Canva Design School http://designschool.canva.

com/
A Visual Guide to Typography
http://designschool.canva.com/blog/visual-glossary-typographic-terms/
Fast-track your design education by getting familiar with fundamental typographic terms!
Typography is the art and technique of arranging type in your designs. The aim of the game is to
make your written language look aesthetically beautiful, and read effectively so your message
can be absorbed with impact.
These essential terms will form the foundation of your typography knowledge so be sure to
save, pin, and share these graphics for easy reference!

01. Ascender

The ascender is the vertical stem that extends above the x-height of a letter, you can use this
landing space as somewhere to place smaller, introduction type.

02. Descender

The descender is the portion of the letter that extends below the baseline of your font. Use this
space to place copy as you would a subheading, or any other text with less importance than a
heading. Likewise you could use this area to add a keyline or an embellishment.

03. Serif

A serif is a typeface with small decorative edges at the ends of the letters, these typefaces have a
certain air of sophistication about them and are used often for long copy as they are easy to read.

04. Sans Serif

A sans serif is a geometric typeface with no additional strokes or spurs at the end of the letters.
Sans serifs make for modern, strong title fonts and are considered easy to read they also make
great partners when applied in different weights.

05. Script

A script font is one which mimics the stroke of a paintbrush, often linking letters together.
Applying a script can add a certain edge to your design and create a dynamic and interesting
pairing when combined with a sans serif.

06. Baseline

The line on which most letters sit, and below which descenders extend. Use your baseline to
create a symmetrical composition by adding a line of text below, corresponding to the line above.

07. Letter Spacing

Letter spacing (tracking), is the space between letters on a line. Use this technique to fill empty
space and elongate shorter words, creating flush lines between heading to subheading.

08. Line Height

Line height is the distance between text from baseline to baseline. Altering this space can make
your type much more legible and provide breathing space for tightly tracked lines of copy.

http://designschool.canva.com/blog/create-white-space-designs/

How to Create More White Space in Your

Designs
Lets start by addressing the elephant in the room white space isnt actually white. Dont be
fooled, its a common misconception that prevents many people from utilising this essential
design principle.
White space can be any area within a design that is free from text, images, or embellishments.
Designers love it because it can help create grouping, add emphasis and improve legibility.

01. Deliberate white space

Dont be afraid to leave large areas of your design empty. This principle has been applied here in
the areas above and below the Origami title.
Deliberate white space can help you create a strong focus for your design, and give it room to
breathe.

02. Remove borders

One way to achieve more white space is to remove unnecessary elements in your design.
Removing a border, as seen in the second Instagram graphic above, helps open up the design.
Always make sure the elements you use (such as borders, shapes, icons etc) add value to your
design.

03. Enlarge your background image to create more copy

space

When searching for background images, look out for ones with ample copy space which you can
use to overlay text. Or, to create more white space, try enlarging your images.

04. Use a colored background

Many people wrongly assume that white space is always white.

Rather, its any space within your design thats free from text or visuals. Using a color
background can be a great way to create lots of nice space around text for example a quote
while still adding an element that will make it stand out.

05. Use letter spacing

Using letter spacing can be a great way to align your text in blocks. This will help it sit nicely as
a single element within your design, and appear readable and intentional.

06. Use padding

When using multiple elements within your design, make sure they all have their own margins of
white space. Notice the even padding around the text Cooking: Back to Basics, the space
underneath the website URL, and between the text box and the handle in the background image.

07. Increase your border

Imagine the border around a painting in a picture frame it helps the image breathe by providing
more white space. Try adopting this principle by increasing the border around central elements
like text and images.
Make sure all of your elements are centred. This will help you map out your white space evenly.

08. Make one aspect of your design prominent

Many unsuccessful designs suffer from design clutter. By increasing the size of one element
within your layout, other elements should be minimal and allow for more white space. This has
been done here with the size of the text Eat.
White space is a subtle principle that can help your designs yield huge improvements. No two
designs are the same, so make sure you consider these eight elements when creating original
layouts!

http://designschool.canva.com/blog/three-magic-number-layout/

Why Three Could be the Magic Number for

Your Designs
Have you ever been working on a layout and felt like you just couldnt get it right? Be warned:
designers block can strike at any time.
The good news sometimes all you need is a bit of inspiration. Or, as we like to put it, a bit of
design magic.
We take a fun look at how the number three can help inspire your layouts, and provide some
simple guidelines to get the good-design-ball rolling as smoothly as ever.

