Set up Affinity with your Canva account

Affinity is available with your Canva account, but needs to be installed before use.

Whether you're already using Canva or just getting started with Affinity, this guide walks you through the setup process.

Run the downloaded installation file to set up Affinity on your device.

Follow these installation steps for your device:

• For Mac
  1. Open the downloaded .DMG file and drag the Affinity app into your Applications folder.
  2. Then double-click the app to launch it.
• For Windows
  1. Run the .EXE installer and follow the setup wizard.
  2. Once installed, open the Affinity app from your Start menu or desktop shortcut.

After installation, launch the Affinity app to begin setup.

After launching the Affinity app, you’ll be prompted to connect or create your Canva account.

1. In the Continue to Affinity by Canva screen, select Continue with email.
2. Enter your email address.
3. If you’re new to Canva, you’ll be prompted to enter your name to complete account creation.
4. Check your inbox and enter the 6-digit verification code.
5. Once complete, you’ll be directed to return to the Affinity app.

If you're part of multiple Canva teams, you'll need to select which team to use with Affinity.

1. From the team selection screen, choose your
   preferred team or brand from the dropdown.
2. Select Continue.
3. Note: If you see "You don't have access to Affinity with this account," your administrator may have disabled Affinity for that team. Try selecting a different team or contact your administrator for assistance.

After logging in or creating your Canva account, you’ll see a message that says “Almost in the app…”.

1. Select Continue to return to the Affinity app.
   1. Note: Your browser may display a system prompt asking if you want to open the app.
2. Choose Allow or Open Affinity to continue.

You're almost done! Before jumping into the design tools, you'll complete a short onboarding to help personalize your workspace and feature suggestions.

1. Answer these questions about:
   • Data Sharing
     • Allows Affinity to collect anonymous usage data to improve product performance and identify bugs. This is optional and can be toggled off.
   • Email Preferences
     • Lets you opt in to receive product updates, feature announcements, and tips. You can skip this to proceed without subscribing.
   • Tool Familiarity
     • Helps tailor your onboarding experience by asking which tools you’ve used before (e.g., Adobe, Figma, Procreate). This helps Affinity know your starting point.
   • Design Tasks
     • Lets you choose the kind of design work you plan to do with Affinity (e.g., vector illustration, photo editing, page layout). This informs feature suggestions and learning content.
2. Select Launch to start using Affinity.
3. Complete the onboarding steps in the app:
   1. Explore a test file – Try out the tools in a live project.
   2. Watch a short tutorial – Get an overview of how the interface works.
   3. Tour the three Affinity studios:
      1. Vector – For illustration and scalable design.
      2. Pixel – For photo editing and raster effects.
      3. Layout – For multi-page and print design.

You're now ready to start designing! You can revisit the tutorial, start a new project, or explore more learning resources.