How to Use Your Canva Template

To Edit or Not to Edit, the Choice Is Yours

Although you can customize your new template with your logo, brand colors, imagery, and messaging, they're also highly effective as they are. 

If customization doesn’t interest you, no problem! Simply add your disclosure and company information, then download your template as a PDF. 

In order to edit your Canva template, create a free Canva account here and read on.

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How to Edit Your Template

• Once you have downloaded your Downloadable’s .zip folder, please open it and double-click the open-in-canva.html file to open the template in Canva.

Logo

1. Next, add your logo through the Uploads tab on the left. 
2. If you are printing, make sure your logo is at least 300 dpi.
3. Click Upload files. 
4. Select the logo file you would like to upload.
5. Drag your logo onto the page from the Uploads tab.

Disclosure & Company Information

• Next, you will need to add in your disclosure and company information. Look for the red text on the last page. 
  • (Recommended)—At this point, most users will download the template with their logo, disclosure, and company information added. However, if you want to continue editing, you may do so. 

Brand

• (Optional)—If you want to apply your brand colors, you can do so through the Brand tab. (If your brand colors have not been added to your Canva account, you will need to go to canva.com/brand and create your brand kit.
  • Note: After applying your brand colors to a design, some editing may need to be done to retain legibility. Remember that these Whitepapers are designed and built with specific colors in mind, so altering this may require some editing work from you. 

Imagery

• (Optional)—If you would like to replace the imagery with your own, you can do so through the Uploads tab, as we did with the logo, or through the Photos tab if you do not have your imagery ready.
  • Upload your imagery into Canva, or go to the Photos tab and search for an image.
  • Drag your new image onto the existing image you would like to replace. 
    • If you want to flip the image, you can select it and use the ‘Flip’ tool in the toolbar that appears above. 

How to Download Your Template

Looking good! Once your design is ready, you can download and share it. 

1. In Canva, click on the top corner above the editor and then navigate to Share.
2. Click  Download.
3. Select the format you would like to export from the' File Type' dropdown. Here are some file types and their typical use cases:
   1. PDF Standard (if you are sharing digitally)
   2. PDF Print (if you are printing)
   3. JPEG or PNG (if you are sharing on social or in the body of an email)
4. Select Download.
5. That’s it! Your custom whitepaper should now be downloaded to your computer.

How to Ensure the Best Print Quality

Are you planning on printing this piece? Follow these additional steps. 

• Double-check that your logo file size is large enough to print 300 dpi.
• Remove the Mailing Block guidelines so the guidelines don't print on the final design.
• For best results, download the CMYK version. NOTE: You'll need a Canva subscription.
• Reminder: Submit the design through compliance before sending it to the printer! This cannot be done through FMG.