01. Use Three Font Sizes

Heading: Julian Sans One (42) Subtitle: Libre Baskerville (21) Body Text:Julians Sans One (11)

Typographic hierarchy refers to the order that text is read. The eye is naturally drawn to large
elements, so always make sure your heading, or the information you want people to read first, is
the biggest. This should be followed by your subtitle, then your body text.
For simple layouts, dont overdo it with too many different fonts. Limit your design choices to
two, but use varying font sizes as seen above.

02. Choose three colors

Choosing a color palette of three colors can be a great exercise to consider which ones will work
best for your layout.
If youre using a background image, an easy way to start is to choose one of the darkest hues as
your first color. Depending on the mood or theme of your design, choose two other colors that
complement each other. Here a monochromatic color palette has been chosen to accentuate the
earthy look of the beans.

03. Use three bullet points

If you want to present information in your designs bullet points are a great way to get your
message across clearly. It will grab your readers attention, but wont overcomplicate your
design.

04. Combine three elements

If youre stuck for layout ideas or cant find a Canva template that suits your designs, why not try
creating your own original layout using three elements?
For example, the top image contains: an image as a background, a transparent shape behind the
text and text. In the second image: an image as a background, an icon and text.

Restrict your layout to three main elements to avoid over-cluttering your designs.

05. Use a grid to place three images

Give the impression of a visual narrative by placing three images within a grid. If youre
applying a photo filter, try making the filter code consistent across all images to achieve an
overall, unified effect.

Font Pairing Skills

Beginners: think of learning font pairing skills as your express ticket to next-level design.
When used creatively, this bombshell skill holds the potential to make your designs look
professional, read flawlessly, and capture the essence of your content with impact!
To follow on from learning how to use fonts effectively, here we explain how different fonts can
be used to complement each other. This skill is relevant to all design types that use text, from
Facebook marketing graphics to album covers for artists. These five tips will provide you with
the basic skills youll need to starting choosing font pairs with confidence.

01. Regular and Bold

The terms regular and bold refer to the weight of a particular font. Regular and bold font pairs
are a great way to achieve variation without using more than one font.
Bold fonts are the loud-mouth of the pair, so use them for words you want to project or
emphasise. See Raleway Regular and Raleway Bold above.

02. Bold and Script

This font combo is the extrovert of the font pairing world sure of itself and bursting with
character! A great option for jazzing up a design. The clean, confident lines of bold fonts balance
out the elaborate, decorative nature of script fonts.
For the invitation above, Raleway Heavy and Yellowtail have been paired together to add
charisma to the lavish theme of the design. In the same vein, the design below creates a
typographic drum roll by using Yellowtail to introduce craft beer.

03. Tall and Short

Tall fonts, like a tall poppy personality, demand to be heard. Their strongly condensed nature is
unique, and creates a great basis for contrast.
Tall poppies need to be brought back down to earth. Likewise, tall fonts are balanced beautifully
by short fonts. Oswald (a tall font) achieves this harmony when paired with Roberto.

04. Thick and Thin

A font pair you can reply on to look good together through thick and thin (couldnt help
it). Aim for high contrast when choosing these type of fonts.
In the design above, the fonts that appear from top to bottom include: Raleway Heavy, Raleway
Regular and Julian Sans One.

05. Regular and Italics

Regular fonts and italics feature a kind of good cop/ bad cop dynamic one says it like it is, the
other edges to say more.
In the design above, the use of italics adds a soft touch to the phrase And I must go hinting to
its significance. Dont feel obliged to use two different fonts, note here the use of Libre
Baskerville regular/italic.
Learning the basics of font pairing is an exciting stepping stone towards great design.

How to Marry Text and Images

Its time to take your designs to the next level! Combine your text and images to create powerful
compositions.
From making use of copy space in your images, to adding shapes to your designs to help your
text stand out the value of this creative technique is not to be overlooked.
Try these five simple tips to create effective compositions that not only look beautiful, but read
effectively.

