How to Use Canva Magic Design to Create a Presentation

I used to spend hours creating professional presentations. Back then, Canva was already my go-to graphic design tool. But with the launch of Magic Studio in 2023, what once took hours can now be done in seconds.

Now, I no longer have to brainstorm ideas, design visuals, write content separately, and finally piece it all together in Canva. With just a simple text prompt, Magic Design, Canva’s AI-powered tool, creates a complete, visually appealing deck for you. It handles everything: content generation, layout design, and image selection, all in one go.  New Line

Wondering how it works? In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through the entire process of how to use Canva Magic Design to create a presentation. From signing up to customizing your slides, every detail is covered.

Let’s get started!

How to Use Canva Magic Design to Create a Presentation

Canva Magic Design is available for free. However, if your presentation uses premium images, a watermark will appear. Don’t worry—you can replace them with free stock images. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the entire process using a free Canva account.

Step 1: Sign Up for Canva

Go to Canva.com and create a free account. You can sign up using Gmail, email, or even your mobile number.

Step 2: Create a Blank Presentation

On the homepage, click the “Create” button on the left sidebar. A menu will appear. Now, select “Presentation”, then choose your desired aspect ratio (I’m selecting 16:9).

Step 3: Enter Your Prompt

Under the “Design” tab, click on the search bar and type this prompt:

Create a [enter the number]-slide professional presentation titled [enter your topic]

For example:

“Create an 8-slide professional presentation titled The Power of Networking in the Digital Age.”

Step 4: Choose a Template

Canva “Magic Design” will suggest 4–5 presentation templates with ready-to-use content. Preview each one, and once you find the best fit, click “Apply all pages.”

Step 5: Change Individual Slide Layouts

Next to the “Templates” tab, click on “Layouts.” Select a slide from the slide bar below, and Canva will suggest alternate layouts for that individual slide. Pick the one that suits your content best.

Step 6: Customize Presentation Style

I’m going to personalize the color palette and font theme. Tap on the “Styles” tab next to “Layouts.” Canva offers preset style combinations. I’ve selected “Arsenal” as an example.

Step 7: Add or Edit Slides (Optional)

Now, as you can see, slide 8 is suitable for promotions. If a slide doesn’t fit your topic, you can replace it with a new slide. For example, I replaced it with “Common Mistakes to Avoid While Networking.”

I won’t write content and design visuals manually. We can even automate this process with the help of AI. How? ChatGPT comes to the rescue!

Go to ChatGPT, and enter the following prompt:

I‘ve created a presentation on “The Power of Networking in the Digital Age.” I’d like to add a slide on “Common Mistakes to Avoid.” Please provide a professional slide title and concise content suitable for a presentation.

Just copy the prompt, adjust the topic and slide theme, and ChatGPT will generate your content in seconds.

Step 8: Design the New Slide

Go to the “Text” tab on the left. Click “Add Heading” and “Add Body Text.” Paste in the title and content from ChatGPT. 

Select the slide, click “Design”, and choose a new Layout (as shown in Step 5). Now you’ve got a fully custom slide! 

Step 9: Add Slide Animations

For a polished finish, I would suggest animating the Canva presentations. Click on “Animate” and select a Page Animation—I’ve chosen “Corporate”. Tap “Apply to All Pages” for consistency.

Step 10: Replace Watermarked Images

If Canva includes premium images, you’ll see the above warning when downloading. So, we’ll replace these with free stock images.

Go to the “Elements” tab and use the search bar to look for an image that matches your theme. Make sure to choose an image that doesn’t have the Pro icon. Once you’ve found a suitable image, delete the premium one from your slide and simply drag and drop the new image in its place. Canva will automatically adjust it to fit the layout perfectly.

Step 11: Export Your Presentation

Now that you have replaced all watermarked images, click on “Share”. Select “Download” and choose your preferred file type (e.g., PDF Standard for images, MP4 for video presentations)

And that’s it! Creating a high-quality, professional presentation with Canva Magic Design is quick and easy. You’ll get 50 free AI Credits in total, and 1 presentation will consume 1 AI credit. 

Examples of AI Presentations Generated with Canva AI

Example 1: The Power of Networking in the Digital Age

Prompt:

Create an 8-slide professional presentation titled “The Power of Networking in the Digital Age.

Example 2: Journaling for Growth, Goals, and Gratitude

Prompt: Create a 7-slide professional presentation titled “Journaling for Growth, Goals, and Gratitude”.

Example 3: Remote Work Hacks for Better Productivity

Prompt: Create a 10-slide professional presentation titled “Remote Work Hacks for Better Productivity”.

Example 4: How AI Helps You Work Smarter, Not Harder

Prompt: Create a 7-slide professional presentation titled “How AI Helps You Work Smarter, Not Harder”.

Conclusion

I’ve explained every step of how to use Canva Magic Design to create a presentation from scratch. Not only did we learn how an AI presentation maker can generate an entire presentation deck from a single prompt, but we also explored how to customize slide designs and write content with the help of ChatGPT.

So, what are you waiting for? Try it and start creating pitch decks, sales reports, or educational presentations with ease.

Have any doubts so far? Feel free to ask in the comments section!

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