The side panel on Canva is available on the left-hand side of the editor. The side panel consists of various tabs like Templates, Elements, Uploads, Photos, etc.
Let us explore the various tabs in the side panel of Canva.
Tabs in the side panel of Canva
Templates
This tab consists of the pre-built templates that can be used to design a graphic. There are a lot of templates under this tab. All you need to do is click on the template of your choice and it will get loaded in the canvas. Then you can edit the text, colors and other elements of the template as per your preference.
Templates allow you to create a graphic very quickly even if you have no or very little experience of graphic designing. You do not have to create anything from scratch. But, if you wish to create your own design, you can do that too.
Elements
A design is made up of various elements like text, icons, photos, etc. The elements tab in the Canva side panel consists of a lot of elements like shapes, icons, frames, etc that can be used in the design. Also, you can search for an element of your choice.
Suppose you are making design and you need to add a square in it, go to Elements tab in the Side Panel and in the search bar type "Square". You will get various formats of squares over there.
Uploads
The uploads tab in the Canva Side Panel allows you to upload your photos and videos. You can upload your images and use them in your design using this tab. Simply click on upload, select the photo, upload it and then from this tab, click on it to use it in the design.
Photos
The Photos tab allows you to use the existing photos that Canva provides. Not all photos are available for free. But there is a good amount of free photos in this tab that you can use in your design. Alternatively, you can upload your own photo using the Uploads tab.
Text
The text tab gives you access to a lot of text in various styles and colors that you can use in your design. You can either select the simple text and then change its font style using the toolbar or you can use the predefined styles that you get here.
Music
Canva also allows you to edit videos and you can use this music tab to add the music that is available in Canva's repository.
Videos
Just like photos and music, you can get beautiful videos in this tab to create a custom video of your own. Alternatively, you can use the Uploads tab to upload your own video and edit it.
Background
As the name implies, the background tab allows you to select a background for your graphic. The background can be a solid color or graphic that is available in this tab. This tab has a lot of templates that you can use in the background of your graphic. There are a lot of textures and images available. You can also edit the color and give effects to the background texture that you select using the toolbar.
Conclusion
This was an overview of the various tabs in the side panel of Canva. Please go to each of the tabs and explore them more. You can only learn a tool like Canva by practically exploring it. The more you explore and experiment, the more you learn. Also, let me know in the comments section below if you discover something interesting in this graphic designing tool Canva.
Feel free to connect if you require any other assistance in using this tool.
Stay tuned. Happy reading!