Learn how Canva works to create stunning graphics online. Discover the easy-to-use design tools that make graphic design accessible to everyone. Start designing today!

Taking advantage of free graphics programs or tools that can allow you to create Instagram posts is particularly advantageous if you want to optimize your working time. Time management is a factor that should not be overlooked when you need to plan online content well.

To have maximum control you can rely on Canva , a versatile software that will help you, with a fairly intuitive interface, to create graphics with its free or professional version. Let’s see what it is and how to best use the program.

What Canva is and how it works

Maybe you’ve never heard of Canva , so it’s appropriate to give it a definition first. Canva is nothing more than an online or local platform that allows you to create graphics , calendars , posters , ebook covers , books , mind maps , invoice layouts and much more for work and entertainment. An image editor that in its premium version also adds several artificial intelligence tools . You can create digital content for social networks or generate graphics that can be useful for a presentation or training.

In addition to the official website , accessible directly from your web browser , Canva also has its official application for iOS or Android systems , thanks to which you will have the same editing tools at your disposal, albeit with some small differences in the main interface.

But how does Canva actually work? First of all you have to choose the platform on which you want to use Canva, specifically you can use the software on: web browser, desktop App for Windows PC and Mac or Canva App for iOS and Android. With the web browser, the server will manage the resources, while with the application and software you will have to rely on the hardware of your device.

Once you have chosen the “machine” on which to run Canva, you must necessarily log in to the platform . Go to the Canva website on your PC and click on Sign up , at the top right, or from the application you can just launch it and tap on Sign up . You have the option to Login with: personal email , business email , Google account , Facebook account , Apple account , Microsoft account and Clever account .

Canva free and Canva Pro

We told you that there is a free Canva and Canva Pro version , but how are they different?

• With the free version you can access a limited number of predefined templates with up to 5GB of Cloud space.
• With the paid Pro version , you have unlimited access to premium templates, more than 100 million archived elements , background removal, more design tools, cloud storage up to 1TB, customer support and artificial intelligence tools. Tools like Band Kit , with which you can load additional characters, are not available in the free version.

The price of Canva Pro is 12 euros per month , with the annual plan you would spend 144 euros , if you chose annual billing the cost would become 9.16 euros per month for a total of 110 euros per year . Fortunately, however, if you want to try the Canva Pro service first , you can also do so for free by taking advantage of the limited time period of 30 days . A good incentive to test all the features of the software.

How to use Canva

Once you have completed the registration phase and logged in, where you just need to enter the registration email and type the access code you received, you will have to interact with the graphic editor interface. If you are starting from scratch, click on Create a project , at the top right, and select one of the options from the Recommended ones . You can select Video, Online Whiteboard, Logo, Instagram Post (Vertical), Instagram Post (Square), Instagram Reel, Presentation (16:9) or start creating from content with custom dimensions , Import files or customize the dimensions of the virtual sheet . If, however, you already want a basis to start from, click on Templates in the left bar and choose one from the selectable ones.

Other menus and submenus are visible at the top:

• Graphic projects: Visual Documents, Photos and Videos, Prints and Marketing.
• Work: Canva for business, Solutions and Resources.
• Teaching: Teachers and school, LMS integrations, Students, Case Studies, Free resources for teachers and Higher education.
• Plans and prices: Free, Pro and Team (270 euros per year for a minimum of 3 people).
• Learning: Create great designs, Canva Blog, Design School, Events and Help Center.

If you don’t see any interesting default templates then we recommend creating one from scratch. After choosing one, press Customize this template . The real control panel for editing images will open. In the center you will notice the main workspace, where you can drag and load the files you want to customize into it.

In the left bar there are editing tools such as:

• Project: where you can choose Templates and Styles and perform searches.
• Elements: Find shapes, graphics, stickers, photos, videos, audio, tables, frames, grids, mockups, collections and more.
• Text– You can add your branded fonts, add titles, subtitles and body text. You will also find different combinations of fonts to take inspiration from or use.
• Brand: choose the colors, fonts, voice, photos, logos, graphics and icons of your corporate kit.
• Uploads: Insert images, video and audio to your project.
• Drawing: Have fun applying freehand colors to your project.
• Projects: You can explore all your work and navigate through folders, images, and videos.
• Apps: Create unique projects by accessing this section of popular, AI-powered apps or your media content.
• Background: Take advantage of the various patterns, landscapes, gradients, abstract, nature offered by Canva to generate truly unique backgrounds.
• Content Magic: Apply styles and proportions to your project by letting Canva help you by asking for ideas.

