How I Used Canva To Personalize My Boat Notebook Cover

Have you seen the new printable Boat Notebook covers we're offering on Etsy? Take a look!

They're designed for your Boat Notebook, AND they can be personalized with your boat name.

If you're wondering how to put your boat name on the cover, other than handwriting it or using Illustrator or Photoshop or Publisher, here comes your answer.

Use Canva. It's free! Just go to Canva.com and create an account. Once you do that, keep reading to find out what to do next.

First, here're some font styles I considered.

What a difference, right?

I'd love to know what you choose for your Boat Notebook cover!

So let's get started.

Before you do anything, make sure you've downloaded the Boat Notebook covers (thank you so much!)  and you've created an account with Canva.com. It's free!

The Boat Notebook Covers are interchangeable. Pick what you like. Mix and match!

• Feel safe and organized on your next long cruise.
  
• Use the printable Boat Notebook Pages.
• A5, Half Page, Happy Planner Classic, and Letter

Once in your Canva Account, do this:

1. Click "Templates" on the left menu.

2. Pick any flyer. It doesn't matter which because you're going to erase all its elements. I'm picking the "Annual Open House" one.

3. Once the flyer opens, click one element at a time, or capture the whole batch with your cursor, and then delete them all. You should see an aqua box(es).

4. Now click "Uploads" from the right menu.

• Feel safe and organized on your next long cruise.
  
• Use the printable Boat Notebook Pages.
• A5, Half Page, Happy Planner Classic, and Letter
  

5. Then select "Upload an image or video"

6. Then open a cover you'd like to personalize from the Cover Jpegs in the Boat Notebook Covers file that you unzipped. Note: file names tell you their size (A5, half page, Happy Planner Classic, or letter).
Note: if you're new at this, pick a letter sized front cover.

7. Wait for it to upload and appear in the image area.

8. Drag it to the right to it's on the white page area.

9. Press the SHIFT key while you also move one of the corner bubbles to increase the size of the graphic.

10. Next, click "Text" on the left menu. A bunch of text options will appear to the right.

11. Drag "Add a heading" or "Add a subheading" to the middle of the life preserver. Write your boat's name in the blue "Add a Heading" area.

12. Select a font. Type "calligraphy" or "sans serif" in the search window to help find fonts.

13. Here're some of the calligraphy choices.

• Feel safe and organized on your next long cruise.
• Use the printable Boat Notebook Pages.
• A5, Half Page, Happy Planner Classic, and Letter
  

14. Try out all the formatting options along the top. From left to right, 1) Font, 2) Font Size, 3) Font Color, 4) Bold, Italic, or Underlined, 5) Justification, 6) All Caps or Not, and 7) Line and Text Spacing.

15. When you've got it like you want it, click the download arrow. When  you see "PDF Print", click the arrow on the right. Select PNG at the top of the list. ALSO, only download page 1, or they'll charge you.
Note: You can also choose PDF, but I think Canva will charge you $1. Your choice.

16. Click download and save it where's you'll remember to find it.
Note: Make sure you only download Page 1.

17. Then what?

• Open a Word document and insert the file as a picture.  (Insert > Picture > file you want > Open)
• Change margins to 0 all around. When Word protests, click ignore.
• Size picture to fill page.
• Save as a PDF:Save As > pick file and give name > PDF (instead of Word Document). Note: click "Standard" and not "Minimum."
  

18. Now open your PDF and click Print to print on letter sized paper (8.5 x 11 in. or 215.9 x 279.4 mm).

• Find where it asks you to Custom Scale. Or something like that; printers vary.
• If you want it letter size, say 100%
• If you want A5, say 75%.
• If you want Happy Planner Classic, say 84%
• If you want Half Page, choose 77% (I know it doesn't make sense, but onward)
• For any other size, take the length of your preferred size, and divide by 11 (or 279.4 mm).
• Print.
  

Thank you for reading this post! I hope it helps you, and I hope it gives you ideas for other ways to use Canva and The First Mate's Guide Boat Notebook Pages in your life.

Feel safe and organized on your next long cruise.

Use the printable Boat Notebook Pages.

A5, Half Page, Happy Planner Classic, and Letter

More than 34 unique pages.

$8 on Etsy

"Along the way to Alaska, both Gary and I read through The First Mate's Guide and believe you should add a sub-title: A Guide for All Boaters in the Northwest, British Colombia and Alaska. It is the most complete and comprehensive collection of information of any book on the subject. You covered topics we were sure we knew but didn't. Topics we forgot but we're unaware they had forgotten. And, most importantly, it makes you review all the procedures and plans necessary for a safe and comfortable cruise. It contains a wealth of important information and is a serious work of great breadth. Well done and many thanks, Bill Healy.”

The First Mate's Guide to Cruising the Inside Passage
Buy on Amazon ($11.99)   
Kindle ($2.99)

Get your copy of The First Mate's Guide at Amazon.
$11.99 USD
Paperback or Kindle.