1. Use copy space in your images

Use text to fill empty spaces in your photos this space is also referred to as copy space. This
allows you to display your text in a way that is clear and easy to read, while still utilizing the
main features of your image.
Also take advantage of lines in your images see here how the line created by the floor has been
used a baseline for the third line of text.

02. Use a transparent background to increase legibility

Making your background image transparent will make it appear softer, which will improve the
legibility of text. This is a great option if your image is especially detailed or busy.

For transparent backgrounds, darker text works best. Try choosing the darkest color from your
background image as an alternative to black text.

04. Use a transparent shape

Shapes can work especially well as creative text holders. Choose the darkest color from your
background image for your shape, and increase the transparency.
Light text on a dark shape will appear clear and easy to read.

1. Layer two transparent photos

Layering two images of different transparencies will create a textured background. This works
best when one of the images is much more transparent than the other.

To marry text, try a sans serif font. These fonts are geometic and easy to read, and balance well
with a textured background.

05. Wrap your text around your image

Give your text form by arranging it to mirror the lines in your background image. This can be
subtle see here how the quote has been softly aligned in a curve to mimic the shape of the tree.

http://designschool.canva.com/blog/5-principles-effective-visualhierarchy/

5 Principles of Effective Visual Hierarchy

Just as there are tiers of importance in the Royal family, there is also a ladder of significance in
the visual process.
Hierarchy applies order to your designs, and makes sure the most important elements are seen
first.
When youre working with multiple graphic elements such as fonts, images, colors and shapes or
icons applying hierarchy is a vital skill to get the message of your design across clearly and
succinctly.
Here we explore five principles of effective visual hierarchy. Eager to apply these tips to your
designs? Try the interactive tutorial at the end of this article.

01. Order your title, subtitle and body copy by size

These elements are the three musketeers of the typographic party. From largest to smallest, these
content types should be read in a naturally progressive order.
Your title is the first thing that your viewer will notice, so make sure it stands out. This can be
done by making sure its dominant in size, and using a strong eye-catching font. The subtitle
should support your title at a relatively smaller type size.
Body copy is the smallest and should be clear and easy to read. Avoid using elaborate script fonts
or uppercase text in this setting as it forces strain on the readers eye and makes the overall text
much harder to read.

02. Increase the size of icons to reflect their importance

Remember to keep the most important objects the largest. When the size of elements is increased
it will reflect visual importance

Increase the size of icons so they behave as a call to action. The more relevant the icon, the
better it will function.

03. Use color as a visual highlight

Color not only evokes feelings but also creates a level of distinction between what is important
and what is not.
Applying a bright, bold color to a significant feature will highlight and draw the eye to it, making
it a focal component within your design.
In this example, a color picker tool has been used to match the text color of the word Sunshine
with the color of the vibrant yellow flower in the background image. Notice how this makes it
jump off the page and makes it a dominant feature of the design.

04. Mix up your font styles

Most fonts come in different styles, for example bold and italic, which can be especially useful
when creating hierarchy within your designs.
Words that deserve a special note, like sale or attention, are great to treat with different font
styles.

05. Use grids to order your images

Using grids for hierarchy is an excellent way to showcase imagery in order of importance, or to
create a visual narrative. You can do this by placing imagery that is more important in the larger
placeholder and placing less significant photos in secondary photo holders.
Remember to achieve visual consistency by applying the same photo filter code to all your
photos, either by using our presets or by creating your own using the advanced sliders.
Hierarchy can help you create order in your designs by making sure the most important elements
are seen first.

Font Pairing Like a Pro Part Two

http://designschool.canva.com/blog/font-pairing-like-a-pro-part-two/
Have you been playing with your font pairings and want to know which ones make harmonious
duos?
Ensuring your typefaces complement each other is a vital part of design. In a follow-up post to
our most popular Canva post Font Pairing like a Pro, we give you some more creative and
super effective font pairings to use in your designs.
To ensure you are familiar with the words used in this guide, we have included a new glossary
with some feature terms from within this post.

