Canva Low Resolution Fixes for DTF Printing

Simple Tips to Get Sharp, Print-Ready Artwork Every Time

If you’ve ever designed a DTF print in Canva’s free version, you might’ve noticed that your final print looks blurrier than expected. That’s because Canva’s free plan has a few limitations that can cause low-resolution exports—particularly for detailed prints like DTF or DTG transfers. In this post, we’ll walk you through the best way to fix low-resolution issues in Canva so your prints come out crisp and professional.

Why Canva Images Look Low Resolution

Canva was built mainly for social media and digital designs, not printing. The free version has two key limitations that can affect DTF printing quality:

No ability to resize documents after creation. Once you start a design, you can’t change its pixel dimensions unless you have Canva Pro.
No transparent background exports. Transparent backgrounds are only available to Pro users, which makes separating artwork for garment printing trickier.

Because of this, many DTF printers wind up with files that look jagged, pixelated, or have unwanted white backgrounds.

The Right Way to Set Up Your Canva Document

To get high-quality DTF prints, the most important step is creating your Canva document at the correct print size from the start. DTF printing requires 300 DPI (dots per inch) resolution. To achieve that in Canva (which measures document size in pixels), you can calculate it like this:

Pixels=Inches×300Pixels=Inches×300

For example, if your print area is 10 inches wide by 12 inches tall, your Canva canvas should be 3000 × 3600 pixels.

If you don’t want to do the math yourself, use this free online tool:
👉 Canva Canvas Size Calculator

Just enter your print size in inches, and it’ll give you the exact pixel dimensions to start your Canva project correctly.

Dealing With Transparent Backgrounds

Since Canva’s free plan doesn’t allow exporting transparent PNGs, here’s how to work around it:

Export as regular PNG or JPEG with a white or contrasting background.
Remove the background in another tool like Photoshop, PhotoPea, or DTPrep. These tools can easily isolate your artwork and create a transparent version ready for DTF or DTG printing.

This step is especially important if you’re placing designs on dark shirts, as DTF printers need a background-free image file to build proper white underbases.

Pro Tips for Professional-Quality DTF Prints

Avoid resizing images inside Canva. Always use high-resolution source artwork.
Knock out the shirt color before sending to print. This helps limit ink buildup and preserve details.
Add halftones or gradients manually in Photoshop or DTPrep to mimic screen print textures or style effects.
Always export as PNG (not JPG) to retain the most color information and edge clarity.

Wrapping Up

Even without Canva Pro, you can still produce vibrant, high-resolution DTF prints—if you plan your canvas size correctly and prepare your files properly. Start with the right dimensions (in pixels at 300 DPI), use a background removal tool after export, and finish your file with pro-level edits before printing.

Want to simplify the process? Visit DTPrep.com to access tools like the Canva Canvas Calculator and other DTF prep utilities that make perfecting your print files easier than ever.