Use Canva to create branded content
Use Canva to create branded content
1. Gather all of your brand's creative assets, including logo, hex color codes, and font names.
Install the ColorPick Eyedropper Chrome extension to select color codes from any webpage. Use the Inspect tool in any browser by highlighting any text, right-clicking, and selecting Inspect to look up the font name. The font name can be found under the Styles tab. Save company photos and images to your computer or a shared cloud drive so you can easily add them to Canva. Alternatively, hire a graphic designer to gather your assets.
2. If you currently have a free Canva account, consider upgrading to a Pro or Enterprise plan.
A paid account allows you to build brand kits with your logos, fonts, and brand colors. When someone on your team builds a new design, they can use the assets from the brand kit to easily create branded content. When choosing a paid plan, evaluate how many assets you’ll need and how many people on your team will need to use Canva. The Pro plan is ideal for small businesses or individuals who want access to more design features. The Enterprise plan is best for large businesses where multiple people will need access to the designs.
3. Decide on the purpose for each design to pick a pre-sized blank or set its dimensions manually.
For example, a graphic for a Facebook cover photo will require different dimensions than a business card design. Check your website platform and theme for any size restrictions. For example, graphics for blog posts may always need to be 600×800. By using pre-sized blanks, you don’t have to worry about manually resizing your graphic later, and it won’t look pixelated or blurry when you add it to your website or social media channels.
4. Select a template or start building a custom design by using the options in the side navigation panel.
The most commonly used design options are: Uploads: upload files from your computer. Photos: search for stock photos, many of which are free to use. Elements: add shapes, photo grids, stickers, charts, and more. Text: add headings, subheadings, and body text. Audio: add background music. Videos: add motion graphics. Background: add textured or patterned backgrounds.
5. Use the color tool to change the colors of your background, text, or shapes.
If your brand’s preferred fonts are not available, you can upload your fonts into a Brand Kit with a Canva Pro, CYou can search for names of colors such as blue or red, but there are multiple variations of each color and selecting the wrong shade can result in your designs being off-brand. Use your brand’s hex color codes for the exact color you need. The hex color code will always be a six-digit figure such as #000000 or #ffffff.
6. When adding text, use the toolbar at the top to select your brand's fonts.
If your brand’s preferred fonts are not available, you can upload your fonts into a Brand Kit with a Canva Pro, Canva for Enterprise, Canva for Education, or Canva for Nonprofits account.
7. Edit and format your photos to reflect your brand's aesthetic.
Whether you are uploading your own photos or using one of Canva’s stock photos, you can add filters, adjust the brightness of the image, and adjust the transparency so that they remain consistent with your brand. For example, if your brand features a lot of black and white imagery, apply a grayscale filter to your photos.