01. Cool and Cute

Yellowtail, Roboto Condensed Regular + Bold

Yellowtail eludes a playful energy, a perfect type application for a childrens topic.

Create hierarchy by splitting your copy into sections and applying font size according to
importance.

Apply a basic, geometric typeface to smaller text to help with legibility.

Extra tip applying a vignette to your background image will create a radial effect,
helping draw more focus to the text.

02. Edible Elegance

Libre Baskerville Regular + Sacramento

Using the same typeface in sentence case and caps creates indifference, and still keeps it
in the family! Libre Baskerville (Honeycomb & The Ultimate Dinner Treat) offers an
elegant combination.

If your copy offers a descender (y), take advantage! Creep a word underneath(icecream)aligning it with the end of the word above.

Apply an embellishment like a line or a swirl as if its attached to your script type for a
super-luxe effect!

03. Seriously Stylistic

Times New Roman Italics, PT Sans Regular + Bold

Combining an italic with a sans serif creates a stylistic and chic aesthetic perfect for
an interior design graphic.

To give finer typefaces more gusto place copy on top of a contrasting colored shape.

Ensure your alignment is in check! Note the positioning of the dark rectangle, the E in
Aesthetics and the end of the third sentence.

04. Handwritten Holidays

Architects Daughter + Lilita One

Sketch and handwritten typefaces have a great voice a golden match when applied well.

Ensure there is balance within your text marriage, try to include a combination of text
size and weight for variation.

Adding flavor to your design, like the flower to replace the tittle on the i (yes, thats
what its called!) is a fun touch.

A Guide to Designing Cute Quote Graphics

http://designschool.canva.com/blog/guide-designing-cute-quotegraphics/
Have you been wanting to know how to create cool, cute and creative quotes but not quite sure
how to do it? We have a little guide with some fun ideas to help. Whether its to welcome in a
new season or just a motivational Monday mantra we teach you how to combine fonts, image
and filters to achieve the ultimate Canva quotes.

1 Seasonal Specials

Its hard to get tired of beautiful graphics featuring a palm tree paradise, liquid gold sunsets or
snowy capped alpine vistas! Quotes about seasons, are design subjects du jour!

Image: Choose your image wisely, and as usual with context to the quote you have chosen. Use
keywords like beach, palm trees, sunset and sand.
Filter: Make the features of your image shine by either using the season appropriate filter (like
Summer), or adjust the saturation and x-process sliders advanced section to get the right seasonal
effect.
Font: Choose your fonts as lightly as your summer attire. Handwritten, aloof typefaces, slightly
rotated help execute this cruisy aesthetic.
Creative Key: Use a little blur and transparency to get an extra ethereal and sandy texture.
2 Messages of Motivation

Everyone loves a Monday mantra or quotes of encouragement by one of the greats!

Image: Objects or landscapes that symbolize optimism like adventure sports, sunrise in the
sahara and alike, are great motivational images for this sort of application.
Filter: Remember to keep it vivid! Enhancing the brightness of the colors in your image, so that
the blue skies are electric and the grass is green will help get your inspirational message across.
Font: Motivation is passionate, so choose strong sans serif typefaces that demand attention.
(Roboto Condensed Bold and Roboto Condensed Regular)
Creative Key: Apply caps to create emphasis and play with scale, this allows typographical
hierarchy (see type glossary).
3 Light LOLs

Good design helps get a message across, making sure the tone is conveyed through the graphics
is an imperative factor in the execution process!

Image: In this case its nice to use an image applicable to the quote itself or use a background
color, pattern or texture. Working around the image itself applying a text wrap effect can
enhance the feature of the image (such as the puppy).
Filter: Humor and enthusiasm is evoked when you apply warm filters to your images, use the
advanced sliders to adjust the tone of your image to create a warm, friendly tone. Dont overdo
it, just take the edge off by giving your image some extra saturation or changing the tint.
Font: Remember typefaces help punctuate act a linguistic tone. If the quote is has a dry tone,
like the one here, a sans serif is a nice way to convey the voice (Josfin Sans Bold and Josfin Sans
Regular).
Creative Key: Alternatively if your quote has a more childlike humor, choose a font with
embellishments or symbols (like Princess Sofia).