Charts in Canva, Really ?

Canva is great for many things, but why use it for creating charts, and is it a real thing?

Can I really create; let's say a bar chart, using only Canva and nothing else? The answer is surprisingly yes

It is a real thing, it is functional, and you can use real data. But it is also simple and easy to use. In fact, when you start creating a chart with Canva, you will find it so intuitive, and straightforward, that you may ask yourself: Why was it so complicated before?

The other good reason to use Canva to create your charts, is that when you are creating a presentation for example (with Canva of course), and you need to backup your facts with data, you don't need to leave Canva, or use an other tool. All you have to do, is select the type of charts you want to use, add your data, and you are set.

In fact, the created graphics are beautiful, presentable, and easily customizable. So, the question will be now, why not use Canva to create Charts?

As I said earlier, first you have to select the type of the chart that you want to use. To do this, just type in the search bar from the side menu, from the Elements tab, the word Chart, and hit Enter. You will have a variety of chart types to choose from. Of course, you can change later the type of your graphic, if you want to.

After that, you will have to enter your data. To do this, you can:

• Either enter your data manually: you select your graphic, then you will have the corresponding Data Table displayed on the Side menu. If the table doesn't appear, just click on the Edit button, available on the top bar of the Canva Design. Then you will be able to:
• From the Data tab, add rows and columns. And of course, enter your numbers in the created cells.
• You have a Clear data button, so you cas erase all the numbers at once.
• In the Settings tab you can select either the columns or the rows as the Series of your data.
• Or Import your data automatically from a CSV file: you click on the Upload CSV button, you select your file, and your Data will be automatically uploaded.

To change the already selected graphic, simply from the top of the side menu, click on the dropdown list, then select the type of the chart you want. Right now, there are eleven charts that you cans select from.

Of course, if you used Canva to only create the chart, and not to use it in particular design in Canva, you can download it as an image, a video, or as pdf file.

• Of course, you can change the colors or your Chart, as you will do it for a regular design in Canva.
• You can animate your graph, if you want to.
• For bar and row charts, you can change the spacing of the bars and their roundness
• For a line chart, you can change the line's weight, the shape and the size of the markers (that correspond to your values), and wether you want to smooth or not your lines.
• For the scatterplot chart, you can change the shape and the size of the marker.
• For the Histogram chart, you can change the roundness value.
• For the Pie chart, the Donut chart, and the Funnel chart, you don't have to select all the necessary colors. All you have to do, is to select one color, and Canva will automatically apply the corresponding shades.
• Corresponding to type of the chart you are working with, you can change certain aspects related to the Data you are using. So, from the Settings tab on the Side menu, you can:
• Decide to show or not the legend, the labels, and the grid lines and ticks of your graphic.
• Format the values of the entered Data as percentages, or as numbers.
• And also, as I said before, define the data or your series as rows or as columns. But you must keep in mind, that if you miss some colors, they will be set by default, and you will not be able to customize them.

• You have the Pictograms: you select the pictogram (the picture), and the two colors. You define the number of the total items, and the fill items. You also can specify the spacing of the pictograms. You can't change the pictogram to an other type of chart.
• You have the remaining Progress charts: you can change the type of the chart after selection, as for the Data Charts. You can define the two colors and the two values. And finally, you can decide to show or not the Percentage label and to have or not a rounded endpoint. You have for now 4 progress charts: a progress bar, a progress ring, a radial progress, and a progress dial.

You have to try it by yourself, to see how amazing it is to work with charts in Canva. It is simple, elegant, and really efficient . Nevertheless, if you have any thoughts or ideas on the subject, please let me know in the comments below. Bye 🙂.