Essential Setup Tips for a Smoother, Smarter Design Process
Before you dive into designing your school yearbook in Canva, it’s important to do a bit of setup work to avoid layout issues, page confusion, and file headaches later on. Canva is a powerful and easy-to-use design tool, but it’s not built specifically for multi-page print projects like yearbooks – so setting things up right at the start makes a huge difference.
Here’s what to do before you create a single page in Canva:
1. Choose the Right Document Size
Yearbooks are usually printed in A4 portrait format. When you open a new Canva project, make sure to:
Click “Custom Size” on the homepage
Set your size to: 📏 A4 = 21 cm (width) x 29.7 cm (height)
Choose “cm” (not px or in)
💡 Tip: Never start with a social media template – they’re not set up for print and resizing later can cause major layout issues.
2. Set Up Bleed and Margins
Canva doesn’t show trim margins automatically, so you’ll need to fake them:
Turn on “Guides” and “Rulers” under the File menu
Create manual margins:
Add 1.5 cm on the left and right for binding space (especially important for plastic or wire bound books)
Add 0.5 cm margin at the top and bottom
Add 0.5 cm of bleed outside all edges (you’ll set this up again when you download)
💡 Tip: Keep all text and important content inside your margins so nothing gets cut off during trimming. Find more information HERE.
3. Decide How You’ll Manage Pages
Canva doesn’t show left vs. right pages (like a book), so you need to keep track manually.
Start Page 1 as your actual first printed page
From there, even-numbered pages will always be on the left, odd-numbered pages on the right
Use a spreadsheet or simple list to plan page order and what goes where
💡 Tip: If you’re using one of our yearbook templates, your page order is already mapped out for you! Find more information HERE.
4. Break the Yearbook into Sections
If you’re creating a long yearbook, don’t try to do it all in one Canva file. Canva can lag, glitch or even crash on big projects.
Instead:
Create separate Canva files for each section (e.g. Year 6, Sports, Candid Photos)
Keep each file under 20 – 30 pages if possible
Download each section as a print-ready PDF, then combine them later
💡 Tip: Use consistent fonts and colour styles across all files so your final book looks cohesive.
5. Set Up Your Brand Kit (Optional but Recommended)
If you’re using Canva Pro, take advantage of the Brand Kit:
Upload your school logo
Set brand colours (e.g. house colours, uniform colours)
Choose your heading/body fonts
💡 Tip: This makes it easy to apply consistent formatting with one click – especially useful if you’re working with a team.
6. Create a Master Style Guide Page (Optional but Helpful)
Create a hidden page in your Canva file with:
Your theme colours
Font styles
Photo frame shapes
Icons or illustrations
💡 Tip: This keeps everyone on the same page (literally) if you’re working as a team, and helps maintain visual consistency.
Final Thoughts
Canva is a brilliant tool for creating school yearbooks – but only if you start with the right setup. A few minutes of planning and customising your workspace can save you hours of rework later.
If you’re using one of our ready-to-go Canva yearbook templates, a lot of this groundwork is already done for you – so you can focus on content, creativity, and bringing your school’s story to life.
