How to Print a Canva Project for Perfect Results?
Key Highlights
Here’s a quick look at what you need to know for perfect printing results with your Canva design:
- Always export your final file as a PDF Print to ensure a high-resolution, 300 DPI output.
- For professional printing, select the CMYK colour profile if you have Canva Pro for more accurate colours.
- Remember to add crop marks and bleed to your design to avoid white edges on the final product.
- Bleed and crop marks are essential for projects like a business card, where the design goes to the edge.
- Understanding these settings is key to bridging the gap between graphic design and physical print.
Ever spent hours perfecting a design in Canva, only to print it and find the colours are faded or the text looks blurry? It’s a frustrating moment, especially when you’ve put real effort into making it look right.
Canva makes design easy and accessible for everyone, from small business owners to beginners, but printing isn’t always as straightforward as creating.
The truth is, getting your Canva design to look professional in print takes a little planning, from choosing the right file type to setting up bleed and colour profiles correctly.
In this blog, we’ll walk you through the exact steps to make sure your Canva designs print beautifully every single time.
What Are the Basics of Printing a Canva Project?
Since Canva is primarily designed for digital work, its default settings are optimised for screens, not for paper. This means that to get a great Canva print, you need to adjust a few key print settings.
Before we get into the details of downloading, let's explore the settings you need to configure within Canva itself for the best results.
File Colour Modes: RGB vs. CMYK in Canva
One of the most critical print settings to adjust is the file's colour mode. Your computer screen uses RGB (Red, Green, Blue) to display colours, which is how Canva operates by default. However, a professional printer uses CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black).
Printing an RGB file in CMYK can make colours appear faded or slightly off, so that bright blues might turn purplish and vibrant tones lose their original depth on paper.
If you have a Canva Pro account, you can convert your design to the CMYK colour mode when you download it as a 'PDF Print'. Users with a free account will have their files in RGB, but many print shops can perform the conversion for you.
Still confused about RGB vs. CMYK? Here's a quick breakdown of what each colour mode does, and when to use it:
| Color Mode | Best For | How it Works |
|---|---|---|
| RGB | Digital screens (websites, social media) | Adds light to a black screen to create colour. |
| CMYK | Professional printing (flyers, business cards) | Subtracts light by adding ink to white paper. |
Resolution and Quality Settings for Print
Have you ever printed an image that looked blurry? That’s usually a resolution issue. For your Canva print to look crisp and professional, it needs to be high resolution. Web graphics are typically 96 DPI (Dots Per Inch), but printed materials require a much higher 300 DPI. You can absolutely print at home without losing quality, provided you export your file correctly.
Canva makes achieving high resolution simple. By choosing the ‘PDF Print’ option, Canva automatically exports your design at 300 DPI.
To ensure the best quality:
- Always download your design as a ‘PDF Print’.
- Double-check that any uploaded images or graphics are high-quality to begin with.
- Review the downloaded PDF at 100% zoom on your computer to check for any blurriness before printing.
How Do You Set Up Personalised Canva Prints in Canva?
Getting your Canva design ready to print starts long before you hit the print button. A personalised Canva print needs more than creativity; it depends on careful setup to ensure the right size, clean edges, and sharp, high-quality results.
Two of the most important steps are:
Adjusting Bleed and Adding Crop Marks
If your design goes right to the edge of the page, you’ll need to add a bleed. This is a small margin (usually 3mm or 0.125 inches) that ensures no white lines appear after trimming. Crop marks are guides that show the printer exactly where to cut.
To add these in Canva:
- Open the File menu and select View settings.
- Click Show print bleed to display the bleed area.
- When downloading as PDF Print, tick the option for crop marks and bleed.
Canva automatically applies the standard bleed amount, but always check with your printer in case they require a custom amount.
Choosing the Correct Paper Size and Orientation
Getting your sizing right from the start can save you from printing issues like blurry images, stretched layouts, or cropped edges. Here’s what to keep in mind:
- Select the right paper size. Canva offers standard options like A4, Letter, and business card sizes, but you can also enter custom dimensions. Always confirm with your printer which size works best for their setup.
- Set your orientation early. Choose between portrait (vertical) and landscape (horizontal) under Canva’s Resize menu. Pick the layout that best fits your design’s purpose: portrait for posters and flyers, or landscape for wider visuals or product images.
- Choose the right paper type. The paper finish affects the final look. Matte paper offers a smooth, non-reflective surface that’s great for text-heavy designs. Glossy paper makes colours more vibrant, while thick cardstock adds durability and a premium touch.
- Request samples when unsure. If you’re not certain which option to choose, ask your printer for paper samples. Seeing and feeling them helps you make sure your final print matches your creative vision.
How To Print Out a Canva Project?
