Export PDF from Canva, Figma or Adobe, best quality settings

2 min read·25 July 2026

Finished a design in Canva, Figma or Adobe and need a high-quality PDF? The export settings you choose determine how sharp your PDF looks on screen and in print. Here are the best settings for each tool.

Canva: export to PDF

In Canva, export via "Share" → "Download" → file type "PDF Print" or "PDF Standard". Choose "PDF Print" for professional print work (higher resolution, crop marks included). Choose "PDF Standard" for digital use, smaller file, faster to load. Note: Canva compresses images on export; for maximum quality, upload originals in high resolution.

Figma: export to PDF

Figma supports PDF export via "File" → "Export frames to PDF" or by selecting individual frames. Set the export resolution to 2× for screen use. For print: Figma exports in RGB colour profile, convert to CMYK in a separate application if needed. Make sure your frames have the correct dimensions (A4, Letter, etc.) for proper PDF page sizes.

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Adobe Illustrator / InDesign: export to PDF

Adobe software offers the most control. In InDesign: "File" → "Export" → "Adobe PDF (Print)". Choose the "PDF/X-1a" or "PDF/X-4" preset for professional print. In Illustrator: export via "Save As" → PDF. Ensure fonts are embedded and use CMYK colour profile for print jobs.

Optimise PDF after export

Large PDFs from Canva or Figma can be further optimised in PDFrust: use Compress to reduce file size without visible quality loss. Need to add margins or page numbers? That is also possible directly in PDFrust after export.

Most common mistakes

• Exporting RGB instead of CMYK for print, colours will differ after printing. • Not embedding fonts. PDF looks different on other computers. • Setting compression too high, photos become blurry. • Choosing the wrong PDF version, some print shops require PDF/X.