Canva

TYPE TIPS // Font Friday

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Have you tried out our CANVA Pattern Templates yet? They were designed specifically with pattern designers in mind and include a chart, cutting list, materials list and a few front/back cover options with spaces for all of the pattern requirements!

I’ve been thinking about how to make your CANVA experience a little less overwhelming so that you can get your patterns looking and feeling like your brand in no time. I thought a good place to start would be to take a look at what fonts CANVA has to offer and how to put them together in an interesting, effective and readable way.

If you have the free CANVA subscription, they offer a bunch of great fonts for you to use in your layouts. If you subscribe to CANVA Pro, you have access to even more! This week I put together 3 combinations of fonts offered in the Free version of CANVA. Have a look! Maybe you’ll be inspired to try these in your own layouts.


Clean + Modern Combo

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You can’t really go wrong with a heavy/condensed combo. Archivo Black makes for a great header as it is bold, readable and has clean lines. It looks great as a display but could also be placed as a heavy subhead . Combined with the slim condensed Archivo Narrow, the contrast makes navigating a lot of text easier.

I paired the Archivo fonts with Darker Grotesque as the body copy (the main text font) as it holds a similar modern feel and doesn’t take away from the more dramatic style of the two Archivo headers.


Happy + Light Combo

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Everyone loves a good script font, it’s just that finding a pretty AND readable one can be a challenge. For me, Amsterdam Two passes the “form and function” test for a header font: it’s got personality and can be read clearly at a larger point size.

I paired this script with the rounded sans serif Varela Round for the subhead to continue with the friendly vibe. The serifs on Solway, used as the body copy font, offer a bit more tradition to the combo.


Playful-but-not-silly Combo

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If you’re looking for a way to have fun in your layout, but not come across as too childlike, try auditioning a ball serif like the one in Playfair Display Black. Combined with the clean Barlow SemiCondensed subhead and readable Crimson Pro for the body copy, this font combo is like the perfect reverse mullet: Party in the front, business in the back.


This was fun! I hope it was helpful . Let’s try doing this again on another Friday. Are there any specific struggles you have when trying to nail down fonts for your pattern designs? Please let me know, I’d love to offer some solutions.

Until next time.

Happy Designing!
+ Kristy

CANVA TIPS // Rotating a Page

Are you self-publishing your patterns? Read: designing, writing, photographing, tech-editing, laying out pattern instructions and printing/stuffing physical patterns from home?

With feedback from self-pub designers (thank you, btw!), I’ve added a bonus printable front/back cover page to our 8.5” x 11” and A4 CANVA templates so that you can easily print your entire pattern from home. Print out the individual pattern sheets, fold them in half and stuff between the folded front/back cover.

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While CANVA makes life easier in some ways, we need to find sneaky little work arounds for others. Watch me show you how to make this bonus template page work for you. Fair warning: I need to up my video skills, but watch it for the info!

If you have any other questions or ways that you feel the template could work better for you, please reach out!

Happy Designing!
+ Kristy

kristy@pageandpixel.net



Canva Pattern Design Templates!

Am I the last person on earth to dip my toe in the magical layout world that is Canva? I wouldn't be surprised as I didn't own a cell phone until 2002!

As a book designer, I wasn't all that interested in Canva as I like to have a lot of control over what goes on on my pages...I mean, a LOT. So I've happily lived in my InDesign bubble over the years, styling and formatting my way to printed-book-bliss.

Over the past few years I’ve worked with individual pattern designers who own a Creative Cloud subscription and use Illustrator and Photoshop and thought, “Hey, what’s this InDesign…I should give it a shot since I am paying for it!”. So I worked up some InDesign templates for you all to use, to style and design your very own patterns! To me, that sounds like fun! But Nissa sat me down for a come to Jesus moment: People want fast and simple. Not everyone thinks setting type and putzing with fonts is fun like you do. Learn Canva, Kristy.

Got it.

Whoa, you guys! I spent some time digging around Canva and it’s fantastic! What a great way to create a cohesive, fluid branding presence. It’s all drag and drop, there are stock images you can use for free and tons of free fonts at your disposal! There are a ton of templates you can choose from, too. Best part? You can use it for free!

Only thing was, I didn’t see much by way of a template that would support a pattern layout. You need numbered lists, multi-level heads, a chart option, front/back cover options with spaces for a barcode and a large image and a materials list. Seems like using some of the templates they offer on the site would be fairly clunky for a pattern designer…so I created one with you all in mind!

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This is just the first of many templates that I have planned. I call it Minimal, because that’s what it is! There are a few simple design choices included but the images of your pattern will make this design shine. I’ve used a simple, readable, clean sans serif font and leave white space in the layout for a modern look.

There are 5.5” x 8.5” and an 8.5” x 11” options as those are the two most common pattern sizes and are easiest to print.

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With 23 different page designs including tables, bulleted lists, numbered lists and various ways to layout images, there is a ton of flexibility and lots of room for customization. All you need is a Canva* and Acrobat Reader account (to open the Page + Pixel template) and you’ll never start a layout with a blank slate again!

Keep checking back in as I will be adding more design styles. Is there something I’m missing? Please let me know! I’m eager to make something that you can all use to make your pattern-selling lives easier.

Happy designing!

+ Kristy

*Note: The download from our site is not affiliated with Canva. If you have any questions or concerns about the template, please contact us at info@pageandpixel.net