Business cards are crucial for a professional image. Luckily, you don’t have to be a designer to create a professional-looking one with Canva.
If you don’t know where to start, here’s how to create your own business card from scratch using this handy design app. Check out the steps below, alongside a couple of tips that will help you design a business card that speaks for itself.
Create Your Business Cards in Canva
Before you start designing, create a checklist of all the things you want to include in your business card:
- Your name and title and/or your business’s name
- Your logo
- Your relevant contact info
- Your social media handles
Collect the image files you’ll need, and get started.
Create Your Canva
The first step to a winning design will be opening the app and creating a canvas. Canva has templates for all kinds of things, including business cards, so you won’t have to think about tricky dimensions. To get started, follow these steps:
- Go to the Canva website.
- Create an account or sign in if you’re already a user.
Once you’ve logged into your account, you’ll be taken to the Canva home page. From there, you can create a business card in two ways:
- Click the purple “Create a design” button in the top right corner.
- Select “Business Card” from the dropdown menu.
Clicking this will open up a new page in your browser where you can start editing your blank canvas.
The second way to create a business card is through the templates page:
- Hover your cursor over the “Templates” tab in the top menu.
- Find “Business Cards” under the “Business” section.
You can browse thousands of ready-made business card templates on this page. The tags at the top allow you to narrow down your search if you’re looking for something specific to your profession. Some templates are free to use, while others are paid or require a subscription. A little “$” sign or a yellow crown icon in the corner of the template will indicate a premium design.
Templates are fully customizable, and they’re a great source of inspiration if you’re not sure how you want your final design to look. But to start from scratch, click “Create a blank Business Card,” which is the first option. Your browser will take you to the design page, and you can start creating.
Add Your Details
Start designing by adding some text to your business card. Here’s how:
- Click the “Text” tab in the toolbar on the left.
- Use the heading option for your business name and the rest for smaller text, such as your contact info.
You can adjust the textbox size by dragging any of its corners. Click and hold your text box to move it around on your canvas. As you move your text box, you’ll notice that Canva has smart guidelines that help you position your elements. Your text box will snap to the nearest guideline, making it easier to create an organized layout.
Edit Your Text
The text formatting tools will appear at the top of the page whenever you have text elements selected. From there, you can:
- Edit the font, size, color, and style of your text
- Toggle uppercase and lowercase with a click
- Change the alignment of your text and create bulleted lists
- Space out your letters and lines for an airy look
- Add eye-catching text effects like a shadow, outline, background, etc.
You can edit several text boxes at the same time by selecting them first. Click and hold your left mouse button while dragging your cursor, or press and hold your Shift key and click each element. You can also group the elements, which will make it easier to move them around once you’ve arranged them. Select the text boxes and right-click to find the “Group” option.
Bring in Some Color
Colors play several vital roles in design, from communicating a brand message to evoking emotions. So, the next step will be adding a splash of color to your business card.
To add a simple, solid background, follow these steps:
- Click the background of your business card.
- Find the colorful square icon in the top toolbar.
- Press the “+” button to add a new color and adjust it as you want.
If your business has a specific brand color, you can input its HEX code in the search field. If you’re looking for inspiration, you can simply search for a color, and you’ll see a few pre-made palettes you can apply to your design.
Use an Image
If you want something more complex than a solid color, you can also use an image as the background of your business card. You can upload an image from your device or pick something from Canva’s vast selection of photos and graphics.
If you already have a particular image in mind, import it to your Canva gallery:
- Click the “Uploads” tab in the sidebar.
- Press the “Upload media” button and select the image, or simply drag your file into Canva.
To browse the images Canva offers, navigate to Photos:
- Click the “Elements” tab in the sidebar.
- Find the “Photos” category.
- Type any keyword in the search bar.
- Click the photo you want to insert.
- Move and resize it on your canvas as needed.
