Showing posts with label tech. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tech. Show all posts

Why I Use Canva and You Should Too

One of the things that makes for great blogging content is great images. The bigger, brighter, sharper images are always pleasing to the eye and hopefully that means your readers will stick around a little longer. The same applies to graphics on your blog.
Here are five reasons I use Canva and why you should too.

1.  The basic version is free

I used to pay on another site to create my post graphics. While it worked pretty well for some things, I always felt limited by it. With Canva there is so much to work with on the basic version. I have all the things I had with my paid version - but at no cost - with a lot more options.
There is a wide variety of designs you can choose from. Want to make a long skinny Pinterest graphic? They have you covered. Looking to make a Facebook cover page, you got it! Want to do a custom dimension? Go for it!

2. Saving your work

One of my biggest gripes with the old service I was using was that I could not save my work. One time I made my Media Kit on it and that was a huge mistake. I had to recreate the whole thing anytime I wanted to update it which was a pain in the butt. Especially since they were usually very minor tweaks to show improved numbers.
These are just a few of the graphics I have created which even includes an invoice a photography client had requested. I love that I now have a template that I can adjust as needed for future clients. Also sometimes I waiver between what image to use for a post, it's nice to be able to save and see them side by side. You are also able to delete and dismiss graphics once you no longer need them.

3. Stock Photos

If you haven't read this one bloggers nightmare story you're in for a scare. When using images on your blog it is important to never - and I mean NEVER - use a random image from Google. Photographers are paid money to produce these images and own copyrights to them. If you can't use your own image then you should always pay for a stock image. With Canva they make that super easy. You can literally search thousands of stock images and when you go to save your graphic you pay for those components. Stock images are $1 a piece.
Here I searched dog and once I check out and pay for the images the Canva watermark will disappear. Super easy way to legitimately get the photo you want and not worry about the potential to find yourself in a lawsuit!

4. Photo Sizing

Sometimes you want to create images that have a neat juxtaposition. Two photos side by side or in a collage. Canva is super user friendly and makes editing, sizing and places images a breeze.
5. Options

Sometimes you just don't know where to start with what would make a good graphic. Canva gives a ton of examples on the left (some free, some paid) that you can brainstorm ideas with. This has definitely upped my level of creating graphics people are more likely to click on.
So there you have it why I am now fully a Canva convert. This is not a paid post and zero affiliate links have been used. I just love it and think you will too!

I can only imagine how much more Canva has to offer in it's upgraded version, plus tons of stuff I probably don't even know the basic version can do!

Are you pro Canva? What's your favorite feature?
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How to childproof your iPhone

I remember telling myself when P was little that I was going to hand her the phone as little as humanly possible. For one she is a baby so really she needs face time of the real variety as opposed to the Steve Jobs inspired variety. While I knew that we wouldn't be able to keep her away from all the apple loving items of the world for long I also knew at some point I would be desperate.

Because let's face it, if playing an app of preschool variety on my iPhone saves me from an all out temper tantrum inside of Target. So be it. Mom's happy, baby is happy and so is everyone else in the store.

When a friend told me that I could basically disable my touchscreen so P couldn't leave an app I sat and stared at her bug eyed and tongue out. If your children are anything like my child, well she likes to talk to Siri. A lot. Then when she doesn't want to talk to Siri anymore she gets pissed. A pissed baby with a $700+ iPhone is not a good thing.

Here is how to childproof your phone.

Under settings on your iPhone scroll down to General and then to Accessibility.
Once there scroll down almost all the way to the bottom. You will find a section called learning and underneath it will say Guided Access.
Swipe that bad boy on. From here enable Guided Access and as you can see from the screenshot below it will not let you leave an app without a password. You just triple click the home button three times and it starts Guided Access. I can even choose a part of the screen to disable (which is great when FaceTiming Grandma!) If I put on Bubble Guppies and she wants to talk to Siri. Guess what? Siri doesn't want to talk to you.

If I was a guessing woman I would think a parent is behind this idea! It's brilliant and why didn't' I know about it sooner!?

Want another iPhone tip? Check out Steph's post on how to save precious data.

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