If you’re looking for an easy way to create graphics for your blog, Canva is a great option. It’s free and easy to use, which is why it’s so popular among bloggers. I’ve been using Canva for years now, and here are some basic tips to use Canva that can help you get started on designing beautiful images faster than ever before.
Let’s take a look at my favorites:
Set up your account
To get started with Canva, you first need to set up an account. To do this, click on the “Create Account” button in the top right corner of the screen.
If you are a business user, you will go through a few extra steps like adding your business name and address. Otherwise, just follow these steps:
- Enter your email address.
- Enter your password twice to confirm! Make sure that it is secure.
Use the templates for your blog’s niche.
Start with the templates that are closest to your blog’s niche.
For example, if you have a travel blog, then start with the Travel category and look through those designs first.
Remember to consider how it will fit in with your overall design. You can also try adding different Elements to see if they work better for you by clicking on “Add an element” and then clicking on each one until you find one that suits what you want to use it for best!
Decide what sizes you want to use for your blog images.
Once you have a template, decide what sizes you want to use for your blog images. The Canva interface has several templates that are ready to use.
The templates have different sizes of images and text already built into them. This makes it easy for you to change things around quickly and easily.
You can also create your own custom designs by starting with one of their existing templates or choosing one of their pre-made images as the foundation for your design.
Use folders to organize your designs.
Once you’ve created a design, you can save it in one of your folders. Saving a design into a folder organizes your projects and makes it easy for you to find the right design when you need it.
You can create as many folders as you want using the Create New Folder button at the top of your canvas. This will create a new folder at the bottom of your list.
Each time you create a new folder, Canva automatically assigns it an image from our library to help identify its contents.
You may want to create different folders based on their use:
- A blog post template – All templates that are used in this blog post belong in this folder;
- Blog Banner – All banners used on this site are stored here;
- Social Media – You might have created different designs for each social media platform so they go into their own individual folders;
- Print Invitation Card Template – The invitation cards I’m designing right now go into this one!
Use visual hierarchy to make the text pop.
- Use a font size that is larger than the rest of the text.
- Bolden up your text to make it stand out.
- Use a different color for your text than for other elements in the graphic, like headers and links.
Experiment with different Fonts to get creative and add variety to your designs.
Use stock images by searching them based on keywords.
Now that you have a better understanding of Canva and its features, let’s see how you can use it to create graphics for your blog.
The first step is to search for stock images using keywords relevant to your blog.
When searching for images on Canva, make sure that the words you use are also relevant to the topic of your blog or website.
For example, if you want an image of a book cover design then type in “book cover design” when looking for images in Canva’s search box.
This will help narrow down the results and make it easier for users like yourself who are looking specifically for this kind of image just as much as possible!
Search for inspiration and ideas that work together without overdoing it.
When you are looking for design elements, look for ones that can be used to create a visual hierarchy. This will make your blog easier to read and look visually appealing.
Don’t be afraid of using color!
The world is full of color and it can help bring life into your content but don’t overdo it.
If you use too many colors in one element, it will start to seem cluttered and take away from the overall message of your blog post.
In Canva there are so many different fonts available at your fingertips so don’t be afraid to experiment with different fonts but also keep things simple enough that they aren’t distracting from what matters most: content!
Keep a consistent color scheme.
You should always use the same colors throughout your design, but you can sometimes add pops of color. Just make sure they’re consistent with the rest of your design.
If you want to use different colors for text than for images, that is fine too.
Consider one-off elements that add new dimensions to your work once you’ve mastered the basics.
Once you’ve mastered the basics, consider one-off elements that you can use to add new dimensions to your work.
Here are some ideas for graphics that are more complex than a simple title or image:
- Gradients either from scratch or by using a template.
- 3D effects
- Textured backgrounds.
Use free fonts rather than purchasing fonts.
Free fonts are much more accessible, and you don’t have to worry about the hassle (and cost) of accessing, installing, and using paid fonts.
If you use a free font in your design with Canva, it will be available on all devices—whether it’s a smartphone or computer.
Free fonts often offer more customization options than paid fonts do.
For example, some free fonts allow you to select from different styles (regular vs bold), sizes, and weights (light vs bold).
In addition to this, you may also be able to adjust the spacing between letters by dragging the letters closer together or farther apart in order for them to appear as part of your chosen font family while maintaining readability.
This might not apply if the typeface is meant exclusively for headlines rather than body text because they have been designed with different criteria in mind like readability.
Once you’ve settled on a font, use only that font unless you have a specific reason to change it.
If you’re going to use a font in your design, use that font consistently. That means no switching out the font for any reason.
The same goes for colors and elements. While it’s okay to have multiple colors, make sure they’re different enough that they don’t feel like one color (unless you’re going for a specific look).
And when it comes to elements, don’t overdo it on gradients and textures either—too much can really muddy up an image and make it look busy or cluttered.
Don’t feel like you need to overdo bolding either: Sometimes less is more when it comes to titles and headings; If everything is bolded then nothing stands out at all!
Don’t add too many elements or it will get crowded and confusing.
There are a number of ways you can keep your design simple and clear.
- Avoid clutter by limiting the number of colors, fonts, shapes, and words on each image.
- Use one photo per design to avoid overloading the page with too many images.
- Keep the main message of your blog in mind when designing your title, tagline, and call-to-action buttons.
Balance elements.
You’ll want to make sure that it feels balanced and doesn’t visually unbalance.
For example, if you have something large on one side, put something small on the other side, or vice versa.
Don’t overdo the white space.
One of the most common mistakes people make when designing images for their blogs is to overdo the white space.
This can result in an image that looks too empty and uninteresting or one that is so crowded with text and graphics that it loses its impact.
Finding a balance between these two extremes is key, and fortunately, there are ways you can do this with Canva.
First off, every design tool has limitations: no matter how much you want to work with all of your images at once (and we hope you do), Canva only lets you upload one at a time.
That means if you’re making lots of changes or trying out different combinations until something clicks.
It takes some trial and error before everything works together just right!
Conclusion
I hope you’ve enjoyed basic tips to use Canva!
The post 20 Tips to use Canva to make amazing graphics first appeared on AptBlogger.
