How to Protect Your Designs from Unended Copying in Canva, by Techavro on YouTube. 1 min 42 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 42 s
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Open your finished design in the Canva editor and save a separate editable master copy before you change any sharing settings.
Select one element on the page, then click the padlock icon in the floating toolbar or right-click and choose Lock. Repeat for each element you want to protect.
Check that locked elements cannot be moved or resized by dragging them. To make changes later, right-click the element and choose.
Click Share, open the permission dropdown, and set access to Can view. If the design is public, choose Anyone with the link can view.
To share a reusable design, open Share, select More, then Template link. Send that link so people create their own copy instead of editing yours.
Add a watermark: create a text box with your name or logo, set the text colour transparency to about 30 percent, and place copies across the design.
Download the watermarked design as a PNG or JPG. The export merges the layers into one flat image that is hard to edit.
Send clients the flattened image or the view-only link. Keep the editable Canva file private so you can update it later.
Tips and common mistakes
Locking elements only stops accidental edits inside Canva, not screenshots or downloads.
A view-only link can still be screenshotted, so add a watermark to shared proofs.
Keep one unlocked master file so you can update the design later.
Export a copy as a flattened file rather than deleting your editable version.
Questions
Does locking an element stop people from copying my design?
No. It only prevents accidental moves and edits in the editor. Use view-only links, flattened files and watermarks when sharing.
Can I elements after sharing?
Yes, if you keep an editable copy. Open that copy, right-click the locked element and choose.
Does exporting as PNG flatten the design?
Yes. A PNG or JPG export merges the layers into one image that is hard to edit.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
