800 Followers Thank You! & Introduction To Canva

Everyone, Inside Cup has reached over 800 followers!!!

And no matter how many, “Thanks!” I put in the feature image, I truly can’t say thank you enough.

As promised, I know many of you have been interested in Canva when I first started making changes to both of my blogs earlier this year, especially on Inside Cup. For those who follow me on my second blog, you may have seen this post before so you are already familiar with it.

I thought as a gift to give back to the community I would share my introduction post on Canva here when I reached 800 followers, and that has happened.

No clicking on a link to go to the whole post.

Please enjoy in its entirety!

I am NOT a graphic designer. I love making titles. I love picking out cool pictures. I love combining images and text. I love fonts.

When you become a blogger (or anyone who will use images and titles for what you want to promote) it’s important you know how to do so and what sources are available.

Now, as much as someone I know kindly recommended to use bigger programs like Photoshop or Illustrator. I’m not into those. For a time, I was studying as a VCT major, visual communications technology because I was into video editing. My introductory course introduced me to these programs and more like them, including website making. It’s not that I haven’t been exposed to them.

I do not want an assortment of options, most of which I won’t use. I’m not that technical because honestly, I’m not making a lot of technical stuff. Anyone else?

But I definitely want something professional. And so throughout the past several months, I’ve worked on getting familiar with Canva and looking for FREE resources in other places that I can use when Canva doesn’t give me what I want.

And if anyone wants to give me one last argument about using the bigger programs, because everything is all in one place, true. You’re right, it is. But one, I don’t have the money, and two, bookmarking a site and then clicking on it is not that hard. Plus, some of those programs, take a while to upload. In the time I could click on a website and get what I want.

BUT if you use those programs, and enjoy them, by no means am I saying not use them. I just wanted to clarify why I am not going down that route right now, and I know others can relate to this.

Canva’s statement is that it empowers the world to design, and it’s true. Canva CAN cost you $$$ if you want more of what it has to offer, but here is what you can get for free, and what I get/use as a free user.

This post will mainly cover the elements portion. But just before we get to that. If you want to open up Canva and kinda follow along with me. To use Canva is free, you just need to sign up with an email, or even your Facebook. You can go to Canva at http://www.canva.com very simple 🙂

Templates Galore– There are templates for social media. Twitter banner, twitch banner, YouTube, blog banner, invitation (wedding, birthday), and so many more other options. Just make sure you click to see more. If you want to follow some of the options I’m going to talk about, just click on a template. As you can see, you can create custom dimensions as well.

Free Illustrations– if you’re looking for a cup, a pen, flower, wreath (notice many bloggers who use wreaths? This is where you can make them) and more. There is a decent selection of free illustrations, but you may also notice a slight problem…it still will feel limiting.

Now, you may see some pretty illustrations, vectors, an image you want to use, but either you have to pay for it to use it or you need to be paying the premium to use the image without Canva’s logo on the image. To me, there are a lot of beautiful illustrations that have the logo on it, I’d love to use, but don’t have the money. But as far as I know, as long as you do not alter the image and leave the logo on the picture, you can still use it. But…that’s not fun. (I’ve found sources for public domain illustrations and vectors.) 

Photos, Grids, Frames– There is a multitude of options when it comes to adding photos and images. You can add your own as well. I often will find a photo on Unsplash and use that as my background image. But you can click on free photos to see what is available. Grids and frames also help you play with placement. (As I shared, I do have other places I get free photos from.)

 

Shapes And Lines– You will notice on my titles I tend to use squares, circles, or rectangles. Sometimes I’ll use a circle with jagged edges. All of those are in Canva and they are great to use for title making. It helps your words stand out. If you are looking for a simple sign off, for example, you may want to check out Canva’s lines.

Transparency Option– Let’s say you want to use a circle as the background for your title so your font will stand out, but you don’t want to completely block out the background picture behind the circle you have selected. Transparency allows you to fade selections so other things show through. You can see these in some of the titles I’ve created in the feature image.

*Note- The Free Version Is Limited In How You Can Use It– I was helping someone create her logo and she requested a silhouette of a dancer. I found a free public domain vector image I could use. But I didn’t realize I wasn’t only getting the dancer. As you can see in the picture to the right, in a different example, the background is white. Whatever pictures you use in Canva, if they have a background, that background will still show up. You can’t make part of an image transparent or gone and keep another part in the free version of Canva. (But I have a resource for this)

 

Icons, I ❤ Canva, & Charts– I don’t use these really, though I have with the icons a little bit. If you want to use Canva images you will find those under the I love Canva section.

Now, as I tend to share, hope this isn’t too repetitive for those of you have stuck around (thank you 🙂 ) here are some posts I’ve made previously you may want to check out. The first two especially if you are looking for free resources.

– Where To Find Free Illustrations & Editing Tools | Blogger 101

–Where To Find Free Photos | Blogger 101

Blog Help For New Bloggers– The page has everything you will need to know as a blogger, and all the blogging topics I’ve covered thus far. 

This ends Pt. 1 of the introduction to Canva. 🙂 

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If you are interested in advice, blog help, or like discussing writing (as well as life) you may want to check out my second blog, Peeking Beneath. This Thursday, for example, I have a post coming out about high school, and how it didn’t make me who I am today. I only post a few times a week as my main focus lies here in Inside Cup. But if you would like to join me elsewhere, Peeking Beneath is definitely an option, along with my social media. 🙂

Month Scripture (MSG) Galatians 6:9-10, “So lets not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.”

Second Blog: Peeking Beneath

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