CANVA CREATIVE
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to questions about accessing and utilizing this workshop that will help you as you work through it. This page should be your FIRST stop when you have a question, as 99% of the questions you will ever have are answered here. If you cannot find an answer to your question here, scroll to the bottom to learn how to get more help. Thank you!

Q: I lost my password. How do I get in?

A: Request a password reset at https://sso.teachable.com/secure/152016/users/pass...

Q: I can't get a video to play. How do I solve this?

A: Some students report issues playing the videos on the iPad. If you have issues, click on the video box anywhere near the start arrow and it should work for you. Clicking on the start arrow itself seems to be an issue.

Q: I don't like to use Facebook. Do I have to join the group?

A: No, you do not. You can complete this entire workshop without ever using Facebook. However, please note that we provide feedback and assistance in our Maker Academy Workshops Facebook Group (If you request to join, when asked for the secret passphrase, please type SUPERMAKER)

Q: Where do I find the workbook? How do I download it?

A: The workbook is in the Workshop Area. Click the link at the bottom of the workbook page to download it.

Q: What software do I need for this workshop?

A: You only need your web browser to access Canva free, which I will teach you how to use. I may give you previews of other free downloadable apps and software. I do not teach Inkscape or Illustrator in this workshop.

Q: If we click  "MAYBE LATER" to use Canva, do we click that each time we use it, or must we at some point click START FREE TRIAL?

A: Once you say that you don’t want the trial it doesn’t constantly ask you. Instead, Canva shows you all the things that you could have with the little gold crown icon. Canva will not consistently ask you if you want the trial, there may be pop-ups from time to time. I have been logging in and out of Canva for the past few weeks to create this workshop and have not had it pop up at all. 

Q:  Will you share your affiliate link for Canva Pro? 

A: This is available in the workshop, available in the Software, Supplies, and Tools section of the course. You can go to JenniferMaker.com/Canva to access the affiliate link to Canva Pro.

Q: Can you create a logo in Canva?

A: You totally can there is a logo creator inside Canva. I’ve never used it, I am old school when it comes to creating logos, so I don’t have any experience with creating logos in Canva. You can click on create a design and select Logo in Canva. Canva then has logo templates and videos to help you create awesome logos and all sorts of designs. Many of the templates are free in Canva. 

Q: Will you show how to recolor things?

A: Within Canva you will select the object and click on the color box in the menu. This will open the color options. For graphics that have multiple images, you will see multiple color option boxes within the top menu, you can edit the color options of graphics and shapes.

Q: How do I upload my fonts?

A: Uploading fonts is available for Pro users. Go to text and click on untitled brand kits, click on Fonts, and add new. You can then upload a font from your computer. OTF or TTF files will both work. You click on open and then you confirm to agree to the licensing agreement. You can then use your font by creating a text box and selecting the font you uploaded. 

Q: How do I change the portrait to landscape for the blank page?

A: If you are in Canva free this is not an option, you cannot resize or change the page orientation at all. You will want to make a custom-sized design and then set it as landscape or portrait as described in Lesson 3. There is another workaround that was shared in Lesson 2 by accessing the print feature options where Canva will print your design. When you use this feature, which is free it will create a copy of your design for you on a bigger page. This could be an option if you need a bigger option for your design.

Q:  Will this work with the Cricut Joy?

A: Cricut Joy does not do print-then-cut options, so there is no sensor to look at and see what you did. However, you don’t always need to print then cut. So if you just want to use your ink, you can still use your Cricut. In Cricut Design Space you would need to set it to either Explore or Maker, but it will print for you and you don’t have to cut it but you will have to switch your machine settings. You can use Cricut Design Space to print things on your inkjet printer or your sublimation printer without having the actual machine.

Q:  What's the difference if you save as PNG or PDF with the flatten option?

A: PNG will flatten it automatically, it will just be a pixilated design. PDF does not have to be flattened. Usually, when I make a PDF outside of Canva I never flatten them, then I can open it up and change it. When we are making something we are going to print we want it to look exactly like it does on the screen. We don’t want to worry about fonts, we don’t want to worry about colors or anything like that. So a flattened PDF for a design print is the best way to do it.

