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How do I recolor an icon in Canva?

By: Author Color With Leo


Changing the color of icons in Canva is a great way to customize your designs and make them match your brand colors or aesthetic. With just a few clicks, you can recolor icons in the Canva editor and give your graphics a whole new look.

Why Would You Want to Recolor Icons?

There are a few key reasons you may want to recolor icons in your Canva designs:

  • Match brand colors – If you have brand guidelines to follow, recoloring icons is an easy way to make them align with your official palette.
  • Coordinate with other design elements – Change icon colors to complement the colors used in other parts of your design, creating a cohesive and polished look.
  • Create visual hierarchies – Use color to make certain icons stand out as more important than others.
  • Convey meaning – Color can be used strategically to reinforce the meaning or associations of particular icons.
  • Make seasonal designs – Recolor icons to fit holidays, events, or themes.
  • Add visual interest – Varying icon colors makes designs more dynamic and engaging.

Whether you’re designing social media posts, presentations, infographics, or other visual content, recoloring icons unlocks tons of creative possibilities.

How to Recolor Icons in the Canva Editor

Recoloring icons is easy to do right within the Canva editor. Follow these simple steps:

  1. Open your Canva design and add the icon you want to recolor from the Elements menu.
  2. Click on the icon to select it.
  3. In the left sidebar, click the Color tab.
  4. Choose one of the default color swatches, or click the color wheel to pick a custom color.
  5. The icon will update to reflect the new color you’ve chosen.
  6. Adjust the shade or opacity using the sliders below the color wheel if desired.
  7. Click off the icon to apply the color change.

And that’s all there is to it! The icon will now appear in the design in your selected color. Feel free to recolor other icons or elements in the same way.

Tips for Recoloring Icons

Here are some handy tips to make working with icon colors even easier:

  • Use brand colors – Upload your brand color palette to Canva and save it to quickly access those exact colors for icons.
  • Color code icons – Use different colors consistently to categorize different types of icons.
  • Try Color Harmony – This Canva feature generates a palette of colors that go well together based on the hue you pick.
  • Watch icon associations – Some iconic colors have ingrained meanings, like red for stop signs. Using colors that align with user expectations can improve comprehension.
  • Readability matters – Make sure icons have enough contrast from backgrounds so they are clearly visible.
  • Use lightly – Go easy on brightly colored icons, which tend to attract the most attention.

Uploading Your Own Colored Icons

While recoloring existing icons is super convenient, you can also upload your own custom icons with color to use in Canva.

To do this:

  1. Create or find icons in the colors you want, and save the PNG files to your computer.
  2. In Canva, click the Uploads tab in the left sidebar and select Upload.
  3. Choose the colored PNG icons from your files to add them to Canva.
  4. The uploaded icons will then be available to use from the Uploads tab.

This allows complete control over icon colors. Just keep file sizes small for smooth performance.

Changing Icon Color Schemes

Some icons like folders or graphs come in Canva as part of a matching set or color scheme. To change the colors:

  1. Select one icon from the set in your design.
  2. Open the Color tab in the left sidebar.
  3. Click the double square icon to update the scheme.
  4. Pick your new colors and they will apply to all related icons.

The whole icon set will now share that color palette for easy coordination.

Resetting Icon Colors

Made some color changes to an icon that you want to undo? Resetting is a cinch:

  1. Select the icon in your design.
  2. Open the Color tab.
  3. Click the revert icon next to the color wheel to reset to the original color.

The icon will go back to its default color from the Canva elements library.

Using Icons as Creative Accents

Icons in Canva aren’t just straightforward design elements. With some color experimentation, they can become creative accents too!

  • Use a pop of contrasting color on one key icon to make it stand out.
  • Try colorful gradients or duotones on large background icons.
  • Outline icons in one color and fill them with a different color.
  • Give icons transparency to layer and blend colors in interesting ways.
  • Overlap similarly colored icons to create new color blend effects.

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box with icon colors. It can really pay off in one-of-a-kind designs.

Conclusion

Recoloring icons using Canva’s built-in features takes just seconds, making it easy to customize these important design elements. Match your brand, coordinate visuals, add emphasis, and unlock creative possibilities with Canva’s color editing tools. Whether you stick to tried and true color combos or push the boundaries, you’ll love having the freedom to change icon colors to suit your needs.

Icon Type Default Color Recommended New Color
Social media icons Blue Your brand colors
Navigation icons Black Coordinating accent color
Status icons Red, Yellow, Green Color meaning is preserved
Folder icons Manila color Bold primary color

Changing the colors of icons allows you to customize the look of your Canva designs and better match visual elements to your brand, theme, or message. With Canva’s user-friendly editor, you have full control over the color palette. Be creative and have fun putting your own spin on icons!