How to make a print-ready Canva pdf

Set up your Canva artwork to have 3mm bleed

Why do I need bleed on my artwork file?

In printing, "bleed" refers to the technique of extending an image or background colour beyond the edge of a printed page. This is done intentionally to ensure that the image or colour extends all the way to the edge of the final trimmed page, without leaving any white borders or unprinted areas.

How do I set up bleed in Canva?

To prepare your Canva design for printing, it's important to establish the correct bleed area. To achieve this, you should extend your content beyond the edges of the artwork area by dragging the borders beyond the page's edge. The background layer's bounding box should be positioned outside the visible artwork area.

Export your Canva design with crop marks

What are crop marks?

Crop marks, also known as trim marks, are thin lines printed on the corners of a printed document or design. They indicate where the document should be trimmed to its final size after printing. Crop marks help ensure that the printed product is trimmed accurately and that the final size matches the intended dimensions of the design.

How do I add crop marks to my Canva artwork?

When your design is ready, click the download button (located on the right-hand side of the top bar in Canva).

Make sure the file type is set to ‘PDF print’ and check the box marked ‘Crop marks and bleed’. Then click the Download button.

When downloaded, the PDF file should have crop marks in each corner of your artwork.

Can I make my Canva artwork CMYK?

Since Canva is an online editor, it only utilises the RGB gamut of colours. Consequently, if you intend to print your design, your printer will have to convert it to CMYK. It's important to inform them that you created your design in Canva when requesting a quote.

It's also worth noting that converting the colour settings may alter the appearance of colours in your artwork when it's printed.

What sizes should you use for your Canva artwork?

When creating your design in Canva there are many sizing options. We recommend you use custom sizing as this will make your artwork more cost effective to print.
We advise putting your own size using the custom sizing function.

A list of common printing sizes is below:

Business Cards – 88 x 55 mm
DL – 99 x 210 mm
A6 – 105 x 148 mm
A5 – 148 x 210 mm
A4 – 210 x 297 mm
A3 – 420 x 297 mm
A2 – 420 x 594 mm
A1 – 594 x 841 mm