Documentation
A comprehensive guide to creating professional social media graphics with Card•1 Pro - the browser-based design tool built for product teams.
Getting Started
Card•1 Pro is a browser-based, secure design tool built specifically for product teams who need professional social media graphics quickly. No design experience required.
Unlike traditional design software, Card•1 Pro streamlines the design process by providing professionally-crafted templates optimized for social media platforms. Simply add your brand elements and content, and you're ready to publish.
We've eliminated design decision fatigue by providing safe, ready-to-use layouts with optimal typography and spacing. Focus on your message, not on design details.
What You'll Need
Before you begin, gather these essential brand assets:
- Logo file: SVG format recommended for best quality, or high-resolution transparent PNG
- Brand colors: Primary, secondary, and background colors in hex format (e.g., #c740ff)
- Font name: Your brand's Google Font name if using custom fonts
- Partner logo: Optional, for co-branded announcements (SVG or PNG)
Quick Setup Modal
When you first open Card•1 Pro, the Quick Setup modal appears to help you configure your brand identity in minutes.
Font Family
System fonts load faster and work offline. Google Fonts offer more variety but require an internet connection. Choose based on your team's needs.
Brand Colors
Enter the hex codes for your brand colors:
- Primary color: Your main brand color, used for key elements and accents
- Secondary color: Complementary color for variety and hierarchy
- Background color: Always use your darkest color for optimal contrast and readability
Using your darkest color as the background ensures text remains readable and your designs maintain professional contrast ratios.
Logos
Write your Content
This window allows you to quickly create a simple post (no carousel).
Keep your messaging short and impactful. Empty fields won't appear in the preview, giving you flexibility in layout. For bullet lists, simply type lines without bullet symbols - they'll be added automatically. Press Enter to create new bullets.
Preview & Test
The Quick Setup includes a preview window where you can test your brand settings.
When satisfied with your setup, choose to export PNG test or continue to the full app. You can skip Quick Setup anytime and return to it later from the main interface.
App Interface
The Card•1 Pro interface is organized into three main areas: the top navigation bar, the left sidebar for settings, and the central canvas for your design preview.
Top Navigation Bar
Access essential tools and options from the top navigation:
Canvas Area
The central canvas shows a live preview of your design. As you make changes in the left sidebar or text editor, the canvas updates in real-time, giving you instant feedback on your design choices.
Brand Settings
The left sidebar contains all your brand customization options. Changes here apply immediately to your canvas preview.
Colors
Update your brand colors anytime by entering new hex codes. The interface will instantly reflect your changes across all design elements.
We intentionally removed color pickers to maintain brand consistency. Manual hex code entry ensures you use your exact brand colors every time, preventing accidental color variations.
Font Settings
Choose between system fonts or search Google Fonts just like in Quick Setup.
Font sizes and styles are not editable by design. Card•1 Pro uses professionally optimized typography to ensure your content always looks polished without requiring design expertise.
Logo Management
Fine-tune how your logos appear in designs with these options:
Canvas & Formats
Card•1 Pro supports multiple social media formats, each optimized for specific platforms and use cases.
Available Formats
Select your desired format from the dropdown menu:
- Square (1200 × 1200): Perfect for Instagram posts, LinkedIn, and general social media
- Story (1080 × 1920): Optimized for Instagram Stories, Facebook Stories, and vertical content
- Article (1200 × 627): Ideal for LinkedIn articles, blog headers, and link previews
- Landscape (1920 × 1080): Great for presentations, YouTube thumbnails, and wide displays
Your content automatically adapts to each format, maintaining proper spacing and visual hierarchy.
Quick Templates
Load pre-configured templates to jumpstart your design:
If you've already entered text content, templates will display your actual content. Otherwise, they'll show placeholder text you can edit by clicking the "T" icon.
Clear All
The "Clear All" button erases all content including your brand settings. To restore factory defaults, refresh the app after clearing.
