Canva has done it again! The latest Canva updates are totally mind-blowing, even though I knew some of them were coming, I wasn’t expecting the awesomeness of some of the new features!
If you want to see the whole virtual event where they introduce each of the new features, I’ve posted it at the bottom of the post, it is over an hour and a half long! If you want to skip that, I have done a quick overview of some of the new tools for you here…
Full disclosure, I am a Canva affiliate (because I love them so much), so it is a no-brainer for me to use the Pro version, it is only $12 a month, less if you pay annually. You can use Canva for free but are restricted with the elements, templates and features. If you are using it just once in a blue moon then stick with the free but if you use it as part of your business, it is a great investment.
Check out the pricing and comparison of what you get free vs pro here.
⚠️WARNING – be aware that there are unscrupulous people out there selling Canva lifetime access for what looks like a reasonable fee. DON’T do it, they are scammers, Canva does not, and as far as I am aware, will never sell lifetime deals.
Canva Update #1 – The Brand Hub
The Pro Account had a Brand Hub before this update but it was limited to your brand fonts and brand colours plus your logo. Now you can also add brand photos for example your headshots, or product images. There is a section for your branded graphics, if you use the same graphics on your social media, presentations, PDFs, etc. you can upload all of those to your brand hub and also any branded icons.
If you work with a VA you can restrict what they use to make sure they keep everything on brand too.
And finally, possibly my favourite part, because I love a good template as it saves time, you can now upload branded templates to your brand hub.
For me, this feature alone is worth the pro fee!
Canva Update #2 – Layers
This is a long-awaited Canva updated by anyone who has used other design software such as Illustrator or Photoshop. Not only are there full layers but you don’t need to label them as Canva as a mini icon of what the layer is making it super visual!
There is also more precise control when it comes to sizing elements too. Yay!
Canva Update #3 – Animation
Did you watch the quick little video on layers above? If yes, then you will have seen the new animation tool in effect. That nifty little wand is an element that I attached to a path then Canva animated it. It’s a pretty simple and fun addition. Pick an element then under Animate/Element Animations and follow the instructions.
Canva Update #4 – Translate
For those of us who are not wired for languages, this Canva update is amazing! To find it scroll down the apps on the left (circled in orange) or if you use the Canva assistant tool bottom right (pink circle), pop “translate” in the search bar and it will pop up.
Add your languages and which page you want translated and Canva will do the hard work.
Canva Update #5 – Magic Write Everywhere
Magic Write was introduced in the last update and was only available in the docs app but now you can use Magic Write everywhere. This is the handy-dandy AI writing tool. To access it use the same Canva Assistant tool as above, but put “Magic Write” in the search box and the info box will pop up.
Canva Update #6 – Magic Erase Tool
Have you ever taken a photo and then wanted to delete something/someone (like an ex perhaps 😂) Now you can. Select your photo then Edit Photo/Magic Eraser Tool. Use the tool to highlight what you want to remove and boom… it’s gone. Sorry to the small child in a mustard hat!
How well this works very much depends on the photo that you are using. Canva uses AI to fill in the missing area so if it’s a complicated background it might appear very blurry. have a play anyway!
Canva Update #8 – Magic Edit Tool
I’m not sure how useful this will be to most people but you can now delete parts of an image and swap it with AI-generated images. For this one, I deleted the cake and asked for a cute puppy!
Select your photo then Edit Photo/Magic Edit Tool. Use the tool to highlight what you want to remove, then type in the box the new thing that you want and watch the magic happen. It gives you 4 options to choose from.
And there is more…
There are several more new Canva updates but I don’t want to overwhelm you here, we will be going through them in the next Wonder Moms Workshop they are:
- Edit with Beat Sync, to match your video transition with the music.
- Text to image, this has been rolled out everywhere now.
- Magic Design. Add your media and Canva does the rest.
- Magic Presentations, give Canva the prompts and it will put a presentation together for you, all you need to do is add your expertise!
- Draw – the drawing tool which was a bit naff before has been upgraded and is much better now!
With all the updates, a lot of stuff has been moved around and might not be where you expected it to be. The first port of call is to look in the Apps section, that’s where I have found most of the things that mysteriously disappeared!
Here is the full presentation of all the new bells and whistles if you have time to watch it, do, it also shares all the amazing things Canva do to as a company, giving back and all that good stuff.
Convinced that Canva is actually worth the money yet? Try it out here!
Other posts that might be of use:
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CANVA PRO
WHAT’S NEW WITH CANVA? (previous new releases)
100 AND MORE STOCK PHOTO SITES FOR ENTREPRENEURS 2023