Posters in Canva

Step 1

The print format from the first click

First find out where the poster will hang and what size it will be printed at. Then set a custom size in millimeters (Canva supports px, in, mm and cm) or find the design type by searching "Poster". Note that the common poster sizes on Canva's page are in inches, so check the format you need, such as A3 or A2, with your print shop.

• •if you need the poster for print and for social media, start with the print version and make a separate file for screens;
• •Canva limits the canvas to between 40 and 8,000 pixels per side;
• •lock colors and fonts on the main format rather than on each version separately.

💡 Turning a vertical A3 into a horizontal banner is almost a new design. Agree on every format you need before you start.

Step 2

One main thing, and it's big

Posters are read from a few meters away in a few seconds. So the hierarchy is stricter than anywhere else: one main thing (the event name, a face, a big word) takes most of the space, then the date and place, and everything else is small and at the bottom. If you can't tell what the event is from three steps back, the poster isn't working.

• •no more than three levels of text: heading, key information, details;
• •one expressive font for the heading and one calm font for the rest, both with Cyrillic if needed;
• •check contrast: WCAG requires at least 4.5:1 between normal text and background.

💡 Shrink the layout on screen to the size of a postage stamp. What you can still see is what passers-by will read.

Step 3

Margins, safe zone and bleed

Turn on the guides: File → Rulers and guides → Show margins and Show print bleed. Canva describes the zones from center to edge: inside the margins is the safe zone for text and logos; then the trim line, where the sheet is cut; beyond it the bleed, where the background runs and which always gets cut off. By default Canva adds 3.175 mm of bleed on every side, and you can't change that size.

• •stretch backgrounds and photos to the edge of the bleed so no white strips remain after trimming;
• •keep text, the date, the logo and the QR code inside the margins;
• •if you're not printing with Canva Print, ask your print shop what bleed it needs.

Step 4

Images and a QR code

Print needs good images: Canva recommends uploading photos at 300 dpi and checking quality by zooming to 200%. If a photo looks blurry or pixelated, it won't print well. If the poster leads to registration or tickets, add a QR code: Canva has a free QR code generator, including dynamic codes whose link you can change after printing.

• •put the QR code on a contrasting background and don't make it tiny;
• •write briefly next to the code where it leads;
• •only use photos you have the right to use.

Step 5

PDF Print and a check before printing

Download via Share → Download as PDF Print: 300 dpi, with bleed, crop marks and a color profile choice (RGB or CMYK). The CMYK profile is only on paid Canva plans, so check what your print shop needs. Before sending, Canva recommends proofreading the text, dates, names, addresses and contacts, not going below font size 7, and doing a test print.

• •a home printer may not support full bleed or crop marks, which is fine for a test copy;
• •view the layout at 100% zoom to see how small the text really is;
• •send the PDF to the print shop and ask them to confirm the file works before the full run.

💡 Hang the test copy on a wall and step back a few meters. If you can't see the title and date, make them bigger instead of adding more elements.