If you’ve ever stared at Canva’s brand kit feature and thought, “There has to be a better way,” well, my friend, you’re in luck. Because not only is there a better way—it’s free, and dare I say, even better than Canva Pro’s version. Welcome to a step-by-step guide that’ll make your brand kit setup as smooth as your morning coffee (or at least smoother than Canva’s built-in version).

Step 1: The Basics—Setting Up Your Brand Kit

First things first, head over to Canva’s homepage, click on “Brand” in the left toolbar, and boom—you’re in. If you’re using Canva Pro, you can create multiple brand kits. Free users, don’t worry, I’ve got a workaround for you.

Click “Add New,” name your brand kit (something cute, like “My Empire” or “Just Trying to Get My Life Together”), and start uploading your brand assets: logos, colors, fonts, brand voice, and all the little details that make your brand yours.

Step 2: Making Your Logo Work for You

Here’s the part where most people go wrong. You don’t just upload your PNG logo and call it a day. Nope. Because later, when you’re designing, you’ll realize you can’t change its color without jumping through 27 hoops. So, let’s do this the right way.

1. Open a Canva document.
2. Create a page dedicated to your logo.
3. Copy and paste your logo and fill up as much space as you can.
4. Change the font color to the blackest black.
5. Save it as a PNG with a transparent background.
6. Head over to Convertio.co (free and magical) and convert that PNG into an SVG file.
7. Upload the SVG back into Canva, and boom, you now have a logo that you can recolor anytime with zero stress.

Step 3: Colors, Fonts & Brand Voice

Now that we’ve handled logos like pros, let’s get the rest of your brand kit in place.

Colors
Grab your hex codes from your brand guide and add them one by one. Canva Pro lets you save them officially, but free users can add them manually to their templates.

Fonts
If your brand font isn’t in Canva, upload it under “Add New Font.” Otherwise, pick the closest match.

Brand Voice
Think of a few words that describe your vibe—fun, professional, witty, no-nonsense? Add a quick blurb about how you communicate.

Step 4: Organizing Photos, Graphics & Icons

This part is simple: upload the photos that reflect your brand—your personal brand photos, on-brand stock images, and any graphics or patterns you use often. Keep it clean, keep it simple.

The Free Canva Brand Kit Hack

If you’re not on Canva Pro (or just like options), here’s the workaround:

1. Create a brand board template inside a Canva document.
2. Upload all your assets—logos (SVG format), color swatches, and font selections.
3. When you need them, just open the document, copy what you need, and paste it into your designs.

The End Result? Effortless, Consistent Branding

With this setup, every time you create a new design, you won’t be hunting for fonts, colors, or logos. It’s all there, ready to go. And if you love how organized this feels, just know that this brand kit template is a bonus inside my 5 Days to Canva course—so if you want it (and a whole lot more Canva magic), you know what to do. 😉

Now, go forth and brand like a boss. 🚀