How to create a newspaper with Canva templates: a step-by-step guide

Step 1: Choose your size
Step 2: Choose your Canva template
Step 3: Set up your template
Step 3a: Set up your template (for minis)
Step 4: Design your newspaper
Step 5: Download your design as a PDF
Step 6: Check your PDF
Step 7: Upload your PDF
Step 8: Order your newspaper

Step 1: Choose your newspaper size

First, choose your newspaper size - broadsheet, tabloid (our most popular!) or mini. This will determine which Canva template you should use. All of our sizes are available to print from 1 copy.

Our free sample packs can help you decide which size and paper to go for and they’re packed with tips to get the best results in print. Order yours:

Get a free sample pack

Step 2: Choose your Canva template

We offer both blank or themed (pre-designed) templates for Canva.

Blank templates

You can get started with blank Canva templates for any of our newspaper sizes. See the blank Canva templates available below:

Canva template for all minis
Canva template for all tabloids
Canva template for digital broadsheet

Themed templates

Get a headstart with easy-to-edit layouts that are set up with the correct dimensions - just swap in your own text and images. See what's inside all of our templates.

Click the links below to open the template in Canva:

Tabloid templates:

• Vintage newspaper template
• Wedding newspaper template
• Daily tabloid newspaper template
• Photobook newspaper template
• Business newspaper template
• Celebration newspaper template

Mini templates:

• Mini magazine template

Broadsheet templates:

• Vintage newspaper template (digital broadsheet)

You'll need to sign in to use these templates, so if you don't already have a Canva account then sign up for free.

Step 3: Set up your template for tabloids and broadsheets

To use the templates for our tabloids and broadsheets, delete the elements on the first page and start creating your design. But first, make sure you turn on rules and guides to show our custom margins.

From the File menu, turn off Canva’s default margins (if they’re turned on) and tick Show rulers and Show guides:

Your document should now show purple guide lines — these are the margins we need to print your newspaper. Do not put any artwork, including a background colour, in the area between the purple line and the edge of the page.

Set the background colour to pure white (#FFFFFF).

Select the background, navigate to the colour icon at the top left and choose the pure white (#FFFFFF) Canva Help Centre: Changing element color.

Step 3a: Set up your template for minis

There are a few more guidelines to consider with minis, so we've created a more detailed template for them.

When you open the template, it will look like this:

The guide graphic on the first four pages helps you see where the pages will be trimmed and where the safe area for text and important details is.

You can delete this guide, but we recommend keeping it on while you're designing. You can adjust the transparency to zero so that the guide overlays your design, and then turn it up to check everything is in the right place once you're finished.

The guide is different for odd and even-numbered pages because the pages are only trimmed on the outside edge. If you’re adding the guide to more pages, make sure to check that you’re using the right one (odd or even).

Remember that you need at least 16 pages in a mini newspaper (and no more than 64 pages) and pages must be in multiples of 8.

Remember to set our template graphic to 0% transparency before downloading your PDF, so that it isn't visible in your printed newspaper.

Step 4: Design your newspaper

Now, this is the fun part! This is your chance to unleash your creativity and design the newspaper of your dreams.

Whether you're enlisting the help of a graphic designer or you're creating the newspaper yourself, here are some tips to help you get the most from newspaper printing.

Images including photos, graphics, maps and diagrams

Use the highest quality versions of images that you can, so they don’t look blurry and pixelated in print. For best results, we recommend using high-quality images between 150dpi and 300dpi resolution.

If you’re unsure about the quality of your images, you can check them after downloading a PDF of your newspaper.

Text

To make sure your text is readable, we recommend a minimum size of 10pt, and choose a colour that contrasts well with the background.

Colours

We print in full colour. For a black-and-white newspaper, your design must be black and white. See Canva Help for how to apply filters to your photos in Canva.

Adding pages

Our Canva templates are set up with the minimum number of pages required for the type of newspaper you are printing.

Select "Add page" below the document to add more pages.

Just remember that your pages need to be in multiples of 4 (for tabloids and broadsheets) or 8 (for minis). Make sure to note the maximum number of pages for each size, too – shown on our product pages.

Before you save your design

Check the following:

• Does your newspaper have the right number of pages for the format you’ve chosen?
• Are the pages in reading order?
• If you’re printing a tabloid or broadsheet, are the margins clear and the background set to pure white?

Step 5: Download your design as a PDF

To print with Newspaper Club, you need to download your design as a PDF containing all the pages in reading order.

To download your design from Canva, navigate to Share at the top right corner and then choose Download.

