Drawing on Canva – and 4 other Canva Tools
Canva has become arguably one of the best tools for creating documents, social media posts, flyers, presentations, infographics, and more. If you do not already have a Canva account, it is very simple to get started. There is a free version as well as a pro version. It starts at $119 for one year or $149 for a team of 5 for a year. This blog will cover tips to navigate to the drawing tool as well as other tools to upgrade your Canva usability.
Drawing on Canva is a tool available for both free and pro versions. It is easy to find and does not have many restrictions. In fact, the only type of creation not able to use the drawing function is a document, which is restricted to mostly words and photo uploads due to the nature of most Word documents if you wanted to send it elsewhere, or on another device.
How to Get Started
- Create a Canva profile, or log in if you already have one.
- Select the “Draw” icon on the left-hand side. It is the 6th selection from the top and has a marker graphic on it.
- Edit the color and thickness of your stroke. Plus, tell it if you want it coming from a pen, marker, or highlighter.
- Tips and tricks for how to get creative with drawing tools
While it is entirely possible to draw on Canva without a touchscreen and drawing tool, those features make it a bit easier and more user-friendly. With a mouse, you lose a bit of creative control. When your hand is the one calling the shots with the stylus and touch screen, there is a far greater sense of control. A nice feature that Canva offers with the “Draw” function is that it will automatically fix any uneven or wonky lines with certain shapes. If you pause after creating a circle, square, heart, triangle, and many others, the shape will automatically even itself out and make the lines crisper. There will surely be more shapes added in the future. But, these are a great help for those of us with shaky hands and mouse movements.
If you do not love using your mouse, and you have the option to use a touchscreen, there are endless great options for stylus pens to draw with. Listed below includes some great places to find writing tools for iPads, tablets, and other touch-screen computers.
- Amazon
- Apple
- Best Buy and other Tech Retail Stores
Other Canva Tools
1. Text
The classic type design feature gives you the ability to insert a text box, move the text around the design, and change to different fonts.
2. Upload
This tool allows you to upload any media from your computer or device library. This way you can then add those photos or videos directly to your design. You can even record yourself with any device that has a camera and it will automatically upload through the Canva application.
3. Brand Kit
For any brands that have specific color schemes and hex codes, Canva can create a Brand Kit consisting of up to 100 colors. It will automatically save and add those specific brand colors to each design underneath that profile if you choose to select that option. Along with colors, you can also add brand-specific fonts and logos to save under the brand profile. The catch to this tool is that it is only available with Canva Pro.
4. Elements
Similar to drawing, adding an element on the side toolbar gives you the ability to put in a pre-drawn shape to any design, as well as graphics, free app pictures, and stickers.
Conclusion
Using a stylus, Apple Pencil, or a traditional mouse on a laptop, desktop, iPad, or tablet will give you options to create a sense of personalized style in your creations on Canva. Whether you are working on a presentation, social media post, flyer, or countless others, you will now be able to put your own twist on it by using the drawing feature on Canva using these helpful tips.
Adeline is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she majored in Communications with a concentration in Public Relations and Journalism. Currently living in Charlotte, she enjoys reading, volleyball, and strolling through her favorite farmers markets with her Goldendoodle Theo.