Q:  Do I have to have Pro to save my work in the cloud?

A: You do not need to have Canva Pro to save in the cloud, currently you get 5 gigabytes of free cloud storage with Canva Free. You get 1 terabyte of cloud storage with Canva Pro.

Q:  If you upload your own photos to Canva do they become public?

A: They do not become public, no one else can see the photos that you upload unless you specifically share them. Once you share a file then the images are shared.  No one can see them unless you intentionally share them. There is a special category for Canva Creators, they are allowed to create publicly shared templates.

Q:  What if we want to remove the house from the photo on your Tumblr?  Is that possible?

A: If you have Canva Pro you could have it remove the background and this will remove the house.

Q:  ​Is there any way you could take your picture with the sunflowers and integrate it into the sunflower picture?

A: We could set the image as the background, and we could integrate it as half of the image, there are quite a few options you can do to integrate the image within the design. If you don’t have Cricut Pro you are limited in your options; however, you can still move the images around and change the design. You can take a photo and make it the background and then there are so many graphics and images that you can create almost anything that you could imagine.

Q:  How do you turn on the ruler?

A: Go to the file menu in Canva and go to view settings, then show rulers and guides.

Q:  Is it possible to change the colors on purchased designs, such as the wraparound cat design?

A: You can effects and filters to change the colors; however, you will not have all the control to change the image entirely. You can use the filters to add a hue to the image. You can change the look and feel of the image by using filters.

Q:  Can you slice in Canva?

A: Yes, there is an effect. It is not slice, like in Cricut Design Space; however, you can crop images.

Q:  What's the difference between backward and send to the back?

A: Send backward sends the item back one layer, send to back send the item back to the very back layer. Sometimes you want the item to be just a little bit to the back, and other times you want it to go all the way to the back layer.

Q:  When do you use group?

A: I use group when I want to keep things together on my screen. It allows me to move and resize those grouped elements together and keeps items together when you are designing.

Q:  How do you create a template for a tapered tumbler?

A: You want to use your measuring tape to measure it. You measure the bottom and you measure the top and then you’ve got your measurements and it would just be a straight line from the side to the other side. If you go into Canva and click on Create a Design on the top right hand side you can also search for a tapered tumbler. You will see a few options of templates already provided for you in Canva.

Q:  Will you discuss how to do larger designs for projects like door mats in Canva?

A: There is a tutorial available that walks through how to do larger designs. It is called How to Sublimate Large Designs and is available on JenniferMaker.com. I show you in the video how to take the PDF and tile it so that it prints on multiple pages and pull it all together for a larger sublimation design.

Q:  Is it best to purchase a sublimation printer or inkjet printer to start with?

A: It depends on what you want to make. Most people do start with an inkjet printer. If you have no interest in making things with an inkjet printer then you should get a sublimation printer. It is entirely up to you and what you want to make with it.

Q:  What device do you use to print the sublimation tumblers?

A: I’m using a sublimation printer to create the pages for the sublimation tumblers, watch Sublimation Start-up which has all of the information on sublimation. When you first print on a sublimation print you will notice that the colors are a little faded, this is because the ink is heat activated.

Q:  What tumbler press do you recommend?

A: I am using the PYD Life tumbler press, and it works just fine. It is a little stiff to open and takes a little effort. Some people use the Cricut mug press for tumblers; however, it is not made for it.

Q:  Do you just use 1 layer of butcher paper around tumblers and mugs?

A: Yes, the only exception is if you are using pens or markers Cricut recommends you use two or three layers because it can bleed more.

Q: Is there a way to print several different mugs (say) on 11X17 paper?

A: Yes, you would just want to create a custom size and then put your designs for the mugs right on that big piece of paper. Or you can use something like Google Docs to place individual designs onto one page.

Q:  Can I use sublimation paper in a normal printer & then sublimation, rather than fork out for a sublimation printer?

