Ask anyone who owns or works for a small business and they’ll tell you the juggle is real: when resources are limited, wearing multiple hats to get jobs done is the norm. But just because teams (and usually budgets) are smaller doesn't mean that you can’t go big and bold with your marketing collateral.
Step forward Canva, the perfect solution for professional-looking products – without the need for professional design skills. Since launching in 2013, the simple-to-use online tool is now used by 75 million people worldwide each month to create, well… just about anything, from business cards and brochures to Instagram stories and even videos.
The good news? Thanks to a brilliant partnership that sees free Canva templates going hand in hand with high-quality Officeworks printing, creating all sorts of marketing materials is easier than ever. Think: professional print products that are always on-brand, on-point… and on budget. Here, Officeworks Head of Print & Create, Ryan Rojo, explains the free design templates on offer via Officeworks x Canva, how they can help grow your business and what to bear in mind when bringing your idea to life.
What’s the Officeworks x Canva Design and Print Service All About?
We really want to give small business customers inspiring and intuitive free design templates so they can create something they’re really proud of, whether that be invitations for an upcoming networking event, new business cards or a promotional banner.
What Marketing Collateral Can I Design and Print With Officeworks x Canva?
There's a whole host of stuff: standard and premium business cards (premium cards are printed on a superior range of stock that provides a high-quality finish), A-frames, colour posters, pull-up and indoor banners, flyers, booklets and plenty more.
How Does It Work?
All you need to do is visit the Canva page on the Officeworks website, select the product you'd like, click ‘Create’, and then follow the prompts to design with Canva. That will then take you to the Canva editor, which allows you to [edit free design templates to] create the design that you're looking for.
Finally, choose the material and the specifications that you would like to have printed. There's a whole bunch of different media and material types to choose from, but the choices differ from product to product. The best example to use is the premium business cards, which have different material options such as varying GSMs and gloss, white or bleach options. Additionally to this, gloss and matte finishing options can be added.
SEE ALSO: DIY Website Checklist: How to Create Your Own Website
Do I Need to Be a Design Expert to Use It?
Not at all. It’s very much a DIY platform, and guides the individual through how to use it in a very intuitive way. The fact it’s so intuitive to use is the very reason that Canva has grown into a multi-billion-dollar business. It empowers people to unlock their creativity regardless of their design skills.
Hot Tip: If you’ve got a bespoke design idea you’ve been thinking of and would love to see come to life, Officeworks has you covered. Our in-house team offers expert graphic design services and can work with you to create eye-catching, professional marketing materials that speak volumes about your business.
What Do I Need to Keep in Mind Before I Get Started?
Before you get started, ensure all your [copy] details are correct and there are no spelling mistakes. For best results for designs and logos, save them as a PDF smaller than 250MB, set the resolution to 300dpi, and make sure your design is in CMYK.
How Can Using Canva Benefit My Small Business?
In an increasingly competitive world, marketing collateral can be key for helping your brand to stand out. With Canva, you can create marketing collateral using world-class free design templates that can help your brand be more memorable in the minds of customers to help you increase your businesses sales.
Canva offers a wide variety of easy-to-use templates that can reflect the identity and feel of your brand, whether that be a modern or classic feel. These templates give you professional-looking designs without the need for a high-cost creative agency. It’s a great leveller for smaller businesses to compete with national – and even global – companies.
SEE ALSO: How to Make Your Business Marketing Materials Even Better
How Much Does It Cost to Use the Officeworks x Canva Design Service?
Nothing: we only charge for the cost of the actual material you choose for your design. We don't charge any extra to use the Canva design option itself. It's just another free-to-use template design option for our products, which is very different to the competition, who are charging you a prepress fee just to use Canva.
How Do I Receive My Finished Products?
Once you’ve pressed print, you can collect instore, or get it delivered. And if you need to reorder the same design, that’s pretty easy too: all the Officeworks x Canva products are available for reorder up to 180 days after the initial order date.
