Canva -Export For Commercial Printing/Uploading
How to Export Your Canva File in a Print-Ready Format
Learn how to export your Canva designs in print-ready format with our easy steps, ensuring perfect colors and quality
Canva can be an awesome tool for creating all sorts of property collateral, from flyers to brochures, postcards and more. However to make sure they print perfectly, there are a few extra steps to get them print-ready.
We are hoping you have initially set up your design with the setting that will best provide the best output for utilizing commercial printing. You should always set up the exact page size for all or pages to ensure hi resolution.
And now that your design is done, and the dimensions are spot-on—great! Now let’s get it in a standard commercial printing format.
Step 1: Open Up Your Design
Load your design from your account in Canva and give everything a quick check. Is all the info correct? Are your images looking great? Perfect, let’s move on.
Step 2: Find and Select the Share Button
This will start the EXPORT process. On the top right of you design/editing screen were you work on your layout, find and click the Share icon.
Step 3: Then click the Download Button
A drop down menu will appear, select Download.
Step 4: Choose PDF Print
For your file format choose PDF Print. This format ensures your design is saved in the highest quality, which is exactly what we need. This is an industry standard and will represent the same quality that you used when composing your layout.
Step 5: Add Crop Marks and Bleed
Next, check the box for Crop Marks and Bleed. This little detail is important to make sure your design prints out just right, especially if it touches the edges, or the images - colors go off the page. However don't get too hung up on it. With your permission we have some other incredible Adobe software that render these necessary details.
Step 6: Color Settings
Switch to CMYK
In the color profile section, switch from RGB to CMYK (best for printing). CMYK is what is used for commercial printing, so this step makes sure your colors will come out just right.
A monitor, phone or digital devices uses light to display objects, text and graphics and of course in printing we use ink on paper for this.
Keep in mind if your colors look a little different after this switch, if you initially started with RGB Digital colors they are composed differently than colors are composed when using ink. We recommend you review your file and make any tweaks you needs.
Note: If you don't see the CMYK option, you'll need to upgrade your Canva plan to Canva Pro. Canva Pro offers advanced features, including the ability to export in CMYK, which is essential for high-quality printing. If you do not want to upgrade then we can convert here but again there might be some differences in color.
Step 7: Review and Adjust
Give your file one last look. If the colors seem way off, you can always go back into Canva, adjust, and re-export until it’s what you want.
Once you have your PDF print ready file from Canva go to the product you are ordering from us - waybetterpostcard and make your product specification selections (size, paper type etc.)
You can upload directly from whatever product you are ordering from us. The upload process is completed right in the product with waybetterpostcard by using the blue Upload My Art/Design file button. Go ahead and upload that PDF to your order. You’re all set!