can avoid seeing that painful gray Canva grid.
6. How To Change Elements Colors
One thing that is amazing on Canva is the fact that you can actually change the color of most of the elements in the library.
However, it is also something that a lot of people do not know about.
If you chose an element that this non-customizable, you will notice that on the top left of your dashboard, there are no color options.
However, if it is a customizable element, you will see an array of color boxes that show up instead (depending on the kind of element).
Click on one of those boxes and you will be able to change one of the colors on the element. Then click on the other boxes to continue editing.
7. How To Pull Elements From Templates
Canva has millions of different elements and design options.
This is why many chose to use templates instead of starting completely from scratch.
But what if you only want a few things from the template?
You can select those elements in the template and paste them into your design as well.
So they may be templates, but they are not set in stone!
If you realize that you are copying other unwanted elements, you can lock those elements and then copy the ones you need.
8. How To Modify Transitions
One of the major updates to the Canva platform is the fact that you can now add and modify transitions between slides.
This was not a possibility before 2022.
There were no video transitions at all on Canva before this point. Now, they are adding more and more elements that make Canva function as a video editor as well.
Now you are able to modify the transitions of your elements to customize how they enter and leave the scene.
So you can choose to make it a longer transition by lengthening the duration. Or make it quicker by shortening the duration.
You can even change the direction of the transition.
This gives you much more flexibility when it comes to editing videos on Canva.
9. How To Modify Animations
Another major update on the Canva that really changed the game for video editing is the fact that you can now edit animations for each individual element.
You may be thinking that that is nothing new, right?
Wrong!
Because now you can choose whether the animation is going to happen at the entrance of the element, the exit, or both.
Whereas before, the animations would automatically occur at the entrance and the exit. Meaning that would have to edit them out in your video editor if you didn’t want them there.
Now you can cut your editing time in half by doing it directly in the dashboard.
You can now choose to have your animation on just the entrance or just the exit instead of having the animation in both.
In some cases, you can even scale how big or long you want the transition to be.
Personally, I have created over 30 youtube videos only with Canva and without having to use my video editor.
Just because of this simple change.
10. How To Use Canva Offline
Unfortunately, there is no way to use Canva without having an internet connection.
And considering how many elements and templates are on the platform, it’s a good thing that it doesn’t.
However, you can use Canva without having to go in through a browser. You have the possibility to download the app on your phone or tablet and use it on the go as much as you like.
And now, thanks to a new update from Canva, you are now able to use Canva as an app on your desktop or laptop as well.
They each work just as well as the version you get on your browser and you are able to do all of your editing and save your designs as well.
11. How To Create A Website In Canva
Yes, you can create a basic website with Canva.
The people over at Canva really thought of everything when it comes to making life easier for small businesses.
You can easily make a basic one-page website or landing page for a product in a matter of minutes.
Canva comes with website templates that allow you to tweak and alter the templates as you wish. And once you are ready to publish, all you have to do is click a button.
That’s it!
Go on Canva and search for a Website Design template. Then change what you want and click Publish.
You will find your website or landing page under a special “canva.com/…” link that you can then share where ever you want.
You can even cloak the link with something like bit.ly if you like.
This is great for a one-page website or if you want to create a landing page for a product or a special offer.
12. How To Create A Journal In Canva
Selling digital journals on your own platform or via places like Amazon has proven to be quite lucrative.
So no wonder many people are trying to create their own journals using something like Canva.
Canva makes that process even easier for you.
Not only do they have journal templates that you can use and customize. But they also have blank journal templates so that you can completely start from scratch if you like.
Then, you can download it in a PDF or PDP Print format. So whether you want to make it a “print-ready” journal or you want to make it into a paperback, Canva has you covered.
I highly recommend you read this article from the Low Content Profits for a step-by-step guide on how to create a journal on Canva.
13. How To Create A Workbook Canva
Workbooks are great lead magnets for any business owner.
So why not make them as beautiful and appealing as possible to attract more clients or viewers?
Canva has a beautiful selection of workbook templates that you can choose from to make stunning workbooks for your audience.
You can also choose to make one completely from scratch of course.
And to keep things on-brand for you, you can use your brand kits to make sure that you have cohesive colors and styles throughout your pages.
Once you are done, you can simply link it to your website or platform for your audience to use. Or upload it to your site so that your audience can download it.
There are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to making a workbook like layouts, page numbers, and creating a funnel. So I recommend you read this article from Simplifying DIY Design to get more information.
14. How To Save Your Favorite Designs And Elements In Canva
One thing that can take a lot of your time is trying to find the elements that you like.
And let’s be honest, as digital content creators, we usually have our own style that we tend to stick to.
