How To Design Stunning Graphics Using Canva

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Welcome to Canva for Newbies!


What is Canva?


Canva let’s you create stunning

images, designs and

documents like this


It has a drag and drop feature to create designs easily


It literally has a million images to choose from, all customisable


There’s also a ton of layouts

to choose from


Quick and easy photo editing

feature (no need for

Photoshop)


Autosave feature (no need to manually save your design every time)


You can use Canva to create the following:

and a lot more



Open your favourite web browser


Search for Canva


Click canva.com link


This is Canva’s home page


You can sign up with Facebook, Google or Email


Click Sign up with Email


Enter your Name, Email

and Password


Click Sign up


You have finished signing up


Choose Work


Let’s choose Social Media

Graphic


Select Social Media Graphic

(Square)


Click Got it!


Click Done!


Click Got it!


Click I’m done!


Let’s give our design a name first


Click Social Media - Untitled Design


Give your design a name and then click Done


Click on the Canva logo


This is your Canva dashboard


Go back to your design


This is your Canva design workspace


Let’s explore the design panel


Search tab - you can basically

search for anything


Let’s try “beach”


Here are the results


Click this beach image


It will appear here


That’s how to use Canva’s

Search feature


Elements tab


Free Photos will give you as it

says, free photos, images

and more


Click on a photo and it will appear on your design


Grids hold images which allows more

control - resizing and manipulating

them


Click on a grid and it will appear on your design


Click on the upper grid to edit it


This is the edit toolbar


Click this to change the grid color


Choose a color from the default colors to change the background


or click the plus (+) icon to enter a hex color


To delete the upper grid, click the trash icon


Frames are like Grids but have multiple shapes

and sizes


Use the scroll bar to scroll

down to select a frame


Click on a frame and it will appear on your design


Drag the corners to resize the frame


Drag and twist arrow to rotate if needed


Drag and or upload an image to your frame


Go to the Search bar to add an image


Let’s search for a beach image


Drag the image inside the frame to auto resize and fit


Upload an image - click the Uploads tab


Choose an image from your computer


Wait for the upload to finish


Image has been uploaded


Drag the image inside the frame to auto resize and fit


Let’s arrange the image inside the frame. Double click the frame.


Using your cursor, drag the image going down


Click the check mark once done positioning the image


That looks better


Shapes add texture, depth

and organisation to

your design


Click on a shape and it will appear on your design


Drag corners to resize


Change the color here


Samples of shapes with different colours


Lines also add texture, depth

and organisation to

your design


Samples of lines with different colours


Illustrations are drawings used as alternatives

to images


Sample of an illustration


Change the colors here and drag corners to resize


Something like this


Icons are also used as

alternative to images


Sample of an icon


Charts are used to present data visually (graph, table, diagram,

etc.)


Samples of charts


Now let’s use a shape to demonstrate Canva’s editing

features


Choose a shape


Drag corners to resize it


Drag and twist curved arrow to rotate


Click Copy the shape


Click here to change the color of the duplicate shape


Select color of duplicate shape


Drag duplicate shape to edit it more


Select original shape and click trash icon to delete it


Click this to add a website link to the shape


Enter the link here and click Apply


Click this to edit the transparency of the shape


Drag the slider to adjust the transparency


Use transparency when adding text to shapes to make it readable


Text tab - add readable and beautifully

designed text to your design


Choose a text template


Editing toolbar for the text


Select text and edit what it says as desired


Change font style here - select from dropdown


Change font size here - select from dropdown


Change font color here


Make text bold or italic, if your font allows it


Change the text alignment here


Make it all caps here


Make it as a list here


Use other editing tools as desired


Background tab - used to provide a

backdrop for your overall

design


You can choose a solid background color


Click the plus (+) icon to enter a hex color


Background editing tools


$1 background from Canva


Background from Canva’s free photos


How to edit photos


Choose a free photo from Canva


Drag corners to the end of the sides like this


Toolbar for photo editing


Click Filter to create a special photo effect


Filters are used to make beautiful adjustments to the photo


Click right arrow for more filter effects


Auto adjustments using filter effects


Click Advanced Options for more filter properties


Let’s use the Normal effect


Properties of the Normal effect are all set to zero (0)


Let’s use the Cali effect


Properties of the Cali effect are adjusted automatically


Comparing the Normal (left) and Cali (right) effects


Manual adjustments using filter properties


Start with the Normal effect first


Drag the slider of each property towards the left or right


Adjust Contrast to 55


Adjust Saturation to -28


Adjust tint to -73


Adjust Blur to -14


Adjust X-Process to 27


Noticed that the filter code keeps changing after adjusting each property?


Take note of the filter code because you can use it


To get the same filter effect on your other designs


Finishing touches - add some shapes and text


Final output


Share your design


Share it on Facebook, Twitter or Email it


Let’s share it on Facebook


Click Share it now


Say something about it and then click Post to Facebook


Tada!


You can also download your design


Download your design with different formats (JPG, PNG, PDF)


Click Options


If you have more than one page, choose pages to download


Make your design public


That’s it!


Go ahead and start making wonderful designs using Canva


Sign up and play around with Canva


Soon, you’ll be making stunning graphic designs and documents


Thank you for visiting this tutorial!

Education

How To Design Stunning Graphics Using Canva