THE CANVA HACKS WE ACCUMULATED OVER THE PAST 5+ YEARS

Feb 103 min read

the day i decided to start STUDIO RH, my first stop was canva. i had a vision for my branding and canva was the quickest way to bring it to life. before that, i headed up the social media management branch of a digital media marketing agency soaking up every tool and trick i could. fast-forward to today: while we use the adobe suite at STUDIO RH, canva remains our primary workspace for both studio and client work.

over the past five years, i’ve learned a lot—some things embarrassingly late—and now i feel the need to share them. no gatekeeping here! these are my top canva tips that i wish i knew sooner.

canva hack 01 // the bold font hack

if your font is too thin and there’s no bold option (or bold makes it too bold) here’s a workaround:

go to effects
select outline
match the outline colour to your font colour
adjust the outline thickness to your liking

this trick makes a delicate font more readable without sacrificing its style.

canva hack 02 // the layered text trick

for text that’s just a little too light over an image but gets too bold when you hit “bold”:

duplicate the text and layer it over itself.
repeat as needed—each layer slightly enhances readability without overdoing it.

canva hack 03 // the duotone plug-in

we use duotone all the time. instead of swapping out logo files to change their colour, we:

click the image
hit edit → effects → duotone
adjust it to the exact colour we need

it keeps the resolution crisp—perfect for small social media logos (but don’t do this for web design!).

BEFORE

AFTER

canva hack 04 // creating seamless carousels

we love seamless carousels to encourage swiping and showcase larger images without awkward cropping. here’s how:

create a new canva file 2160 x 1350 px (twice the width of a portrait instagram post but the same height)
or hit resize on an existing file and adjust it to 2160 x 1350 px
add a vertical line in the centre as a guide to ensure images split cleanly across slides
design as usual, then export and slice accordingly

canva hack 05 // large text behind an image

we love this effect for architectural shots from client photoshoots. to achieve it:

duplicate your image
remove the background from the duplicate (touch up with the “restore” brush as needed)
create large text and position it where you want
align the full image and background-removed image perfectly
move the text backward behind the cutout image

voilà! a bold, layered effect that adds depth and impact to your design.

Canva Hacks - layer text behind an object in an image — *BEFORE*

Canva Hacks - layer text behind an object in an image (after) — *AFTER*

canva hack 06 // image focus

sometimes iphone 'portrait mode' isn't a good option to put a large area in focus. or other times we weren't the ones taking the image in the first place. we use a canva hack to subtly guide the viewers' eyes where we want them to be in an image. here's how we do it:

select your image
click "edit"
go to effects on the left-hand side
select "focus"
select the brush feature (bigger brush sizes will create a more subtle transition) and turn the intensity WAY down (to like 3-6)
brush across the areas you want to be slightly out of focus.

there you have it! the same beautiful image you started with, but slightly more intentional, helping your viewers pay attention to what you want them to be paying attention to.

Canva Hacks - use the blur effect to place parts of an image in focus (before) — *BEFORE*

Canva Hacks - use the blur effect to place parts of an image in focus (after) — *AFTER*

this is just the beginning (our first every blog post!)—six of many canva tricks we use daily. if you found these helpful and want a part two, let us know!

make sure to follow us on instagram for inspiration, more tips and insights into our life here at STUDIO RH - a digital media agency based in toronto, working with clients worldwide.