Brand basics in plain words
Your brand is how people recognize your business: its name, look, tone, and the experience you give. Visual brand basics are a short list: your logo, two or three main colors, one or two fonts, and a style of photos. Using the same choices every time helps people recognize you on a flyer, a post, and a receipt. You do not need a big budget; you need consistency.
Picking colors and writing down their codes
A hex code is a six-character color code, like #1E5BD8, that tells a computer exactly which color to use. Pick one main color, one accent color, and a neutral such as black or white. Make sure text is easy to read on top of your colors: dark text on light backgrounds or light text on dark ones. Write the hex codes down. In Canva, you can paste a hex code into the color picker so every design uses the exact same shade.
Choosing fonts people can read
A font is a style of lettering. Choose one font for headings and one for regular text. Very fancy or thin script fonts can be hard to read on a phone or from across a room, so save them for small accents if you use them at all. Check that numbers like phone numbers and prices are clear. Stick to the same fonts across designs instead of trying a new one each time.
What the Brand Kit does and what may be paid
Canva's Brand Kit is a place to store your logo, colors, and fonts so they appear at the top of your choices in every design. What the free plan includes for brand tools and what needs a paid plan has changed over time, so check the current pricing page. If brand tools are limited on your plan, you can still keep a simple 'brand design' file in Canva with your logo, color squares labeled with hex codes, and font names, and copy from it.
Using your brand consistently
Each time you start a design, apply your fonts and colors first, then place your logo in the same general spot. Use your own photos when you can, with similar lighting. Before you post or print, compare the new design with an older one: do they look like they came from the same business? If not, adjust before sharing.
A real-world example
A handmade candle maker chooses deep green, cream, and black, writes down the three hex codes, and picks one bold heading font and one simple body font. She makes a one-page 'my brand' design in Canva with her logo and color squares. Every label, flyer, and post now starts from those same choices.
Steps to take
- Write down your logo files, two or three colors with hex codes, and one or two fonts.
- Test text readability on each color.
- Add them to Canva's Brand Kit, or make a simple brand reference design.
- Apply fonts and colors first whenever you start a new design.
- Compare new designs with older ones before sharing.
Brand kit check
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Go deeper in related modules
Not sure what a word means? Check Business Words Made Simple.
Official guidance
Use these official sources for current rules and details. They do not replace advice for your particular business.
- Canva Help Center (opens in a new tab)
Official how-to articles; search for the exact task you are stuck on.
- Canva pricing and plan comparison (opens in a new tab)
Check which features are free or paid today before you rely on them.
- Canva Design School (opens in a new tab)
Free official Canva courses, including Canva essentials for beginners.