HOW FILMMAKERS CAN USE CANVA TO MAKE AMAZING FILM POSTERS AND MUCH MORE
Have your heard of Canva, canva.com? If not, how have you been doing without it? Canva is a graphic design tool website. What that means is that it’s a tool that pretty much allows you to design anything to be used digitally or for print. It has an incredibly user friendly drag and drop tool and thousands of customizable templates. As a filmmaker Canva can be used for making film posters, you can customize your dimensions. You can also use the Canva social media presets to make promotional ads for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and a host of others.
And did we mention, IT’S FREE! Yes, totally free! Unless of course you decide to use their premium elements (i.e., licensed images), access exclusive Canva for Work features or receive a printed copy of your design through Canva Print, among a few other caveats. Other than that, you won’t ever have to pay a penny to use Canva.
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HOW DOES IT WORK?
We’re glad you asked. First, go to www.canva.com and create an account. Again, totally free. You can create an account using your email or you can log in with Facebook or log in with Google. Once you create your account you will then have access to the platforms interface where you can now begin to create your design. You can choose from Canva’s preset templates for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Poster, etc. Or, you can use your own dimensions by clicking on “Use Custom Dimension” on the upper right hand side of the home screen.
Now, customize your design to your liking. You need text? Then just select from the presets available by clicking on “Text” or create your own by choosing your font, font size and color. Want to set a background? Changed your mind about the background? It’s all good. You can do so by clicking on “Background.”
You need elements to give more life to your design? Just click on “Elements” and select from free photos, frames, grids, charts, among others. Having a hard time finding the element of your choice? No sweat. Just go to the “Search” bar and type in what your looking for.
THE ICING ON THE CAKE
Let’s say you’re looking for an element, image and can’t find the one you’re looking for in Canva. Or maybe there is an element, image in Canva but it’s a premium one. That is, you have to pay for it. And you don’t want to pay for it. Don’t worry, upload your own. That’s right! Canva allows you to upload your own elements, images. Just go on Google and search for the image download it to your computer and drag and drop it on Canva or click on Uploads. There you go! You have your image and you didn’t pay a penny for it.
Now, are you ready to share it with others? Then it’s simple, you can either click “Share” to share Social, Link or Embed. Or you can simply click “Download” and save it or share it to your liking.
If the file size is large or too large go over to tinypng.com or kraken.io and optimize your image. That is, shrink the file size without losing quality. You can also download directly from Canva in .png format to keep the file size smaller, equaling an even smaller file for optimizing.
TO CANVA AND BEYOND
There’s so much to be discovered in Canva. However, first it starts of with creating your account and then the discovery begins as you build and create your designs. Not to mention, there are amazing videos on Youtube that’ll teach you more about what you can do on Canva. Check out this one by Marley Baird Media.
We hope this article was helpful. Now go ahead, give it a try. Please do let us know what you think by leaving a comment below once you sign up.
P.S
As it is stated on the featured image on the top of this page, it was “Made in Canva.” Simple and totally free.
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