Learn Canva Online Free

Hey guys, Jim here. And today I wanted to do a review of Canva, which is an online design platform I've been using for several years now, I wanted to tell you why I like using it, why I continue to use it over the alternatives out there, and then even talk a bit about the free versus the paid version, and also share some reasons why you may even want to consider using something else. So what is Canva? Well, Canva is an online design platform that allows you to easily make a wide range of visual materials, things like logos, and flyers, or YouTube thumbnails. As far as the cost goes, it's free to use and this is one of the best things about it. But you also have the option to purchase select graphics and photos for $1. Canva also has a subscription service that costs either 1295 a month per team member, or you can pay annually 119, which comes to about just under $10 a month per team member.

However, the free version works just fine. That is what I've used most of the time, I have upgraded to the pro plan occasionally. So I'll talk more about that in a bit.

So when it comes to usability Canva is super easy to use. So for starters, all you have to do is sign in with your Gmail account and you can literally be logged in and ready to design in seconds. Then on your homepage, you'll find an option to view all of your designs as thumbnails on the same page, which is super helpful if you're managing a lot of different projects. Now if you prefer not to see your designs laid out in front of you, you can also store them in folders. But keep in mind with the free version you only have two folders you can use. Otherwise, for three or more or unlimited folders you'll need to pay to upgrade to Canva Pro. Now one of the questions I want to answer is what if you're a true newbie, like let's say you're designing your first logo or flyer? Well, the good news is there's no need to be intimidated. Although it may still feel intimidating at first. And that's because Canvas's layout is simple and intuitive. And the drag and drop format makes it really accessible. You can easily make changes to your fonts, graphics, and background effects and play around with your layout. And for me after spending time using the Adobe Creative Cloud or Adobe InDesign, it's so refreshing on camera to see all the editing options labeled with words, not just icons, which really shortens the learning curve.

There's something to note though, is that this drag and drop features and labeled editing options are common among most other free design platforms. But I find the editing options on Canva to be more versatile and varied compared to the other free design platforms out there. Now if you're one of those people who just doesn't trust your eye for design, you can pretty much count on Canva to keep you from making any horrific style-related errors. Yes, there are some cringy templates that look just a little too old school in a bad way. But all platforms have their fair share of these. And what I found is that Canva has a lot less and has a lot of great-looking templates that I can use, which is one of the reasons I keep using Canva.

So if you're using a template as your jumping-off point, which I certainly do some of the time, the majority of Canvas templates are contemporary enough that you can easily find one that is in the style or genre that you're looking for within a few minutes. And then just swapping your information for the generic text. And besides altering the template is as easy as changing the graphic colors switching up the font or even swapping out a generic picture for one of your own. The coolest of all though is you can even change the colors in multicolored icons, which is something unique to Canva and that makes a generic icon easily customized as your own.

Now, if you are planning on sharing your visual media Canva has the added benefit of third-party integration. It's integrated with almost all the popular social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and commercial-free stock platforms. Now if you're one of those people who have your own creative style and more of a background in design Canva can still be a great platform for you if it gives you plenty of freedom to change fonts, layouts, backgrounds, and to add and edit images of your own. I find that the basic classic fonts are all readily available with Canvas free program. And there are also hundreds of fonts that have tons of personality and a lot of edges. The only reason you would need to upgrade to Canva pro in terms of fonts is if there's one particular font that you really want to use as a dress

Like park or ESPN font for a sports design, and this is something that can only be uploaded in the paid program. Now if you find that you're using a lot of text and graphics in your design, it can sometimes be tricky on Canva to manage all of these layers without a proper layers menu. So if you want to alter an image that is surrounded by other elements, you have to move all the other images out of the way to get to your targeted element. And then when you're done, you have to move everything back into place. So this is an aspect of Canva that I do find frustrating. But I still like using Canva. And that's because although this takes me a little extra time to do all the other efficiencies and time-saving creative tools that I benefit from by using Canva. It still makes it well worth it.

One of the biggest benefits is that you can download your logos and any artwork you create as PNG files with transparent backgrounds. And this is almost like an absolute must for logo making. You can also add up to 50 collaborators on your team, you get more folders for storing your files, and you have the ability to resize your images instantly. And this resizing is a huge asset, especially for beginners or if you're starting out because a common mistake when making a graphic is to make the dimensions too small, which can result in a design with poor resolution. So when you have the option to go ahead and resize it, it saves you from having to start from scratch or take a few too many steps to correct the issue on your current file. And now all of the paid plans do offer more templates, more images, icons, illustrations, you also have more fonts you can choose from, and the ability to upload your own custom fonts. As I mentioned before, now I've not really found the number of images and templates to be lacking in the free version of Canva.

Now Canva pro also offers a free trial. That's a great way just to see how well it works for you. And to find out if you really need or want to use those extra features or if you can live without them and just use the free plan. So the bottom line is Canva worth it. Is it worth trying? Is it worth using? I would say absolutely. You know, for anyone who's brand new to graphic designers generally intimidated by design Canva would be the one I'd recommend. Also for someone who is a more seasoned designer, and you're looking for something just to maybe create a logo or a flyer or whatever it is, with more efficiency, you don't need all the fine-tuning you just want something that's you know, kind of good enough where quick is better than having some you know, being able to spend a bunch of time making it perfect. That's where Canva also I think would be a good fit for someone.