Scribble & Co Designs

Canva makes designing digital products easy—but it’s even better when you know which tools to actually use.

When I first started out, I was all about the basics: pick a cute template, tweak the text, and hope it looked good enough. But once I started playing around with Canva’s features, I realized there’s so much more to it—tools that don’t just make things pretty, but make them practical and professional too.

My Non-Negotiable Canva Tools for Digital Products

✅ Grids & Guides – Total game changer for planners, worksheets, and pages! They keep everything neat and aligned, so your final product looks polished and clean. No more guessing if things are centered or lined up—just drop and adjust.

✅ Brand Kit (Pro version) – This was a big one for me. I love having my brand colors, fonts, and logos ready to go in one click. It keeps everything looking cohesive—no more mismatched colors or fonts that don’t feel like “me.”

✅ Smart Mockups – These are so handy, especially for Etsy thumbnails or Pinterest pins. With a couple of clicks, you can see your design as a real product photo—like on a tablet, a phone, or a print sheet. It makes your listings pop and helps customers imagine your product in their life.

✅ Elements Library – Canva’s huge library of frames, shapes, and icons can take a simple layout and make it feel intentional and eye-catching. It’s the secret to adding polish without adding clutter.

✅ Resize Tool (Pro) – If you’re selling digital products, this is a lifesaver. You can reuse one design in different sizes or tweak it for multiple platforms (like Etsy listings, Pinterest, or Instagram posts). So much faster than starting from scratch!

My Best Advice?

You don’t need to learn everything at once. Canva is massive, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you try to master every single feature. Instead, start with these core tools and build from there. Every time you open Canva, experiment with one new thing—like a different frame or a new font style. You’ll be amazed how quickly you level up your design game.

Extra Tip: The Canva Content Planner

Here’s a little bonus if you’re also juggling social media for your Etsy shop or business. Canva’s Content Planner (in the Pro version) lets you schedule posts straight from your workspace. No more downloading, uploading, and re-uploading. You can create a pin, a reel, or a post right there, click schedule, and move on. Huge time-saver!

✨ Want to see how these tools help me create real products?
Check out Scribble & Co Designs. Every product I’ve made started in Canva—using these tools to turn a blank page into something people love to buy.

Because the secret to great digital products isn’t fancy graphics or complicated tech—it’s using simple tools, consistently, and making them yours.

💬 What’s the Canva feature you’re most curious to try—Smart Mockups, Brand Kit, or something else? Let me know in the comments—I’d love to help you figure out what’s next!