First, I want to start by saying Canva is NOT a bad tool. It has many great uses! I use it for certain things too, but there are definitely issues with it that you NEED TO KNOW. Please do NOT create a logo using Canva. Not their stock fonts, not their elements, not their photos, NONE of it!! Here’s why:
Uniqueness
We all know THE FONT. We’ve all seen THE FONT. And we all know it came from Canva. In addition to repetitive fonts (due to lack of options), many Canva templates look alike. Think of when you’ve been scrolling through them, they all have a flat look to them and overall minimalistic vibe. Trendy now, yes. Good to use, not really. You need your company to STAND OUT against your competitors and look professional. Think of Coca-Cola, Amazon, Nike – their logos stand out, represent their brand well, and most certainly did not come from Canva.
Image Formatting
How many times do you see someone with their logo on their shirt, hat, coffee cup, etc? These types of designs are created with logos in a vector format. This is a type of file that can be resized infinitely and never becomes blurry. Canva does not have a true option to export designs as a vector. Basically, this means your design is going to become pixelated when it’s scaled.
“But wait, I can export my file as an .svg, what’s the issue?” Those Canva SVG files won’t import to Adobe Illustrator, so you will most likely have to spend extra money getting the entire design recreated for it to be properly formatted.
Ownership
Ownership is the biggest issue with Canva and why it should be avoided for logo design at ALL COSTS. If you have created a logo in Canva, they own it, and it is not, and can never be your property. Just read their licensing agreement here! They explicitly state themselves, “Our logo templates are for inspiration – a starting point for your own unique design”. Logos created in Canva cannot be trademarked because you do not legally own them. This is a HIGHLY valuable asset to your company and typically trademarked for your protection.
So, you don’t want to trademark your logo, what’s the big deal? Remember those repetitive elements we discussed before? There’s a good chance another company has used those too, and now you both have a similar logo which can cause you legal issues down the road, even if you are in totally different industries. We all think it won’t happen to us, but it happens much more often than you’d think!
So What Is Canva Good For?
Using Canva makes things EASY! You can create a design on your phone, tablet, or computer in seconds and it has a much smaller learning curve than Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop.
Anything that you upload to Canva is considered your “User Content” and you retain ownership of it. I typically find myself uploading my own logo (definitely not created in Canva), to utilize on social media graphics. For example, I frequently place my logo over a navy blue canvas to be used on IG stories. This is allowed and does not break any rules. However, anytime you bring in a stock image or stock element to your design, you are subject to one of their five licensing agreements and things become fuzzy. If you stick to your own uploads, you will be safe!
If you fall into the category of someone who has created their logo in Canva, don’t feel bad, don’t get too worried, and definitely don’t panic. There is a reason logo designers exist!! Moving over to a fully-custom logo designed by a professional is always going to be your best bet.
- It’s going to look better overall
- It’s going to help your presence appear more professional
- It’s going to save you from potential legal issues down the road
Logo designs CAN be expensive. BP’s logo cost them $210,000,000!! But, there are designers out there that offer affordable options and it could be worth a conversation. After all, it doesn’t cost to talk! Your logo and brand are your consumers’ first impression of you, and that will always be important. Send us a message if you have questions about your logo, we are always happy to help!
