How to Use icons in Canva

Today we are going to show you how to use icons in Canva. Icons are simple graphics that quickly and visually communicate an idea or information to the viewer. With just a few steps you will be able to customize a template with your own icons in Canva.

During the tutorial we will be using this finance icon set from the Plus Hub. Want to give Plus Hub a try but not a member yet? Then sign up for a free 30 day trial of the Gold Plus Membership today!

We will be using the Free Version of Canva for this tutorial.

Step 1 - Create a New Design

Once you have signed into Canva, click on Create a Design on the right hand corner. This will open a selection of templates to start with. We will be using the Facebook Cover template.

The new window that opens will be your work area. Here you can choose a design that fits your style. Do this by either clicking on a design on the left side panel, or typing in a keyword in the search bar.

We decided to use a Finance Facebook Cover template. Click on the See all option to view the covers available under each category.

If you are using the Free Version of Canva, you will see a little crown on some templates. These can only be used with the Pro Version of Canva.

Click on the template you want to use on the left hand side. This will now be loaded on your screen.

Step 2 - Upload your Icons to Canva

On the left side panel click on the Uploads icon then click on the Upload Media button. We have a great tutorial on uploading images to Canva to help you get started.

If you want to upload multiple icons, hold Ctrl + click on the icons to highlight them. Once you have selected your icons, click Open.

We have uploaded PNG files but you can also upload SVG files. You will be able to change colors with SVG formats but not with PNG files. However, with PNG files you can edit Contrast, Brightness and so much more. We will discuss this later in the tutorial.

Your icons will now appear on the left side in the Uploads panel.

Step 3 - Use Uploaded Icons in Canva

With the icons uploaded, simply click on one to add it to your template. Each time you click on an icon, it will be added.

Resize, Crop and Reposition Icon

Resize by clicking + dragging a corner handle in or out. You can also reposition the icon by clicking + dragging from within the icon.

To crop, click + drag the middle lines on the top, bottom and sides of the icon.

The Crop option is also available in the top toolbar. You will see two boxes surrounding the icon. The one is the original size while the second is the cropping box. Click + drag to adjust the crop size then click Done at the top.

Flip Icon Horizontally or Vertically

Also on the top toolbar is the option to Flip the image Horizontally or Vertically.

Edit the Icon Image

If you click on Edit image at the top, a side panel will open with a range of editing options. You can even add your icon to a mockup like we did in the image below as an example. How awesome is that?

To go back to your icon uploads, simply click on Edit image again.

Image Position Options

To align the icons to the page use the Position settings found top right.

Here you will be able to move a selected icon Forward (up one layer) or Backward (down one layer). This is especially great for placing one icon or image on top of or behind another image.

If you select multiple icons the Position menu will have additional options added. This is where you can evenly space the icons using the Tidy Up Feature.

You may want to group your icons together before adjusting size and position. This option also becomes available when multiple icons are selected.

Additional Editing Options

Next, we have the Copy style option. This allows you to copy and paste a format from one image or text to another. In the image below, the first icon was edited then the Copy Style icon clicked. This style was then applied to the second icon.

The remaining options include:

Transparency - change the transparency of the icon

Link - where you can add a hyperlink

Lock - lock the icon from being edited

Duplicate - duplicate the icon

Delete - delete the icon

Animate the Icons

Did you know that you can even animate the icons in Canva? This is where you can have some fun and create eye-catching content. On the top toolbar, click Animate.

The Animate options will appear on the left side panel. Photo Animations will animate the selected icon. Page Animations will animate all of the elements on the page.

We used Photo Animations in the example below. With an icon selected, move your cursor over the options to get a quick preview. Click to select and add the animation. In the Downloads option, this will be saved as a MP4.

Experiment with the numerous options available to get the best results with your icons. The chosen animation will show in the top toolbar. To remove, click on Remove animation bottom left of the Animate panel.

Complete your template design by using the text options in Canva. The final step is to download your project by clicking on Share > Download. Now, this option will depend on what version you are using.

To note, we didn’t apply the animation so the File type shows as a PNG. If you want to change the file type, click on the drop down menu for options.

If using the Free Version, the download will contain a watermark as seen below. The watermark is applied whenever a Canva template is used.

If you are using Canva Pro, your design will not have the watermark. The Free Version allows sharing to social media but with a watermark.

Adding and using icons in Canva is an incredibly easy process. You can design posts with visual impact quickly and efficiently, then share with your viewers. We hope that you have enjoyed following this tutorial on how to use icons in Canva.