How to Make a Transparent Background in Canva

There are several applications in which you could use a transparent background, especially in social media. Follow these easy steps and become your own graphic designer!

Transparent backgrounds can elevate your marketing efforts. By using a transparent background on a logo or associated marketing materials, you have opened up a world of possibilities for your online designs!

This post contains affiliate links. That means when you click on a link and make a purchase, I make a commission at no extra cost to you. For more information about my disclosure and privacy policy, visit this page.

Step-by-Step Instructions

If you are new to Canva, you should know that there are two versions – free and paid. The paid version, Canva Pro, has a feature called the background remover tool.

Operating Canva Pro does come at an additional cost. Be sure to factor that into your marketing budget should you need the enhanced features it provides.

Create the canvas size you will need for your graphic and upload your image to your canvas. Select “edit photo,” select “effects,” and under “tools” you will see the background remover tool (it looks like a beach ball or a checkerboard icon). Select it and ta da! The background of the image has been removed!

If you aren’t pleased with how your image looks, you can use the magic eraser tool for touchups. However, it may reverse the changes you have made to your image using the background remover tool. To avoid any confusion within Canva, download your image with a transparent background in the png format and upload it to Canva to continue edits.

To download your image with a transparent background, simply select “transparent background” prior to hitting “download.” All of this can be found in the top-right corner of Canva under the share button.

Various applications of transparent background

As a self-taught designer, a transparent background will suit you most in logo design. It’s a great way to get your logo on all of your designs.

Why use a transparent background for a logo?

A transparent background logo is a great image to add to your marketing materials. When you work with brands, it’s an image that you can submit to the design team, should they need it, to include the branding on any of the marketing materials. Should you sponsor an event and end up on a flyer or join a group of bloggers and put your logo on an Instagram carousel post, you will know that you have already completed the work on the front end.

I also like to use the transparent background feature when I’m creating graphics for Instagram and Pinterest. I have used it several times in creating graphics for links to products I like to use. I’ve also used it to create cover images for my Instagram Reels.

Don’t let my ideas contain you! You can also incorporate transparent background logos onto print materials of many kinds. Think of it as a key design element you can keep in your tool belt.

Creating a transparent background layer

Having no background whatsoever is a tool available via the Canva Pro account. But in the free version of Canva, you’re able to make the background of your image transparent as well.

To do this, head back to your canvas and upload an image you’d like to work with. If you don’t want to work with an image, write out your text here. On the left side vertical editors bar, select “elements” and find a free image or shape you’d like to work with. If you’ve selected a shape, choose your color now.

While you have the shape highlighted, select the checkerboard icon in the horizontal, white editor’s bar at the top of your canvas. You will see a transparency slider that will allow you to adjust the transparency of your image. If you’re working on an extended project and need to ensure your graphics look the same across your designs, you can adjust the transparency levels in the box ranging from 100 percent to 1 percent.

Marketing – Best Practices

Create a marketing plan to better understand what you will be publishing to your social media accounts.

Consider sticking to a color palette – specific to your brand – to enhance brand awareness and trust in your customers. If you use Canva Pro, you will be able to save your brand palette for easy designing! (PSST – this will also ensure your brand has a cohesive design! This is critical for brand awareness!)

If you go through the trouble of producing a company logo, remember to use it! If you hire a designer to produce it for you, be sure to request a logo with a transparent background.

How do you handle your marketing?

Thanks to the help of Canva, we are able to have access to incredible resources at an affordable price. From ease of use to all of the Canva Pro features, I can’t recommend this design program enough!

I also recommend you check out all my other blog posts on marketing! I’ve created a whole section on the website called Marketing for Mamas. I hope this information helps you in your marketing efforts!

Check out these other great blog posts!

How to Create a Free, Custom QR Code in Canva

OTHER BUSINESS TOOLS I RECOMMEND

Are you running a blog, trying to maximize your time and energy like I am? I recommend you use RankIQ! RankIQ is an AI SEO tool for bloggers. Other keyword research tools give you unnecessary information and aren’t easy to navigate. RankIQ is easy to navigate, helps you generate blog post titles you know will be seen, and can give you the keywords necessary to write a blog post outline. Use my affiliate link and start using RankIQ! Investing in my blogging journey was one of the best things I’ve done for my business.

Do you sell physical products as I do? I have been using Square. I love how I’m able to customize my customer’s experience with ease. The support I get from Square also sees that my issues are resolved within a day or two of submitting a request. Use my affiliate link to get set up with $20 off Square hardware or save on card processing fees for up to $1,000 within the first 180 days.

How to Make a Transparent Background in Canva – 2023