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Create art with Canva

Updated October 22, 2026

Design your merch artwork in Canva and bring it into Fourthwall as a print-ready PNG

Canva is an online design tool you can use to build artwork for any Fourthwall product. To get a sharp print, set your Canva design to the pixel size your print needs, download it as a PNG with a transparent background, and upload that file in the Fourthwall product designer.

Here's the workflow at a glance:

  1. Work out your pixel size. Multiply your print size in inches by the dots per inch (DPI) your product needs.
  2. Create a custom-size design in Canva. Enter those pixel dimensions.
  3. Download a PNG. Turn on the transparent background so only your artwork prints.
  4. Upload it to your product. Add the PNG in the Fourthwall product designer and check the print quality.

What size should my Canva design be?​

Make your Canva design the same pixel size as your print: pixels = print size in inches × DPI. Each product has its own resolution requirement. As a rule of thumb, use at least 150 DPI at print size for apparel and 300 DPI for other printed products such as posters, stickers and mugs. For example, a 10 × 12 inch apparel print needs 1500 × 1800 pixels.

To find the print area for your product, open it in the product designer. The designer shows the printable area for each print region. To check the resolution a specific product needs, ask Eli, the assistant in your dashboard.

For file formats, color profiles and specs by print method, see Artwork best practices.

How do I set up a custom-size design in Canva?​

Start a blank design at your exact pixel size from the Canva homepage. Canva's steps, from its Design from scratch help article:

  1. On the Canva homepage banner, click Custom size.
  2. Under Units, select px.
  3. Enter the Width and Height you worked out for your print.
  4. Select Create new design to open the editor.

Canva says each side of a custom-size design must be between 40 and 8000 px, and lists its overall size limits as a minimum of 40 × 40 px and a maximum of 8000 × 3125 px. If the fields turn red, the size is outside those limits.

If your print needs more pixels than Canva allows, Canva's Resize designs and size limits article suggests locking the aspect ratio, entering a smaller size with the same proportions, and then downloading the PNG at up to 3.125 times its size. Canva lists resizing and download scaling as paid-plan options. Photos you place in the design still need enough pixels of their own, since scaling a small image up doesn't add real detail.

How do I keep the background transparent?​

Delete your design's background (or set the background color to white), then turn on Transparent background when you download a PNG. A transparent PNG prints only your artwork, so the product color shows through around it. A file without transparency prints the whole rectangle, background included.

In Canva, downloading with a transparent background is only available on the Canva Pro, Canva Teams, Canva Business, Canva Education and Canva for Nonprofits plans, according to Canva's Download design with transparent background article.

To clear the background in Canva, select it and click the trash icon on the toolbar above the editor. If you placed photos with their own backgrounds, remove those backgrounds as well.

How do I download my Canva design for printing?​

Download your design as a PNG. Canva's steps, from its Download design with transparent background article:

  1. Go to Share, then select Download.
  2. Choose PNG as the file type.
  3. Set the Size and Quality.
  4. Toggle Transparent background on.
  5. Select Download.

Keep your colors in RGB. Canva's help suggests CMYK colors for print, but don't convert your artwork to CMYK for Fourthwall: use the sRGB color profile, and your file is converted during production. Some bright or neon colors print less vividly than they look on screen.

caution

Don't download your design as a PDF or SVG for a Fourthwall product. The product designer accepts JPG and PNG artwork only.

How do I add my Canva design to a Fourthwall product?​

Upload the PNG in the Fourthwall product designer. The product designer requires a desktop or laptop browser.

  1. Go to Products and click Create new product.
  2. Select Design a new product.
  3. Choose a product from the catalog and click Design now.
  4. Click Upload image and select your PNG, or drag and drop it into the design area.
  5. Position and resize your artwork inside the print-safe area.

The border around your artwork turns blue for high print quality, yellow for fair quality and red for low quality. Aim to keep it blue. For the full walkthrough, see Design a new product.

Frequently asked questions​

Do I need Canva Pro to make merch artwork?​

You need a paid Canva plan to download a PNG with a transparent background. Canva lists this option on its Pro, Teams, Business, Education and Nonprofits plans. Without it, your file keeps its background, and the whole rectangle prints.

Why did my Canva PNG download with a white background?​

Canva says this happens when the design's background wasn't deleted or set to white before downloading. Remove any background colors or images, then download again with Transparent background turned on.

Can I upload a PDF or SVG from Canva?​

No. The Fourthwall product designer doesn't accept PDF or SVG files as product artwork. Download your design as a PNG and upload that.

Why does my artwork show a yellow or red border in the product designer?​

A yellow border means fair print quality and a red border means low print quality at the size you placed your artwork. Low-resolution artwork may print blurry. Go back to Canva, set the design to a larger pixel size (print size in inches × DPI), then download and upload it again.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us at support@fourthwall.com.

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