Introducing Canva for Presentations

Meet a simplified web-based design tool where you can create everything from web and print media to presentation design and graphics – Canva for presentations!

It uses drag-and-drop with customizable templates and provides access to free stock photos, vector images, illustrations, and fonts. With Canva you can collaborate, share with other people, and publish to social media.

Below you will learn the basics of Canva from a presentation perspective.

Before we start creating, the page with all the design templates is displayed.

Now you also have mobile-first presentation templates in Canva!

There are categories like Print, Social Media, Documents, Education, Marketing and others. Let’s focus on presentations.

Here is the place where we choose the ratio of our presentation. There are two options: 4:3 and 16:9. However, 16:9 is the most popular.

After you choose the ratio the canvas will be displayed, together with the Editor. This is where you can design everything and share it with team members.

But let’s start with the menu bar.

The menu bar is on top of the screen. From the File menu, you can click Presentation (16:9) – Untitled and give a name to your presentation.

Show margins and Show print bleed – You can use them when you want to print some of your designs (Poster, Business Card, Postcard, Invitation).

Create a new design – When you want to start from scratch, click this button to see suggestions like New Presentation, Magazine Cover, Poster, Facebook post and many more.

Save – When editing a design in Canva, you’ll see the phrase “All Changes Saved” displayed at the top of your dashboard. It means your design is successfully saved. This automatically happens every few seconds.

Make a copy – It’s there if you want to make a copy of this file and change something. Just to have a backup you can click Make a copy and you will see the file in your Designs when you go to Home button.

Share –  Once your design is finished and you want to share with teammates or collaborate you have to write their email or just copy the link and share.

Download – If you wish to save a copy of your design to your computer, click on the white down arrow located in between the Share and the Publish button from the menu bar, select Download, and then select the file type you’d like to have.

Designs can be exported from Canva in a range of formats: PDF (Standard), PDF(Print) PNG, and JPEG.

If you want to deliver your presentation you can use Presentation mode. This way you don’t need to download it on your device.

There are two types of Presenter view:

• Standard (advance at your own pace)
• Presenter view (view notes and upcoming slides) – It’s good when you’re using a projector.

Publish – You have several places you can publish your designs like Facebook, Twitter, MailChimp, Dropbox, PowerPoint, Slack, Email and more.

Alternatively, you have a Website view (Scrolling, Standard, Classic Navigation, Presentation).

This panel appears on the right side of the screen revealing all the elements, photo library, templates, and icons that you can use in your design.

It’s divided into 7 tabs:

• Templates – Layout suggestions for the current document.
• Elements – Shapes, stickers, charts and gradients to customize your slides.
• Text – Add content boxes to customize the text fonts and colors.
• Background – Choose and customize a background for your slides.
• Uploads – Attach your own files and images for your presentation.
• Folders – Use your own library of purchased and liked images.
• Apps – Integrate with apps like Instagram, GIPHY and Pexels.

Templates – You can find tons of templates depending on your design. Right now we can see the presentation templates. The suggestions adapt to the type of document you’re creating.

Images – Here you can find royalty-free stock photos, illustrations, icons and elements (grid and frames). They allow you to diversify your design and give you a lot of creative freedom.

Text – Add a text box or choose a text combination that works for you. After you place the text in your working area you can change the type of the font and the color. You also have predefined templates of font combinations so you get started easier.

Background – Here you have two options. The first one is to choose your background to be a simple color. There are some suggestions, but if you need a specific color there is a place where you can enter the Hex code of your color.

The second option that you have for the background is images. The library is very large and it features images that are highly suitable for backgrounds since they have a lot of open spaces where you can place text.

Uploads – This is where you can make something very personal to you or your brand. From here you can add your own photos, images, illustrations. You can upload the following formats:

• JPEG, PNG, or SVG files
• Under 25mb
• Using the RGB color space

Folders – The folders let you add and manage your own branded images, photos, icons, and illustrations so you can add them whenever you like.

• Photo folders – If you are Premium user you have access to create a folder where you can organize your uploaded photos.
• Design folders –  Here you can share and organize designs within your Premium account

Apps – Here you have access to integrate with apps like Pexels, Picabay, Emoji, Facebook, Instagram, Google Maps, YouTube, Dropbox.

• Pexels, Pixabay – You can search for free photos that you can use directly to your design and there is no need to download it to your computer.
• Embed files – From here you can add video, music, GIFs, and sound media can add more context and information to your presentations.
• Facebook, Instagram, Dropbox – You can connect to your account and use your photos in your presentation and designs.
• Google Maps – You can add interactive maps.
• YouTube – You have access to YouTube videos that you can upload in your presentation without downloading them to your device. But you need to know that you can present only online from Canva.
• GIPHY – If you have a case to use GIFs to your designs you have an opportunity from here.

We hope you found that article useful and learn the basics and understand what you can and can’t make with Canva. Check the Canva presentation design article to get to the next level.