Canva Features You Must Not Miss

Canva has become a household name for designing quick, easy, and visually appealing graphics. Whether you're creating social media posts, presentations, or even videos, Canva offers a range of powerful tools that can make your projects stand out. Beyond the obvious features like templates and text editing, Canva is packed with little-known hacks that can elevate your design game to the next level.

1. Magic Grab

If you want to move objects inside a picture without hassle, Magic grab is the right option for you. This feature is like a Photoshop selection tool but much easier to use. Instead of manually removing a background or cutting things out, Magic Grab is a Canva pro feature that lets you click on an object in an image and move it around as if it were a separate layer.

How to Use Magic Grab:

Upload an image or use one from Canva’s library. On the floating toolbar, click Edit, then go to the Magic Studio tab and select Magic Grab. While on the Click tab, select any object in the photo, or use the Brush tab to refine your selection manually. If needed, click Clear to reset and start over. Once ready, click Grab and let Canva process the image. Now, you can move, resize, or edit the selected object independently from the background. If an object in your image isn’t placed where you want, you can just grab it and move it.

2. Keyboard Shortcuts

If you’re spending too much time clicking through menus, you need to start using keyboard shortcuts. They make everything faster and smoother. By memorizing just a few Canva keyboard shortcuts, you can save hours upon hours while designing social media graphics, presentations aaand money-making opt-in templates You can try these time-saving shortcuts:

• T: Instantly adds a text box (no need to open the text panel).
• L:  Drops in a line (saves you from searching for it).
• Ctrl (Cmd) + D: Duplicates any element instantly.
• Alt (Option) + Drag: Copies an element while dragging it (super useful for repeating patterns).
• Shift + Arrow Key:  Moves elements in larger jumps instead of tiny nudges.

3. Background Blur

A blurred background makes your main subject stand out, giving your design a more professional look. Canva lets you do this without extra software. Create a new document and upload your image by going to Uploads. Once uploaded, click the image to insert it into your canvas and adjust its size using the white circle handles. Duplicate the image by clicking Duplicate Page.

On the second image, remove the background by selecting Effects > Background Remover. Now, go back to the original image, click Adjust, and increase the Blur, around 12 for a natural depth effect. You can also lower saturation to make the subject stand out.

4. Add a Drop Shadow Effect for Depth

A drop shadow can instantly make your design elements stand out, especially when creating product mockups or template previews. This effect gives your design depth, making it pop off the screen with a sleek, professional touch. To add a shadow effect follow these steps:

• Open a new Canva document and add your chosen image.
• If you're using a design you created in Canva, first download it as a JPEG, then re-upload it.
• Click on your image and select "Edit Image” from the top toolbar.
• In the left menu, find the "Shadows” option and select the type of shadow you want.

5. Magic Resize (Pro)

This is a great feature for those who manage multiple social media accounts or need to create a design in various formats. Canva Pro’s Magic Resize tool allows you to quickly convert a design from one format like Instagram to another like a Facebook cover or a Pinterest post, with just a click. 

If you're using the free version, you can still manually resize your design by adjusting the canvas size under the "Resize” tab and then repositioning your elements. Even though it’s a bit more work than the Pro feature, it can save time compared to starting from scratch for every platform.

6. Brand Kit

If you create designs regularly and want to keep them consistent, you need to set up a Brand Kit. Instead of hunting down your colors, fonts, and logos every time, Canva stores them for you. 

How to Set Up Your Brand Kit:

To use it, start by accessing the "Brand Kit" section from the Canva homepage. Here, you can upload your brand’s logo, select brand colors, and upload custom fonts to ensure that your visual identity is unified across all projects. Once set up, these assets will be easily accessible when creating designs, allowing you to quickly apply your brand’s elements. The Brand Kit ensures that your team remains aligned with your branding guidelines, promoting uniformity and professionalism in all marketing materials and communications.

7. Make Your Designs Stand Out with Smart Mockups

Designing a book cover, business card, or a mockup for your lead magnet or online course? Canva’s "Smart Mockups” feature is the perfect way to create realistic product displays that will make your designs pop.

Here’s how to create a mockup in Canva:

• Upload Your Image: First, upload the design you want to feature on your mockup. If you've created the design in Canva, download it as a JPG before uploading it to your Canva uploads folder.
• Create a New Document: Start a new Canva document, setting the dimensions to fit your desired mockup size.
• Place Your Image: Drag or click on the uploaded image to place it in your new document.
• Apply the Mockup: With your image selected, click "Edit Image” in the top toolbar. Scroll down to find the "Smart Mockups” option and choose the mockup style that best suits your design.
• Find Smart Mockups: Scroll down to the Smartmockups section, and click on "See All” to view all available options.
• Choose a Mockup: Browse through the mockups, find the one that suits your design, and click on it.
• Voilà!: Your design will now appear beautifully within the selected mockup, giving it a professional, polished finish.

8. Easily Select Elements Behind Others

If you've worked on designs in Canva, you've probably run into the frustration of trying to select an element or text box that's hidden behind another. Moving the top elements out of the way can mess up your layout, but there’s a much easier way to handle this. 

To select an element that's behind another, hold down the "Ctrl” key or "Cmd” on Mac and click on the top element. Keep clicking while holding the key to cycle through the layers until the one you want is selected.

Final Word

The Canva features can significantly enhance your design process, even when using the free version. By utilizing these unique features you can create polished, professional-looking designs without needing complex software. Although Canva Pro offers additional benefits, the free version still has a great set of tools if you know how to use its lesser-known features effectively. Incorporating these hacks into your workflow can help streamline your design process and open up more creative possibilities for your projects.