EM BEEN DESIGNS

How to better streamline your brand with Canva.

A lot of people shy away from admitting they use Canva. It’s often seen as a “beginner’s tool” or something only used by DIY designers, but the truth is, it’s a powerful platform that can help you create professional-quality designs. In fact, it’s one of the best ways to stay organized and keep your brand consistent—no matter what you’re designing. Whether you’re managing your social media, creating marketing materials, or launching new business initiatives, Canva lets you maintain your brand’s identity in a way that’s both efficient and accessible.

While Canva is a fantastic tool for creating quick, polished designs and keeping your brand consistent, there’s no substitute for working with a professional graphic designer when it comes to full branding. A designer brings a wealth of experience in creating a cohesive visual identity that resonates with your target audience and stands out in a crowded market. From color theory and typography to custom illustrations and unique design elements, a designer ensures every piece of your brand is thoughtfully crafted and executed at the highest level. Canva is perfect for managing and applying your brand once it’s established, but for a truly professional, refined look that will elevate your business, a graphic designer is key. Think of Canva as your toolkit, and your designer as the expert guiding you toward building a brand that’s both memorable and impactful.

Once you’ve received your beautifully designed logo and brand kit from your designer, the next step is ensuring that your brand remains consistent across all your marketing materials. This is where Canva shines. By uploading your logo, brand colors, and custom fonts into the platform, you can easily create new designs that align with your established brand identity. Whether you’re designing social media posts, promotional flyers, or presentations, Canva’s tools allow you to quickly apply your brand elements, saving you time while ensuring that your visuals always reflect your unique style. Using Canva to manage your brand assets keeps everything streamlined and organized, allowing you to create with confidence, knowing that your brand is always on point.

Step 1: Sign Up for a Canva Account

If you haven’t already, sign up for a free account at Canva. While you can add your branding with a free account, upgrading to Canva Pro unlocks even more features, like saving your brand kit and accessing premium assets.

Step 2: Open the Brand Kit

If you’re using Canva Pro, you can easily create a Brand Kit to keep all your brand elements in one place.

To access your Brand Kit:

• On the left sidebar, click on Brand Kit (under “More” if you’re on the homepage).
  
• If you’re on a design page, click the Brand tab on the top bar.

Step 4: Add Your Brand Colors

Next, add your brand colors to Canva, so you can quickly use them in any design.

1. In the Brand Kit section, click on the Colors area.
   
2. Click + Add a New Color.
   
3. Enter your hex color codes or use the color picker to match your brand’s colors.
   

Now, these colors will be available in your Colors tab when you create or edit a design. This makes it super easy to maintain a consistent color palette across all your designs.

Step 5: Upload Your Brand Fonts

Having your own custom fonts on Canva can make your designs look truly professional. If you have brand-specific fonts, upload them for quick use in your designs.

1. In the Brand Kit, click on Fonts.
   
2. Click on Upload a font.
   
3. Select the font files (usually TTF, OTF, or WOFF) from your computer and upload them.
   

Once uploaded, these fonts will appear in the text editing section, so you can easily select them for your designs.

Step 6: Apply Your Branding to a Design

Once your branding elements are uploaded, it’s easy to apply them to your designs. When you create a new design or edit an existing one, simply:

• Click on the Elements tab to drag and drop your logo.
  
• Choose the Text tab to use your brand fonts.
  
• Select your brand colors from the Colors tab when changing the color of text, backgrounds, or shapes.
  

By doing this, you ensure that every design is consistent with your brand identity!

Bonus Tip: Use Templates with Your Branding

You can create templates that automatically include your branding elements. If you’re creating regular posts for social media or flyers, this will save you time.

To save your designs as templates:

1. Create your design using your branding.
   
2. Click on File > Save as Template.
   
3. Now, you can reuse it whenever you want by going to your Templates section.

Step 7: Share and Download Your Branded Designs

When your design is complete, it’s time to download it for use. You can choose from various file formats (PNG, JPG, PDF, etc.), and Canva will save your branding settings for future use.