Canva

[hybriddesign]

This isn't perfect but we've found that 50% of the time they actually have good art but are downloading the wrong files from Canva. We've been telling everyone to share the files with us and we open it on our Canva account (we hate Canva as well btw) and download the print ready file. Granted, for us most people are sending graduation posters and stuff like that but it's really cut down quite a bit on the back and forth with Canva clients.

 

[donkur]

How is everyone handling customer-supplied files from Canva or other online designers? I'm plagued by customers sending me Canva files and 99% of them aren't production-ready. It's become an expensive problem for my business and wondering how other shops deal with this effectively, without being rude to the customer or scaring them off with design fees needed to fix or recreate their files.

Giving customers file specs or templates usually doesn't work, they may as well be written in Chinese. Not only are these junky files wasting my time, they're wasting the customer's time, who have spent hours upon hours working on their eye-watering designs to "save money", and become upset when I tell them their files won't work and I have to charge for art time.

There's a reason most auto mechanics won't allow customers to supply parts - you never know what you're getting, it's probably cheap crap, and you can't provide any warranty on it.

I actually send clients to Canva now! It is the era of DIYers so if they are going to create a file, getting them to make them in Canva instead of Word, Excel or PowerPoint is the best way. What I do, is I get them to share the file with me. I bought a pro subscription which makes it very easy to adjust their files. You can download them in the format you need, after you change the size, because that will be wrong all the time, and after you had bleed if you need bleed. Getting the pro subscription and getting them to share the file with you so you can adjust it is the way to go. I bought a pro subscription about a year ago and it has made my life a lot easier. Canva is actually an amazing program. There is even free online training. I would definitely recommend it.

 

[visual800]

if you send me crap I will tell you that if I create your sign with it your sign will look like crap. If you insiist I will go ahead and do your sign. I dsepise customers and their infamous jpegs

 

[dasigndr]

How is everyone handling customer-supplied files from Canva or other online designers? I'm plagued by customers sending me Canva files and 99% of them aren't production-ready. It's become an expensive problem for my business and wondering how other shops deal with this effectively, without being rude to the customer or scaring them off with design fees needed to fix or recreate their files.

Giving customers file specs or templates usually doesn't work, they may as well be written in Chinese. Not only are these junky files wasting my time, they're wasting the customer's time, who have spent hours upon hours working on their eye-watering designs to "save money", and become upset when I tell them their files won't work and I have to charge for art time.

There's a reason most auto mechanics won't allow customers to supply parts - you never know what you're getting, it's probably cheap crap, and you can't provide any warranty on it.

yes...very frustrating. Gonna post your comment on our FB page.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

I don't get all this hate for people that want to do business with you. Even getting a logo that isn't in vector, you're a professional? What's it take, 5-10 mins to trace it? It's like some of y'all dont even want to work. The customer sends you a file to use that gets you started and even sometimes 95% of the way there and you still complain. That's a whole lot better than a text message.
Wasn't there another thread with people complaining about not having work? Well, it's no wonder why.

 

[donkur]

How is everyone handling customer-supplied files from Canva or other online designers? I'm plagued by customers sending me Canva files and 99% of them aren't production-ready. It's become an expensive problem for my business and wondering how other shops deal with this effectively, without being rude to the customer or scaring them off with design fees needed to fix or recreate their files.

Giving customers file specs or templates usually doesn't work, they may as well be written in Chinese. Not only are these junky files wasting my time, they're wasting the customer's time, who have spent hours upon hours working on their eye-watering designs to "save money", and become upset when I tell them their files won't work and I have to charge for art time.

There's a reason most auto mechanics won't allow customers to supply parts - you never know what you're getting, it's probably cheap crap, and you can't provide any warranty on it.

And another good thing about Canva is that the client will supply you with what they want so you don't have to spend time going back-and-forth emailing proofs and making changes. I find it a big time saver plus I like not having to design complex stuff, trying to guess what a person is really after. It is much easier trying to work with this program instead of against it because I don't think it will be going away anytime soon. It is really an incredible design program, makes life easier.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

And another good thing about Canva is that the client will supply you with what they want so you don't have to spend time going back-and-forth emailing proofs and making changes. I find it a big time saver plus I like not having to design complex stuff, trying to guess what a person is really after. It is much easier trying to work with this program instead of against it because I don't think it will be going away anytime soon. It is really an incredible design program, makes life easier.

