Today I'm going to show you how to create a new Canva document. I'll cover how to create a blank document so that you can start from scratch, and I'll also share how to use a template so you don't have to start from scratch.
Should I start from scratch or use a template? #
When creating a new document in Canva you can either start from scratch or start from a template. In either case, you can use pages from your templates. It just depends how you want to get started which method you will use. Here's how you can decide which is best for your current project. Ask yourself:
- Do I want to use MOST pages from ONE template? or…
- Do I want to use a FEW pages from MULTIPLE templates? or…
- Do I want to MOSTLY create my own pages, but add a FEW from templates?
If you said yes to question 1 then most likely it will be easier to start from a template. If you said yes to questions 2 or 3 then it will most likely be easier to start from scratch.
How to Start From Scratch #
First, navigate to Canva.com. On the left side click the button that says “Create a Design.” This will open up a box that asks you what dimensions you want your new document to be.
You can choose any dimensions you want. For this example, I'm going to set up an 8.5 X 11 document. With that, go ahead and change the drop down menu from pixels to inches. Then type “8.5 X 11” as your dimensions and click the “Create Design” button.
Now you've created a blank document! Here is how to add individual pages from templates that you already have saved in your Canva account.
On the left, click “Folders” then select the folder with the Canva document that you want to add pages from in it and click on that document. Scroll to the page you want to add and click on it. Canva will automatically add this page to your new blank document!
To add a second page, hover over the one you just added in your open document (not the pages on the left). Above that page, notice that a + plus sign appears. Click the + plus sign to add a blank page after the page you are currently viewing. You can now repeat the above steps to add a page from another document, or begin editing that page by adding your own text, images, and more.
You can do this over and over again with any number of pages from any number of different files. This is a great way to mix and match lots of different pages to create your own custom document.
How to Start From a Template #
When starting from a template, keep in mind that it is a best practice to always keep a master copy of your original template. So instead of editing the original file, we will. duplicate it and edit that instead. This ensures that you always have a blank, clean copy to come back to later just in case.
First, navigate to Canva.com and click “All Your Designs” on the left. Scroll to the design that you want to use as your template. Hover your mouse over that design and notice that a square button with 3 dots appears. Click that button, then click “Make a Copy” in the dropdown menu that appears.
Before opening the copy to begin editing, take a moment to update the title of your document. You can do this by clicking on the title below the image of your document. Once you've changes your document title to what you'd like it to be, press “Enter” on your keyboard to save your change.
To open your document, click on the images above the title. Now you have a copy of the template that you can edit! You can delete pages that you don't want just hover your mouse over the page that you want to delete then click the trash can that appears above that page.
To add a blank page, just hover over the page that would appear before where you want your new blank page. Click the + plus sign that appears above the page.
At this point, you can also add pages from other templates. Follow the instructions above from “How to Start From Scratch” that share how to add pages from your other Canva documents!
Congratulations! You now know how to create a brand new Canva file from scratch or from a template!