a graphic diary

THE
COMP
LETE
CANVA
GUIDE
 ?
what’s inside

WELCOME

GETTING STARTED
3

EDITING BASICS 8

THE TOOLBARS 16

TIPS & TRICKS 34

FREE VS PRO 42
Welcome!
No matter the field of business, passion
project or activity being planned, Marketing
is the driving force behind delivering all
messages.

Canva is EVERYWHERE these days and

having even basic Canva skills is becoming
an incredibly useful, marketable, and an
essential skill!

Canva, the leading, user-friendly design

website that allows you to easily design
almost anything, from party invites and
journal pages, to social media posts, graphics,
flyers, full ebooks, workbooks, online course
creation & so much more!
Mastering the basics of Canva means that
not only can you modify, edit and adapt
purchased templates to your exact
specifications, but you may embark on
developing your own products, documents
and graphics in The Canva Platt-form.
Canva is PACKED with amazing tools that can
amplify your business and can be
overwhelming you’re new to the software. This is a
step-by-step guide that will show
you tips and tricks of to use this amazing tool.
I know this will provide you with all the essentials
that’ll empower you to excel in this
incredibly useful in tool to support your online
business!
GETTING
STARTED
 canva crash course
GETTING STARTED

CREATE A FREE CANVA ACCOUNT

Step 1:
It is easy and FREE to make a Canva account!

Just head to www.canva.com and choose the

“sign up” button in the top right corner.

Choose your sign up method and complete

the simple process.

You can do a lot with a free account!

To learn more about the difference between

Free and Pro accounts, head to page 43 of
this guide.

Now let’s get familiar with the interface!

canva crash course
GETTING STARTED
THE LANDING PAGE

4 3
1

Once you are in, you'll be greeted by a user-friendly workspace consisting

of a toolbar, canvas area, and a sidebar.
1.The tool bar is the easiest way to search for different templates! This is
also where you can easily search projects you have already created.

2. Below you will see the canvas area. This is where there are categories of
templates laid out for easy access. Once you have begun creating your
own projects, you will also see your most recent work below.

3.The custom size button makes it a breeze to create a design that is the
exact specifications you are needing. Whether is a simple letter size or a big
poster, just enter the dimensions and it will create a blank document
ready for you! There are also pre-determined sizes available.

4.To the left you will see the side bar. You can access your designs,
templates, pro-account if you join, and any "folders" you create. These
folders are a great way to keep your designs organized by category. If the
side bar feels overwhelming or distracting, simply hit the three lines in
the top left corner to minimize it!
 canva crash course
GETTING STARTED

LOADING A TEMPLATE
YOU’VE PURCHASED

Make sure you are logged in to Canva.

Open the link provided with your template

purchase.

A screen previewing the template will display (as

per image on the right).

Click 'use template'.

The template will open in Canva, ready for you to

edit.

You can make a copy of the template to preserve

the original - once your template is opened, just
head up to "File" at the top left and choose "Make a
copy" from the menu.

Now the template is yours to do as you wish with!

You can change colours, fonts, add or remove text,
images, pages and more.

No When ever you see the crown icon as above, for

example on fonts, elements, graphics

te:
etc, it denotes something only available to Pro
users.
canva crash course
EDITING BASICS
THE PROJECT WORKSPACE

1.Zoom- This slider at the bottom right of the screen will help you simply
zoom in and out. This will ensure that you get a close up view of your
design as well as a full page to see your overall design. There is also a slider
right above that allows you to slide the page left to right.

2.Grid View- The small arrow in the bottom center or four square icon in the
bottom right allows you to navigate multipage designs quickly. Simply click
the icon then select the page you want to work on and it will take you
straight there! And if you are wanting to see your design full screen, the
double arrow icon to the right will do so.

