how to create facebook ad in canva
TRANSCRIPT
How to Create Facebook Ad Images with Canva
How Canva Works!
Canva works on a simple drag and drop basis
You simply select elements to include in
your graphic from a vast library
(or upload your own) then drag and position them on your visual.
Canva’s Interface
There are two main elements to Canva:
Dashboard
The dashboard gives you access to your
designs
and allowing you to select a default
template to work from.
This is the first screen you see after logging to
the app:
Main work area
The tool’s main area where you actually
design your graphic has 3 key elements:
1. The library of graphics, shapes and templates you can use in your ad.
This is where you can find elements to include in
the ad, from simple shapes to graphics and even images from your
Facebook gallery.
2. Main canvas
That’s the main graphic canvas on which you
place various elements to make up image for
your ad.
3. Controls and Export Tools
These are options that help you export your image to use in ad (or
whatever other content you created it for).
Step 1. Sign up for Canva if you haven’t already.
In order to start using Canva, you’ll need to sign
up for an account.
But don’t worry, it costs nothing to do so
And in many cases, creating visuals is free too
And in many cases, creating visuals is free too
In Canva you pay only if you use paid graphics, you will then be charged when you decide to export your design
This means that you can experiment with different
paid elements and only pay for the one you want
To sign up for Canva, go to Canva.com
and register using one of the three methods: with your Google account, Facebook or email
Once done, you will see the dashboard we already
talked about.
Naturally since it’s your first time using the tool, it will have nothing in your designs history.
Step 2. Select ad image size
Canva gives you two options when it comes to setting up your graphic:
You can use a pre-defined template, or
Select custom size you prefer
Both options are located in the “Create a design” section at the top of the
dashboard
Using a Template
Canva features an impressive number of predefined templates to help create various graphics,
from blog posts to presentations,
flyers and a lot in between
And as you may have guessed, it also has a pre-
defined template for a Facebook ad image
To access it, click on the More button
on the list of templates:
The tool will open a catalogue of available
templates
Scroll down to the very last section – Ads and select Facebook Ad.
Canva will create a 1200 x 627px size image and also, open a library of available ad styles
Creating a Custom Size Image
To create a custom size image, go back to the
dashboard
and click on the “Use Custom
Dimensions” button in the upper right corner of
the templates library
Canva will overlay the screen with two boxes to
specify custom Width and Height for your
image:
Once you give the measurements, click Design
and the tool will set new image canvas to your
specification
Note that if you use a custom design, you have
no access to ad templates as when you
use a pre-defined template
Step 3. Adding elements to the ad
Canva’s library features a number of elements you can add to your visual:
Background colors and patterns,
Shapes, Frames, Text Illustrations, and of
course
All of them are located in the left side library
This is how the sidebar looks like when you use
a custom dimension:
Here’s how the sidebar looks like when you
choose the Facebook Ad template:
In this guide however I’ll show you how to add elements to a custom design
Layouts
Layouts are predefined templates to base your design on
If, for instance you want to create an image that features two columns,
one containing a picture, the other some graphic elements,
layouts could help you specify that division
To use a specific layout, simply click on it and Canva will add it to your design
Note that the two graphics in columns are for illustration purposes only.
To remove or edit them, click on that section of the visual and use the Inspector bar that will appear on screen.
The inspector bar works for every element you add to the design giving you access to various editing tools for that graphic
Here’s how it looks when you want to edit a column’s background color:
Text
As the name suggests this section contains various templates and settings for adding copy to your image
The top section contains the most basic text templates where all the stuff below the horizontal line are various templates you could use
Note the word FREE beside many of them, it denotes that you can use the template at no cost
As we’ve already discussed, Canva also offers paid elements
Just like with Layouts, to add a text template, just click on it and Canva will add it to your
In text tool it contains options to change the color of your copy, remove or copy it.
To edit the copy, click on the line of text you want to edit.
When you do, a second Inspector bar will appear giving you access to more editing tools, you’ll be able to change font, text size and color for that individual line.
Backgrounds
If you want to add a custom background to your ad, this is the section to use.
Background as the name suggests contains various colors, patterns and images you could use in your design.
To use a particular pattern or image as a background, simply click on it and Canva will add it to your design
Grids, Frames and Other Shapes
Lastly, if you click the search button in the sidebar (not the search box though),
you’ll gain access to libraries of various shapes, grids, frames and other graphic elements you could add to your design:
This library contains hundreds of elements that could help you enhance you ad design, including stock free photography.
To access them, click on Photos section:
Uploading Own Photos
Having access to a library of images is great but I bet you’ll mostly want to use own images in your ads
And Canva gives you two options to do that:
You can upload images directly from your hard drive, or
Connect Canva to your Facebook account and use your photos in the design
Step 4. Exporting the Ad
With your graphic done, it’s time to export it to use in the ad
The process is pretty simple
Simply click the Download button in the top right corner of the Canva’s interface and… you’re done.
Canva will export the graphic and it will download automatically to your hard drive
(unless you have a browser set to act differently but then you’ll know what it will do instead).
And …. that’s it.
I hope I was able to help you
Thank you!