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.

Compress PDF

Try for free — no account needed

Try it now →

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.