At Melbourne Print, we love seeing your ideas come to life in vibrant, high-quality print. One of the most popular tools our customers use to design their flyers, business cards, brochures, and more is Canva. It’s user-friendly, versatile, and perfect for beginners and professionals alike.

But while Canva is great for designing, it’s important to make sure your artwork is print-ready before sending it to us. To help you avoid delays, pixelated images, or unexpected trims, we’ve put together this handy guide to preparing print ready artwork when using Canva.

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Step 1: Set the Correct Dimensions

Start by choosing the right dimensions for your print product. Canva offers preset sizes, but we recommend entering custom dimensions in millimeters to match your order.

For example:
– A5 flyer: 210mm x 148mm
– DL brochure: 99mm x 210mm
– Business card: 85mm x 55mm

When setting up your file:
1. Click Create a design
2. Choose Custom Size
3. Enter your dimensions in millimeters (mm)

(Don’t forget to include bleed — more on that below.)

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Step 2: Add Bleed and Safe Margins

Bleed ensures that your design extends beyond the cut line, preventing white edges. Canva allows you to add bleed easily:

1. After opening your design, click File
2. Tick Show print bleed
3. Make sure to extend any background colours, images, or elements right to the edges

Remember to keep key text and logos inside the safe zone (at least 3-5mm from the edge) to avoid them being cut off during the trimming process.

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Step 3: Use High-Resolution Images

Blurry prints are often the result of low-resolution images.

Make sure:
– Your images are at least 300 DPI
– Avoid screenshots or compressed images from the web
– You’re uploading your own high-res files or using Canva Pro elements

Tip: Zoom in to 100% in Canva to check clarity before exporting.

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Step 4: Use CMYK-Friendly Colours

Canva designs are in RGB by default, which is perfect for digital but not ideal for print. While Canva doesn’t currently support true CMYK previews, you can:
– Stick to colours that print well (avoid overly neon or saturated shades)
– Use Canva’s Print Design templates when possible — they’re colour-optimised
– If colour accuracy is critical, chat with us about converting your file manually or using a professional design tool

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Step 5: Export as a Print-Ready PDF

This is where many people go wrong — so double-check these settings when downloading:

1. Click Share > Download
2. Choose PDF Print (not standard PDF)
3. Tick Crop marks and bleed
4. If you have a pro account, set colour profile to CMYK if available (otherwise, PDF Print is still safe for most prints)

This will give you print ready artwork that’s best suited for professional printing.

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Step 6: Send It to Us!

Once you’ve exported your print-ready PDF, you’re all set. You can send us your file directly via our online portal, or email us at info@melbourneprint.co.uk.

Need us to check your file before printing? No problem — we’re happy to review your design and offer free advice to ensure it prints perfectly.

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If Canva ever gets confusing, or you’d prefer a professional to handle the layout, our in-house design team is always ready to help. Whether it’s business cards, signage, or booklets — Melbourne Print is your local expert in all things print and design.

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Got a design ready to go?

Let’s make it print-perfect!