At the top of the screen , by clicking on the elements of your project you will see other tools to use. For example, if you click on the image , the available items are: Edit Image, Flip, Edge Style, Animation, Position, Transparency, Copy Style, Lock Position Only. By clicking on the text of the project , however, you will see: Font, Size, Text color, Bold, Italic, Underline, Strikethrough, Capitalization, Alignment, List, Spacing, Effects, Animation, Position, Transparency, Copy style, Lock position only.

Just above the project, 3 small icons are visible: Only allow replacement of contents (clicking on it will show Lock page ), Duplicate page , Add page . You’ll need some practice before you master all the tools, but the end result is more than an incentive to get started.

Let’s now see in detail how to carry out the most common operations.

Canva how to remove the background

If your goal is to remove a background from an image you can do it in just a few steps. Log in to Canva with your account and click Create a new project or open an existing project. From here select Uploads > Upload Files > Images , which you want to remove the background from. Click on Edit Image , at the top, and then on Effects , among the tools at the top. Scroll down and click on the Remove background option , wait a few seconds and you’re done. However, this tool is only available with Canva Pro .

Canva how to insert photos into a shape

On the editor sidebar, click Elements and select Frame and then Show All . Click on the inserted frame and apply it to the page; from here, on the side panel click on Photos and select the photo you want to add. Drag it onto the page and resize it as you like. To make the Frame behind the image, select it and right-click and press Layer > Move to Back .

Canva how to add music

In the editor panel click on Elements and scroll until you find the Audio item , press Show all. Once you have created a new project or opened an existing one, drag the audio track you want to insert into your digital content. For music, however, you must select the Uploads item and add the music track, to which you can also change the volume with the option of the same name.

Canva how to save

The software automatically saves the progress of your work, but if you want to have maximum control, just click on File and then Save in the status bar . Before clicking Save and after clicking File , you can also give your project a name in the text box with the Pencil icon next to it . Canva is very similar to other software in this respect, just as on a Word document you will be comfortable saving manually.

Canva how to change format

If the file format is not what you want and you want to change it, click on Resize and convert in the top menu . Once you have chosen the format, for example Instagram Story, press Continue. To export the file in the format you prefer, click on File , Save as and choose the extension you want to work with locally.

Canva how to edit photos

As an image editor Canva is the ideal tool for personalizing photos, but how do you edit them? Upload your image into a new project and import the photo from the Uploads item in the status bar. From here you just need to select the image of your project to view the various tools at the top, such as: Edit image (with Effects, Adjust and Crop), Flip. Background Color , Animation, Change Duration, Position, Transparency, Copy Style, Lock Background . Remember that you must necessarily log in with your account to view all the tools.

Canva how to save a project

Once you have finished editing your file, all you have to do is save the project, perhaps to resume it later or share it with someone. To do so, click on Share or File in the software menu and select Download and then specify the file type (MP4, JPG, PNG, PDF, Print PDF, SVG, GIF) and quality . The project usually contains multiple pages, so you will need to select the ones you want to download. Click Download to confirm and save the work done on your device.

How to get Canva Pro for free

In addition to the 30 day free trial, it is possible to get Canva Pro for free, how? The Canva for School plan offers free access to all Canva Pro features for students and school districts.

Students must be invited to enroll by a teacher , who must request verification on this page . Schools must contact Canva to gain access . The platform guarantees content safety and suitability thanks to an advanced machine learning and human moderation system .

Canva for School is also available for teachers , integrating with educational tools such as Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams .

Apps similar to Canva

By relying on Canva you can benefit from a truly very interesting image editor, especially if you rely on the Pro version with a cloud storage system of up to 1TB and artificial intelligence tools. However, it must be underlined that there are many other solutions that may surprise you due to their ease of use and functionality.

Among the best alternatives we recommend the following software. Each of these has integrated tools similar to Canva.

• VistaCreate: is a versatile design tool with templates for social media , presentations , and advertising . Particularly suitable for creating captivating visual content quickly.
• Befunky: Combines advanced photo editing and graphic design tools, very useful if you want to create collages , cards and enhance images .
• Crello– Offers thousands of templates and designs for creating graphics for social media, blogging, and marketing. It is ideal for those looking for a user-friendly interface .
• Photopea: is a free online photo editor similar to Photoshop . It supports PSD formats and is ideal for users who need advanced editing tools without having to install software.
• Fotoram: features a wide range of effects just like a real photo editing program . It is useful for enhancing and transforming photos easily.
• Fotor– This photo editor has graphic design features and is perfect for creating professional images and visual marketing.
• Snappa– Provides simple tools for creating online and social media charts. It is ideal for bloggers and marketers who demand quick designs.

In conclusion, Canva is a powerful tool that simplifies the process of creating graphics online. Whether you are a small business owner, a social media influencer, or a student working on a project, Canva has everything you need to bring your ideas to life. Give Canva a try today and unleash your creativity!