Select ‘PDF Print’ from the drop-down menu and make sure the 3 boxes below that (‘Crop marks and bleed’, ‘Flatten PDF’ and ‘Include notes’) are left unticked.

If you have a Canva Pro account, choose CMYK under Colour profile. If you have a free Canva account leave this as RGB.

Then select ‘Download’ to save your PDF.

Your PDF will be downloaded to your computer, usually into the ‘Downloads’ folder.

Step 6: Check your PDF

Sometimes, the downloaded PDF doesn’t look exactly like the Canva document. We print the PDF that you upload, so it’s important to check it before you order.

• Open your PDF in a PDF viewer (e.g. Microsoft Edge, Apple Preview or Adobe Acrobat)
• Zoom in to 100% size
• Make sure the text and images are clear and not pixelated (See Canva's advice for blurry designs)
• Make sure the layout looks as intended (See Canva's advice to fix layout problems)
• Proofread your newspaper

If everything looks good, then you’re ready for the next step.

Step 7: Upload to our automatic PDF checker

When you upload your PDF to your Newspaper Club account, our system will check that it’s set up correctly and let you know about anything that would stop us from printing. It will also warn you about some things you might want to change, like low-resolution images.

If you have any questions before ordering, our team is happy to help. Just write to us at support@newspaperclub.com.

To upload your PDF to your account:

•  Sign in (or create a new account) and click on the blue ‘upload PDF’ button at the top right of the screen
• Select your newspaper size (ensure it matches the size of your design) and printing type based on the number of copies you need:

• Give your newspaper a title
• Review the upload checklist on the next screen (if you’ve followed this guide you should be all set)
• Choose ‘Upload file’ and navigate to the PDF you want to print (if you’re having trouble locating it, it’s likely to be in your ‘Downloads’ folder)

After uploading, your PDF will be automatically checked. This may take up to 5 minutes, depending on the file size. If your PDF passes all the checks and you don’t see any warnings, skip to Step 8: Order your newspaper.

Help! The checker flagged up warnings about my PDF!

Don’t worry - most errors can be fixed easily.

• Transparencies and RGB colours: It’s safe to ignore these warnings if you are uploading a PDF saved from Canva. If you’re not sure, get in touch with our team.
• Low-resolution images: If you’ve checked your PDF at 100% and everything looks OK, then it’s safe to ignore this warning.

If you’re happy to go ahead, then choose ‘continue upload’ and skip to Step 8: Order your newspaper.

• Page size, artwork in the margins or number of pages: Follow the troubleshooting steps below or get in touch with our support team who will be able to help you.

Troubleshooting

Content in the margins

• Make sure your newspaper has the required clear margins and the background is set to pure white
• Resave your PDF, making sure that ‘flatten PDF’ is not ticked

Wrong page size

• Make sure your newspaper is set up to one of our sizes
• When you save from Canva, make sure that ‘Crop marks and bleed’ is not ticked
• Check that you choose the size that matches the newspaper you have designed when you upload to your Newspaper Club account

Wrong number of pages

• Check the error message for more detail. Each of our newspapers has a required minimum, maximum and multiple number of pages.
• Make sure your design is set up as pages, and not spreads (double pages)

Help! I’ve followed these steps and my newspaper still has errors!

Don’t worry - we can probably still print your newspaper, but one of our team will need to check your PDF first. Please leave your newspaper on your account and get in touch with support@newspaperclub.com who will be able to help.

Step 8: Order your newspaper

When your PDF is ready to print, you will see the ordering screen. Here you can

• See a preview of your newspaper, by selecting the thumbnail of your front cover
• Download another copy of your PDF by selecting the download icon underneath the title
• Edit the title by selecting the edit icon underneath the title.

Remember: The preview might look blurry because it is just a rendering of your newspaper. We print from the PDF you upload, not from the preview.

To order your newspaper, choose the print run:

• Digital printing for 1 to 1000 copies
• Traditional printing for more than 500 copies

Both are real, printed newspapers! ‘Digital’ and ‘Traditional’ refer to the type of printing we use to produce them. (You can read more – and see our presses! – on our website.)

• Choose the paper stock you would like your newspapers printed on (refer to your samples or to our guide to paper types). 

• Select the number of copies and ‘Order Now’

Once you’ve entered your payment and delivery details, you're done! You'll receive an order confirmation email from us and another email with tracking information once your newspapers have been picked up for delivery.  Now all you have to do is wait for your printed newspapers to arrive.

Need help?

If it's a Canva-related question, the Canva Help Centre will probably have the answer. If you have any print-related questions, just write to us at support@newspaperclub.com and we're happy to help.