If you’re an online business you will need to find a graphic design program to help with social media graphics, newsletters and any other type of promotional materials. With so many different programs out there, it can be difficult to figure out what to use.

Here at DrakeCo, we LOVE Canva! We use it for all of our business designs and our client’s designs. We are going to share why we love it, what we use it for and some tips and tricks to help get you started! 

Why we use Canva:

Canva is designed for users to create stunning graphics quickly and easily, even with little to no graphic design knowledge. The way Canva has laid everything out makes it super simple to create incredibly eye-catching designs. Unlike most programs, Canva’s free version allows you to do so much that you don’t need to upgrade unless you have a large client load that requires more specialized fonts and colours. 

What we use it for:

Everything! Honestly, we use Canva for everything. Social media graphics, newsletters, web, blog graphics, ebooks, workbooks, the list goes on and on. Anything that needs to catch people’s attention, we create in Canva. Not only do we use Canva for many things here at DrakeCo, but we also use it for our clients too. 

Tips & Tricks:

We have a few simple tips to help you get started on designing:

1. Choose two different fonts that contrast. This will help you to highlight certain words, or sentences to help draw the eye and break up the text. When you’re first starting out, don’t use more than two fonts together. We suggest a script and a serif font. 
2. Just like fonts, go easy on colour. You don’t want your graphic to be overwhelming with many different colours. Keep it simple and stick to 3-4 colours max. It is also a great way to start branding your graphics. Use the same colours and people will start to recognize your graphics as yours with a quick look.
3. Keep it simple. A graphic doesn’t always have to be complex. A simple, clean graphic can be just as beautiful and eye-catching, plus it will quickly get your point across.
4. Use the Canva brand kit. This will save you so much time and you will have the right colours and fonts at your fingertips so each graphic will stay consistent and on brand.
5. Use the templates. If you’re just starting out, or if you are short on time, use the templates Canva provides. Our tip for this – change it up to match the brand you are representing and try to put a bit of a personal spin on it. It is a great place to start and to get your creativity going.

Free Version vs. Paid Version 

Like most platforms, Canva offers a free and paid version. However, the free version offers a fair amount of access to the different elements. Given the abilities you have within the free version, it’s not imperative you upgrade right away. There are options in the free version for specific paid upgrades. For example, if you want to use a photo that is not available in the free version, you can purchase just that photo. 

The paid version of course provides you with even more. More photos, different elements, fonts, the ability to upload and use special colours and allows different folders and team functions. 

If you are just starting out, the free version will be more than enough. If you run a business with a lot of clients who require design work, the paid version may be more of what you need. 

You no longer need to let graphic design intimidate you. Canva has laid everything out and has made it super simple to create amazing designs. Have some fun playing around and let the creative juices flow. 

We would love to see some of the designs you come up with!