Exactly. The old school way was a hand sketch that you had to do yourself. Now the customer is doing that for you, I'll take that all day long over a blank slate.

 

[Pauly]

Excuse my ignorance,
What's the issue with the canva files when not supplied correctly?

We dont get canva files so i have no idea.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I find it amazing that someone came up with new software based on something that already had plenty of options, and was successful at it. It seems like all the big software out there matured 15 years ago and is babied to keep everyone on the hook paying every month.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Excuse my ignorance,
What's the issue with the canva files when not supplied correctly?

We dont get canva files so i have no idea.

I've only had a couple and IIRC they just gave an error when importing. Simple fix was print to pdf and import that, wasnt a big deal unless there is more to it that we haven't encountered yet.

 

[ikarasu]

I don't get all this hate for people that want to do business with you. Even getting a logo that isn't in vector, you're a professional? What's it take, 5-10 mins to trace it? It's like some of y'all dont even want to work. The customer sends you a file to use that gets you started and even sometimes 95% of the way there and you still complain. That's a whole lot better than a text message.
Wasn't there another thread with people complaining about not having work? Well, it's no wonder why.

I have a guy I do quite a bit of business with... he likes to design his own stuff. I'll go down... take measurements of his whole store front, and he'll say he'll design it and get back to me. 2 weeks later... he sends me a JPG thats like 10" Tall, for a 8 FT Window graphic... It's in the right aspect ratio, but it just doesn't work. I tell him it doesn't...and ask if he can export it to PDF, or in higher rez...and all I got was "how do I do that?"

So I asked him what software he was using so I could help - And I got back "my phone". So I try to ask what software on his phone...and he couldn't tell me. He said just print it as is, its fine. So I printed a 12" Section, and sent him a photo of what it looked like... And of course he decided to try and fix it after seeing what garbage it was. So he went to find out what phone software it was... and I tried to google and help and teach him how to do it properly... But he just couldn't get it. Not sure if the stock images he used were garbage or what.

It wasn't something thats easy to vectorize... Had a lot of shadows and shading, fading to different colors... It'd take forever to try and fix it without having access to the source. So I told him I could send it to someone who can vectorize it.. which I did, it was like $30 for Vectordr to do it or something (CAD) and he balked at the price...said he'd figure it out...and spent another 2 days on it. Then he finally caved... said to go ahead, and since its been so long its now a rush, so could I swing by tomorrow to do it.

About 3 months later he wants to do a 24" x 36" Sandwich board and design it himself - So he asked me to make him a template so he can do it. I told him it's just 24" x 36"... You lose .5" on the sides due to the frame... And then he sends me a screenshot of his app which is in pixels and asks me what he puts for it

Thats how half my customers are. I don't mind helping, but when you spend an hour helping a... computer inclined person on how to do basic tasks, thats an hour you're not doing you're real job, or making money.

I love when people do their own artwork and send it over, I feel like I'd rather be a wholesaler and never deal with artwork, just deal with sign companies directly... that'd be my dream job! and I don't mind giving direction, tips... pointing out flaws when I see it. But I'm not here to explain the process from start to beginning and teach them how to do their own art.... It's not about not wanting work, it's about not wanting to work for free.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

I find it amazing that someone came up with new software based on something that already had plenty of options, and was successful at it. It seems like all the big software out there matured 15 years ago and is babied to keep everyone on the hook paying every month.

On top of it, it's amazing how much additional functionality/automation can be gained with macros but neither adobe or corel ever bothered integrating any of these things. Canva comes along and does just that and everyone complains.
It's like giving up your manual transmission for an automatic, plenty fought that but now you cant even get a manual transmission because nobody wants to do extra work just for the sake of doing extra work.

 

[Kemik]

I get a lot of Canva files, they can be "shared" as a PDF, they call it shared instead of Save As or Download?
A few problems, most of the times their Logo ends up being rasterized and the text are live fonts.

Canva can only design in RGB, which you need to explain about the colour difference between RGB and CMYK.
Depending on how good of a client they are, I do a few things with the PDF..
I ask if they have a vector copy of just the logo, which I will size to be the same size as the raster logo, then just point click replace in illustrator.
If it has fonts that I don't have, I used to convert inside illustrator, however I found a website that does a better job with converting fonts, [ PDF-TEXT-To-Outlines ], and depending on if it is a few files or 100 files, I will either convert myself, or send them to the website to do it for me.
One more thing I do, I will place the Canva PDF into a new Illustrator document, then embed it. I don't know why, but this just works better for me then opening the original PDF, maybe it's because I use an old version of Illustrator that doesn't require a monthly subscription!

