What You Need to Know About Canva Fonts

Posted on March 8, 2023 | Updated on March 8, 2023

If you do any type of design work, you’ve likely encountered Canva from time to time. Perhaps a client wants you to use a template they’ve created there, or it’s just easier to work within the constraints of the platform for social media or other standard measurements. At some point you’ll work with Canva fonts, so it’s good to know the ins and outs of using them in your designs.

Are All Canva Fonts Free?

Yes, and no. While the basic fonts are free, there are some premade templates you’ll need to upgrade to the pro version to unlock. You can also upload your own fonts, which may be free or cost money for commercial use.

Be sure to always read through licensing details so you know what you can and can’t use a font for. Typically, you can’t resell a font as part of a font package, but it’s fine to use it for a logo or advertising purposes. 

Here are the things you should know about Canva fonts as you work with the platform.

1. Find Free Fonts

Canva comes with built in fonts you can use. They are mostly free for commercial use, but you cannot resell them as part of a package. So, you can use a font to create a header for a business website. You cannot use a Canva font to create a package of free fonts for resell. Make sure you check licensing details on any font you use to be certain you don’t need to pay a fee. 


We looked at top templates and some of the more common fonts on the site and came up with a mix of serif and sans serif options as well as some decorative fonts you can check out for your next project.

  • Eyesome Script
  • Cinzel 
  • Bright Retro 
  • Lancelot 
  • Archivo Black 
  • London *Pro Font
  • Noto Serif

One thing to keep in mind is brand consistency. Will the same or similar font be available on another platform should you tweak the design there or create something different with other software?

2. Go for Brand Consistency

Around 78% of people think logos can be like works of art. Does your logo and subsequent materials reflect your brand’s personality? If you don’t already have a style guide in place, now is the perfect time to create one. 

Either find a font that works across all mediums and list it as your brand font or choose similar fonts based on strokes, ligatures, and other factors so that they look as similar as possible. 

3. Upload Your Own Fonts

You have an unlimited number of fonts you can use on Canva. Upload any font you choose, but keep in mind that some fonts work better than others in design. So, you can certainly change up what you do and stick to a single font for consistency.

For example, if you invite your customers to an event, you might put your brand logo in a specific font you use everywhere else. Then, you’d add in a script font as well to grab attention. You will need a pro membership to upload your own fonts.

canva brand toolkit

The easiest place to upload fonts is via your brand toolkit. 

add a font to your brand toolkit on canva fonts

Under the brand toolkit, scroll down past logos, colors to the fonts sections. You can choose to add new and add as many as you want, giving them specified styles for headings or body text. 

4. Add Special Effects

canva fonts add effects

One of the fun things about Canva fonts is the ability to add special effects with the click of a button. What might take a lot more in Adobe Photoshop or one of the other design software options happens with a click of the mouse in Canva.

For example, use lift to give the text a three-dimensional appearance. You can also curve the text slightly for an artistic effect. 

5. Animate Text

canva fonts animation example

It costs companies 11 times more to attract a new customer than keep a current one. Any small thing you can do to keep your audience engaged benefits your business. Canva fonts let you add in some animation so you can grab user interest and keep people on your site rather than bouncing away. 

canva fonts animated example

Source: Example of simple text with the animation of “Party” added. 

You can then download as a GIF, MP4 Video or several other file types, depending on where you want to utilize the animated graphic. 

6. Choose the Right Font Combinations

Figuring out which combinations of Canva fonts go best together can ramp up your effectiveness with your audience. First, decide on the personality of your brand. Are you a young, fun company or a serious financial institution? 

No business persona is better than another. However, you have to really understand your audience, their pain points and what they want from your brand. For example, if you run a security firm, people want to know you’re taking things seriously. On the other hand, if you sell bath bombs, they expect a bit of lighthearted fun. 

Canva offers some ideas for which of their fonts they think go best together. 

  • Formal: League Spartan (sans serif) and Baskerville (serif)
  • Sporty and Fun: Archivo Black (sans) and Archivo Narrow (sans)
  • Fun or Events: Playfair Display Black and Playfair Display Standard (decorative fonts)

These are just a few of the fonts available. Canva lists a number of pairings, including examples. You’ll find the best ones within their templates.  You can tweak any template to your personal color preferences and needs. 

Experiment and Have Fun with Canva Fonts

Spend a little time playing around in the Canva platform and see which features and font pairings you like best. You can also add some layering, such as white text over black to give your designs a bit more depth and pop. 

Most designers are already highly creative and skilled at making things visually appealing. You’ll be happily surprised with what you can accomplish with one simple, third-party site. Give it a try and see what you think about Canva for typography. 


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