How to Use Glyphs in Canva (for Non-Adobe Users)

Fonts with glyphs like alternate characters, swashes, or ligatures can add a stylish and artistic touch to your design. But what if you're not using Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop?

Good news: even if you're a Canva user, you can still access and use beautiful glyphs in your designs. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to use glyphs in Canva without any advanced software. Although we've previously covered this topic in our blog post How to Use Fonts from Burntilldead in Canva or Figma, this article will specifically focus on how to use glyphs in Canva.

Glyphs are special character variations found in certain fonts. For example, the letter “a” might come with different decorative styles, like with a swirl, a longer tail, or a different flourish. These features are commonly used in calligraphy fonts, script fonts, or modern display fonts to elevate your typography.

While Canva supports custom fonts, it doesn’t have a built-in glyph panel like Adobe apps. That means you can’t directly access alternate characters from inside Canva. But don’t worry, there’s a simple workaround!

1. Download and Install the Font

First, make sure you’ve installed the font that comes with glyphs on your computer. Glyphs usually work best with .otf (OpenType) fonts.

2. View Glyphs with Font Tools

To see the glyph variations, use:

• Character Map (Windows):
  • Open the “Character Map” app.
  • Select your installed font.
  • Check “Advanced View” to browse all characters.
  • Copy the glyph you want.
• Font Book (Mac):
  • Open the “Font Book” app.
  • Find your installed font.
  • Scroll to view all available glyphs.
  • Copy your desired alternate.
• Online Tools:
  • Try fontcloud.com, glyphsapp.com, or any glyph viewer to easily browse and copy alternates.

3. Paste Glyphs into Canva

Now open Canva and:

• Add a text box
• Paste the glyph you copied
• Make sure the text box uses the same font you got the glyph from — otherwise, it won’t appear correctly

• Use glyphs for selected letters (like first or last letters) to keep your text readable
• Save your favorite glyphs in a note so you don’t have to search every time
• Make sure you’re on Canva Pro, as uploading custom fonts is only available in Pro accounts

Even though Canva doesn’t support OpenType features directly, you can still use glyphs and font alternates in Canva with a few extra steps. With just a bit of copy-paste magic, your designs can look just as polished and creative as those made in Adobe.

Now you know how to use glyphs in Canva like a pro, happy designing!