Hi there! If you’re here, you might consider yourself somewhat of an advanced user of the free graphic design creation service, Canva.com (the amazing!).
There are a number of incredible things that Canva does, but in this video, I’ll show you a few “secret” tricks that can help you make your Canva designs even more unique (to stand apart from the crowd).
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Using Transparent Layers
One of my favorite tips is to do a Google Search for patterns. Subsequently, take it a step further by using Search Tools and choose “transparent.” This way, you’ll get a “top” layer. Then, you can Google a bottom layer to make a really unique pattern. You can also find transparent accents and images this way by using Google Tools, a rarely utilized tool except to the Google obsessed like we are!
Shapes to Frame Text
Some pictures work perfectly to have text on top, but others cross into white and black for example, obscuring the text. What to do? Use “Shapes” in Canva. Choose a square or rectangle (usually my go-to) and use the “arrange” button to place it behind your text. Choose your color, or change to gray and use the transparent filter to lightly offset text from the image. Measure your shape around your text and you can make your text more readable over the image in Canva.
Using Illustrations to Make Canva Designs
Another fun technique for creative users of Canva is to use the “Illustrations” section and searching for items that are often decorative. Some examples are: leaves, stars, flowers, ferns, swirls… Then, pull them into the corners of your graphic to create a frame or use instead of a line to separate text. You can also expand them. Use the “arrange” function and push to the back of everything. Next, use the “transparent” tool to make the design the base of the background. As a result, this additional layering can add interest to your piece and set apart text as well.
The More You Know!
I constantly encounter not-so-great circumstances made from the best intentions when it comes to marketing. There are just so many details that only someone who lives and breathes this stuff is going to be able to help you with. If you’re a small business who has been doing it all yourself, consider a break and an upgrade. I’d love to chat with you about both. Click here to schedule a time to meet.
