MODULE ONE: LESSON FOUR

Jul 4

Customizing Your Canva Design Files

Your template comes with specially designed Canva files to help you create beautiful banners and other website graphics that perfectly match your author brand and style.

In this lesson, we’ll walk through how to access, customize, and export these files so you can confidently make them your own.

  
     Note: Not every template includes Canva design files. Because Squarespace is highly customizable, many of the design elements you see were built directly within Squarespace, no graphics needed.

However, in cases where a specific design effect could only be achieved with custom CSS, I created a Canva graphic instead. This way, you can get the same visual result without needing to mess with any code…just upload the Canva graphic and you’re done.

Accessing Canva & Getting Started

If you don’t already have Canva Pro account, you’ll want to create an account and start a 30-day free trial. Most of the files use Pro features, so this trial gives you plenty of time to customize and download your graphics at no cost.

Once you’re logged into Canva:

Find the Canva files folder inside your template’s Resources Vault.
Important: Always make a copy of each file before you start editing. This keeps the original files safe in case you want to start fresh later.

Inside the resources page, you’ll also find a short instruction sheet for each design template. this will walk you through what the file is for and how to customize it.

Editing Your Canva Files

Colors: Update the colors in the graphics to match your brand palette.
Photos: Swap out any placeholder images with your own brand photos or book imagery.
Elements: Move, resize, or delete shapes, icons, or decorative elements to better fit your style.
Bonus Tip: While these graphics don’t include text, you can easily add your own in Canva if you want to personalize banners or highlight specific messages.

Take your time experimenting — Canva is very user-friendly!

Downloading Your Graphics

When your designs look perfect:

Export your graphics as PNG for images with transparency or JPG for photos and banners.
Save these files organized in a folder so they’re ready when you start uploading to your website.

action steps

Open a Canva file from your Resources Vault right now and try customizing a graphic. Change the colors, photos, and download your finished design. This will help you get comfortable using Canva and prepare your site visuals!