Creating Accessible PDFs in Canva
UAlbany owns an enterprise account for Canva, a template super-tool, which is preloaded with University branding. Canva Enterprise is currently open to faculty and staff only.
Request Canva access. If you already have an account, log into Canva using your UAlbany NetID and password.
UAlbany’s Canva Enterprise Team account includes accessibility tools that help create more inclusive digital documents. When creating PDFs that will be shared digitally, you should consider accessibility throughout the design process.
Canva's built-in Accessibility Checker is a helpful starting point, but passing the checker does not guarantee that a PDF meets accessibility standards. Additional settings and a final review of the exported PDF are essential.
Review the steps below to ensure the content you’re creating and sharing will be accessible for all users, including those with disabilities.
Questions? Contact [email protected].
Step 1: Run Canva's accessibility checker
File > Accessibility > Check design accessibility
Canva scans your design for common issues in three key areas:
- Typography: Use readable font sizes, ideally at least 12-point for body text. Avoid overly decorative fonts and all-capital text.
- Color Contrast: Maintain a contrast ratio of at least 4.5 to 1 for normal text and 3 to 1 for large text. Do not rely on color alone to communicate information.
- Alternative Text: Provide meaningful descriptions for informational images and graphics. Mark purely decorative elements as decorative.
Select any flagged issue to review Canva's recommended corrections. Rerun the checker after making changes.
Canva reference: Using Design Accessibility
Step 2: Add alternative text to images
Select image > Right-click > Alternative text
Alternative text (alt text) allows screen reader users to understand meaningful visual content.
- Describe the purpose or information conveyed by an image, rather than every visual detail.
- Keep descriptions concise and relevant to the surrounding content.
- Review and edit Canva's AI-generated alt text suggestions for accuracy.
- Mark decorative shapes, background images and ornamental graphics as decorative.
- For charts and infographics, provide the essential information in accompanying text.
For example: For a photograph showing students working together in a laboratory, use "UAlbany students collaborating on a laboratory experiment" rather than "Students in a room."
Canva reference: Create and Edit Alternative Text
Step 3: Establish a logical heading structure
File > Accessibility > Edit text semantics
Canva allows you to assign semantic heading levels to text. These tags help screen reader users navigate the exported PDF.
| Type of text | Recommended tag |
|---|---|
| Document title | Heading 1 (H1) |
| Main section headings | Heading 2 (H2) |
| Subsection headings | Heading 3 (H3) |
| Regular text | Paragraph |
| Quoted material | Quote |
Use one H1 per document, organize headings hierarchically and avoid skipping levels. Learn more about properly structured headings.
Increasing font size or making text bold does not automatically establish a meaningful heading structure. Review the text semantics manually. Canva's semantic tags do not alter the visual appearance of your design.
Keep multi-line headings within a single text box whenever possible.
Canva reference: Edit Text Semantics
Step 4: Set the reading order using layers
Position > Layers
Reading order determines the sequence in which a screen reader announces the content of your PDF. Watch a blind individual use a screen reader.
Canva automatically estimates reading order, but complex layouts, multiple columns and overlapping elements can cause errors.
To control the sequence manually:
- Open the Layers panel.
- Move the first item to be read (typically the document title) to the bottom of the layer list.
- Arrange subsequent text and images directly above it in the desired sequence.
- Continue from bottom to top until all content is in the correct order.
When exporting, enable “Match reading order to layers” in the PDF download settings. Ensure these elements are read in a meaningful sequence, even when they appear in different areas of the design.
Step 5: Review other accessibility considerations
In addition to the Accessibility Checker, Canva provides several features that can improve accessible PDF exports.
| Feature | Recommended practice |
|---|---|
| Screen reader language | Set the document's primary language so assistive technologies pronounce text correctly. |
| Tagged lists and tables | Use simple lists and tables. Canva supports tagging these structures, but complex layouts require additional testing. |
| QR code accessibility | Provide a descriptive text link or short URL alongside every QR code. Review a guide to QR code accessibility. |
| Hyperlinks | Use descriptive link text, such as "View graduate admissions requirements," rather than "Click here." |
| Text effects | Avoid excessive text effects or complex visual arrangements that make content harder to read. |
For QR codes, Canva recommends exporting the code as an image, reimporting it and adding alt text, because its built-in QR generator does not directly support alt text.
Canva reference: PDF Accessibility Features
Step 6: Export your design as an accessible PDF
Share > Download > PDF
Use these recommended export settings when preparing PDFs that will be shared digitally:
- PDF preset: Digital/PDF Standard
- Flatten PDF: Off
- Match reading order to layers: On
Never flatten a PDF intended to be accessible. Flattening removes accessibility tags that screen readers need to identify headings, images, and document structure.
These settings help preserve Canva's accessibility information in the exported PDF.
Step 7: Test your PDF before publishing
After downloading your PDF from Canva, perform a final accessibility review in Adobe Acrobat Pro. Faculty and staff can request a free Acrobat Pro account from ITS.
- Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro and run Adobe’s accessibility checker.
- All Tools > View More > Prepare for Accessibility > Check Accessibility
- Confirm that headings, images, links and document reading order are correctly tagged.
- Check that all important text is selectable and readable.
- Verify the document title, language and descriptive link text.
- For important or complex documents, test navigation with a screen reader.
If a document cannot be made sufficiently accessible in Canva, consider creating or remediating it in another application before publishing or sharing it.