Can You Use Canva AI / Magic Studio Commercially? License Terms (2023)

I manage social media for 5 small business clients and use Canva Pro heavily. With all the new Magic Studio AI features (text-to-image, Magic Write, background remover, etc.), I need to understand:

• Can I use Canva's AI-generated images in client deliverables?
• Any difference between using Canva templates vs AI-generated content?
• Print-on-demand products using Canva AI — allowed?
• Do clients need their own Canva subscription?

Canva's licensing is actually quite clear but there are some important limits:

Canva Pro commercial rights:

• All content created with Canva Pro can be used commercially — this includes AI-generated content
• You can use it in client work, social media, marketing materials, etc.
• No attribution required

Print-on-demand / resale restrictions:

• This is where it gets tricky. Canva's Content License Agreement restricts using stock elements in "standalone" form for merchandise
• AI-generated images through Magic Studio are treated as Pro content and follow the same rules
• You CAN use them in designs that incorporate significant additional creative elements
• You CANNOT just generate an AI image and slap it on a t-shirt as-is

Free plan:

• More limited commercial rights — AI features are restricted
• Watermarked premium elements

I run a print-on-demand shop and tested this extensively. Canva's policy for merch is: the design must be a "new creation" that includes your own creative input, not just an unmodified AI-generated image or stock element.

In practice: generate an image with Magic Studio, then add text, modify it, combine with other elements, adjust colors — and you're fine for merch. The more you transform it, the safer you are.

@AttorneyMichaelK Does each of my clients need their own Canva Pro subscription, or can I create content for them under my single Pro account?

@social_media_mgr_2025 You can create content for clients under your own Pro account. The license grants you the right to use content you create for "business purposes" which includes work done on behalf of clients. The key is that you are the licensee — your clients don't need separate subscriptions.

However, if you hand over Canva source files (not just exported PNGs/PDFs), the client would need their own subscription to edit them. The license is per-user, not per-design.

One gotcha: Canva Teams (the enterprise plan) has different terms. If your company has a Teams subscription, designs created by team members belong to the organization, not the individual. This matters if employees leave — they can't take their Canva designs with them.

Also worth noting: Magic Write (the AI text generator) uses a third-party model. The commercial terms for AI-generated text follow Canva's overall content license, same as AI images.