Meaning we tend to gravitate back to the same elements.
But then once you find them, what can you do the keep them?
The last thing you want to do is search for the same elements over and over.
What a lot of designers don’t know is that you can actually save your favorite elements so that you won’t have to go searching for them.
On the upper right-hand corner of your element, you will see three dots.
Click on those dots and you will see a star. If you click on that star, you will save that element as a favorite.
You will now find that element on the left-hand side of your Canva dashboard under Starred.
You can do these with images, videos, elements, and so much more!
Where Are Favorites In Canva?
“Favorites” are simply the elements and components that you have saved on your dashboard.
Having them in a separate place makes your favorite items easier to find which will save you a lot of time.
Considering the fact that there are quite literally millions of items on Canva, this is a life saver.
It used to be called the “Favorites” but has recently been renamed to “Starred” instead.
15. How To Earn Money With Canva
Earning money with Canva has never been easier.
We’ve already discussed how you can create lead magnets on the platform. And those leads can obviously become satisfied customers in the future.
But you can also create other designs that you can sell.
Here is a short list of some of the things that you can create on Canva and sell:
- Ebooks
- E-Journals
- Digital Planners
- Workbooks
- Redbubble designs
- Paid newsletters
- Wellness trackers
- Video courses
- Pinterest Pin Templates
- Infographics
- Instagram post templates
- Animations
- Green-screen elements
And the list just goes on!
16. How To Create And Use Brand Kits In Canva
You will notice that you have something called Brand Kits in Canva.
Most people (including myself) will not know what it is when they first begin on Canva.
To be honest, if you are just a casual user of the platform, having a brand kit may be a bit unnecessary. However, if you are like me and are literally on the platform every day with thousands of designs, you will need a brand kit.
Brand kits basically help you to keep a cohesive style throughout all of your designs.
This means having similar fonts, styles, colors, and logos readily available as soon as you create a new design.
If you want to create or change a brand kit, you can click on Brand Kit on the left-side menu. There you will be able to develop your brand kit and the components and colors that you want to have.
You can then find these brand kits in your dashboard when you click on the color palette and the font styles under the “Text” menu.
17. Can I Use Canva For My Business Logo?
Yes, you can use Canva for your business logos!
Canva’s logos are completely free to use for either personal or commercial use.
Meaning unless it is a premium item that requires a Canva subscription, you will not need to pay any money to use them.
Even more fantastic is the fact that you can completely modify any of the logos to suit your needs better.
Creating And Modifying Logos In Canva
If you want to completely free-hand your logo design, you can do that by creating a new design and adding your preferred elements.
However, if you need some inspiration, then Canva has thousands of templates that you can choose from.
You can simply choose a template that you like and then change the colors and sizes as you like.
You can also add and remove elements as you wish.
18. Using Canva Keywords
You probably didn’t know that there were keywords on Canva but there are!
And these keywords are going to be very helpful when it comes to searching for elements, videos, images, and templates.
Typing keywords into the search bar can open up a whole new world of possibilities.
But the main trick that has helped me is using the keywords from elements that I already like.
Find any element that you like and click on the Information button. Now you will see the keywords that the element is registered for.
You may only see a few so you can click on “Show all keywords” to see even more.
You can then choose to click on those keywords if you want to get even more elements that look similar to the one that you have.
This way of searching has helped me find hundreds of elements that have a similar style that fits my brand.
19. How To Combine or Merge Canva Designs
You can combine or merge your designs in Canva whether you have them on the same account or on different accounts.
To merge designs from the same accounts, you can simply create a few extra pages on your current design and copy and paste the other design into the first one.
Pretty simple.
You can also download your other design as a JPEG or PNG ( if you are not going to be editing it) and upload it as an image on your first design.
If however, you have your designs on two separate accounts, then you are going to need to share the design with your first account.
Then once you have it on your first accounts, you can use one of the first two methods that I mentioned earlier to merge them into one design.
If you want a walkthrough, then check out this guide by Adventures With Hart.
20. How To Add Page Numbers In Canva
If you are hoping that there is some magic button that you can push on Canva to give you automatic pages, I have some bad news.
There is no automatic page function on Canva (at least, not as of now).
Adding page numbers is very straightforward and you can probably guess what I am going to say next.
You are going to need to add the little squares manually and the numbers as well.
One thing I recommend is that you create a blank page and create the page box and numbers first. Then just duplicate it as many times as you want.
That way, each page is still editable but it already has the page number box.
Just don’t forget to add the page number.
21. How To Resize Image In Canva
If you are all over different social media platforms, then you will love the Canva Pro feature for resizing images.
