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It’s no secret at this point that I’m a huge fan of templates.

They save time, they save money, and they give bloggers with little to no design skill a fighting chance to get noticed in this increasingly visual world of online marketing.

But there comes a point where if everyone is learning the same techniques, and using the same templates, then everyone’s graphics are going to look the same.

Here are a few tips to help you edit templates so your designs are unique.

So you can stand out in the sea of sameness and get those clicks.

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1. Change the colors

It amazes me how many people don’t change the colors of the template to match their brand.

Brand cohesiveness is super important, it’s how people begin to recognize you. Trust me, it matters! If you struggle with choosing colors for your brand and graphics, make sure to check out this article and download the color guide located in our free design library.

2. Change the fonts

The fonts used in most templates, including mine, are really just placeholders to show you where your text goes. I do try to make a point to create my placeholder title with a visually appealing font combination so those that really struggle with choosing fonts have a jumping off point.

But, font is just as important color when it comes to branding. For example, the script font I use and the box text with the outline are very distinctly the Simplifying DIY Design brand. I use both in all my social media graphics, in all my products and designs and printables.

Check out this example: the top logo is a template from my complete blogger template toolkit, the bottom is the exact template but with my brand fonts. See how the top one is very generic but the bottom one screams Simplifying DIY Design?

If you don’t currently have a brand font (or even really know where the heck to start when it comes to designing with fonts) then check out this article!

3. Change the image

You’d think this would be on the more obvious side but just like the colors and fonts, the images used in templates are generally a placeholder to show you where your stock photo goes. Unless you are getting a custom template made just for you and your brand, you need to keep in mind that if everyone downloaded the template as-is, then everyones pins will look the same.

The photos included in most templates are meant to be swapped out. I generally don’t recommend free sites like Pixels and Pexels because of copyright issues a lot of bloggers are having. Depositphotos is where I get my photos and they have the best bang for your buck. You can also check out some styled stock photo sites like Haute Stock and IvoryMix as they usually have a resource library with free images and send out monthly images as well.

4. Add your logo

I think sometimes this gets forgotten because logos aren’t generally included on the template. Take the time to pop in your logo! Your logo is like a signature on a piece of art, it’s important. It helps establish a connection with your branded style and your actual website, it deters copyright infringement and it also helps people get familiar with your blog name.

Here are some tips to help you create a DIY logo.

Another tip to help you with ALL of the above is setting up your Canva for Work account the right way. Just making a few little changes can seriously help increase productivity and save you a ton of time when editing templates.

Ready to try out these templates? We have tons of free templates in our design library including social media templates, worksheet templates, lead magnet templates and more.

Just fill out the form below to get access to the templates!