Design app: Leonardo image generator for Canva Visual Suite
Canva, a web app for graphic design, is increasingly relying on generative AI. Canva is now integrating the Leonardo.Ai image generator into its Visual Suite.
The fall update of the Canva design app includes a new AI image generator. The AI from Leonardo-Ai is behind Dream Lab.
(Image: Canva)
Software manufacturer Canva is on a shopping spree to expand its design app of the same name. In the summer, the Australian company took over the AI start-up Leonardo.Ai and is now integrating its image generator into its design app. It should deliver significantly more detail and higher resolution than the previously integrated AI. At the beginning of the year, Canva acquired the British company Serif, the manufacturer of the image editing software Affinity Photo.
The Canva design app makes it easy to create appealing graphic design for print, web and social media. The Visual Suite includes apps for documents, whiteboards, websites, presentations and videos.
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Templates for simple design
Canva provides a wealth of templates and stock material such as photos and videos. This is primarily intended to help graphic designers who do not have a design degree but want and need to communicate graphically in marketing and sales or as all-rounders in small companies.
The templates now also include so-called work kits for small companies, teachers and students, such as the work kit for elementary school teachers.
(Image: Canva)
New image AI for more detail
Various AI functions are gradually being added as part of the "Magic Studio". These include the Magic Write language model, the Magic Design AI layout service, the Magic Eraser image eraser and the Magic Media collection of AI generators that generate images, illustrations and videos. For videos, Canva integrates technology from Runway ML.
Following the acquisition of Leonardo.Ai, Canva is now integrating its offering into its design app Canva Visual Suite. Founded in October 2022, the company initially integrated a stable diffusion model from StabilityAI internally, but now uses the Phoenix model developed in-house.
Canva users can access Leonardo via the "Dream Lab". Dream Lab supports the various aspect ratios in which the service generates almost 1.25 million pixels per image. In a square setting, generated images have an edge length of 1120 pixels. In 16:9 the resolution is 1472 x 832 pixels, in 4:3 it is 1280 x 960 pixels and in the 2:1 ratio 1600 x 800 pixels.
The number of credits available for Dream Lab depends on the subscription model booked. Users of the free version receive 20 credits per month. Paying customers can use 500 credits per month, whereby one credit corresponds to one prompt.
Whiteboard: evaluate and sort
The whiteboard supports team brainstorming. Various participants can leave notes online. Users can now react to these "sticky notes" with various emojis, such as laughter or thumbs up, just like on Facebook.
The notes can be marked and automatically sorted by name, color, topic or reactions. The whiteboard can also generate a summary of the content in bullet points.
(Image: Canva)
Interactive diagrams
Canva visualizes data using various chart types such as bars or lines. There is now also a radar and tree view. According to the manufacturer, the diagrams are interactive. For example, individual data sources can be displayed or hidden using the mouse.
In future, online presentations can be enriched with surveys and quizzes. For example, presenters can query various options or obtain an opinion poll.
(Image: Canva)
Automatic subtitles for videos
The integrated video editing function uses artificial intelligence to generate subtitles in various languages, including German and English. Canva also adds transition effects and animations on request.
Prices and availability
According to Canva, all of the tools presented are available immediately. With Canva Free, new users can get started free of charge, use up to 5 GB of cloud storage and generate texts and designs using artificial intelligence.
For 110 euros per year, Canva Pro users receive one TByte of cloud storage and access to premium templates, 100 million photos, videos, graphics and audio tracks. The offer now also includes content from the providers Artlist and Pocstock. There are also 1000 brand kits for designs in your own visual language. The complete set of AI tools can also be used.
Canva Teams and Canva for Business add additional features such as group sharing of designs, online support, AI administration, legal protection, single sign-on and custom apps. (akr)
