Canva for Commercial Use: Canva is a free graphic design tool that allows users to create their own professional graphics and images without the need to hire a graphic designer or artist. Canva is providing its services to nearly 100 million users worldwide, and it is currently experiencing rapid growth.
Canva offers users various tools to help designers create beautiful designs, including templates, fonts, illustrations, and photos. Additionally, Canva allows users to share their created designs or creations on social media.
In summary, Canva is an excellent platform for creating visuals for your blog, including blog posts, social media posts, and even digital products you may want to sell. However, the question arises: can you use Canva for commercial use? In this article, we will attempt to explore the answer to this question and discuss other aspects you should be aware of, especially if you intend to use Canva for business purposes.
How to Know if You Have the Right License Canva for Commercial Use?
Before we tell you how to use Canva for commercial purposes, it is essential to understand Canva licensing.
Copyright refers to the special rights given to authors to control their work. This means that if an individual creates content such as a painting, book, or song, they have the right to allow or deny others to copy, distribute, display, perform, adapt, or translate the content they have created.
If you do not own the copyright to any content, such as a photograph, illustration, video clip, or written text, then you need proper licensing before using them in your work.
The type of content you are using and how you are using it determines the various types of licenses available. Canva offers us two different types of licenses, which we will explain below:
Free Content License
Pro Content License
When you export a Canva design for each piece of content included in your design, you automatically receive an applicable license (Canva’s Content License Agreement).
Each of these licenses allows for certain specific uses of the content, so you must ensure that you are using Canva content only under those terms.
Canva Content Vs Your Content
If you have ever used Canva, you will know that you can upload your own photos, graphics, and even your own fonts to use in your designs, giving you ownership of that content. If you upload content under a brand, enterprise, or team, the ownership/rights will remain with the owner of the brand, enterprise, or team.
The content you upload and maintain ownership of is often referred to as 'User Content.'
Content provided on Canva for your use is termed 'Stock Media,' which may include 'stock photographs, illustrations, fonts, templates, and other associated media, along with other associated text' (Contributor Agreement).
You are not allowed to upload user content for which you do not have the right to make it available. Therefore, if you have downloaded a photo from Google Images without a proper license, you cannot upload it to Canva.
Additionally, if you upload a template on Canva that contains images, videos, or other files, you should have permission to do so. For example, if you want to use a specific font in your design, you need to ensure that you have appropriate permissions to use that font.
How You Can Use Your Canva Designs Commercially?
Canva for Commercial Use: Except for 'Pro Music,' you can create the following items for promotion or resale without any reproduction limit, meaning you can also sell these items, including 'Stock Media':
Invitations
Advertising and promotional projects (including printed materials)
Product packaging
Presentations
File and video presentations
Commercials
Catalogs
Brochures
Greeting cards
Postcards
Entertainment applications (such as book or magazine covers, newsletters, broadcasts, or theater presentations)
Stock media can also be utilized to create:
Social media posts or profile images
Design templates solely for use on Canva
Online or electronic publications (like websites, blogs, ebooks, videos, etc.), though restrictions apply if you’re using “pro content”
As mentioned previously, various licenses apply to different types of stock media accessible on Canva. 'Pro Content' refers to content that is either available for a one-time use purchase or is part of a Canva Pro account. On the other hand, 'Free Content' includes Stock Media that all users can use for free.
If you use Free Content in your designs, you can download and use those designs freely. Additionally, you can use those templates or designs for your own websites, social networking websites, documents, projects, or even distribute and sell them to third parties.
This implies that you can sell templates for websites, social media, business cards, etc., as long as you exclusively use free content in your templates. However, you cannot download and sell any piece of Free Content separately.
You can use these items as part of a template but cannot use them as a sole item on a template. What does this mean? If your Canva design includes any Pro Content, you are not allowed to use that template for selling purposes in any manner.
What You Can’t Do With Canva for Commercial Use?
