How to Reduce the File Size in Canva in 5 Easy Steps

Wow! You’re finally done creating your design in Canva! 

After giving your work one last glance for some brush-ups, you decide it’s time to save your design on your device.

But, a pop-up window suddenly emerges, telling you that your device’s running out of space. You know you need to lower the file size, but how?

Don’t you worry though, as you can lower the size of the file you’re downloading in Canva if you know where to look at.

 

How to Reduce the File Size in Canva

Reducing the file size is a Canva Pro feature. That said, if you are on Canva Free, you won’t be able to change the file size of either PNG’s or JPG’s. On Canva Pro, you will be able to compress both PNG’s and JPG’s right after clicking on “Download.” 

 

Reducing File Size in Canva: The Basic Steps

Compressing a file’s size in Canva can be quite daunting, especially to newbie users. However, as Canva’s so intuitive, you need not worry much about the technicalities of this process.

If you’re a Canva Pro user, you’re in luck, as you have the option to reduce your design file’s size without leaving the site or use a third-party app.

Follow these steps to compress your Canva design’s file size without affecting image quality.

Step 1: Log in to your account and open an existing design file from Canva’s home page. You can also make a new design by tapping the “Create a New Design” button.

Step 2: Once you accessed the design file you want to download, head over to Canva’s toolbar and tap the “Download” button.

Step 3: In the dropdown menu that appears, choose the file type you’d like to save your design in. If you want the smallest file size, click on “JPG.” If you want to preserve the best image quality, opt for “PNG.”

Step 4: To compress a JPG file, drag the “Quality” slider to the left to compress its size. For PNG files, tick the “Compress file” option and choose from the following compression ratios: 0.5x, 1x, 2x, and 3x.

Step 5: Once you’re satisfied with the file sizes you’ve set, tap the “Download” button at the bottom part of the dropdown menu.

And, with those 5 simple steps, you’ve successfully reduced the file size of the design you’ve downloaded in Canva. 

But, you’ll need to be a Canva Pro user for you to enjoy this feature.

Hence, if you’re a free account user of Canva, you won’t find the compression options stated earlier. But, it doesn’t mean you can’t reduce the file size of the design you’ve just downloaded.

 

Compressing Canva Image File Size when You’re a Free Account User

Are you feeling bummed that you can’t lower the file size of the image you’ve downloaded from Canva because you did not upgrade to the Pro one? 

Don’t you worry, as there is an alternative method for you to achieve the same feat — with only a few more steps.

So, after brushing up on your Canva design, you’re ready to save it on your device. After making sure you didn’t use up any Pro elements, tap on the “Download” button to start the process.

Once you’ve successfully downloaded your design, head over to tinypng.com. From there, simply drag and drop the file you’ve saved from Canva earlier onto the specified area in the site.

And, just let tinypng compress the image for you. As soon as the process’ finished, you’ll see the newly-compressed file’s current size, as well as how much the site’s managed to compress.

If you’re satisfied with your design’s new file size, just tap on the “Download” button at the end of the gradient bar.

And, with a few simple clicks, you’ve reduced the image file size of your design. Very cool, right?

 

Frequently Asked Questions about Reducing File Size in Canva

 

Will the file type affect the image quality of my design after downloading it?

For those who aren’t technical enough, file types in Canva have a bearing on the image quality. If you opt to download your design in JPG format, you’ll enjoy a smaller file size but has a lesser image quality compared to when you use PNG. It’s because PNG uses a lossless type of compression, perfect for preserving the quality of the photo.

 

Can you change your Canva design’s document size without using the magic resize button?

If you’re a keen observer, you’ll notice the “Size” option if opt to download your design as a JPG file. Like the “Quality” slider, drag the “Size” slider to the right to enlarge the dimensions and to the left if you want to make it smaller.

 

Is it possible for Canva Free users to compress file sizes directly within Canva?

Unfortunately, the file size compression feature is a Pro feature. Thus, if you’re a free account user, you won’t be able to use those options as they’ll be greyed out from the dropdown menu. Upgrade to a Pro account first before you can enjoy reducing file sizes without leaving the site.