Canva launches Craft model for editable 2K image generation
Canva has released Canva Craft, its first image-generation model developed by the company’s research team. The model is now available to all Canva users through the Dream Lab tab and can create images at up to 2K resolution in 30 aspect ratios. Canva also plans to make Craft available through the Canva API and support image generation in third-party chatbots such as ChatGPT and Gemini through its MCP.
The launch puts Canva’s own model alongside image-generation systems from Google, OpenAI, ByteDance and Meta. Researchers from Leonardo.ai, the media-generation platform Canva acquired in 2024, contributed to the new model, the company said.
A two-stage approach to image creation
Canva says Craft works in two stages. First, it interprets a user prompt and builds a plan that accounts for spatial relationships, the relative scale of elements, visual hierarchy and text-generation information. It then uses that plan to produce the image.
This process is intended to improve the accuracy of object details and the legibility of text in generated visuals. Canva also says it enables precise changes to part of an image without changing other areas, a capability that is particularly relevant to design work where composition and copy must remain stable.
The competitive context includes Meta Muse Image generation model and other image-generation products, while Canva is positioning Craft around design-aware generation rather than only the production of standalone pictures.
Training on designs rather than photographs
Rather than training Craft on photographs, Canva used human-designed material from its own library. The training set includes posters, social posts, presentations, infographics, menus and typography-rich layouts. That choice reflects the model’s focus on producing material that fits structured design workflows.
Images made with Craft can be converted into layered designs through Canva Magic, the company’s image-to-design transformer. Canva released a separate model last year that understands designs and layers, and the Craft workflow extends that approach from generation into subsequent editing.
Cost, speed and deployment options
Canva has used multiple image models on its platform. Introducing an in-house model could reduce API costs, while Canva says Craft also gives it greater control over quality and speed. The company is developing two more cost-efficient versions, Craftfast and Craft-ultrafast, and says they will be released soon.
For businesses using Canva for repeatable visual production, the practical implication is to evaluate Craft where aspect-ratio flexibility, readable text and editable layers are required in the same workflow. API and chatbot integrations may also matter for teams planning to embed design generation in existing tools.