This feature takes any design that you have made and allows you to resize it to fit another format without having to redo the entire design.
This means that you can take a Facebook image post and resize it to fit the Instagram post size or even TikTok.
This saves you so much time and allows you to have cohesive designs throughout all of your platforms.
You can find the Resize button on the top-right screen of your Canva design dashboard.
22. How To Create LinkedIn, Youtube, And Facebook Banners Using Canva
If you want to create LinkedIn, Youtube, and Facebook banners then you are in luck!
Canva has blank slates with all of these different formats that you can use.
But even better is the fact that you can also choose amongst thousands of templates for these different platforms as well. So you can find one that you like and tweak the elements as you wish.
You can navigate to the Templates menu and browse for them there.
Or you can directly search on the top of your screen and type the platform banner that you are looking for.
23. How To Blur An Image On Canva
Believe it or not, you can blur images on Canva!
With the blur slider, you are able to blur any image from the Canva library. You are even able to upload your images to Canva and blur those as well.
How much you want to blur it is completely up to you as the tool is a slider.
This gives you a lot more precision in your work.
And if you slide it on the opposite side, it becomes an image sharpener as well. So you have two tools in one.
24. Canva Won’t Let You Copy And Paste? Try This!
You may find that every now and then, Canva glitches and won’t let you copy and paste your design elements anymore.
This is actually a common problem that a lot of users have complained about.
Now I must say that since the beginning of 2022, Canva has become a lot better and this glitch is rarely ever a problem anymore.
However, if you find that you have this problem, one quick fix is to refresh the page.
It usually starts working again after this.
Worst case scenario would be that you would need to log out of your account and log on again.
But these are both quick fixes.
25. How To Transfer Designs To Another Account
Earlier we talked about merging designs.
But maybe you just want to transfer the design instead?
In that case, the process becomes even easier. All you have to do is share your design with the account that you want to use.
If you open your design, you will see the Share button in the upper right corner.
Then under Share this design, you can enter the people or the email address of the account that you want to share the design with.
26. How To Share A Folder On Canva
Sharing a folder is basically the same as sharing a design.
Except that you obviously won’t be opening a design to do it.
Simply navigate to the folder that you want to share and click the three dots that appear next to the folder name.
Then choose Share and write the name or the email address of the person that you want to share the folder with.
27. How To Save Canva Design As Pdf
Saving your design has never been easier!
I should note, however, that if you have any animations or transitions in your design, they will not be transferred in the PDF.
You may want to export it as a presentation instead if you want those things.
But for a regular PDF, simply click Share on the upper right-hand side of your design.
Then click Download and choose PDF Standard or PDF Print to download your design.
28. Free Lead Magnets
There are probably hundreds of ways that you can create lead magnets on Canva. These are things that you give to your audience for FREE.
This hopefully will help them grow into someone who will come back to your content or sign up to your email address.
So here is a small list of things that you can use as a lead magnet for your audience:
- Workbooks
- To-Do Lists
- Guides
- E-books
- Digital Planners
- Infographics
- Presentations
- Checklist
- Roadmaps
29. Create Fillable Pdfs
Fillable PDFs are something that used to make me run away.
As well as digital planners.
The process was not fun before I found out that you can do almost all of the work with Canva.
You can create the entire workbook, journal, planner, or whatever else via Canva.
After you are done with your design, you download it as a PDF.
Then you can use something like Adobe or DocHub (my personal favorite) to add in all of the fillable boxes that you want.
Then you download it as a Pdf again and voila! Your PDF is now fillable.
I recommend you watch Daniela’s video to see how she makes her fillable PDFs or read this article by Delana Simmons.
30. How To Get Canva Pro For Free
Last but not least, if you are a free Canva user then you may be curious if you can get access to Canva Pro for free?
The answer is YES YOU CAN!
You can use Canva for 30 days completely for free using the link below.
This is not some limited version of Canva. It is the real deal.
Meaning you can take full advantage of all of the premium videos and elements that you have always wanted to use but weren’t able to.
You can read all about the features that you can get with Canva Pro in my other post.
If you play your cards right, you can create digital content that can last you months.
So take advantage of it as much as you can!
Final Thoughts
If you didn’t notice, I love Canva.
And honestly, I haven’t met another Canva user who isn’t completely in love with the platform.
I have been able to do everything from creating youtube videos to making work presentations to building courses with Canva.
It’s safe to say that I kind of know the ins and outs of the platform and it truly is amazing the number of things that you can create with it.
It is worth every penny that I have spent on it and has given real returns on my investment.
So if you are looking to jumpstart and boost your digital design process and content creation, then Canva is the platform for you.
