One of my most frequently asked questions is how I make collages in Canva like a pro. While it may seem like taking on the task of learning yet another platform is daunting, I’m here to tell you that Canva is seriously one of the most user friendly tools! There are so many things you can do inside of Canva from creating Pinterest templates to social media graphics and more. I use it a ton in my business not only to create collages, but to create graphics that I may need for my business, my website and more!
What Is a Collage and Why Create One?
Collages are a collection of items that have been curated on the page to show an audience a visual representation of something. Depending on your niche, this could be the cutest fall finds under $50, or the best white couches, maybe it’s your top five baby products you can’t live without. Collages are an easy way to display products without having to take a perfectly styled photo! This is also a great tool so that you aren’t purchasing every single thing you see on the internet! To see some more collages in real time, feel free to check out my LiketoKnow.it shop!
Common Questions Around Creating Collages
What Type of Collage Is Best For Me?
I recommend starting with your brand identity and your brand pillars. Depending on the type of content you create, this will help you to decide what type of collages you should be creating. But remember, collages should be supporting pieces to your main content and not 100% of your brand. For instance if you just went on a trip you could write a blog post about where you stayed, your honest opinions, what you packed and your must have travel accessories. You could create a supporting collage with your must have travel items that you recommend! This way the collage is supporting your main content. Another option would be if you are sharing a try-on haul, you could create a few styled looks using a piece that you tried on to show multiple ways to style that piece. This is your chance to truly get creative!
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Do I Need to Create All My Own Collages?
The short answer is no! If you know that your time is better spent elsewhere in your business, this is 100% something you can delegate. This is a great example of a task that you can delegate to a Virtual Assistant. You can simply add them as a team member or share the design template you would like to use via their email address. This is super helpful because it allows you to focus on the big picture stuff!
How Do I Remove The Background of images?
In order to acquire the background remover feature you will have to purchase the paid version of Canva. This also unlocks other fun features such as more elements, color customizations and more. This feature is pretty essential to creating eye catching collages that convert. In order to use this feature you will click on the image you want to remove the background on. On the top toolbar you will click ‘edit image’, and on the left toolbar click background remover. Once the background removal is complete you will see two option that pop up on the left. This allows you to manually erase or restore any part of the image. This is helpful because sometimes to background remover erases something you wanted to stay in the picture, while other times it doesn’t erase all that you wanted gone. This allows you to make adjustments as needed.
What Size Should My Template Be?
If you are planning to post your template to Instagram stories, I would recommend using the Instagram stories template size inside of Canva. You can get a blank template by typing ‘Instagram Stories’ into the search bar at the top. Then instead of clicking the template you want to use, select the option on the left that say ‘create new’. This will give you a blank Instagram stories template that is the perfect size to share.
If you are planning to post this graphic to the LTK app, use the dimension 1080 x 1350 for the perfect size. You will do this by clicking ‘blank template’ and then entering the dimensions in px above. Depending on where you plan to share your design, Canva has many ready to go templates for social media based on the custom size you’re looking for.
most commonly used social media dimensions:
- Instagram stories: 1080 x 1920
- liketoknowit. app: 1080 x 1350
- Youtube thumbnail: 1280 x 720
- Pinterest: 1000 x 1500
- Facebook post: 940 x 788
How Do I make My Canva Collages look good?
If you’re new to designing graphics, I would start by browsing their template designs to see if there is anything already made that you love! From there, you can quickly change the colors to your own brand colors and it’s quick and easy. Once you’re ready to start designing your own, check out the elements section, where there are many different graphics you can layer and add to your design. You can search for anything you’re looking for specifically, like “heart” or “boarder” and add it to your design with a click of a button.
How To Make Collages In Canva
Start out by adding you brand colors and fonts you your ‘brand kit’. This will make it easier when you are creating collages and graphics for your business!
Step One: Gather All the Images You are Going to Use.
I like to screenshot the images I want by holding down Command+Shift+4 on a mac. This generates a plus sign that allows you to grab the image you want. Once I’ve linked all the items and grabbed all the screen shots I upload them in Canva using the the ‘uploads’ section on the lefthand toolbar. I highly recommend organizing your pictures as you upload them into photos if you are working on large projects. Trust me, as time goes on you will thank yourself! You can also organize your documents into folders as well! This will ensure everything is easy to find and organize.
Step Two: Remove all the Backgrounds.
I will place all the images on the template I plan to use. Once all images are on the template, I go ahead and background remove all the backgrounds for all the images. This allows me to see what all I’m working with.
Step Three: Resize Images as Necessary.
Not all of the images that you place on your template will be the appropriate size. Once the background is gone I will then resize the items to be approximately the correct size.
Step Four: Place the Images Strategically Around your Template.
Depending on what type of collage you are making this may vary. You may like a clean and simple look with little to no layering whereas someone else’s brand may be more fun and playful with lots of elements, hearts and words.
Step Five: Place Text On Your Template.
Try to stick to 4-5 words that convey what the collage is about and how it benefits your audience. Think about what would grab your attention. Less is more here! If you decide to use a cursive font, make sure the words are legible. If you’re audience can’t read it quickly, they won’t read it at all.
Step Six: Download Your Design.
Once you are done with your collages click the ‘download button’. Make sure you select PNG for the best image quality. Then select the exact page you want to download and click that big button that says download!
PRO TIPS FOR CREATING COMPELLING COLLAGES
- Stick to a theme to attract specific buyers
- Keep the colors cohesive to make it visually appealing
- Provide inspiration so they can see the full picture
- Call out items they may not recognize or tell them where they can use it
- Have a variety of items to appeal to a larger audience
- Highlight lower price-points for 2-3 items is applicable
- Instead of continuing to make collages in the same document, separate it out by project by clicking the three dots and ‘make a copy’ so you have to same template but separate. This makes it easier to download in case you need to use the app on the fly.
- Once you download to your phone, create a separate”canva” folder as well!
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