Using Canva templates to create stylish assets to promote your business is a breeze – whether you are design savvy or not.

Created by graphic designers, all you need to do is update the placeholder text with your own, swap out any images and colours for those that work with your own brand – and you’ve got a great new design ready to go.

Need a little more guidance on just how to do those things?  Read on my friends….

2. Select your template

What do you want to create today?  Select from hundreds of templates available – Instagram posts, flyers, presentations –  you have plenty to choose from to get your started.
If you using one of my templates, just follow the link provided in the user guide PDF .

3. Upload your own files

Upload your own logo files (PNG works best for transparency over images), profile photo, and any other images that you want to include in your design.  Do this by selecting “Uploads” in the left hand menu column, and then the purple “Upload Media” option which will allow you to import files from your device.

4. Insert or replace images 

Once you have uploaded your files they will be ready for you to drag and drop from the uploads folder into the placeholders on your design.  Drag the edges of the bounding box to change the ratio of the image box, or drag the corners to resize.

If there aren’t any images in your template, there may be other elements such as shapes or backgrounds.  You’ll be able to replace these if desired from the “elements” library, located under your uploads folder.

5. Edit text & fonts

If you are familiar with using Microsoft or pretty much any email program, this part should be pretty easy.

To edit any text in your template, simply double click the text box and then enter your own words.  You can change the colour, size and font of your text from the options in the menu at the top of your screen.

For colour options, choose from the suggested palette colours or default colours, or you can input your own hex code.

Have fun getting creative, but remember to keep it legible.

6. Download your design 

Once you are happy with your final result, you can download as a PDF publication – ready to share digitally.  Select the download arrow in the right cover of your screen to see download options.

Best to download as a JPG or PNG for screens or a PDF standard for emailable documents.  If you want to print your designs, Canva also a download as PDF Print option.

There you have it.  You’ve mastered using Canva templates!  But there is MUCH more you can do with this great resource.

If you are looking for inspiration or some intentionally designed templates to use in your business, check out my shop page.  Created with the home & lifestyle professional in mind, these templates include plenty of gorgeous royalty-free images that you can use straight from the template.

Danielle x

Disclaimer: This article includes affiliate links for Canva (a design tool I use, love & recommend) and I would love if you decided to use them. Affiliate links help creators like me to fund the free content that we provide such as my freebie templates.