With that said, there are still situations where you may choose to use your phone for image editing. Perhaps you have to create an image on the go, or maybe you just don’t feel like getting off the sofa. Whatever the case, the Canva app can help.
Why Should You Use Canva?
If you’re completely new to Canva, you should know that this is a cloud-based, image editing software. Its power lies in its user-friendly, drag-and-drop templates that help you create professional images, even if you have zero knowledge in graphic design.
To use it, you have to create an account. But the good news is that the free account provides you with more than enough features to get started. After you use it for a while, you may want to consider the benefits of upgrading to Canva Pro.
While the software works best on a desktop, it also has a convenient app for both Android and iOS. With this guide, we’ll explain how to use all that the app has to offer.
The Basic Features of the Canva App
The main window of the app is divided into three screens—Home, Designs, and Menu. Let’s go over each of these sections, and what you can find on them.
The Home Screen
We’ll start with Home, which is the first thing you see when you launch the app (after you sign in). This screen is where you can browse all of the app’s templates.
At the top of the screen, there’s a search bar, where you can use keywords to look for templates. Beneath that, you’ll find the Create a design heading.
When you choose one of these options (Instagram post, poster, Facebook cover, etc.) you’re directed to a page with templates specifically for those dimensions. If you want to start from scratch instead, you can choose Blank.
Further down on the Home page, you’ll see templates in a variety of formats, each labeled according to its purpose. The purple plus (+) button on the bottom right corner of the screen is another way to create a blank canvas. When you tap it, you can choose the size you want, and it will open a new empty workspace.
The Designs Screen
Moving on to the Designs screen. This is where you can see everything you created on your account, whether it was on desktop or mobile.
Each image has two buttons on the top right corner. The arrow icon lets you download that image, while the three dots icon opens a popup menu with multiple choices, including Edit, Make a Copy, and Share.
Remember that Edit will override your previous design. So if you like your design and want to keep it for future use, choose Make a Copy instead.
The Menu Screen
The Menu screen is where you can see additional features. The two most important features here are Shared with You and All Your Folders.
In the former, you can see your colleagues’ designs that you were invited to edit. In the latter, you can see a folder of your uploads, as well as your Liked designs.
Create and Modify Your Design
Now, we’ll go over the features you have when you actually create your image. Start with one of the templates. In our example, we chose an Instagram post. Note that not all templates are available with a free account, so look for the ones marked as Free.
You can edit each element of the image—text, pictures, background, shapes—by tapping on it. You can also move it around, and the app helps you align the objects in the center of the image, or in relation to other objects.
Each element has a different set of options once you tap it, which appear on the menu at the bottom of the screen. A picture, for instance, has the Replace button, where you can upload a picture from your phone, use your camera, or use any of the free-to-use pictures Canva has on offer.
You can also add effects, filters, crop the picture, and more. To edit a text box, tap it once and press Edit. Then, you can change the font, size, alignment, and more.
One very effective tool is the Nudge tool. It lets you move elements by just one pixel at a time, using arrow buttons. This is good for precision, as a touch screen lacks that.
Of course, you can also add new elements to the design with the plus (+) button. You can change the template in that menu (which will override the existing template), add pictures and audio, change the background, and access all of your folders.
Download or Share Your Canva Design
After you play around with all of the components of the picture and create the perfect image (or video), it’s time to put it to use. To do that, you need to use the buttons at the top of the screen.
The downward-pointing arrow saves the design to your device, while the one that points upwards lets you share it. The Share button is one of the main benefits of the Canva app. After you’re done with your image, you can share it with friends and colleagues on WhatsApp or Slack directly.
You can also post your image straight to Instagram or TikTok, whereas in the desktop version you’d have to transfer the image to your phone. And if you have a Pro account, you can even schedule the post on social media directly from the app.
Unlock All That Canva Has to Offer
Whether you use Canva on your mobile device or on your computer, this tool has a lot to offer. It can really up your social media game, but it can also help you create logos, presentations, collages, and even phone wallpapers (which is exactly why you’d want to use the app).
With its endless selection of templates, you can create a new design every time you log in. And after you get familiar with it, you’ll be able to start from scratch and create your own custom designs that are sure to impress.
