How to Export Your Canva Files for Merchandise Production

Canva is a great starting point for your artwork, but getting your file production-ready for enamel pins, patches, motel keychains and other merch takes a few extra steps. Here's exactly how to export and share your Canva design so our team can work with it.

Step 1 — Choose your export format

Two formats work for production. SVG is the gold standard for vector art; PDF Print is the best fallback for complex designs.

Recommended

SVG Export

Canva Pro required

Fully scalable vector format. Best for logos, icons, and linework-heavy designs with clean shapes.

PDF Print

All Canva plans

Preserves vector text and basic shapes. Good option if your design uses Canva effects or photo layers.

Exporting as SVG Pro Only

Available on Canva Pro, Teams, Education, and Nonprofits plans.

Open the design you want to export.
Click the Share button in the top-right corner.
Click Download.
In the "File type" dropdown, select SVG.
Check Transparent background — required for most Alchemy products.
Click Download.

Heads up: Canva isn't a dedicated vector editor. Designs using filters, shadows, or photo layers may be partially flattened on export. If your file loses editability after export, try the PDF Print method instead — or reach out and we'll help.

Exporting as PDF Print

A reliable alternative that preserves vector text and shapes in a print-ready format.

Click Share → Download.
In the "File type" dropdown, select PDF Print.
If available on your plan, select the CMYK color profile for most accurate print color.
Click Download.

Step 2 — Design at the right size and resolution

This is one of the most common issues we see — and the easiest to avoid.

96 DPI vs 300 DPI: Canva defaults to 96 DPI, which is fine for web and social media but not for print production. Physical products like enamel pins, patches, and washi tape require 300 DPI to reproduce cleanly. A design that looks sharp on screen at 96 DPI will often appear soft or pixelated when printed at actual size.

When exporting as PDF Print, Canva gives you a quality option — select 300 DPI to ensure your file is print-ready.
Design your artwork larger than the final product size. For example, if your pin will be 1.5", design your canvas at 3" or larger at 300 DPI.

Why bigger helps: When we convert your file to a production-ready vector, larger artwork gives us more detail to work with — and the result is more faithful to your original design. If the art was created too small, fine details can be lost or approximated during conversion. Bigger is always better here.

Step 3 — Share your design with our team

Need to loop in our design team or share your working file for feedback? Here's how to do it directly in Canva.

Open the design and click Share in the top-right.
Enter our email address, or select Anyone with the link to generate a shareable URL.
Set the appropriate permission level (see below).
Click Copy link or Send.

Permission	What they can do	When to use
Can view	See the design only, no edits	Sharing for final approval
Can comment	View and leave feedback	Design review rounds
Can edit	Full real-time editing access	Collaborating with our team

Quick tip: When sending us your file, export the SVG or PDF and include a Canva share link set to "Can view." That gives our team full context on your design before we start production — no back-and-forth needed.

Ready to get your order started?

Upload your file or request a free quote.