Simple graphic design with Canva
Are you looking at creating simple graphic designs for your social media and don’t know where to start? We have found that Canva offers all the simple graphic design templates you need to get started.
Canva offers a free account, which gives you the opportunity to learn how to use the app. Once you become more established you can upgrade to Canva Pro and take advantage of all their added features.
What can I do with Canva?
You can design flyers, posters, presentations, logos, social media posts and much more. There are lots of free templates to get you started. Once your have found you way around, you can then adapt the templates with your own unique designs.
If you upgrade to Canva Pro, you then have more options available to edit your designs. With more free images to choose from and additional photo editing tools to use. You can also upload your own Brand Kit with Canva Pro, but you don’t need a paid account to get started.
Learning about Canva
Once you have set up your free account, take some time to have a look around at the tools that are available. On the left hand side there is a navigation bar that you can use to find all your designs. You can create your brand kit (Canva Pro) and create folders to store different projects.
On the top of the page navigation bar, you can explore the templates and features. There are also some tutorials under the learn section, it is worth taking a look in here to get you started.
Creating your first design
You can choose to explore the templates, or you can click on create a design on the top right of the page. If you choose to create your own design, you can choose the dimensions you need. If you are unsure of the dimensions and wanted to start with a post for Facebook, then just go to the templates section and choose Facebook Post. This will then bring up a wide selection of post styles to choose from.
Once you have chosen a design that you like and fits your content, click the design and it will take you to an editing page. Click on the image and it will bring up the editing options.
On the left hand side is a tool bar that you can use to edit your design, by changing the background image, text font/size, move the elements around or choose new ones. When you click on an element, the options for editing will appear in the top bar.
You can upload your own images, or use the free images available. Just click on the image you want and it will place it on your design. Highlight the image you don’t want and click the top right trash bin to delete it, you can then move your new image around, crop it, send it to the back etc. until you get the design you want.
Don’t forget to change the name of the design, as it will be the name of the original template. Just click on the name in the bar and you can edit it to be anything you want.
One top tip for social media content, always use your branding and a CTA (Call To Action). If someone comes across your image and saves it for later, how will they know who created it if you do not add your branding? By adding a CTA they will also have a quick way in getting in contact with you.
Using your design
Once you have finished your design, you can download it to your computer (or phone) to be able to upload it to your social media. Click on the download arrow on the top right of the screen and select the type of file you require (PNG is recommended for an image file for the best quality), then click download. Then you have created your first design.
Saving your designs
You can keep all your designs in one place, or you can make folders to store them for each project. You can always go back in and edit a design, but if you want to keep the original, it is best to make a copy by clicking on the add page icon on the top left of your design. This way you can always have a master design, which is great if you want to make a series of posts. You can also use this option to make animations and videos.
But take your time and have fun learning the basics.