3 Easy Ways to Edit Your Logo in Canva

You know the feeling…you want to add in your logo on a quick graphic to post on Instagram or to change the color for a PDF you’re creating. But once you do…it kind of looks like shit. 

It’s not because the design is bad, but the quality isn’t as high as it should be. It’s pixelated, or the color is funky, or you can’t size it to fit the place you want. After finicking with it for (what feels like) hours, something’s still not quite right.

Frustrating, right?!

Thankfully, Canva makes it a breeze to edit your logo files so you can use them whenever and however you like (just as long as you keep up with those brand standards😉). 

So whether you’ve only got one file type (like a JPEG) or only received your logo from your designer in one color, there are a few simple tricks you can use to make everything look clean and cohesive. 

Check out the video below to see how to edit your logo in Canva, or catch the notes on this blog!

Scaling your logo

The honest truth is that sometimes there’s just not much you can do about your logo. Depending on the file type, scaling can be tricky, especially when scaling up because it’s where we tend to see the most loss of quality. This is particularly true for JPEG files.

But not all hope is lost! Sometimes you can effortlessly scale up without having any issues, but the real question is…how do you know when it’s too much? 

When things start to get fuzzy or pixelated (which is when you can quite literally see the pixels of the logo), then it’s time to retract your steps and scale down a bit. 

The good news is that when you scale down, logos don’t often lose their quality, even if it is a JPEG. 

And the even better news? While you may still need a blown-up version of your logo, mostly for print purposes, there are not really many instances when you’d need a big one.

Especially when working with digital files (social media graphics, PDFs, website), logos tend to find their place in smaller sections on the graphic — usually snuggled neatly into the corner or the bottom of the graphic. 

Removing the background

Sometimes you may receive a logo file that has a white background included, which can make working with a color that’s not white as the background difficult. But if you’ve got Canva Pro, you’re in good hands!

All you have to do is upload your logo, drop it into the graphic you want to work on, and then use the background remover tool to eliminate the white background. 

And that’s it! You just have to sit back and let Canva work its magic. And while some of the corners and edges may not be perfect when you scale the logo up (sometimes they don’t fully remove all the pixels from the white background or may overstep and chop off pixels from the logo), we’d say it’s damn good for how easy it is to use. 

Changing the colors

If you have an SVG file of your logo, changing the color is *literally* just a click away. All you have to do is go into where you’d normally change the color of something, select one of your brand colors in the brand kit, and violà!

Again, with certain file types, like a JPEG (are you noticing a theme yet?), you won’t be able to do much here, but if you have an SVG file of your logo, then edit away!

What if you can’t remove the background or change the color?

There may be times when you can’t change the logo, and that’s okay. There are a couple of workarounds. 

The first is to add a shape — like a circle, banner, triangle for the corner, etc. — to make the logo look like it’s a part of that shape. 

This will not only make it look like the logo is supposed to be there but will give it more breathing room so it keeps the design looking refined and on brand. You want to make sure the logo looks like it’s part of the graphic, not just something you slapped on there. 

You could also use the concept of lower thirds and a banner at the bottom with the logo and your handles or website — perfect for posting on Instagram!

The biggest thing: Get an SVG file!

There’s absolutely no shame in going back to your designer and asking for an SVG version of your logo. Most people will be more than happy to provide that for you as it’s a simple process that mainly involves exporting the file from their design program as an SVG. 

SVG files, whether you’re working in Canva or not, allow you to scale up and edit without pixelation, wonky lines, or weird colors. Basically…make that SVG file your BFF!

Want more DIY design tips? 

If you’re not a designer, making edits like these can feel like a jumbled mess and anything but easy. But once you know a few simple tips and tricks, it can make simple design edits so much easier.
If you want more DIY design tips like this one, check out the post below — we’re covering five of our fav design tools that non-designers can pick up in a snap!