 

[Notarealsignguy]

I have a guy I do quite a bit of business with... he likes to design his own stuff. I'll go down... take measurements of his whole store front, and he'll say he'll design it and get back to me. 2 weeks later... he sends me a JPG thats like 10" Tall, for a 8 FT Window graphic... It's in the right aspect ratio, but it just doesn't work. I tell him it doesn't...and ask if he can export it to PDF, or in higher rez...and all I got was "how do I do that?"

So I asked him what software he was using so I could help - And I got back "my phone". So I try to ask what software on his phone...and he couldn't tell me. He said just print it as is, its fine. So I printed a 12" Section, and sent him a photo of what it looked like... And of course he decided to try and fix it after seeing what garbage it was. So he went to find out what phone software it was... and I tried to google and help and teach him how to do it properly... But he just couldn't get it. Not sure if the stock images he used were garbage or what.

It wasn't something thats easy to vectorize... Had a lot of shadows and shading, fading to different colors... It'd take forever to try and fix it without having access to the source. So I told him I could send it to someone who can vectorize it.. which I did, it was like $30 for Vectordr to do it or something (CAD) and he balked at the price...said he'd figure it out...and spent another 2 days on it. Then he finally caved... said to go ahead, and since its been so long its now a rush, so could I swing by tomorrow to do it.

About 3 months later he wants to do a 24" x 36" Sandwich board and design it himself - So he asked me to make him a template so he can do it. I told him it's just 24" x 36"... You lose .5" on the sides due to the frame... And then he sends me a screenshot of his app which is in pixels and asks me what he puts for it

Thats how half my customers are. I don't mind helping, but when you spend an hour helping a... computer inclined person on how to do basic tasks, thats an hour you're not doing you're real job, or making money.

I love when people do their own artwork and send it over, I feel like I'd rather be a wholesaler and never deal with artwork, just deal with sign companies directly... that'd be my dream job! and I don't mind giving direction, tips... pointing out flaws when I see it. But I'm not here to explain the process from start to beginning and teach them how to do their own art.... It's not about not wanting work, it's about not wanting to work for free.

Why waste an hour with back and forth when you could spend 20 minutes doing it for them? There are a ton of things that get on my nerves but this has never really been one of them. Now, if we want to complain about files with 10 million transparencies that crashes when you try to open it or it takes 2 hours to RIP, count me in.

 

[Boudica]

Excuse my ignorance,
What's the issue with the canva files when not supplied correctly?

We dont get canva files so i have no idea.

Mostly low resolution, not the right size... if you have to do something to it in illy, even when it's editable, the font's won't be outlined, and canva font's are not readily available.
As for crappy design - I could care less - it's their sign/Display board/poster whatever - I can laugh at it, they have to live with it.

 

[ikarasu]

Why waste an hour with back and forth when you could spend 20 minutes doing it for them? There are a ton of things that get on my nerves but this has never really been one of them. Now, if we want to complain about files with 10 million transparencies that crashes when you try to open it or it takes 2 hours to RIP, count me in.

Because it's not just logos that can easily be traced.

Do you do your artwork for free? We always throw an estimate out so that they know and can budget for it. A lot of times we build it into the quote because people don't like to pay an artwork fee... There's something like designing a whole storefront isn't something that takes 20 minutes.

Sure, we can give you the 20-minute canva special that looks like somebody just threw a bunch of random artwork onto a window... But there's a reason we hire designers, and the reason we pay designers what we pay them...

The same people pull the lowest res stock files and add 20 of them to their sign. Half of the files I get are easy to fix and those ones I do fix, but when something is a completely wrong aspect ratio and they've exported it to a low res jpeg... And it has pixel art that can't be vectorized... There's not much you can do.

And a lot of it are people that want one tiny sign that you're selling for 40 bucks, you spend 20 minutes fixing their files you just lost all of your profit.

 

[Pauly]

Mostly low resolution, not the right size... if you have to do something to it in illy, even when it's editable, the font's won't be outlined, and canva font's are not readily available.
As for crappy design - I could care less - it's their sign/Display board/poster whatever - I can laugh at it, they have to live with it.

