How to Set up Canva Dashboard – A Step by Step Guide

Canva is the most powerful tool where you can create your social media posts design, presentation, and other graphics as per your requirement for free. Whether you are a beginner or a professional designer, canva is there to help you out in a proper manner. 

In this blog we will understand how canva works and how you can set up your canva dashboard step by step. 

Step 1 : Sign up for a Canva Account 

To create a canva dashboard, you need to sign up into a canva account. 

How to Sign up for Canva 

• Go to Canva Official Website 
• Click on to Sign up button top right corner 
• Choose Sign up method – Google Account / Facebook Account / Email Address

If you already have a canva account then login the account. 

Step 2 : Choose Your Canva Plan 

There are three types of plans available in Canva

1. Free Plan – You can use a free plan for unlimited time if you are a beginner.
2. Paid Plan – You can use paid plan with premium features 
3. Canva for Teams – for big business and team collaboration.

You can start with a Free plan and later you can upgrade it. 

Step 3 : Exploring the canva Dashboard 

Once you login, you can see the canva dashboard & we will explore it 

• Sidebar Menu ( in the left hand side )

• Home – Where you can find out your template and your designs 
• Template – You can thousands of free pre design template 
• Projects – You can access your saved designs 
• Brand Kit – You can create your own brand identity 
• Apps – integrate canva with Google drive, dropbox etc.
• Trash – You can recover your deleted design within 30 days.

1. Search Bar – You can search anything in search like facebook post design, instagram, PPT, Mock ups etc. 
2. Create a Design 

 Click on to the “Create a design” to start a new project.

• Facebook post 
• Instagram post 
• Youtube Thumbnail
• Presentation 
• Resume 
• Business Card 

Step 4 : Setting up Your Brand Kit 

Brand kit will help you to maintain a consistent design of the brand. Follow the steps 

• Go to brand kit from sidebar 
• Upload your logo 
• Add Your brand Colours
• Choose brand fonts 

Now every design will come according to your brand kit.

Step 5 : Organizing Your Design in a Folder 

• Go to Folder in Left hand side bar 
• Click on to Create Folder 
• Give the name and save the folder 
• Drag & Drop Design in the folder 

Step 6 : Explore Canva Elements and Tools 

Canva has various design elements to enhance your design 

• Text 
• Photos 
• Videos
• Stickers 
• Background Remover 
• Frame 
• AI is also available 

Step 7 : Connect Canva with Other Apps

You can connect canva apps with other applications like Google drive, dropbox, Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Youtube ect.

Step 8 : Collaborating with Your Team 

If you have a team then you can connect your with on canva for real work 

How to share a design ?

• Open the design you want to share 
• Click on share button on top right corner 
• Enter Email address & share design 
• Set access Permissions 

Step 9 : Download & Export Your Design 

• Click on Share Button 
• Download the File 
• Choose format – PNG, JPG, PDF, MP4, GIF

Also You can publish it directly from canva tool with connecting your social media tools 

Conclusion 

If you are a beginner or a professional designer or wish to learn graphics, canva is a tool to make you an expert, that too free of cost. Canva can help you to make a design faster than others, it will help you to organize design in a mannered way.