For simple photos suitable for backgrounds, try keywords like “texture,” “gradient,” or any color name. Some of the results will be free to use, while others will have the yellow crown icon, which means they are only available to Canva Pro users. Whenever you add an element, Canva will come up with a selection of “Magic recommendations” that go well with your design, so you can continue browsing.
If the image you added blocked out any previously inserted element, right-click on the photo and press “Send to back.” You can also adjust the image’s opacity by clicking the transparency icon in the top right corner when the image is selected.
Add Your Logos
A business card is a marketing tool. It needs to reflect your brand. You can upload your business’s logo to boost your brand recognition. Here’s how it’s done:
- Select the “Uploads” tab in the sidebar.
- Click “Browse” or drag and drop your file into Canvas.
- Move and resize your photo as you want.
Besides your own logo, you may also want to use a few simple icons to make your contact information stand out. Do that by inserting graphics from the Elements tab:
- Click “Elements” in the sidebar.
- Search for keywords like “mail,” “website,” “phone,” or the name of any social media site.
- Select the icons you want.
- Resize them and drag them next to the corresponding contact info. The guidelines will help you position them.
- Recolor the icon to match your card’s color palette by clicking the colored boxes in the top toolbar whenever the icon is selected.
- Group your text and icon so that it’s easier to move them around.
Explore More Elements
As you might have already seen, the Elements tab offers a lot more than just images. Some of these elements can significantly enhance your business card design, so be sure to explore your options:
- Insert lines to create dividers
- Use shapes creatively for a graphic look
- Browse countless free, customizable graphics
- Add a frame to insert a photo
There are even more advanced options if you navigate to the “More” menu in the sidebar:
- Add a QR code to your website
- Insert a Google Maps snippet so customers can find your location
Nevertheless, try to avoid making your design too complicated. It’s easy to get carried away when Canva offers so many cool features, but a business card is a small document, and you don’t want your crucial contact info to get lost in the design.
Create the Back
Creating a back side for your business card gives you more space to work with while also making the card look more professional. Once you’re done with the front of your card, the easiest way to create the back is as follows:
- Click the “Duplicate” icon in the right corner of the top toolbar.
- Remove the elements you don’t need by selecting them and pressing your Delete key.
To keep the formatting consistent, don’t delete your text boxes. Instead, double-click them and edit their text.
Export Your Design
Your design will automatically be saved to your Canva, so you can come back and edit it if necessary. Nevertheless, you can also export your business card. Canva gives you the option to save, share, or even print out your design.
Click the “Share” button in the top right corner. You’ll see a myriad of export options, from sending your design directly to someone to sharing it with a group. Click the Download button the get the file in your preferred format.
If you’re confident with your design, you can also get it printed directly on Canva. Click the “Print Business Cards” button to see your printing options. Before you send your card off, remember to double-check that there are no mistakes in the text. You might also need to move some elements farther away from the edge of the card so they won’t get cut off. But don’t worry, Canva will show you the “danger zone” you should keep empty.
Additional FAQs
What font size should I use for my business card?
It can be difficult to imagine the final size of your design when working on a large screen. Make sure the text will be readable by keeping the font size above six points, depending on the font.
Can I import my own fonts to Canva?
You can import fonts to your Canva Brand Kit if you have a Pro or Enterprise subscription, or an Education or Nonprofit account. Users of the basic version won’t be able to import their own fonts. Nevertheless, if you have a custom brand font you want to use, you can first create a transparent PNG file with your desired text in another app, and import the image to Canva.
Can I make a business card with rounded corners?
Rounded corners undoubtedly give a business card a touch of elegance. Canva offers a rounded business card option, too. Search for “rounded business card” on the homepage and select a template or start with a blank canvas.
Create a Professional Design With Ease
Canva provides you with all the tools you’ll need to create eye-catching business cards, whether for your own business or someone else. With numerous templates and a fully customizable canvas, your only limit is your imagination.
Have you designed a business card with Canva before? Do you have any tips to share not covered in this article? Let us know in the comments section below.
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