According to the US-based PEW Research Center, 55% of us now get our news from social media either “often” or “sometimes”. Effective social media posts are heavily reliant on great design to bring its content to life. This means that graphic design services are in demand more than ever. But given that graphic designers can charge anywhere from $100 – $1,000 for one project most people can’t afford to hire the services of a professional graphic artist very often, if at all.
Canva for Graphic Design
An Adobe Suite subscription can cost $50 per month which is a lot of money to spend if you only need a graphic design tool from time to time. This is where Canva comes in. Canva is an online graphic design software subscription that was started in 2012. You can sign up for a free subscription or move up to the Pro version for $9.99 per month (the first month is free). Canva is an easy-to-use software that makes in-house graphic design work look professional. You might even enjoy the process. www.canva.com
All About Canva
Canva now has over 4 million users, 250,000 templates, and over 100 design types to work with. It even has a scheduling tool that comes with the Pro account. Pro account holders have access to more graphics, templates, and font types than the free subscribers do. But if you don’t want to commit to a monthly subscription fee you can consider using many of the pro templates and fonts for only $1 per project.
Canva Courses, Tutorials, and Blog
One of the best features about Canva is the free, online courses offered on how to use the Canva tools. You can access these how-to videos directly from the Canva website. Be sure and check out the Canva blog posts as well. There you’ll find articles on how to brand yourself and content on how to choose colours for your company’s branding as well. Have fun with this free tool!
Elaine Allan, BA, MBA
Business & Technology Blogger
Vancouver, BC, Canada