Having graphics incorporated into your blog is a huge deal. Graphics draw people in, as well as give readers a sense of your style and what to expect. Graphics are also a huge part of your brand, meaning that they help identify you as an individual, and also identify your blog.
If you don’t even know where to start, don’t worry. I’ve been there, friend! That is why today, I will be sharing with you all about how to create graphics for your blog posts! I will be sharing how to do that, using both Photoshop and a free resource called Canva if you don’t have access to Photoshop! Today, we will specifically be focusing on Canva, and next week I will teach you about Photoshop.
Later on down the road, I will share how I make my headers in Adobe Illustrator, but you could also use Canva as well!
Let’s start off with Canva, since most bloggers don’t have access to Photoshop. Canva is super easy to use, and they have pre-made layouts for you to choose from, as well as an option to use your own image dimensions!
Once you open Canva, you should see the following picture! This doesn’t capture all of the designs you can choose from, but there are a few! You can use this for Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and more! All are pre-made to fit the specific dimensions for those platforms!
I usually use custom dimensions for my photos, so I will show you how to do that! You do not have to use the exact same dimensions that I use, but this is just to give you an idea of what you can do! You can make the size of the image specific to how big/small, wide/tall you like to fit with your blog!
To do custom dimensions, up in the upper right hand corner of the home screen it says “use custom dimensions” Click on that and you will see a screen like the one below.
I use the dimensions 600×1000, but again, this is just an example and you can make your graphic any size you want to fit your blogs brand/style.
After you enter your desired dimensions, simply click “Design” to get started. Next I will show what all Canva can help you do!
Once inside the design you chose, there will be what seems like an overwhelming amount of design options. Don’t freak out! I am going to walk you through them. Below, look at the sidebar to the left. You see a menu that has Layouts, Elements, Text, Background, & Uploads. Layouts controls how you want your image to look. There are lots of options you can scroll through, but if you have something specific in mind, you can type it in the search bar and see what comes up!
The elements feature in the right hand picture, lets you add different things to your image. You can add shapes, icons, illustrations, charts, and more! There are thousands of things to choose from in this section as well, but if you have something specific, type it in the search menu to narrow it down a bit. Next we will look at the text and background menus.
In the text menu, you have text layouts. There is tons of cool things to choose from in this menu. You also have areas where you can add just text using the heading, subheading, and body text features to keep it simple. Next, you have the backgrounds. Here, you can find lots of free and simple backgrounds to use that you can edit the color and transparency of. The very last menu, the uploads, is where you can upload your own images to use. This feature is very useful, especially if you like using stock photos like I do!
Once you have become familiar with Canva’s elements, it is time to create! Below is an Instagram image I made using Canva!
All that was used, was a stock photo I found from Unsplash, (a website where you can get free {do whatever you want} high resolution stock photos! It is a great resource to use if you don’t have the time or means to take your own stock photos!), a square frame I made grey, and some text! It’s THAT easy, ya’ll!
If you want to change the color of something in your image, simply click the color to the left of the below menu to change it! From this menu, you can also control the transparency of your image by clicking the icon to the right that looks like a checkerboard.
Once you are done, you can edit the name of your document, and hit enter to save it, and then simply hit “Download” and you are done!
And that is how you can make beautiful blog graphics for {free} using Canva! I hope that this tutorial helps you as you create your own beautiful graphics for your blog!
Have any tips of your own? Leave me a comment and let me know! Join me next week as I walk you through how I make graphics in Photoshop! Hope to see you there!
