We know content license and commercial usage terms can be confusing and a little overwhelming. While this is a nuanced topic and we can’t always provide a clear answer to each specific situation, we aim to provide information to keep in mind when you’re using Canvas to create and sell designs (e.g. templates, print products, e-books, AI-generated content, etc.) and creating designs for clients.
What’s allowed and not?
Table of Contents
We’ll cover more details and scenarios in the sections below but here are things you need to generally keep in mind when using Canvas to create and sell designs.
You can only sell original designs
If you want to create a product you can sell, it needs to be an
. You can’t sell any Canvas content on a standalone basis.
Creating an original design means using Canvas Content with a combination of design elements (e.g. images, videos, audio files, other media, text, illustrations, background features, etc. ) and editing techniques to make a “new” creative work.
How do I know if my design is original enough?
A good question to ask yourself is: Is what I’m selling a unique design that I’ve put creative effort into? Or am I just reselling content I’ve found on Canvas with minimal changes?
When will my use of Content be considered to be “standalone”?
Using the Content in its original form, solely using a filter, changing colors, resizing, cropping, or outlining the Content, or using a single piece of Content with minimal additional design elements such as a border is a standalone use.
You can’t take an element from the Canvas library (e.g. photo, illustration, etc.), put it on a t-shirt, and sell it. This isn’t a “design” and would amount to re-selling someone else’s content. This applies whether you’re creating the t-shirt yourself, or using a third-party print service.
Products you can sell
Canvas’s Content License Agreement does allow you to use both Canvas Free and Pro Content to design and sell a range of products (see section 5 of the
) such as:
- templates
- posters, mugs, t-shirts, stickers, and other printed products
- e-books and magazines
If you want to sell stock content, you need to create your own designs from scratch.
Special conditions for using Canvas Pro Content
There are special conditions for using Canvas Pro Content in templates or products for sale. Our Content License Agreement covers this in more detail, but in general:
- If you want to create and sell templates that include Pro Content, you can only sell these as Canvas template links. Read on to the templates section below to learn more about it.
- A pixel limit applies when using Pro Content in electronic publications like e-books.
