New to Canva? Where to Start? Why the Library of Course!

When in doubt go to the library. (J.K. Rowling)

Welcome back! Have you signed up for your Canva account? If not, be sure to do so - you won't regret it. Over the years I have used PageMaker (which no longer exits) as well as Publisher to create posters, posts, booklets and more. I still have Publisher, but I almost never use it because it is just easier to use Canva.

If you are new to Canva I really recommend that you start with the Canva Template Library.

If you are naturally creative or have studied graphic design, this tip may not apply to you. Having said that, if you are in a hurry you might find it easier to edit a ready made design than to stare at a blank page.

Where To Start

For those of us who are not so gifted artistically, the Canva template library is a terrific place to start. But before you get too overwhelmed by all the choices, take a deep breath and start by deciding:

• what you are creating - is it a post for Facebook or Instagram, is it a poster or a bulletin insert...

• what size you need - 8.5 x 11 inches, 5.5 x 8.5 inches, 1080 x 1080 pixels (Instagram square), 1080 x 1350 pixels (Instagram vertical)

• the colors you want to use - consider the liturgical season you are in, the type of event...

• whether you want a design that includes a photo(s) or graphics or just text.

Once you have thought about what you need, enter your criteria into Canva's search bar on the home page. Numerous templates will come up for you to choose from - remember, do not get overwhelmed.

Keeping in mind the criteria you have decided on then start scrolling to see what speaks to you. I generally scroll at least through the first screen and maybe the second screen. I star* the designs I like and then I make my choice.

*When you hover over a design a star will appear in the top right corner, click on it to keep track of the designs you like. You will find your starred templates by going to the Projects tab on the left-hand side menu and then going to the Starred Folder. It may also be in a folder under the Templates tab - the starred folder tends to move around. You can go to the Canva Help Page if you are having trouble locating it.

Your First Design

I put in "Flyer for Catholic Mass". The photo above shows you some of what came up. Which one do you like? You don't have to like every part of the design, remember you can change things up once you have opened it to edit.

It's really that simple. Next week I'll walk you through the step-by-step of creating a Facebook Post for Lent.

One final piece of advice, particularly for those who do not have a graphic design background, be judicious in what elements you change. This tip is especially important for the fonts - remember the graphic artist who chose them probably did a whole course on fonts. In a future blog post I'll talk about the basics of fonts and how to use them.

See ya soon! 👋