- You can easily customize templates, add graphics, and animate slides without needing extensive design skills.
- Canva’s collaboration features allow for real-time editing and sharing of presentations.
- Canva provides various export options, including PDF, PPTX, MP4, and image formats.
How to Create Canva Presentations
To create Canva presentations, you must follow a few steps. We break them down into the headings below.
Pick Up an Aspect Ratio and Template
Pick a relevant aspect ratio for your presentation. If it’s a traditional PPT, go with a 16:9 aspect ratio. If you plan to show your PPT on mobile, use the 9:16 aspect ratio. Tablet users can start with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Canva also offers some ready-to-use templates to get started. We highly recommend starting with a template to save some time.
Step 1: On the left pane, click Templates .
Step 2: Choose a template from the options or search for one using the search field.
Step 3: Click Customize this template once satisfied with your choice.
Note: You can filter templates via style, theme, feature, and color. For example, you can check company, marketing, corporate, marketing, school, and other templates. Under templates, you also find an option to create instant presentations. You can enter a prompt and check Canva’s suggestions to get started.
Customize a Page With Editing Features
Once you select a template, you can add all pages to your presentations and customize other pages.
Step 1: To select a page for customization, click on it at the bottom of the interface.
Step 2: At the bottom of the interface, click the three-dot icon for a page and select any of the available options.
Step 3: When you click on a page, Canva lets you change every aspect of the template with different text styles, filters, and image editing tools. You can change color, tweak transparency, copy style, and more.
We suggest editing tools to customize your Canva presentation and add personal touches.
Add Graphics, Stickers, and Images
Your presentation will not seem attractive without graphics, stickers, images, and videos. Unlike Google Slides or PowerPoint, you don’t need to import media files to Canva to complete your slides. You can easily add relevant elements from the sidebar.
Step 1: Open a slide in your Canva presentation.
Step 2: Select Elements from the sidebar. You can add graphics, icons, stickers, tables, videos, and more.
Step 3: You can explore the AI image generator and turn your creative ideas into images and videos with a single click.
You can add simple descriptions and even turn generated images into videos. Canva also offers a long list of graphics packs in several categories. The possibilities are endless here. It’s up to you to make a compelling slide using useful tools.
Tweak Page Animation
Once you create a page, tweak its animation to smoothly transition between pages.
Step 1: Select a slide in Canva.
Step 2: Click Animate at the top.
Step 3: Check Basic , Exaggerate , Photo Movement , and other animation types from the left sidebar.
You can also tweak the animation intensity, which is great.
Add Presenter Notes
Do you plan to present your Canva PPT on a video conference? You can add notes to each slide so they appear during the Presenter view (more on that later).
Step 1: When you create a PPT, select a slide and hit Notes at the bottom.
Step 2: Enter the notes you want to remember or discuss during a video meeting.
Collaborate and Edit in Real Time
Like Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint, Canva lets you share and edit a presentation in real-time. You can take your colleagues’ input and create a share-worthy presentation quickly.
Step 1: When you are done making changes to your presentation, click Share at the top.
Step 2: Enter people, groups, or your team. Expand the collaboration link menu and select Anyone with the link .
Step 3: Expand the permission menu and select Can edit .
You can also share a link with view or comment-only permission. Select the Copy link and share it with your co-workers.
Enable Presenter View or Download and Share Your Presentation
Presenter view is a thoughtful touch from Canva to give presentations over a Google Meet or Teams call.
Step 1: Open a presentation in Canva and select Present at the top.
Step 2: Click Presenter View and check two windows opening up on your computer.
One window shows your presentation with notes open on the sidebar. Another window displays the current slide you are sharing with others over a call.
As expected, Canva offers several options for sharing and exporting your presentation. When you complete your presentation, click Share in the top-right corner and expand Download .
You can convert a presentation to PDF, PPTX (Microsoft PowerPoint compatible), MP4, JPG, PNG and SVG formats. Check our dedicated post if you wish to print your Canva presentation .
- Can you customize a PowerPoint presentation (.PPTX) in Canva?
Yes, you can customize a PowerPoint presentation (PPTX) in Canva. You will need to upload the presentation, edit it, customize your slides, and then download it.
- Can you edit a Canva presentation in the Microsoft PowerPoint?
Yes, you can edit a Canva presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint. You will need to download it from Canva, open it in Microsoft PowerPoint, edit the presentation, and save your changes.
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- Before printing from Canva, you may enable Show print bleed and Show margins to ensure no important parts get cut off.
- You can download files to print on the web and mobile apps.
Method 1: Using Your Desktop Computer
Step 1: Visit the Canva website in a browser and sign in with your account details.
Step 2: Create a new design or open an existing one. Make necessary changes using a feature-rich Canva editor.
Step 3: Click File at the top > expand View settings > enable Show print bleed to avoid unnecessary white edges when printing.
Step 4: You can also enable margins to ensure that essential design elements aren’t cut when printed.
Step 5: Select Notes at the bottom > enter the notes you want to keep separate.
Step 6: Click the Share icon > hit Download .
Step 7: Change file type to PDF Print , which is ideal for printing. Pick any option.
- Crop marks and bleed: When downloading your design, add crop marks to mark where to cut the paper.
- Flatten PDF: This option converts your design with several layers into one and ensures that all your Canva design elements are printed.
- Includes notes: You can add notes (as shown in the fifth step) with your design and download them as PDF.
Step 8: Lastly, pick a relevant Color Profile . Canva recommends RGB for digital use and CMYK for professional printing.
After downloading your Canva design, print it with your printer using the steps below.
Step 9: Open the desktop File Explorer or Finder menu and launch the PDF file in your preferred editor.
Step 10: Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Command + P (on Mac) to open the Print menu.
Step 11: Lastly, select your Printer > set Layout > color print > finally, click on Print .
Also, if your printer isn’t working on Windows , check our dedicated post to fix the issue.
Method 2: Using a Mobile Device
Canva uses the same interface on Android and iPhone . In the screenshots below, we will use Canva for iPhone. You can also use it on Android to print your designs.
Step 1: Download and launch Canva on your iPhone, then sign in with your account details.
Step 2: Select your existing design and make edits. Tap the Share icon at the top and tap Download , then select PDF Print , enable flatten PDF , include notes if you want, and tap Download .
Step 3: Canva generates the PDF file on your phone and opens the share sheet. Lastly, tap Print > select your printer > enable the Print in Color toggle > tweak media quality > select Print at the top right corner.
Sometimes, the printer does not show up on the iPhone . If you experience this, check our separate post to fix the problem.
