Canva launches Dream Lab

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In this newsletter, we're excited to announce Canva's launch of Dream Lab, an advanced AI text-to-image generator powered by Leonardo.ai’s Phoenix model. This tool lets users create high-quality images from text prompts in over 15 styles, including 3D renders and photorealistic portraits. Dream Lab also supports reference image uploads, allowing for precise style customization and quick, visually appealing content creation.

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Canva integrates AI image generation following Leonardo.ai acquisition: Introducing Dream Lab and new Visual Suite features

Canva is enhancing its AI innovation by integrating Leonardo.ai’s Phoenix model after acquiring the company, adding generative AI features like Dream Lab to its Visual Suite. This strategic move positions Canva competitively in the crowded AI design market, catering to over 200 million monthly active users and major enterprise clients such as NYSE and DHL Express. As a result, Canva is solidifying its presence in both consumer design and enterprise AI solutions, driving growth and industry influence.

Canva’s strategic move: The acquisition of Leonardo.ai

Canva's acquisition of Leonardo.ai is a significant step in enhancing its platform with advanced AI features. Leonardo.ai, known for its AI image generation technology, powers Canva’s Dream Lab, enabling users to create high-quality visuals from text prompts. This move aligns with Canva’s strategy to expand its design tools, making them more accessible and versatile for various industries.

The Leonardo.ai Phoenix model: A game-changer for Canva

The Phoenix foundational model developed by Leonardo.ai is an advanced machine learning system that has been trained on extensive image data. This model enables Dream Lab to generate multiple variations of images in over 15 different styles, including photorealistic portraits, 3D renders, and illustrations. Users can further refine their outputs by uploading existing images as style references, giving them granular control over the final result. This feature is particularly beneficial for enterprise customers looking to maintain brand consistency while generating custom visuals at scale.

Introducing Dream Lab: Canva’s AI-powered image generator

At the heart of Canva’s AI expansion is Dream Lab, a state-of-the-art AI image generator that empowers users to create stunning visuals from simple text prompts. Leveraging the Phoenix foundational model, Dream Lab is capable of producing high-quality images across various styles, making it a versatile tool for creative professionals, educators, marketers, and small business owners alike.

Key features of Dream Lab:

1. Text-to-Image Generation: Dream Lab allows users to generate images by inputting text descriptions. This feature supports a wide range of styles, including 3D renders, illustrations, and photorealistic portraits, making it easy for users to bring their ideas to life.

2. Style Reference Uploads: Users can upload existing images to influence the style of their generated visuals, ensuring that the AI-generated content aligns with their brand or creative vision.

3. Multi-Subject Image Generation: Dream Lab’s AI is context-aware, allowing it to generate complex images with multiple subjects. This feature is ideal for creating dynamic, multi-layered visuals.

4. Granular Control: By offering users the ability to tweak various elements of the generated images, Dream Lab provides a high degree of creative control, making it a powerful tool for professionals looking to produce custom visuals quickly and efficiently.

5. Seamless Integration: Dream Lab works seamlessly within Canva’s Visual Suite, allowing users to easily incorporate their AI-generated images into presentations, social media posts, marketing materials, and more.

Canva’s expanding Visual Suite: Enhancements and new tools

In addition to launching Dream Lab, Canva has rolled out several new features across its Visual Suite, designed to streamline the creative process for users and enhance productivity in professional and educational settings. These updates are aimed at addressing the needs of enterprise customers, as well as small business owners, educators, and students.

1. Magic Write: Contextual AI text generation

Canva’s Magic Write tool, an AI-powered text generator, has been upgraded with contextual capabilities, allowing it to produce more accurate and relevant text outputs. This feature is particularly useful for creating marketing copy, blog posts, and other written content. With a single click, users can refine the generated text to better suit their needs, making the writing process faster and more efficient.

2. AI-powered whiteboards

The AI-powered whiteboard feature has also received significant updates, including the ability to sort and summarize text. This makes it easier for teams to collaborate in real-time, especially in brainstorming sessions or planning meetings. Additionally, Canva has introduced Reaction Stickies, which allow team members to vote on ideas and provide feedback during brainstorming sessions.

3. Custom mockups

The new Custom Mockups feature allows users to turn photos into branded mockup templates with just one click. This tool is particularly useful for businesses looking to create on-brand marketing materials, product mockups, or presentations quickly and efficiently.

4. Interactive charts and advanced animations

Canva has added several new interactive chart types, including area charts, radar charts, hierarchy charts, and statistical charts. These charts make it easier for users to present complex data in visually engaging ways. Additionally, Canva has introduced advanced animation effects for presentations, giving users more control over the movement and flow of their designs.

5. Auto-generated captions for videos

To further enhance its video editing capabilities, Canva has introduced auto-generated captions, which can be matched to a brand’s style with a few clicks. This feature is particularly useful for businesses creating social media videos, presentations, or training materials that require captions for accessibility or audience engagement.

Work kits: Empowering small businesses, teachers, and students

Canva is expanding its Work Kits, previously focused on business teams, to include tailored tools for small business owners, teachers, and students. These Work Kits provide access to resources, templates, and tools designed to help users in their specific fields create impactful visual content.

Work Kits for Small Business Owners

The new Work Kits for small business owners include tools to help streamline marketing campaigns, improve brand consistency, and create professional-grade visuals for social media, websites, and print materials. These resources are designed to help entrepreneurs create content that resonates with their target audience while saving time and effort.

Work Kits for Teachers

Teachers can use Canva’s Work Kits to create engaging lesson plans, manage classroom activities, and design visually appealing educational materials. The kits include templates for everything from presentations and worksheets to classroom decor, helping educators save time while enhancing student engagement.

Work Kits for Students

Students can also benefit from Canva’s Work Kits, which provide tools to help them organize study plans, create impressive presentations, and manage group projects. These kits are designed to support creativity and productivity, making it easier for students to excel in both academic and extracurricular activities.

Canva’s growth and vision: Competing in a crowded market

Canva is boosting its AI capabilities to compete with Adobe Firefly and OpenAI's DALL-E by integrating Leonardo.ai’s Phoenix model, targeting enterprises like NYSE and Atlassian with solutions like Canva Enterprise. From its start as a small Australian startup, Canva has grown to over 200 million monthly users and £2.5 billion in annual revenue, offering innovative tools like Dream Lab for individuals and businesses. With a focus on AI-driven design and global expansion, Canva is poised to lead the design industry.

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Flipped.ai Editorial Team