Canva for Fundraising Appeals
How to Guide for Canva
Canva is an online design tool that nonprofits can use for free to design for both digital and printed material.
Disclaimer! At APG we recommend using a professional tool like InDesign whenever possible. If that is not an option then the next best option is to have us do the design and layout for you.
If Canva is your thing then our guide will show you how to produce high quality printed products that will conform with your branding every time.
Canva for Print
Getting Started
Register your 501c3 with Canva to get your FREE Pro Account!
Go to https://www.canva.com/canva-for-nonprofits/ and apply for a free account. Be prepared to have your 990 or other documents proving your organization is a legally registered 501c3. Canva will then approve a free Pro Account that allows for the creation of CMYK print ready documents. CMYK print ready files are essential for consistent and repeatable color reproduction of your designs.
Brand Hub
Create Your Branding Guide
From the Home Page select Brand Hub. This is where you manage your brand kit and brand components - logos, colors, fonts and images. This is a must do to maintain your brand integrity. If at anytime you need help...ASK!
- Upload Logos
- Define Colors
- Upload Fonts
- Upload Images and Graphics*
*This is useful if you reuse the same imagery repeatedly otherwise skip it.
Brand Kit
Add a Brand Kit
"Add New" from the upper right corner seen highlighted in the screen capture. If you have more than one organization or multiple brands you can create a Brand Kit for each one.
Setup Your Brand Components
Upload Your Logo's
Once on the Brand Page you will start by uploading your logos. Canva can only accept png, jpg, and svg files. We recommend using SVG files. SVG files are vector art and can have transparent backgrounds and be enlarged to any size without compromising quality.
Upload all the variations of your logo. It's always a good idea to have a white only for placement on solid backgrounds and a black and white in addition to your main color logo. Click the Add New button.
Here is what our APG logo palette looks like.
Create Your Color palette
Add all of the colors your brand uses. Click the Add New button to start adding colors.
Enter Your CMYK Values
Canva requires a HEX color value to create a color but allows you to specify the CMYK equivalent. The CMYK values will be used when printing.
It is very important to get your CMYK values entered properly. Double check your entries. Need help? ASK US!
Upload Your Fonts
Canva allows you to upload your brands fonts for easy retrieval and usage in your projects. If you do not have brand fonts we suggest searching google fonts and to download and install those. They will be easy for any print provider to then utilize to produce your material.
Click on add new to upload all versions of your fonts. If you like you can assign each font to a specific style. There is also a manage uploaded fonts link to keep everything up to date and see what you have installed.
Share Your Project
More Commonly Known as Download a PDF
Do not export as a PNG! This is a lower resolution image that is intended to be used in a digital medium such as a web page, social media post or email. While you may successfully print a png once in a while you will at some point end up with a product you will not like. Play it safe, work like a pro and get the best results every time. Export a print ready PDF!
Download a print ready PDF!
- Click Share
- Select Print PDF
- Check Crop marks and bleed
- DO NOT Flatten!!!!
- Select Pages to Print - Normally ALL
- Color Profile: CMYK
- Check Save download settings
- Click Download
Let us help you get started!
Chat, schedule an appointment, or call us at (888) 414-1777 today!
Appeal Packages
Standard Envelope
Large Envelope
Small Card Envelope
