How to Create a Digital Planner Cover Page in Canva

When it comes to creating a digital planner cover page in Canva, the process is simple, and the design possibilities are endless. The cover page is formatted differently than the rest of the planner, consisting of just one page rather than a double-page layout, and should be used to catch your target customer's attention.

I'll break down the process to create a cover page for your digital planner in simple, step-by-step instructions. Please note – these are the basics. Follow these steps, and then use your creativity to make everything pop!

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Creating a Cover Page in Canva: Step-by-Step

Since the cover page is typically formatted at the beginning of the creation process, I'll start our steps by creating the document in Canva first.

Create a New Document in Canva

Open Canva
Select “Create a design,” in the top right-hand corner
Select “Custom Size”
Change the UOM to “in“, if it is not already
Enter your dimensions.
Select “Create new design“

Screenshot demonstrating the creation process of a new design document in Canva, showcasing the 'Create a design' button, custom dimension options, and a variety of document templates such as 'Doc,' 'Resume,' and 'Presentation.' The user interface prompts with 'What will you design today?' and provides quick access to different categories like 'Presentations,' 'Social media,' and 'Videos.

How to Size Your Digital Planner

I recommend making your document .5″ larger than the standard 8.5×11 inch paper size. This allows enough room for both horizontal and vertical tabs.

Horizontal (two-page) Digital Planners: 11.5″x9″
Vertical (one-page) Digital Planners: 9″x11.5″

Add a Background to the Document

Select “Background” in the left-side menu
Use the search bar or the section titles to navigate to a background you would like to use for your planner. Select the background to use it.

Screenshot of the Canva interface illustrating the process of adding a background texture to a document. The left sidebar displays a search bar with 'texture' entered, showing a variety of background options. The main canvas area is highlighted, indicating where a user can apply the selected background to their untitled design, sized 11.5 x 9 inches.

Add the Cover Page Element

Select “Elements” in the left-side menu
Select the “Square” inside of “Shapes“
Adjust the shape to become your cover page. I use 6″x8.8″ dimensions for my horizontal planners and 7″x9.5″ for vertical planners.

Screenshot of Canva's user interface with a focus on designing a digital planner cover page. The central workspace displays a cover page with a white fabric texture background and a selected teal shape overlay. The 'Arrange' panel is visible, showing options to adjust the layering, alignment, and dimensions of elements, with input fields set to a width of 6 inches and height of 8.8 inches.

Customizing Your Cover Page

This element is now your cover page. You can adjust the color, add a background, insert images, and add text. Ensure your cover page shows exactly what the end user can expect when viewing your product.

Using a cover page that is eye-catching yet informative can really help draw shoppers to your items. Whether you go for a modern and clean look, or something with a little color pop, the cover page is setting the tone for your entire planner.

The colors and fonts used on the cover page should be continued throughout the planner. This will give the planner a cohesive look throughout (and no one wants a chaotic planner…). This tone should also apply to the tabs you create and any additional elements or images you add. Here are some tips to get those creative juices flowing:

Adding a Background to the Cover Page Element

Yes, we added a background already. However, you can add another background on the newly created planner cover page. Keep in mind that you want both the document background and the planner background to work together. The document background will be more of a border for the end user on their device.

I navigated to “Elements” and searched for “Texture Background” in this example. Once I found the background I wanted for my digital planner cover, I simply selected it to add to the document. Next, I adjust the element until it fits in the space for my cover page.

Another option would be to use a “Frame” instead of the “Shape” element we added for the cover page. This would enable you to use the drag-and-drop feature to place the chosen background into the frame.

Screenshot of Canva's editing interface, showing the application of a photo filter to a digital planner cover page. The 'Filters' menu is open on the left with options like 'Fresco,' 'Belvedere,' and 'Flint' under the 'Natural' category, with 'Flint' highlighted. The main canvas displays the cover page with a white fabric texture, awaiting filter application.

Adding Coils to the Digital Planner

If you really want to go for that “planner feel” then you'll want to add some coils to your digital planners. You can check out Creative Fabrica to see their coils offerings within their platform. Once you have downloaded some coils to use, you can then upload them to Canva by completing the following steps:

Select “Uploads” in the left-side menu
Select “Upload Files“
Navigate your computer for the files you want to upload and select them
TIP: To select multiple files, simply hold down “CTRL” while you click each file, or select the starting file and hold down “Shift” on your keyboard and select the last file you want to upload.

Canva will display a bowl filling with water (just wait and see how you would describe it… ha!) to show you where your downloads are in the upload process. When that stops, your files are good to go. To add them to your planner, you'll want to:

Select “Uploads” in the left-side menu
Navigate to the uploaded file you want to use and select it
You can now adjust the dimensions of the coils to fit your planner page.

Screenshot of Canva's interface showing the 'Uploads' tab selected with options to upload files or record audio. The workspace displays a digital planner cover page design with a white fabric background and a central black spiral binding illustration, ready for further customization.

Adding Text to the Cover Page

Adding a title or a date to a digital planner is a good way to tell potential buyers what your product is about. You can do this by adding text boxes in Canva:

Select “Text” in the left-side menu
Select “Add a text box“
The menu bar will allow you to change the font style, font size, font color, and font alignment, and it even allows for some advanced options (wanna learn more about Canva? Check out The Canva Clubhouse). Use this menu to adjust the font as you wish.

Screenshot of a digital planner cover being designed in Canva, featuring a white fabric texture background and a black spiral binding. A text box with a custom quote 'I've found I'm lost my tablet. Again.' using a handwritten font style is centrally placed on the cover. The Canva interface shows text editing options and a search bar for fonts in the left sidebar.

What's Next?

Once you have completed the customization of your cover page, you'll be ready to start formatting your landscape digital planner. If you need more help, you can always drop a question in our Facebook group or check out our Creating a 2-Page Digital Planner course.

Lastly, if you need to know where to start when it comes to creating digital planners to sell online, please check out our Beginner's Guide to Digital Planners. This guide is designed to help you get from ideation and creation, all the way to listing and selling your digital planners.

How to Create a Digital Planner Cover Page in Canva