Your Canva design is ready to go, but before you hit print, there’s one last step that really matters: exporting it the right way. The file type you choose can be the difference between a sharp, professional print and one that looks a bit off. Canva gives you options like PDF, PNG, and JPG, but only one gives you true print-quality results.
Let’s walk through how to choose the right format and download your design so it looks just as good on paper as it does on your screen.
Selecting the Ideal File Format (PDF, PNG, JPG)
When downloading your Canva design for print, you'll see a few file format options. What should you choose? Let's
To make it simple, here’s a quick guide:
- PDF Print: Always choose this option for professional printing. It delivers high-resolution (300 DPI) quality and preserves sharp text, rich colours, and layout accuracy. Perfect for projects like business cards, brochures, book covers, or marketing materials that need to look crisp and polished.
- JPG: A solid choice for home printing if you’re working on photo-heavy designs such as posters, wedding invitations, calendars, or flyers. Just keep in mind that JPGs are compressed files, so there can be a slight loss in quality compared to a PDF.
- PNG: Best reserved for digital use, such as sharing on social media or websites. Avoid using PNGs for print unless your printer specifically requests it, as they’re optimised for screens, not paper. Ultimately, sticking with the PDF Print format will give you the most reliable and high-quality results for your Canva print project.
Saving and Downloading for Professional and Home Printing
Canva saves your work automatically, so you can always return to your project later. When you’re ready to download, the steps differ slightly for professional printing and home printing.
- If you’re sending your design to a professional printer, here’s what to do:
- Go to Share → Download
- Select PDF Print as the file type
- Tick Crop Marks and Bleed
- If you have Canva Pro, change the colour profile from RGB to CMYK
- Do not tick “Flatten PDF”
- If you’re printing your project at home, the process is simpler:
- Go to Share → Download
- Select PDF Print for the best quality
- Skip crop marks and colour profile changes
- Download the file, open it, and print from your computer
Before you print a large batch, it’s always worth doing a test print to make sure colours, margins, and sizing appear exactly how you expect.
Why Choose Ex Why Zed for Every Printing Demand?
At Ex Why Zed, we don’t just print, we elevate your ideas. While Canva Print is convenient, it often comes with limits on paper types, finishes, and consistency. That’s where we stand apart.
When you print with us, you gain a specialist partner who checks every detail before it goes to press. From spotting low-resolution images to fine-tuning colour profiles, we make sure your project looks flawless.
Our catalogue of options is wide open: custom sizes, premium paper stocks, unique coatings, and tailored finishes that Canva simply can’t match. And unlike mass-outsourced services, every order with Ex Why Zed is handled with consistency, so your reprints look just as sharp as your first run.
Whether you’re printing business cards, photobooks, zines, or marketing materials, you can expect expert oversight, reliable quality, and a professional finish every single time.
Ready to upgrade from “good enough” to exceptional? Contact us today and see your print ideas come to life exactly as you imagined.
Conclusion
Printing a Canva project with perfect results requires careful consideration of various factors, from file colour modes and resolution to the right paper size and export formats.
By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can ensure that your designs not only look stunning on screen but also translate beautifully onto print.
Remember, taking the time to adjust settings like bleed and crop marks can make all the difference in achieving a professional finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I print my Canva project at home without losing quality?
Yes, you can. To maintain quality, download your Canva design as a ‘PDF Print’ file. This ensures it’s saved at a high resolution (300 DPI) suitable for printing. Open the PDF on your computer and use your home printer’s highest quality print settings for the best possible outcome.
How do I order prints of my Canva design directly from Canva?
Canva offers a professional printing service directly through their platform. After finishing your design, click the ‘Print’ button (if available for your design type) or ‘Share’, then ‘Print your design’. Follow the prompts to select your options, and Canva will handle the printing and deliver it to your doorstep.
What should I check before sending my Canva file to a professional printer?
Before sending your file, ensure it is downloaded as a ‘PDF Print’. Confirm that you have included bleed and crop marks in the download settings. If you have Canva Pro, change the colour profile to CMYK. A final check of the exported PDF for any errors is also highly recommended.
Are there recommended paper sizes or types for printing Canva designs?
Canva provides templates for standard paper sizes like business cards and flyers. However, the best paper size and type depend on your project. It's always a good idea to check with your professional printer for their recommendations, as they can advise on paper weight and finish (matte, gloss) for best results.
How can I preview my Canva project before sending it to print?
You can preview your Canva project by clicking the “Preview” or “Present” option in the editor. This lets you check layout, colours, and alignment before downloading or sending for print.
How to print exact size in Canva?
To print the exact size in Canva, set custom dimensions before designing. Even with the free version of Canva, exporting as PDF Print is a good option for better results.
Can you explain the steps to print my Canva project directly from my printer?
Open your Canva project, click Share → Download, choose PDF Print, then open the file on your computer and select Print from your printer settings for high-quality results.