Regarding the font issues.
check out this - https://www.enfocus.com/en/pitstop-pro
We use it, we use a lot of their apps.
Its like illi actions, on steroids.

Easily fix files, outline fonts, convert to CMYK and all sorts of things.
It wont fix low res and wrong size.

but i dont know how much more it could fix canva files.

what might be worth is have a set of instructions on how they could fix it. by saving it this way and making it print ready. (i've seen a few reels on instagram going though it)
each time someone sends a canva file and it's crap, you could send the instructional PDF to them.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Because it's not just logos that can easily be traced.

Do you do your artwork for free? We always throw an estimate out so that they know and can budget for it. A lot of times we build it into the quote because people don't like to pay an artwork fee... There's something like designing a whole storefront isn't something that takes 20 minutes.

Sure, we can give you the 20-minute canva special that looks like somebody just threw a bunch of random artwork onto a window... But there's a reason we hire designers, and the reason we pay designers what we pay them...

The same people pull the lowest res stock files and add 20 of them to their sign. Half of the files I get are easy to fix and those ones I do fix, but when something is a completely wrong aspect ratio and they've exported it to a low res jpeg... And it has pixel art that can't be vectorized... There's not much you can do.

And a lot of it are people that want one tiny sign that you're selling for 40 bucks, you spend 20 minutes fixing their files you just lost all of your profit.

For small stuff, I don't. Larger stuff I just build it into the price. I try not to micro analyze every job as there is also a cost associated with under utilized assets that needs to be taken into account. Some jobs are homeruns and some are duds but I have found more success and profitability looking at the sum of the whole rather than each piece. Not saying there's a right or wrong but having done things both ways, I can have something done in less time then Id spend going in circles trying to get a proper vector. Time is time to me plus getting frustrated and unmovable with a client doesn't exactly create a positive experience for them which is important. The costs associated with obtaining new customers is not cheap, it's just not something easily measured so its often times ignored.

 

[KY_Graphics_Gal]

As a small print shop we are bombarded with Canva designs. Half the time the art is sized in pixels or mm that conform to no American paper sizes. Text is right against the edge of the page, etc... This is our new policy:

DUE TO THE POPULARITY OF ONLINE GRAPHIC DESIGN PROGRAMS LIKE CANVA, WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED THIS POLICY:

If you provide us with print-ready artwork we will happily print your designs for you. There will be 3 options for you to choose from when printing your designs:

1. We will print as-is and any errors are your responsibility.

2. For a $10 fee we will check your art/document size, check that you have proper margins so that nothing will be cut off in production, check for adequate bleeds for prints going to the edge, and check document resolution. If there are any issues we will report back to you with those issues and suggested fixes.

3. We can redesign your art or document to ensure the highest print quality. This service is $50/hour.

All orders choosing Options 1 or 2 MUST be paid in full before production begins.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

As a small print shop we are bombarded with Canva designs. Half the time the art is sized in pixels or mm that conform to no American paper sizes. Text is right against the edge of the page, etc... This is our new policy:

DUE TO THE POPULARITY OF ONLINE GRAPHIC DESIGN PROGRAMS LIKE CANVA, WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED THIS POLICY:

If you provide us with print-ready artwork we will happily print your designs for you. There will be 3 options for you to choose from when printing your designs:

1. We will print as-is and any errors are your responsibility.

2. For a $10 fee we will check your art/document size, check that you have proper margins so that nothing will be cut off in production, check for adequate bleeds for prints going to the edge, and check document resolution. If there are any issues we will report back to you with those issues and suggested fixes.

3. We can redesign your art or document to ensure the highest print quality. This service is $50/hour.

All orders choosing Options 1 or 2 MUST be paid in full before production begins.

Doesn't sound customer friendly and too many options. Do you ever blindly print something without looking at dimensions and pixelation? I wouldn't even put that policy out there. If they send you art that needs fixing just kick it back to them and say for X amount we can rework it or you can fix it. That policy sounds harsh and gives too many options and why waste time billing $10.. that doesn't even buy a smoothie hamburger

I had someone yesterday from Dr pepper said they had PRINT READY files. They sent a jpg inside a power point. Wasn't exactly to scale and slight pixelation, so I called and asked if they want me to crop it and are OK with a slight fuzziness. Answer was yes and order was off to S365 in less than 5 mins. If they could do it all themselves perfectly, why buy something from me they could get half off online? Ya gotta do something to add value.