Let’s talk about something we’re seeing more often: customers designing their own flyers, brochures, postcards, and other materials using online tools like Canva. And hey, we understand the appeal. These platforms are easy to use, convenient, and packed with drag-and-drop features that make design feel simple and accessible.
But when it comes time to turn those designs into high-quality printed materials, that’s where the problems start. At DavCo, we’ve got an experienced in-house design team, and we see firsthand how files created on these platforms often come up short.
This isn’t a knock on creativity. We appreciate the DIY approach. But if you want professional results, your files need to be built for the print world, not just the screen. Here are a few things to consider before you hit “send” on your next project.
Resolution: Not Just a New Year’s Goal
One of the common issues we see is low-resolution images. Canva and similar platforms often use images optimized for screens. That means 72 dots per inch (DPI), which is perfect for social media, but not nearly enough for a printed product. Print needs 300 DPI to look crisp and professional. Low-resolution graphics will come out looking blurry or pixelated. 300 DPI is the standard, but noticeable problems often don’t show up until 250 or 200 DPI.
At DavCo, we check every image to make sure it meets the standard. If it doesn’t, we’ll make sure you’re aware of low-resolution images, so you have the option to replace them with higher quality images before your job goes to press.
Color: RGB and CMYK Are Not BFFs
We have a deeper dive into color in another post, but here’s a quick color breakdown: screens display colors using RGB (red, green, blue). Printers use CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black). If your design was created in RGB, the colors will be converted to CMYK when it goes to print. And that can change the look in ways you might not expect.
Files from Canva, especially from free accounts, are usually in RGB. Only Canva Pro allows CMYK export, and even then, the results can be hit or miss. At DavCo, we build everything in CMYK from the start, so what you see is what you get when the ink hits the paper.
Bleeds: The Unsung Hero of Clean Edges
If your design has color or images that go all the way to the edge of the paper, you need to include bleeds. Bleeds are extra margins that allow for slight movement during trimming. Without them, you risk having white edges or accidentally cutting off important content.
Some Canva users don’t even realize bleeds are a thing, let alone how to add them. We do. And if they’re missing, we’ll either add them or help you do it right, so your finished product looks polished and professional.
Fonts and File Types: Small Details, Big Problems
Canva uses mostly free Google fonts. These fonts may look fine on screen, but they don’t always behave well in exported files. And if we need to adjust your layout, we might not have access to the same fonts, which might even cause words to go missing.
Canva also doesn’t package fonts with files, like Adobe InDesign does, and there’s no way to outline fonts in Canva. That means your text could shift, break, or just plain disappear when we try to print it.
Plus, we can’t preflight Canva files like we can with industry-standard design software. The best we can do is work with an exported PDF and hope everything’s where it should be.
Copyrights: “Found It on Google” Doesn’t Mean You Own It
This one’s important. Sometimes customers use images they’ve found online without checking for copyright permissions. Canva offers a library of royalty-free graphics, but customers occasionally snag something off the internet without realizing the legal implications. Printing copyrighted material without proper licensing puts both you and us in a tough spot.
Design Is More Than Just Drag and Drop
Using Canva is more like assembling a design than creating one. You’re picking from templates, adjusting fonts and colors, and moving elements around. That’s fine for personal use or casual projects, but professional design takes more than just clicking buttons. Design for your printed piece should be unique to your business and fit in with your branding. That’s what we do here at DavCo. When you use a template, you’re using resources that everyone has access to, and that goes against good branding practices. Check out our post on branding for more information.
Our in-house designers have the training, experience, and creative skills to build layouts that are not only attractive, but also effective. From hierarchy and spacing to typography and print requirements, we bring a level of branding expertise that no template can match.
And here’s the biggest advantage of working with DavCo. A real person will preflight the file you send us. Not an algorithm. Not an automated system. An actual human preflight technician will check your work and make sure it’s ready for production.
Why We Don’t Just Hit “Print”
Technically, we could print whatever you send us. But we’d rather not hand you a box of disappointment. If something’s off, like missing bleeds, low-res images, or RGB color, we’ll talk to you and fix it together. It’s not about slowing you down. It’s about saving you from disappointment and guiding you toward more effective branding.
We’d much rather help you fix a file up front than see you frustrated by a finished product that didn’t turn out as expected.
Final Thoughts
Online design tools like Canva have their place. They’re great for social media graphics, classroom projects, or quick event flyers. But if you want something that looks sharp, prints clean, and represents your brand well, you need more than just convenience.
That’s where we come in. Our designers are here to review your files, make improvements, and create professional-quality work that’s built for print, not just the screen.
So go ahead and explore your creative side with online design. But when it’s time to bring your project to life, bring it to DavCo. We’ve got the tools, the talent, and the experience to make it shine.