3.Side Bar- This side bar is possibly the most essential tool in Canva. It is
where you add elements, text, backgrounds, and even upload images of
your own. By clicking the icon of the action you wish to perform, it will take
you to that category. In each section you are able to easily search Canva's
library! To minimize the side bar to better see your design, simply click the
small arrow on the right. Then click the side bar to open it back up again.
 canva crash course
EDITING BASICS
WORKING WITH TEXT

Adding text to a design is simple! The text button in the side bar makes it easy to add a text
box, heading, subheading, and body text. Just select a text option (or text box) and type
away! Once you have your text written out, use the tool bar at the top of the page to select
a font, size, and color. Add multiple text boxes for different font styles to create a look you
love. They also offer a variety of text designs that are pre-made!

TEXT ESSENTIALS
FONT SELECTION

FONT SIZE

FONT COLOUR

FONT STYLE
TOGGLE TEXT CASE

FONT ALIGNMENT

LIST SETTING (DOT POINTS, NUMBERS OR NONE)

ADJUST THE SPACE BETWEEN LETTERS AND LINES

SPECIAL EFFECTS LIKE CURVED TEXT AND TEXT SHADOWS

canva crash course
EDITING BASICS

WORKING WITH TEXT

canva crash course
EDITING BASICS
COLORS
 canva crash course
EDITING BASICS
WORKING WITH PHOTOS
Uploading your own
It’s easy to upload your own images to use in your
Canva design.

Simply select “Uploads” in the left toolbar, click on

“upload media” and you’ll be able to browse your
computer (or phone! Canva also has a very
functional app) and find your images to upload.

The images you upload will stay in this uploads

area to access any time, in any design.

Click here to filter results, for

example to only show Free
elements.

Using stock images

If you don’t have your own images, you can
select from Canva’s extensive stock library.
Simply select the “Elements” tab and start a
search for the type of photo you’d like. Then you
can click into the photos area to see
more.

Once you have a photo you like, simply click on it

to add it to your design, or drag it over.

Remember, anything you see with the crown icon

is only available to Pro members. You can filter to
only see Free results using the little hamburger
menu to the right of the search bar.
canva crash course
EDITING BASICS
WORKING
FRAMES
+ WITH PHOTOS

GRIDS

FROM THIS TO THIS

Frames and grids enable to you put
stylish image placeholders in your
document and easily drag and drop
images into it.

The image will snap into the frame.

You can easily replace the image by

simply dragging a different image into
the frame from the Uploads or Elements
sections.

Just hit the Elements tab and

scroll down until you find the
Frames or Grids sections.
 canva crash course
EDITING BASICS
WORKING WITH PHOTOS
Transparency
Transparency affects opacity (how see through something is) and can
be applied to images, elements, text, and solid shapes.

ADJUSTING TRANSPARENCY
Click the item you would like to unlock.

A menu will appear in the top right of the screen. Click

the small, chess pattern icon.

A slider will appear, slide up and down for the desired effect.

TRANSPARENCY AT 100% TRANSPARENCY AT 30%

THE
TO
OL
BA
RS
TO O L
TYPES B A R
TO O L
TYPES B A R
If you are clicked on a text box, the callouts below explain what each item does in the toolbar.
TO O L
TYPES B A R
If you are clicked on a text box, the callouts below explain what each item does in the toolbar.
 extras on the
TOOLBAR
These items appear on most of the toolbars and function the same on each item.
 shape
TOOLBAR
If you are clicked on a shape, the callouts below explain what each item does in the toolbar.
 elements + graphics
TOOLBAR
If you select a graphic element, the callouts below explain what each item does in the toolbar.
 photo
TOOLBAR
If you select photo, the callouts below explain what each item does in the toolbar.
tip
s&
i
trck
s
FREE
VS
PRO
 CANVA CRASH COURSE
FREE VS PRO
DO YOU REALLY NEED A CANVA
PRO ACCOUNT?
Canva is feature-rich, even with a Free account. You will soon get a feel for whether a Pro
account will be beneficial for you once you start to play with the software. Here is an
overview of the features and benefits of each option.

FREE PRO

Learn more about Canva Pro here