If you have no graphic design experience, Canva makes it easy to create your own logo.

Canva offers thousands of templates that you can modify according to your needs, with a simple drag-and-drop interface. You can sign up for free, and use most of the features for no additional charges. This includes a library of royalty-free pictures and elements, which will help you create the perfect logo design.

Make Sure You Understand Your Needs

Before you rush to open a new document in Canva, it’s best to pause and think about the kind of logo you want to create. What do you want it to represent? What colors do you have in mind and what style? Are there other logos that you’re inspired by? Let’s begin

1. Pick the Right Template for You

First, we want to show you an approach that requires minimal time and effort. Canva always has a free logo template and free logo maker tool. It also has almost unlimited logo template designs for a number of industries. Check this out. After logging in,  search “logo,” and this is what shows in the drop-down menu.

If you’re in the food industry, for instance, you can click on See all next to Food/Drink Logo, and view all of Canva’s designs. When you click one of them, it will appear on your blank canvas for a larger view.

If a template is free to use, you’ll see Free written when you hover over it. The ones with the crown are only available for Pro users.

You can choose any of these and then customize them however you’d like. Here’s the logo selected template. At this point, we haven’t made any edits.

2. Modify the Colors for Your Brand

These Canva templates are an excellent option if you’re looking for something quick, easy, and straightforward. However, bear in mind that you can also use these as inspiration or a starting point. Canva still gives you the option to customize each element however you see fit.

The key to a successful brand identity is to ensure your colors are consistent across all marketing materials. This means that you use the same one or two colors (three max), on your logo, website, business cards, social media, etc.

So once you’ve settled on a template, you need to change the colors to reflect your brand. This includes the colors of the icons as well. Simply click the different objects and then click the color on the top of the screen. This will launch the color picker.

You can pick from Canva’s colors, or type in the exact color code when you click on the plus icon. Then, pick Change all to apply it over the entire logo.

While Canva has a variety of templates with a background color, you should always change it to white. Your final goal is to be able to use the logo on different backgrounds.

If you don’t have the Pro version (which lets you save a transparent PNG), save the final product with the white background and use one of these ways to make the background transparent.

3. Pick a Font and Change the Text

You can modify just about anything. You can change the font, the font color, the orientation of the design elements, the sizes of the elements, and the striped design over the cupcake. The finished result might look nothing like the template, but you’ll have had a much easier time arriving at that destination.

Next, double-click the text in the logo and change it to your brand name and tagline (if the logo contains those). Change the font with the dropdown menu at the top of the screen.

As with colors, you should limit the fonts to no more than two to avoid clutter. The fonts should also be similar to what you use on other branded materials. You can pick one font for the company name to make it look unique, and then use a more standard font for the tagline.

4. Play With the Icons and Text

If you don’t really have graphic design experience, it’s best not to mess with the logo too much. This will make the final result look less professional.

Having said that, you can play with different elements to better suit your vision. You can ungroup the logo with the Ungroup button at the top toolbar. This lets you move individual elements around, make them bigger or smaller, and change the opacity.

You can also pick a different icon from the Elements menu on the left, and then hit Graphics to search for a specific icon that matches your brand. When you click one of them, you’ll see Magic recommendations underneath. These are icons in the same style.

5. Create Different Versions and Sizes

Once you’ve settled on the colors, fonts, elements, and the way it’s ordered, it’s time to create a variety of versions. This way, you can use the logo in different situations.