Are Canva Templates Easier to Use Than the PDF Pages?

Are Canva Templates Easier to Use Than the PDF Pages?

I've recently added a "color folder" option for the Canva Templates which means you can pay for the templates once and use them for life (including all of the Canva templates I release in the future). That's brought in a rush of questions about Canva vs. the usual PDF pages and whether or not people should switch if they've already bought the PDfs. Here's what I say about that:

Are the Canva Templates easier to use?

Well, yes, to put it plainly. Canva Templates are for use on Canva.com, which is a design website where you can set up a free account and start making things right away. The whole point of Canva.com is to make the process easy for people who aren't graphic designers so they've bent over backwards to make everything user-friendly. In that sense, there isn't a PDF editor that compares and you have to use some PDF editor to edit the regular PDF pages. (Canva is not a great option for this, by the way, because of the way Canva is set up. Hence, the creation of the templates.)

Now, if you're already comfortable with a PDF editor and you've been using the pages for a while, it might not be worth it for you to switch. The Canva Template pages look similar but the font is a little different so I could see that bothering people who have done a significant amount of work already. There's no easy way to "slurp" the info you've put onto the PDF pages into Canva Templates so you'd need to go back and copy everything over by hand. That might also make it not worth it. Things to consider. 

Is there anything I can do on Canva that I can't do with the PDFs?

Yes, there's a lot. Canva lets you easily change things like the basic design of the page, including the placement, font, and colors. That means the pages are endlessly flexible and you don't have to rely on me to make something in a special color or format. Even though I've given you more than 2000 Canva templates to use, it's also easy for you to change the title on a page and make your own specialized forms. 

Canva also has design elements built-in like charts, photo frames, clip art, and graphics. If you upgrade to a Canva Pro account (available for a monthly fee), you have access to everything and it's all very easy to find, add, and edit. 

Finally, Canva automatically saves your work in your account so you'll never lose your pages unless you accidentally delete or "save over" one of your files. Every time you open a template using the link I give you, your Canva account will make you a fresh new page to work with and I have tutorials showing you how to put the different pages together into one large PDF. Plus, as I found out recently, it's really easy to print directly from Canva and have the books sent to your house! 

Is there anything I can do with the PDF pages that I can't do with the Canva Templates?

You bet! The PDF pages can be used with any program that edits (adds photos and text to) PDFs so you have a lot more options when it comes to which software you want to use. You can also immediately print out the PDFs and fill them in by hand if you choose. Also, depending on what you're using to add text and photos, you should be able to use the PDF files without needing an Internet connection which is handy if you're using a tablet on the go. The Canva Templates can only be used on the website Canva.com. 

So which should I use: Canva or PDF?

Right now, I use both. I love the PDF pages for their dependability and the fact that I've been using them for years and years. I've been loving the Canva templates for their flexibility and the fact that I can make and print books so quickly. Could they be used together? Sure, if you don't mind a little font mixing. So maybe you don't have to choose? Best of both worlds if you have them all! 

Grab the new Canva Template color folder here. 

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