How to use Canva for free to create professional designs
Did you know you can create all kinds of projects without any knowledge of graphic design? You heard right! Nowadays, there are countless tools ready to make our lives easier, including those that allow you to design with little prior knowledge.
Our favorite is without a doubt Canva, a tool used by both professionals and novices for its flexibility and incredibly intuitive interface.
Interested? Today we'll tell you what Canva is and how to use what will undoubtedly be your favorite tool.
Table of Contents
What is Canva?
Canva is a graphic design tool that is characterized by provide hundreds of templates so you can create your designs without having knowledge in the area.
Its interface is very intuitive and easy to use, making it one of the most widely used tools in digital marketing. Therefore, it has become a great ally for bloggers, social media and community managers, entrepreneurs, and all types of professionals.
Its more than 8.000 templates allow you to create designs such as flyers, invitations, social media posts, infographics, and anything else you can think of that's "designable."
If you consider yourself a "non-designer" this will be the platform that will help you defend yourself despite your limited knowledge.In addition to its free version, it also has a paid version that offers many more tools.
How does Canva work?
This platform provides thousands of templates that are customizable to your liking. So, all you have to do is access the site, choose the format you like, and start innovating with the tools available to you.
There you can Resize, crop, add new colors, split images, place text, and much more. That way you can create a wide variety of unique designs without complicating your life.
It also has a very useful "drag" function, since when you use it you will only have to click on the element you want to add in the left bar to take it directly to the design without having to press any extra keys.
Does that seem like little to you? Well, Canva also allows you to import your own media files so you can edit the photos and videos of your choice.
Who is Canva for?
Canva's popularity has reached the point that It is used by both expert and novice designers, so no matter what guild you're in, there's always a place for you.
Plus, whatever your reason for creating a design, you'll be able to take advantage of what this platform has to offer. In fact, after registering, you'll have to specify what you'll be using it for, and the options include:
- Teacher.
- Student.
- Personal.
- Small companies.
- Big company.
- Non-profit organization.
How to use Canva for your digital projects?

First you have to create your account within Canva, which you can do with your email or, if you want to make it easier, you can log in with your Facebook or Google account.
Once you've entered the platform and chosen the option you'll use, you're ready to start designing. So, the steps to follow are:
1. Create design
The first step is to create your design to start working. To do this, you can create a blank design with custom measurements or explore the various files you can create and the variety of measurements available.
When you enter the main Canva menu, you will find that you can create designs such as:
- Stories or posts for social media.
- Text documents.
- Presentations.
- Online whiteboard.
- videos.
- Flyers or posters.
- Collage.
- Others.
2. Browse available templates
After selecting the type of file you want to edit, you can browse through a wide variety of templates and choose the one you like best to use as a base.
Keep in mind that all elements of the template are editable, whether you want to replace one element with another, adjust the size of the elements, change the color of the text, etc.
Of course, if you want to base it 100% on your own imagination, You can also work with the blank design and add all the images, shapes, files and effects you want.
3. Include elements
After choosing your template or design, you will find a sidebar on the left side of the program, from there you can Choose all the available tools to start working on your project.
One of the main ones is the elements, which include geometric figures, various shapes, frames, graphic drawings, videos, tables, audios, among other things.
You need to pay attention to the type of item you're going to select, as both premium and free options are available.
4. Upload your own files
Now, if you need to work with very specific elements, you can Upload your own files, images, or documents from the Uploads option.
For example, if you're going to make a custom design, you can upload the image you need, or if you're going to edit a video and already have the base, you'll just have to upload it to the platform.
All the files you upload within Canva will be kept within that folder, so you can return to them whenever you need them.
5. Add text
In addition to graphic elements, you can also include text within designs. This is a popular option, especially when creating advertisements.
The best is that You have many font styles to choose from., as well as being able to change its size, color and add special effects.
6. Draw
Through the Drawing option you can create any stroke quickly and easily, just as if you were in Paint.
You can choose from different types of tips, thicknesses, and colors, and you also have an eraser to quickly remove mistakes.
7. Change the background
From Canva you can change the background of your design without any problem, since the platform has a wide variety of options available.
If you don't like any of the default backgrounds, you can choose a base color as your background.
8. Explore Canva apps
Finally, from the Apps option you can access unique tools in their style with which you can take your design to the next level.
You'll be able to create emojis, repeat design patterns, write text with interactive fonts, create logos from scratch, design elements with AI, and more.
Within this section you will also find paid and free apps., so depending on your plan within Canva, you may see more or fewer options.
Advantages of using Canva that you will love

Canva has undoubtedly gained huge popularity in recent years and this is due to all the advantages it offers:
1. No installation required
While Canva isn't the only graphic design program you'll find on the market, it is the only one that offers you all these benefits. without having to install it on your computer.
Forget about viruses that can infect your computer and the amount of space you need for that application. Canva is an option that takes a lot of the work out of your mind, don't hesitate.
2. Automatic saving for a next session
How many times have you been working on your computer and suddenly something goes wrong, causing it to restart, and you lose all the progress you've made? Yes, it's frustrating, but with Canva, you'll never have to go through that again.
Not having a desktop version, everything you do is saved immediately, so no matter what happens to your computer, your design will be protected against any unforeseen events.
3. Compatible with mobile devices
Canva does not overlook the importance of responsive design today and therefore Its interface adapts perfectly to the device from which you access it, whether it is the computer or the mobile phone.
No matter what device you have, Android or iOS, you can now download the app and create the designs you want from the palm of your hand.
So, now that you know what Canva is and how to get started with it, You are ready to create your own professional designs without any specialized knowledge..