Print files
How to prepare a print file in Canva
Canva is enough for flyers, posters and business cards if you choose the right settings when downloading. The most common mistakes are no bleed, a design that is too small, and downloading a PNG instead of a PDF Print.
- Size
- Custom size in mm, exactly net
- Bleed
- File menu: Show print bleed
- Download
- PDF Print + “Crop marks and bleed”
- Colours
- CMYK in the paid version
Step by step
- Create a design with a custom size in millimetres, e.g. 148 × 210 mm for A5.
- Turn on “Show print bleed” in the File menu. Drag backgrounds and photos to the bleed edge.
- Keep texts away from the edges, in the middle part of the design.
- Download as PDF Print. Tick Crop marks and bleed and Flatten PDF.
- In the paid version choose the CMYK colour profile.
A Canva design in a shop with a designer
A shop customer does not need to know Canva. The designer on the product page has similar tools (text, photos, elements, ready designs), and the print file is created at the product size with bleed, without choosing export settings. If the customer already has a Canva design, they can upload it to the designer as a PDF.
Frequently asked questions
Why does a print from Canva have different colours?
Canva works in RGB by default, while the print shop prints in CMYK. Bright colours can come out darker. Exporting in CMYK and checking colours before printing helps.
Is a PNG from Canva suitable for print?
For close-up print a PDF Print is better. A PNG has no bleed or size information, and text is pixels.
How do I check that bleed was added?
In the downloaded PDF the page should be larger by the bleed on each side, e.g. 154 × 216 mm instead of 148 × 210 mm.
See also
Try the designer on your own products
30 days free, no card and no automatic payments. Standard costs 58 EUR net per month, Premium 80 EUR. One shop and one order system are included.