Canva Launches Craft, Its Own AI Image Generation Model

Canva has launched its first internally developed AI image generation model, called Canva Craft, in a direct challenge to similar tools from Google, OpenAI, ByteDance and Meta.

The model is now available to all Canva users through the platform’s Dream Lab section. Canva says it is also planning support for external applications through its API, and for third-party AI assistants such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini.

Plans before it generates

Canva Craft works in two stages, which sets it apart from most image generators. First, the model reads the user’s prompt and creates a design plan covering object placement, relative sizes, visual hierarchy and text positioning. Only then does it generate the image itself.

According to Canva, this planning step produces more accurate object details and readable text, and it allows users to edit individual elements without changing the rest of the image. The model supports resolutions up to 2K and 30 different aspect ratios, covering everything from social media posts to print layouts.

Canva says Craft ranked fourth on the DesignArena image-generation leaderboard, an independent crowdsourced ranking.

Trained on designs, not photos

Most image-generation models are trained heavily on photographs. Canva took a different route: Craft was trained on millions of human-designed templates from Canva’s own library, including posters, social media graphics, presentations, infographics, menus and typography-heavy layouts.

The idea is that a model trained on finished designs understands how text, images and other elements should be arranged. Canva says this makes Craft particularly suited to marketing graphics and social posts, where correct words and clean layouts matter as much as the imagery.

Generated images can also be converted into layered, editable designs using Canva Magic, the company’s image-to-design technology. That means an AI-generated poster can be broken into separate layers and adjusted inside Canva, rather than being a single flat picture.

Where it is available

Canva plans to make Craft available through third-party AI assistants, including ChatGPT and Google Gemini, using its Model Context Protocol integration. Users would be able to generate images inside those chatbots while still using Canva’s design tools.

The model is also being offered through the Canva API, so developers can integrate it into their own applications. Two additional versions are in development, called Craftfast and Craft-ultrafast, aimed at lower costs and faster generation. Canva has not announced release dates for either.

Why Canva built its own model

The launch comes as Canva faces rising AI costs. The company previously relied on several external AI image models, and developing its own technology could reduce what it pays to third-party providers while giving it greater control over quality and performance.

Canva was on track to generate about $4 billion in revenue in 2025, but it later reduced its growth forecast for 2026 amid concerns over AI expenses. External analysts reported that its valuation declined from $42 billion to $35 billion after the revised forecast.

Researchers from Leonardo.ai, the AI media-generation platform Canva acquired in 2024, contributed to the development of Craft.

What it means for Pakistani designers

The launch lands in a country where Canva is a daily tool for freelancers, marketing agencies and small businesses. Many Pakistani designers use it to produce client work quickly, and one of the persistent frustrations with AI image tools has been garbled text on posters and thumbnails.

A model trained specifically on design layouts, with reliable text rendering, could make AI-generated marketing material more usable for client work in Pakistan. As always, the real test will be what users produce with it over the coming months.

For more on AI tools and tech launches, read about Instagram’s AI song creator for DMs, the Samsung Galaxy M08 and F08 launch, Apple Music’s launch in Pakistan, and the PTA’s move to scrap the one-year telecom review limit.

Source: TechCrunch

Frequently asked questions

What is Canva Craft?

Canva Craft is Canva’s first in-house AI image generation model. It creates images from text prompts in two stages: planning the design layout first, then generating the image.

Where can users access it?

It is available to all Canva users through the Dream Lab tab, and Canva plans to offer it through its API and inside ChatGPT and Gemini via its Model Context Protocol integration.

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Image note: real photo — Canva press image of the Dream Lab interface or a designer working on a laptop with Canva open (Canva press kit or licensed stock). No AI-generated composites.