Many small business owners love Canva. It’s user-friendly, accessible, and allows businesses to create visuals quickly and affordably. As a design and marketing agency, we also use Canva for social media graphics, creating templates for clients, and client presentations. In today’s economic climate, having tools that empower small businesses to DIY is a big win!
However, logo design is one area where we strongly advise against using Canva. While Canva has templates for almost everything—including logos—your logo is something that requires a more strategic, customized approach. Here’s why:
1. Your Logo is NOT Your Own
The most crucial issue with Canva logos is ownership. According to Canva’s terms, logos created using elements from their library aren’t trademarkable. This means that your logo design isn’t exclusive to your business—someone else can have an identical or very similar logo.
Imagine opening a coffee shop with a logo you spent time and money designing, only to see another business with the same design pop up across the street. Legally, there would be nothing you could do about it! Your brand identity should be unique to your business—something that sets you apart. Relying on Canva for your logo design limits your ability to make your brand truly yours. recognize that your logo may not fully stand out among competitors.
Many clients come to us with simple Canva logos, which we then rebrand into something truly unique and tailored to their business.
Below are 2 logos created from the Canva selection of templates. See how easily your brand can be replicated?
2. An Expert’s Touch: The Value of Professional Design
When a plumbing or construction issue arises, most people hire a plumber rather than attempting a DIY fix. Similarly, logo design is best left to experts who understand design principles and branding psychology.
A professional logo designer won’t just “slap something together” in Canva. We start with a conceptual process, sketching original ideas that incorporate licensed fonts, custom typography, and a cohesive color palette.
Initial sketches for The Fred Amphitheater:
First round of digital designs for The Fred Amphitheater:
Final logo and t-shirt design for The Fred Amphitheater:
3. Lack of proper formats for different uses
As a professional branding agency, we will create variations of your logo for different formats: full-color, one-color, white, reversed, or even large-scale for billboards.
If you create a logo in Canva, you might struggle to convert it to a one-color version, or make it suitable for a billboard. You will need to eventually end up paying extra for a print shop to adjust the format- with variable results.
Hiring a professional designer from the start eliminates these headaches and ensures your logo is adaptable for all purposes.
When creating a logo package from us, you will receive all the variations needed for your business. Below you can see an example of the branding guide we created for The Fred.
4. Use Canva for Inspiration—Not the Final Product
If you have a clear idea of what you want in a logo, Canva can be a great tool for mockups. Feel free to create some rough concepts to show your designer; this helps convey your vision and preferences visually. Your designer can then use these ideas as inspiration to create something unique, customized, and completely yours.
A professional designer takes your initial idea and evolves it into a custom logo that no one else can replicate!
5. Already Have a Canva Logo? Here’s What to Do
If your current logo is made in Canva, don’t panic. If it’s served you well so far, that’s great! Just know that there’s always a possibility of encountering similar designs in the marketplace. Also, recognize that your logo may not fully stand out among competitors.
Many clients come to us with simple Canva logos, which we then rebrand into something truly unique and tailored to their business.
Don’t DIY It—Let Us Help
Your logo is the foundation of your brand and marketing. Investing in a professional logo ensures that your brand identity is protected, exclusive, and uniquely yours. Contact us, and we’ll work with you to bring your next logo project to life with a custom design that truly represents your business.
Check out some of our previous work and let’s create a logo that’s unmistakably yours.
