Canva launches Craft, its first image model, built for text-heavy designs
Canva Craft plans the layout before it draws, and Canva says that makes text in images more reliable. Here is how to test it on your own offers and menus.
By Jason Sibley
What happened
Canva has released Canva Craft, its first image generation model, built by the company's own AI lab, Canva Research. TechCrunch reports that researchers from Leonardo.ai, which Canva bought in 2024, contributed. Canva says Craft is available now to all Canva users globally. You'll find it in Dream Lab, in the bottom-left panel.
Craft makes images at up to 2K resolution in more than 30 aspect ratios (Canva's wording). That means you can generate an image at the size you'll post, rather than cropping it afterwards.
Craft works in two stages. First it writes a composition plan: which elements appear, where they go, how big they are, and what text should show. Then it renders the image from that plan. Canva says this produces more legible text and more precise placement, and lets you change one part of an image without redoing the rest.
Canva also says it trained Craft with an emphasis on human-made Canva templates (posters, social posts, presentations, menus and other typography-heavy layouts) rather than mainly photographs. Magic Layers can turn generated images into editable layered designs, so text can become editable text. Canva says Craft can put text into images in 55 languages.
More is promised. No dates yet.
Canva plans faster, cheaper versions called Craft-fast and Craft-ultrafast. It also says Craft is coming soon to AI assistants such as ChatGPT and Gemini through Canva's MCP connector. Canva says the model sits under "Canva Shield", its AI safety approach, which includes moderation and reporting tools.
There is no separate price for Craft. Canva's AI tools draw on a monthly allowance that depends on your plan, and Canva has not said how much of it one Craft image uses.
Sources: Canva newsroom, "Introducing Canva Craft", TechCrunch, "Canva releases its first image generation model"
What it means for a small business
Plenty of small firms already make their social posts and offer flyers in Canva, so Craft lands in a tool you probably have open. Text is the part I'd watch. AI image tools have had a habit of garbling words, which makes them awkward for anything with a price or a date on it. If Craft handles text better, a café could mock up a specials board, or a trades firm a seasonal offer graphic, without waiting for a designer. And because Magic Layers can convert the result to layers, it stays editable.
That "if" matters. The claims about legible text are Canva's. They aren't yet proven on your work, with your wording and usual layouts. Craft could be good on average and still misspell your business name.
Customer trust matters here too. Don't use a Craft image in a way that could mislead people. A generated "photo" of a dish, a product, your premises or a finished job that doesn't look like the real thing is a bad idea, however good it looks. Keep real photos for those.
Watch the allowance. Canva's free plans have a limited AI allowance. Until Canva says what a Craft image costs, the only way to find out is to use it and see how quickly the allowance drops.
If you want more on using Canva's AI tools for offers and ads, see our guide to Canva Magic Studio.
What you can do this week
- Open Dream Lab and recreate one graphic you made recently, such as an offer or a menu board. Put it next to the original and compare honestly.
- Type the exact words you want into the prompt, and choose the aspect ratio for wherever it will be posted.
- Proofread all the text, including prices and dates, before anything goes out. Ideally, have a second person check it too.
- Convert the result into layers with Magic Layers, then swap in your own brand fonts and colours so it matches the rest of your material.
- After a handful of images, check how much of your plan's AI allowance is left. Keep real photos for anything showing your actual product, food, premises or finished work.
How we can help
If you'd like a second pair of eyes on your website or on how you use AI for sales and marketing, we offer free website help and an AI sales & marketing desk. We also run SMB AI sessions if you'd rather work through tools like this with other owners.