How to Create Eye-Catching Logos & Covers with Midjourney & Canva

We've all been there – staring at a blank canvas, trying to will a logo into existence while our design skills peak at "I can sort of center text in PowerPoint."

But here's the thing: with AI tools like Midjourney and a bit of Canva magic, you can create professional-looking logos without selling your soul to Adobe Creative Suite. Let me show you how I created the current version of Solo Builder's brand in about an hour.

Step 1: Midjourney Magic - The Base Design

First things first, let's get that base design cooking in Midjourney. Here's what I learned after way too many attempts:

1. Start with Style References: Remember those 'sref' numbers in the images? They're like cheat codes for consistent styles. After falling down a rabbit hole of style catalogs (like this and this) and some trial-and-error, I landed on sref 680572301. It gave that perfect blend of playful and cosmic that I was after.

2. Image Specs Matter: Don't make my rookie mistake of generating random sizes. For logos, I used:

   • ar 1:2 for vertical layouts

   • ar 16:9 for banner versions

   • Always include stylize 1000 for that extra polish

3. Prompt Structure: Here's what worked for me:

💡 Pro Tip: Save your winning parameter combinations somewhere. Trust me, you'll thank yourself later when you need to create matching assets.

Step 2: Canva Cleanup - Making It Perfect

Now, this is where the magic happens. Midjourney gave us the vibe, but Canva helps us make it production-ready:

1. Create a new design with your target platform's dimensions

2. Import your Midjourney creation

3. Use Canva's text tools to ensure your text is crystal clear

4. Add any additional branding elements

💡 Pro Tip: Try different font pairings - but stick to maximum two fonts. We're not making a ransom note here…

Step 3: Size Matters - Platform-Specific Exports

This is the part most people skip, then wonder why their logo looks pixelated on LinkedIn but perfect on Twitter. Here's your cheat sheet:

Social Media Dimensions:

• Twitter header: 1500 x 500px

• LinkedIn banner: 1584 x 396px

• Website favicon: 32 x 32px

• Email header: 600 x 200px

💡Pro Tip: Create a template with all these sizes in Canva. One click, and you've got all your variations ready to go.

Common Gotchas & Solutions

• Blurry Text: If Midjourney's text isn't crisp enough, recreate it in Canva. The background usually looks amazing enough to carry the design.

• Color Consistency: Note down the hex codes of your favorite colors from Midjourney outputs. You can use these in Canva to maintain consistency.

• Export Quality: Always export as PNG for logos. JPGs are great for banners, but logos need that transparency.

💡Pro Tip: Remember: Your logo doesn't need to win design awards. It needs to be memorable and tell your story. Mine says "solo builder who probably drinks too much coffee but gets things done." What's yours going to say?

What's Next?

This is just scratching the surface. Once you've got your logo down, you can use similar prompts to create matching social media assets, email headers, or even merchandise designs. The key is consistency in your style parameters – they're like your brand's DNA now.

Would you like me to expand on any of these steps or share more specific prompt examples? Drop a question in the comments below!

Happy building! 🚀