Canva, the platform that redefined visual creation for millions, has once again raised the bar with the launch of its Creative Operating System (COS), a powerful, AI-driven ecosystem that merges design, content, collaboration, and marketing into a single, integrated platform. For the global creative community, and especially for the printing and packaging industry where visual consistency and speed of execution are vital, Canva’s new COS marks a bold step toward what the company calls the “Imagination Era.”

From Simple Design Tool to Creative Infrastructure

When Canva was founded in 2013, its goal was simple: to make design accessible to everyone. Over the past decade, that simple idea has evolved into a business phenomenon. Today, Canva serves over 260 million monthly users and boasts an annualised revenue run-rate exceeding US $3.5 billion, making it one of the most widely used design platforms in the world.

Now, with the launch of the Creative Operating System, Canva is transitioning from being a design platform to becoming an end-to-end creative infrastructure for individuals, teams, and enterprises.

“As knowledge becomes more and more accessible, we believe we’re moving from the Information Era to the Imagination Era, a time when creativity has never been more critical,” says Melanie Perkins, CEO and co-founder of Canva. “We’ve been thinking about how we can empower our community to succeed in this era, which is why we’re incredibly excited to unveil our biggest launch yet with the all-in-one Creative Operating System. From major upgrades to our Visual Suite with Video, Email, and Forms, to a powerful new AI layer and tools to grow your brand and business, we can’t wait to see how people use all of these new products to bring their ideas to life.”

Inside the Creative Operating System

The new COS is built around three tightly integrated layers, a redesigned Visual Suite, an intelligent AI layer, and a comprehensive platform that connects creation to distribution and measurement.

The Visual Suite has been re-engineered to support a wider range of creative needs. The new Video 2.0 editor, for instance, adds professional-grade capabilities like multi-layer timelines, sound syncing, and AI-based editing shortcuts. Canva’s new Email Design module allows users to create fully branded campaigns and export them directly as HTML, eliminating the need for external email tools. The addition of Forms and Sheets brings a new interactive dimension users can embed forms within designs and collect responses in real time. And with Code meets Sheets, live data can now power dashboards and visuals, bridging the gap between design and analytics.

The second layer, Design-First AI, represents Canva’s most ambitious technological leap. Central to this is the Canva Design Model, the world’s first AI engine trained specifically to understand design logic, including layout hierarchy, brand rules, and visual balance. Another key feature, Ask @Canva, functions as a built-in design assistant. Users can prompt it to suggest layout options, generate fresh concepts, or automatically optimise designs for different platforms. It’s an approach that places AI not as a replacement for creativity but as an enhancer of it.

Finally, the Platform and Brand Layer ties everything together. Through Canva Grow, brands can now create, publish, monitor, and refine campaigns entirely within Canva. The system effectively closes the loop between content creation and performance measurement, allowing marketing teams to “design once and deploy everywhere.”

implications for Digital Printing and Brand Owners

For the print and packaging industry, particularly in high-growth markets like India, Canva’s Creative Operating System carries significant implications. It introduces a single, reliable source of truth for brand assets. Whether it’s digital ads, video campaigns, or printed materials, all visuals originate from the same creative core. This ensures that colours, logos, and messaging remain consistent across every format and medium.

Speed is another key advantage. AI-assisted workflows mean that assets can be generated, adapted, and approved in record time. For print service providers catering to fast-moving consumer brands, this reduces turnaround times and keeps production aligned with marketing schedules.

Moreover, by linking creation and analytics, Canva allows brand owners to measure the impact of their visuals, something that can help printers position themselves as value-added partners who contribute to the overall performance of campaigns rather than just output providers.

In an era where digital and physical media coexist, Canva’s integrated model could help bridge the gap between screen and substrate. While the COS primarily targets digital channels, its ripple effects will reach into print. Faster design cycles and consistent brand assets will lead to smoother print production and more efficient collaboration between creative teams and printers

Opportunities and Considerations

However, as transformative as the Creative Operating System appears, it also introduces new considerations. Many of Canva’s most advanced features, particularly those driven by AI and enterprise-level brand management, are part of its paid offerings. Independent creators and small businesses may find themselves navigating a tiered environment where some of the most powerful capabilities are behind paywalls.

Another concern lies in the creative process itself. Automation raises questions about the balance between machine-generated suggestions and human artistic control. Professional designers may need to re-define their role, moving from direct creators to curators and supervisors of intelligent workflows.

For print professionals, it’s worth noting that while Canva simplifies visual design, it does not handle the technical complexities of print colour management, substrate compatibility, or finishing techniques. Printers will still need to provide expertise in those areas and ensure that files originating in Canva translate seamlessly into production-ready formats.

Staying Ahead of the Curve

For printers, converters, and creative service providers, the best approach is to view Canva’s COS as a gateway rather than a threat. Exploring its ecosystem can help them understand how brand teams are creating and distributing content. Investing time in mastering AI-augmented workflows will be essential. Those who can align their print services with Canva’s output pipelines, ensuring accurate colour reproduction, consistent finishing, and faster delivery — will stand out as indispensable partners.

The print industry can also use this moment to reposition itself. Instead of being seen purely as producers of physical collateral, printers can evolve into creative fulfillment partners, helping brands extend their Canva-based assets into tangible, high-impact formats.

Canva’s Creative Operating System marks a turning point not just for digital design, but for the broader creative and production ecosystem. By merging design, intelligence, and marketing into a single continuum, it redefines how creativity is organised and executed. For print and packaging professionals, this evolution underscores a simple truth, the future of print lies in its connection to digital workflows.

As the lines between creation, execution, and measurement continue to blur, those who can integrate with systems like Canva’s COS will not only stay relevant but thrive. The Imagination Era, as Canva envisions it, belongs to those who can combine technology and creativity, and for the world of digital print, that imagination is just beginning to take shape.