Instruction Guides
Everything you need to go from purchase to printed party, in one place. Start with the video tutorials if you prefer watching, or work through the written guides below.
Open the Canva video tutorials
Start here
- How it works — what a digital template is and what you get
- How to edit in Canva — opening your template, changing text, colours and photos
- How to print — paper, printer settings, print shops and cutting
- Free sample template — try the whole process before you buy
- FAQ — the questions we get asked most
Quick reference
Which file type should I download?
- PDF Print — anything you are printing. Always this one for signs and posters.
- PDF Standard — emailing a digital invitation
- JPG — sending by text or WhatsApp
- PNG — when you need a transparent background
Paper weight by product
- Invitations, cards, place cards — 250–300 gsm cardstock
- Game sheets, activity pages — standard 80–100 gsm paper
- Food labels, favour tags — 200–250 gsm cardstock
- Signs up to A4 — 250 gsm matte cardstock
- Signs above A4 — foam board at a print shop
Printer settings that fix most problems
- Scale set to Actual Size or 100%, never Fit to Page
- Quality set to Best or High
- Paper type matching what you actually loaded
- Borderless enabled if your printer supports it
Timing guide
Roughly when to send things, based on what tends to work:
- Save the dates — 6 to 12 months before a wedding
- Wedding invitations — 6 to 8 weeks before, or 3 months for destination weddings
- Baby shower invitations — 4 to 6 weeks before
- Birthday invitations — 3 to 4 weeks before, longer for milestone birthdays
- Thank you cards — within 2 to 3 weeks after the event
Troubleshooting
The Canva link will not open
Log in to canva.com first, then click the link again. Clicking while logged out is the most common cause.
My text does not fit after editing
Drag the corner handles of the text box to widen it, or reduce the font size by a point or two.
A font looks wrong
Some fonts require Canva Pro. Select the text and choose a similar free font from the dropdown.
I moved something by accident
Press Ctrl+Z, or Cmd+Z on a Mac. If you have gone too far, open your original template link for a clean copy.
My print came out too small
Your print dialog is set to Fit to Page. Change it to Actual Size or 100% and print again.
Still stuck?
Send us a message with your order number and a screenshot of what you are seeing. We reply within one business day.