Getting Started with Canva

Alright, you're inside. Uh, welcome. Uh,  first things first getting started is you need  to download the exercise files. Okay? There'll be a link on the page for those just so  that you can keep up with  everything we're doing in the course. Um, inside those exercise files, there is a shortcut sheet.

You can download that and print it up  and stick an ST computer  and highlight the ones that you think are really useful. We're not gonna like, go through every single  shortcut in this course. We're essential link. Uh,  but there are some ones that are just,  it makes sense, they're easy. Alright? Next up, uh, make sure you install Canva  or sign up for it.

At least you can use the Canva, uh, in the browser  or you can download a separate app  and use it on your desktop. They do the exact same thing. They look the same thing. It's up to you whether you wanna use Canva in your browser  or Canva on the desktop. That's the same thing. I'm not sure I'm typing.

Now, when you do sign up for Canva,  make sure you use my link here. Um, because there is a free and a pro version of Canva. Obviously the free version's, free the Pro, um, you pay for. And there are some features that are limited, um,  in Canva to pro only. And what I'm gonna do is, if you are doing this course,  my advice is to, even if you're gonna keep the free version,  you're like no, never gonna pay for it. Okay?

Do the 30 day trial for the pro version  and just cancel it  before the end of the 30 days while you're doing this course  because yeah,  I'm not gonna hide from all the pro versions, okay? There's so much you can do for the free version. So if you're only gonna stick to free,  you'll totally be fine in this course. But sign up for the 30 days, get a sense of  what the pro features are. Um, so you can make a decision whether you want to go back  to free or stay it free. It's totally up to you, but do it.

So you get to follow along with the course. And if you use my link here, um, where is it? Here somewhere. Um, if you do use my link, uh,  Canva does give me a referral fee. It doesn't cost you anymore. Just so you know.

Next is I get excitable and I talk really fast. I think I talk fast. Some people think I talk too slow. Either way, you can speed me up or slow me down. There's a cog over here in the corner. You click on it and you'll be able to change the speed,  either slow, slightly drunk sounding Dan  or super chipmunk Dan, it's up to you.

And lastly, Canva changes so fast. It's kind of a dynamic growing blossoming product,  which is a pain in the butt for me as an instructor  because they keep moving things around. So, uh, if there are big changes, I'll update the videos. If there're small changes, I'll have a little pop-up. Go Taylor with your pop-ups. Have a look out for those.

Um, and Taylor will put those in if  there are small little changes. Um, but just keep an eye out. You might be the first to see  the change when they roll it out. So have a look at the comments, have a look for Pop-ups, um,  or I'll cut in and update it,  but it is changing so let me know in the comments if you  spot something that's moved. Alright, that is it. We've got it started.

Let's get into the course. Alright,  before you go, um, you know  how I just mentioned there will be, uh, potential updates. They've gone and updated it. Um, while I'm recording this course, I've had  to come back here and just kind of point it out. It's an easy one, okay? But, uh, during this first half  of this course, okay, uh, watch this.

When I click on something like text here, watch this. This is a video of me playing, um, in the  Course. Okay? And  here I can go over here  and I used to click on this little double arrow  and all the tech stuff would appear over here. This is true for a lot of things. They appear on this right hand side that I've decided  that it's better on the left hand side.

That's all that's really changed. So just kind of moved it from the right hand side  to the left hand side. I'll show you in the new version of Canva. Uh, it is here. If I go into say text here,  can you see it appears on this left hand side here. Now if I want to go to Effects, same thing.

They're no longer on the right,  they're on the left hand side. No biggie. It was on the right now it's on the left. There you go. Those are the kinds of little UI updates  that Canva's always making that cause my life pain,  but make the product better, which is good for you. There you go.

Now you can start the course. Let's go.