A: No. What matters is not the paper so much but the ink. The ink in a normal printer won’t transfer to anything, it is not intended to transfer it is intended to stay on the page. The ink that transfer is sublimation ink. This means that you have to use sublimation ink in your printer. If you want to try sublimation but you are not prepared to get a printer you can experiment with Cricut infusible ink, Cricut infusible ink pens, and markers, there is even a paint you can get. You could have your sublimation designs printed by other people and have them mailed to you. This is all detailed in the sublimation startup for you.

Q:  Does the printing color depend on the printer also?

A: There is not a lot of difference, as long as you have your ink levels in the printer it should be printing. With that said each printer will have its variations; however, it should not impact your sublimation.

Q:  Is there a way to print without a sublimation printer?

A: You can just use your inkjet and then do print then cuts. You can use an inkjet printer and then use an inkjet transfer sheet which is kind of like a printable heat transfer vinyl. When I say print then cut I am mostly talking about using an inkjet printer, you can use it for sublimation too, but mostly we use it for print then cut.

Q:  What does system dialogue mean?

A: System dialogue is an old-fashioned term that means that your computer has a message for you. It is a message settings box. You will see system dialogue show up across all different kinds of software. It is a box that shows up as a little panel, these days we usually are referring to the printer’s systems dialogue. This is when your computer is interfacing with your printer.

Q:  Is Canva for sublimation or can you use it for cut vinyl?

A: Canva is for so many things. It is a graphic editing program, it isn’t just for sublimation, we are just reviewing how to use it for sublimation. If you have a Canva Pro account you can save it as an SVG, not everything will save appropriately as an SVG. However, primarily when I want to make an SVG I use illustrator or Inkscape.

Q:  Can you create a design in Canva and then pull it into Design Space to add your fonts?

A: Absolutely.

Q: Is there a way to upload a file downloaded from Canva as a png so that it can be uploaded into Cricute Design Space as a cut image?But with the colors?

A: This was reviewed in Lesson 2 when we created the shirt decal. This was made in Canva, and then in the lesson on how to print it was moved into Cricut Design Space and it was turned into a print then cut. 

Q: In the Silhouette program you have like an eraser to erase stuff on the picture. Does Canva have that and Circuit Design Space?

A: There is not an eraser option in Cricut Design Space; however, you can crop and slices items.

Q:  Jennifer, would you explain the oven use, what you use, etc.

A: There is a tutorial on using sublimation ovens with tumblers, I highly recommend that you watch the video. I referenced it in the video where I assembled the tumbler. I used a press, however, there are other methods to heating your sublimation ink to your tumbler. You can use an oven, a heat gun, an oven, or an air fryer. If you do use an oven make sure that you are not using one that you will continue to cook in. The sublimation ink will go into the air and some of it will stay in the oven when you heat your oven again it will sublimate again into the air and get into your food. PYD makes the most adorable little oven.

Q:  In the workshop reruns, will I be able to search for specific terms?  Or will I need to go to that video?

A: Once all the videos are uploaded there will be two versions of the videos. One version is the standard video, there is also an option that is uploaded to a different service that allows you to search the videos. You will be able to click on the magnifying icon and search for whatever term you want. You will see the heading within the workshop course that will identify which video you can search.

Q:  Will there be a printed transcript available for download possibly? 

A:  Yes. After the premiere of the workshop all of the videos are uploaded to a professional captioning service, that allows us to put captions on our videos and the videos will be uploaded with captions to the workshop course. When we do the captions we also get transcripts. There is also a workbook that comes with the course. The workbook has all the text for the videos as well. The workbook is finalized after the workshop premieres and will be available in the workshop course.

Q:  Will there be more classes on Canva or is this it?

A: For the workshop, this is the workshop. We could quite possibly have other workshops on Canva. We would love your request for workshop topics. We are trying to run workshops monthly, many people have asked for more in-depth topics, if you have a request for a workshop topic let us know.

Q: My question is not answered here. Where do I get more help?

Post in this thread in our Facebook group (posting elsewhere means we may not see your question) or email us at [email protected]