Canva's AI features — collectively called Magic Studio — bring AI generation, editing and design assistance directly into the world's most popular design platform. 170+ million users already use Canva for social media, presentations and marketing. Magic Studio adds: text-to-image, background removal, image expansion, Magic Write, AI video and more — without leaving the design workflow.
Canva is a design platform used by 170 million people worldwide to create social media posts, presentations, documents, marketing materials and more. AI features — grouped under the name Magic Studio — are built directly into Canva's design workflow. You do not need to go to a separate AI tool, generate an image, download it, then import it into Canva. The AI features work inside your design as you build it.
Magic Studio includes: text-to-image generation, background removal, Magic Expand (extend an image beyond its borders), Magic Eraser (remove unwanted objects), Magic Write (AI writing assistant), AI presentation generation, AI video generation and more. These are AI features layered on top of Canva's existing design infrastructure — templates, brand kits, stock library, collaboration tools.
The defining value of Canva AI is integration, not raw generation quality. For a social media manager who spends their day in Canva producing content, having AI generation inside the same tool is more valuable than having higher-quality generation in a separate tool that requires a context switch. Canva AI is for people who primarily need to design efficiently, with AI as one of many tools available.
Text to Image (Magic Media) — Generate images from a text description directly inside any Canva design. Multiple models available including Canva's own model and partner models. Generated images appear as design elements you can immediately resize, layer and position.
Background Remover — One click removes the background from any photo in your design. No masking, no selection — instant clean cutout. Works on people, products and objects. Available on Pro and above.
Magic Expand — Select any image in your design and expand its canvas in any direction. AI fills the expanded area with content matching the original image. Useful when a photo is too tight for the format you need.
Magic Eraser — Paint over any object in a photo to remove it. AI fills the removed area naturally.
Magic Write — AI writing assistant inside Canva documents, presentations and social posts. Generate first drafts, rewrite existing text in different tones, summarise content, translate.
Magic Design — Describe what you want to create and Canva generates a complete design using your brand kit. Select the best and customise it. Useful for rapid prototyping and content variations.
Presentation from prompt — Describe a presentation topic and Canva generates a complete slide deck with content, layout and imagery. Comparable to Gamma's core feature but within Canva's ecosystem.
Canva's AI features are best for people who already use Canva for design work. Social media managers, marketing coordinators, small business owners, teachers, and non-designers who produce regular content. If Canva is already your design tool, Magic Studio adds meaningful capabilities without learning a new interface. If you use Adobe Creative Cloud or a professional design tool, Canva AI is not a replacement — it is a different product for a different user profile.
Canva's free plan includes limited AI credits per month — enough to try the features but not for regular professional use. Canva Pro is $15 per month for individuals and includes 500 AI credits per month, the full template library, brand kit, background remover and all other Pro features. Teams is $10 per user per month with collaboration features. Most serious design users are on Pro — at $15/month it is one of the most complete design-plus-AI packages available.
Go to canva.com and sign in. Open any existing design or create a new one from a template. Canva's AI features are accessible from within any design — you do not need a special mode or separate app.
Click the Apps button in the left sidebar. Search for "Magic Studio" or look for specific features: Magic Media (text-to-image), Magic Eraser, Magic Expand, Background Remover. On Pro plans, these appear directly in the toolbar when you select an image.
Click Magic Media in the sidebar. Describe the image you want. Select the style preset. Click Generate. Four variations appear. Click any to add it to your design as a fully editable element. Resize, position and layer it like any other Canva element.
On Pro: go to Brand Kit in the left sidebar and add your brand colours, fonts and logos. When you use Magic Design or generate presentations, Canva uses these brand assets automatically. This single setup step makes every AI-generated design immediately on-brand.
Set up Brand Kit before using AI. Every AI-generated design in Canva is more useful when Brand Kit is configured. Your logo, brand colours and fonts are applied automatically. This turns generic AI designs into on-brand outputs immediately.
Use Magic Write for copy, then edit. Magic Write first drafts are usually good starting points, not final copy. Use it to break writer's block and get a structure in place, then edit the output to match your specific context, voice and accuracy requirements. Never publish Magic Write output without reviewing it.
Combine features within one workflow. The most powerful Canva AI use is combining multiple features in one design: generate a background with Magic Media, remove the background from a product photo with Background Remover, place the product on the generated background, use Magic Write for the headline, use Magic Expand to adjust the image format. Each step is fast; the combination produces complete, professional marketing assets.
Canva was founded in 2013 and as of 2026 has over 170 million monthly active users. Canva acquired Leonardo AI in July 2024, bringing advanced image generation models into the Canva ecosystem. Canva's AI features use multiple models including its own proprietary models and partner models (Stable Diffusion-based, DALL-E and others).
Canva's AI features consume credits from a monthly allocation that varies by plan. Credit consumption varies by feature — text-to-image, background removal, magic expand and other features consume different amounts. Per Canva's official pricing documentation, Pro subscribers receive 500 AI credits per month. Additional credits can be purchased as add-ons.
Per Canva's official terms of service, Pro subscribers have commercial use rights for designs and AI-generated content created in Canva. Free plan users have more limited commercial use rights — check the current Terms of Use at canva.com for specifics, as these terms are periodically updated.