Creating print-ready artwork on Canva can be straightforward with a few steps for setting up the document correctly. Here’s a guide to help you ensure that your designs are suitable for professional printing.
Step 1: Set Up a Custom-Sized Artboard
Canva’s default templates often follow American sizing, so setting up custom dimensions is essential for accuracy, especially if you’re designing a standard A-size document. For example, if you’re creating an A5 flyer, set the custom size to 148 x 210 mm (dimensions for other standard sizes can easily be found online).
In Canva, go to Create a Design and select Custom Size.
Enter the specific dimensions you need in millimeters (mm) to match the print size exactly.
This ensures your design will print correctly and match the desired specifications.
Step 2: Enable Print Bleed
Printers often require a “bleed” area of about 3mm to prevent any white borders from showing up when trimming the artwork. In Canva, you can activate a bleed guide to help visualise this:
Click on File at the top of the screen.
Go to Settings and select Show Print Bleed.
This bleed area will appear as a line around your artboard, showing where the trimming will occur. Ensure that no essential information (text, logos) is in this area, as it may be cut off during trimming. However, any background colours, patterns, or images should extend into the bleed area to maintain a clean edge.
Step 3: Finalise and Export Your Design Correctly
Once your design is complete and follows the bleed guidelines, the final step is exporting it in a format suitable for printing. Canva provides export options specifically for print-ready files:
Click on Share in the top right corner, then select Download.
In the File Type dropdown, choose PDF Print to ensure the highest quality.
Tick the boxes for Crop Marks and Bleed to include those elements in your PDF file.
Change the Colour Profile to CMYK to match standard print colour requirements. This is important because RGB colours, which display well on screens, may appear different in print.
Once these settings are in place, click Download to generate your print-ready PDF file.
Why These Steps Matter
Following these steps ensures that your artwork is accurately sized, includes necessary bleed, and is optimised for print colour settings. This reduces the risk of issues during the print process and helps you achieve a professional result.
With this setup, your Canva design will be ready to send to the printer with minimal adjustments, ensuring a smooth printing experience and a polished final product.
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