As we all now know, there are some restrictions on Pro Content, while on the other hand, there are certain things with both Free Content and Pro Content that you are not allowed to do. As mentioned earlier, you cannot download a single piece of "Stock Media" from Canva and sell it separately.
Additionally, you cannot use Canva content as part of your design for certain things, such as "Trademark, Design-mark, Trade-name, Business Name, or service Mark (excludes fonts)" (Content License Agreement). This essentially means that if you create a logo using Canva Stock Media, you cannot claim it as a trademark.
Moreover, any Stock Media specifically labeled as "Editorial Use Only" is not allowed to be used for commercial purposes in any way.
There are certain things that common sense dictates you shouldn't do on Canva, but some people still engage in such activities, such as:
Copying content by removing copyright or trademark notices.
Creating content in a way that encourages others to steal it is not acceptable.
Using it on a standalone basis for 'on-demand' distribution. For example, using it on platforms like Redbubble or Merch by Amazon.
You cannot use Stock Media in a manner that is defamatory or libelous or portrays any person in a manner that may be considered offensive to them (Content License Agreement).
It is important to remember that when it comes to using stock photos, including 'Stock Media,' photos downloaded from Pixabay, Pexels, or CC0 may allow certain activities. However, it is crucial to thoroughly check the licensing terms on those sites before using them.
Legal Essentials for Bloggers: Understanding Canva Usage and Compliance
Canva for Commercial Use: Firstly, pay attention to the type of Stock Media you are using on Canva, whether it's Free or Pro. Pro Stock Media comes with more restrictions. Ensure that the usage aligns with the correct license agreements, and how you intend to use it.
Note: On Canva, you can apply a filter when selecting any file or stock to display only free content.
Thirdly, if you are using stock images in your design, make sure to verify where the image comes from and what the license of that image allows or restricts.
Lastly, remember that when you upload anything on Canva, you retain ownership. Similarly, Stock Media Creators on Canva also retain ownership of their content. Whatever design you create on Canva, whether using free or pro content, you will always own the design, but the ownership of individual elements used in your design will always remain with their original copyright owner/contributor.
Although it may appear somewhat perplexing, Canva has collaborated with contributors to ensure that users utilize stock media with appropriate licensing agreements.
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Can I use Canva for commercial purposes?
Yes, you can use Canva for commercial purposes. Canva provides both Free Content and Pro Content licenses, each with specific terms of use.
What is the difference between Free Content and Pro Content licenses on Canva?
Free Content is available to all users for free, while Pro Content may require a one-time purchase or a Canva Pro account. Different licenses apply to these types of content.
What does the Canva Content License Agreement cover?
The Canva Content License Agreement covers the rights and permissions associated with the use of content created or obtained through Canva.
Can I sell designs created using Canva commercially?
Yes, you can sell designs created using Canva commercially. However, the type of content used in your designs, whether Free or Pro, comes with specific usage restrictions.
Can I download and sell individual pieces of Free Content from Canva?
No, you cannot download and sell individual pieces of Free Content separately. You can use Free Content in your designs for various purposes, including commercial use.
What are the restrictions on using Canva content for commercial purposes?
You cannot use Canva content for certain items such as trademarks, design-marks, trade-names, business names, or service marks. Additionally, any Stock Media labeled as "Editorial Use Only" cannot be used for commercial purposes.
Can I claim a logo created using Canva Stock Media as a trademark?
No, you cannot claim a logo created using Canva Stock Media as a trademark.
Are there any specific restrictions on using Stock Media for commercial purposes?
Yes, Stock Media labeled as "Editorial Use Only" is not allowed to be used for commercial purposes.
What precautions should bloggers take when using Canva for commercial purposes?
Bloggers should pay attention to the type of Stock Media used, verify license agreements, and ensure that the usage aligns with the correct license terms.
Who retains ownership of designs created on Canva?
Users retain ownership of the designs they create on Canva. However, the ownership of individual elements used in the design remains with their original copyright owner or contributor.
