UC San Diego Canva for Teams
The Canva for Teams platform at UC San Diego provides access to easy-to-use branded templates across all channels that are preapproved and customizable. It limits access to just the colors and fonts within UC San Diego brand standards, making it easy to ensure brand consistency and compliance with UC San Diego policy 400-2.
For a peek inside, check out this video from the June 2023 Marketing Council where our Canva rep took UC San Diego marketing and communications staff through the ins and outs of the UC San Diego Canva for Teams platform. Skip ahead 10 minutes to get straight to the key content. To learn more about Canva, visit Canva.com.
How can I get access?
Due to the agreement between UCOP and Canva, operations and management of Canva licenses is in the process of moving to ITS (Information Technology Services). Until the transition is complete, we will not be adding any new users to our Canva account.
We understand that this may cause some inconvenience, but please rest assured that we are working diligently to ensure a quick and efficient transition process. We will provide guidance on how to request a license in early spring 2024.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Administration and Setup
What information do I need to create a Canva for Teams account?
A UC San Diego email address is required, and you must have submitted the Canva for Teams subscription form with your department information and recharge information (COA).
Is there a cost associated with a license?
Yes. Individual seats are $95 per year. If you join mid-year, the cost is $47.50.
Note, this pricing reflects a 25% discount, which is funded by University Communications.
I thought Canva was going to be free. What happened?
When we introduced UC San Diego Canva for Teams, our hope was to offer a free service that was equitably distributed across campus and could help extend access to easy-to-use brand compliant tools and templates. We quickly realized that demand exceeded capacity and varied significantly across the different academic and administrative units. What we hoped would be balanced and fair was not, nor was the structure responsive to campus demand.
Given this and many other considerations, we have implemented a subsidized subscription model. A traditional Canva Pro account costs $119.99 per user — we will be offering individual licenses at a 25% discount of $95 per year. Not only is the license significantly discounted, a license provides access to over 75 UC San Diego templates and other design tools.
While we understand this may be disappointing, a subscription-based model will enable more access across the university and will ensure that individual seats are being utilized by those who truly need them (e.g., at the time of decision, only 94 of our 147 users were active within the last three months). Requiring payment ensures those who have seats actually intend to use them.
Isn’t this a big expense for smaller cash-strapped units?
A Canva subscription remains less expensive than the Adobe Creative Cloud subscription. It also offers greater ease of use, more sharing options and is well suited for relatively simple projects.
Can multiple people use the same “individual seat”?
Generally, no. Seats are for individuals. Students and interns are an exception. They may share a common seat, but they cannot use it at the same time.
How can we transfer a seat when there’s staff turnover or other need?
Please contact brand@ucsd.edu and we’ll take care of it.
Can I merge accounts?
There is no way to merge accounts. The interface does enable users to toggle between accounts. Additionally, you can transfer designs across accounts. Click here for more info on transferring designs.
Can I transfer templates between accounts?
Yes. From one account, you can create a link to a template then go into your other account and paste the link which will create a clone of that template in the destination account.
Can I transfer ownership of files between team members?
Yes. You can refer to this Canva link for instructions on how to transfer ownership and what that does.
Using UC San Diego Canva
Do you offer training?
While we do not offer custom UC San Diego Canva for Teams tutorials, check out this video with our Canva rep who walked through the ins and outs of the UC San Diego Canva for Teams platform. Skip ahead 10 minutes to get straight to the key content.
You can find other helfpul tutorials at Canva.com.
Do files need to be approved before they can be downloaded or shared? What does this process entail?
No. While you are no longer required to recieve approval before downloading or sharing your designs, you are still encouraged to submit your designs to "Marketing Review" so that we can provide guidance as you dip your toes into these new brand tools. Remember, all marketing independently created by campus administrative and academic units for external audiences, as well as banners and major event signage, must be sumitted for Brand Review and Approval.
Will documents created in Canva for Teams be sharable with others in the unit without accounts?
Yes, a template can be shared via a link to anyone with just a free Canva account. Additionally, you can download the design as a PDF or PPT and share it universally.
Is the UC San Diego Canva for Teams environment suitable for creating confidential documents?
Yes, unless the seat holder publishes their work to a shared folder, it will remain visible only to the seat holder.
How should I upload logos (and vector assets) to my Canva account?
Sub-brand logos should be uploaded as vector SVG files. Vector files are scalable without losing resolution and produce better results in print publications.
To use your vector logos (file formats including .ai and .eps) in Canva, they must be converted to SVG files. Note, while PNG, JPEG and other image versions of your logos may be fine for digital files, never use PNG, JPEG or other image versions of logos for print. You can refer to this Canva link for more help.
Where to find/how to use templates?
On the left navigation panel, you will see “Team: UC San Diego.” Once you select “UC San Diego,” you’ll find a subsection for “Templates.” Here you will find a variety of UC San Diego branded templates from social media posts to A-frames and flyers to infographics. If you have recommendations on additional, frequently used templates, please email brand@ucsd.edu for consideration.