Ah, Canva, the app we couldn't live without. Creating presentations, flyers, social media posts and videos, it's all possible. Is Canva new to you or would you just like to learn more? These 8 tools will help you create the most glitzy designs and amaze everyone.
1 Background remover (pro)
One of our most used tools is the background remover tool. No more fiddling around in Photoshop trying to get rid of that ugly background. With one click Canva does all the work for you. Note that this is a Canva Pro feature but don't worry, at the bottom of this blog you can try Canva Pro for free for 30 days. Click on the image you want to remove the background from and click the 'edit image' button, then select 'remove background'. Not quite happy with the result? Use the eraser brush to remove additional areas that Canva missed. Click on the restore brush to bring back some parts of the photo.
2 Record presentations (pro)
You want to record your sales pitch and send it to your customers. How do you get started? Simple, you can easily record and send presentations via Canva. Click the share button at the top right of your presentation and then click 'view & record'. Click "go to recording studio". A new tab will open where you can set your camera and microphone. Click on start. 3, 2, 1, action! End the presentation when you're done, a few seconds and your recording will be ready. Not quite satisfied with the result? Delete the existing recording and start again. This is also a Canva-Pro tool.
3 PDF editor (free)
We all know the situation: you receive a PDF file, but you would like to change a few things here and there. Canva is a free and easy way to upload and edit PDF files. Go to the search bar on the homepage and click on the cloud with the arrow next to the camera. Now select the PDF you want to upload or drag it into Canva. Go to your designs and you will now see your PDF appear here. Add, delete or move elements. From now on, you can really customise everything in your PDF. No more fiddling with Adobe Acrobat. Because honestly, who can work with that?
4 Branding material (free)
Another useful tool is the one for branding materials. Bundling corporate identities has never been easier. Click on 'brand material' in the left menu on the homepage. Then click on 'new house style' and give it a name. Now you can add logos, brand colours and fonts. For subsequent designs you can now easily find your brand material in the left menu, under the button styles. A nice extra is that when you click on your branded material, Canva suggests different colour combinations. With the free Canva version you are limited in the amount of branding you can add, with the pro version you can add as much as you want. In our opinion, this tool is really indispensable!
5 Colour picker (free)
There is nothing more annoying than trying to copy an exact colour without knowing the hex code. With Canva, you can easily select colours with the eyedropper tool. Click on the colour box in your design. Click on the plus sign, 'add a new colour'. Click on the pipette next to the hex code and select colours from photos, elements and so on. Pretty handy, right?
6 Video editor (free)
Not a hero in video editing with programs like Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere Pro? Don't worry, with Canva you can easily edit videos like Instagram reels as well as other videos for Youtube. Go to the homepage and type 'video' or 'Instagram reels' into the search bar. Upload the shots you want to use or use stock videos. You can split shots, add transitions, add music... And all this with the free version of Canva.
7 Forward presentation as a website (free)
Another free tool we often use is the one for sharing presentations. Suppose you have created a nice presentation for a webinar or workshop. Canva allows you to easily share presentations with others in view mode. Open your presentation and click the share button in the top right corner. Click on the three dots and scroll until you see 'website'. You can choose between different web styles and then click 'open website'. Canva has now automatically created a mini-website for you to view your presentation. Copy the URL in the search bar at the top and forward it via email.
8 Arranging elements (free)
The last tool that has saved us a lot of time in the past is this one for arranging elements. There's nothing more annoying than getting several boxes exactly aligned with the same amount of spacing. Instead of dragging your elements one by one, you can arrange them. Select your elements and click on the "position" button at the top right. Click the 'arrange' button and Canva will do the work for you. Woohoo, this is also a free tool!
Try Canva Pro for free for 30 days
You can use the free version and it is great, BUT the Canva Pro version has many advantages and is very affordable. If you are a blogger, entrepreneur, marketing manager or small business owner, Canva Pro will save you time and money. You can now create easier and faster with Canva. If you want to take your designs to the next level, you can try Canva Pro free for 30 days here. Let's take a look at some of the features and benefits of Canva Pro:
Expand your Branding. (Add more colour palettes, logos, icons and custom fonts).
Animate your designs.
Schedule your social media posts.
Collaborate with your team. Work together on different projects.
New functions that will save you a lot of time like the background remover, save with a transparent background, magic resize...
Extension of your organisation tools.
Access to more than 60 million free images and elements from the library.
And the list goes on. In short, everything you need for professional designs.
Zin in meer Canva?
In our online Creative Canva Designer course you can learn even more tips and tricks.
