The short answer
Craft is Canva’s own AI image model, and Canva says it is open to every Canva user through Dream Lab, which you reach from the Canva homepage. It plans the layout and the words first, then draws the image, so it is built for graphics where the text matters, such as a job advert or an event poster. Treat what it makes as a strong first draft, not a finished advert: keep the details that must be exact in Canva’s own editable text, proofread every word, and never let an AI-made face stand in for your real team.
Why it is worth fixing
Image tools have long struggled with words, producing misspelt headings and invented letters. Canva says Craft was built to fix that by planning the composition and the text before it draws anything, and TechCrunch reports it was trained on designs from Canva’s own template library rather than photographs.
The catch is that the claims about accuracy are Canva’s own, and the model is new. A job advert with the wrong title or location does more harm than a plain one, so the time it saves only counts if someone checks the result.
Step by step
Open Dream Lab and choose the shape first
From the Canva homepage, open Dream Lab; Canva’s help page says it is reached from the homepage, not from inside the editor. If Dream Lab offers a choice of model, pick Craft. Canva says Craft offers many aspect ratios, so decide the shape before you write the prompt: portrait for an Instagram or Facebook feed post, tall for a story, and wide for a LinkedIn post or a careers-page banner.
Prompt one: a job advert
Try: ‘A clean, modern graphic for a job advert. Headline text: “We’re hiring: Warehouse Team Leader”. Below it, smaller text: “Leeds, full time”. Navy and white with one orange accent, a flat illustration of a warehouse aisle, no people, and empty space at the bottom for a logo.’ Keep the text short: the fewer words you ask for, the fewer there are to go wrong.
Prompt two: a ‘we’re hiring’ story
Try: ‘A tall story graphic with large bold text “We’re hiring” at the top and “Tap the link to see our roles” near the bottom. Bright, upbeat colours, simple geometric shapes, no people, no logos.’ Add your own logo and link sticker afterwards in Canva, rather than asking the model to draw them.
Prompt three: an event poster
Try: ‘A poster for a recruitment open day. Heading: “Open day: meet the team”. Under it: “Drop in, no appointment needed”. Warm, welcoming style, an illustrated office reception, no people, and a clear empty band near the bottom.’ Then type the date and address yourself in a Canva text box, so they are exact and easy to change.
Prompt four: a careers-page header
Try: ‘A wide banner for a careers page. Short heading: “Build your career with us”. A calm, professional illustration of a modern workspace with plants and natural light, no people, in deep green and cream.’ A header like this works best with little or no text, because your page’s own heading carries the message.
Prompt five: a role card
Try: ‘A clean card for a single job, with a large heading “Senior Accounts Assistant” and short lines underneath: “Manchester”, “Hybrid”, “Permanent”. Minimal style, white background, one bold accent colour, and a simple icon beside each line.’ Check that each icon matches the word beside it, and keep the full details in the post’s caption.
Proofread, then finish in the editor
Read every word on the image letter by letter: the job title, the place, the spelling of your company name. Then put the image into a design and add anything that must be exact, such as how to apply, as Canva’s own editable text. Canva’s help page says Dream Lab images carry a visible label showing AI made them, so check yours before you post. Add alt text that repeats the words on the image, as accessibility guidance on images of text advises, and repeat the key details in the caption.
Use real people, or none
Never let an AI-made face stand in for your staff, your office or a real candidate: it misleads the people you want to hire. Use real photos of your team, with their permission, or keep the graphic to illustrations, shapes and text.
Checklist
- The shape matches the platform before you write the prompt
- The prompt asks for as few words as possible
- Every word on the image has been read letter by letter
- Details that must be exact are in Canva’s editable text, not the image
- No AI-made person stands in for a real member of staff
- The post has alt text, and the caption repeats the key details
When it is worth getting help
For a handful of graphics a week, Dream Lab and a careful proofread are all most teams need. It is worth getting help when the same job details are typed by hand into job boards, social posts and graphics, and you want them to come from one place, checked once.
Rec Int. builds automation for UK recruitment agencies, around the systems they already run.
Questions people ask
Is Canva Craft free to use?
Canva says Craft is available to every Canva user through Dream Lab. Generating images draws on a monthly AI allowance: on the free plan it covers only a small number of uses a month, and Canva says higher plans include more.
Can I trust the text Craft puts on an image?
Canva says Craft is designed for accurate, readable text, but that is the company’s own claim and the model is new. Treat every word as a draft and proofread it before you post.
Sources
- Introducing Canva Craft Canva Newsroom
- Canva releases its first image generation model TechCrunch
- Generate images with Dream Lab Canva Help Center
- Understanding your AI usage Canva Help Center
- Images of text Web Accessibility Initiative
If you would like to talk through which parts of your recruitment admin are worth handing to software, book a discovery call.