Zoom Controls
At the bottom of the screen, adjust your canvas view:
- Fit to Window: Default setting that scales your design to fit your screen
- 50% Zoom: Zoomed out view for overall composition
- 100% View: Actual size preview for pixel-perfect detail checking
- Slider: Fine-tune zoom level to your preference
Carousel Creator
Create engaging multi-slide carousels for LinkedIn and Instagram with up to 10 slides. Perfect for tutorials, step-by-step guides, and storytelling.
Enabling Carousel Mode
Check the "Enable Multi-Slide Carousel" option to access carousel features. Your interface will expand to include slide management tools.
Carousel safe areas are different from regular posts to prevent LinkedIn and Instagram overlays from covering your content during navigation.
Slide Management
Control your carousel with these tools:
Per-Slide Logo Control
Each slide offers independent logo visibility:
- Hide Primary Logo: Remove your main logo from specific slides
- Hide Partner Logo: Remove partner logo from specific slides
This flexibility is perfect for co-branded carousels where you want to dedicate certain slides to explaining what each company does, showing only the relevant logo on each slide.
Hero Numbers
Add editorial-style slide numbers for a professional look:
- Size options: Choose between small, medium, or big numbers
- Color: Select primary or secondary brand color
- Opacity: Adjust transparency for subtle or bold presentation
Hero numbers are purely decorative but add a polished, editorial feel to your carousel that increases engagement and professionalism.
Export Carousel
Click "Export as PDF" to compile all slides into a single 1080 × 1080 PDF file, ready to upload to LinkedIn or Instagram.
Text Content Editor
The text content panel is your primary editing interface. It can float over the canvas or dock in the left sidebar for flexible workflow.
Floating Panel Mode
Click the floating icon to detach the text editor from the sidebar. Drag it anywhere on the canvas for convenient access while designing. Close it to return the panel to the sidebar.
Text Input Best Practices
Keep your messaging concise and impactful. Empty fields automatically hide in the preview, so only filled content appears in your design.
For bullet lists, simply write each line without adding bullet symbols - they're generated automatically. Press Enter inside the bullet box to create a new bullet point. Toggle bullets off to use the box as extra text space.
Call to Action (CTA)
Add a visual CTA button to drive engagement and curiosity:
Presenters
Showcase speakers, hosts, or team members with professional presenter profiles. Add one or two presenters with photos and details.
Adding Presenter Profiles
Click on Presenter 1 or Presenter 2 to add their information:
- Profile Picture: Upload a photo. Use the adjustment modal to scale and reposition the image within the frame
- Name: Full name of the presenter
- Job Title: Current role or title
- Company: Organization name
Presenter images don't save between sessions due to browser storage size constraints. You'll need to re-upload photos when you return to the app.
Between Presenters Icon
When using two presenters, add an icon between them to indicate the content type:
- Live Webinar: For live streaming events
- Partnership: For collaborative content
- Podcast: For audio/video interviews
Choose primary or secondary color for the icon and adjust presenter spacing to create the perfect layout.
Presenter Style Options
Ornaments & Frames
Add visual interest and make your posts stand out with decorative elements and custom frames.
Decorative Ornaments
Enhance your designs with subtle decorative elements that use your brand colors with opacity:
- Dots and Rectangles: Clean, structured "data" accents
- Geometric Shapes: Abstract shapes for creative flair
Click the random icon to generate new variations and find the perfect look for your design. Ornaments automatically use your primary and secondary colors.
Ornament settings don't save between sessions.
Frame
Add a frame around your entire design to help it stand out visually in social feeds:
Frames work across all formats and carousel slides. Unlike ornaments, frame settings save between sessions for consistent branding.
Background Images
Add depth and visual interest to your designs with custom background images. Smart fade controls ensure your text remains readable.
Uploading Backgrounds
Upload any image as a background. The app automatically applies optimal opacity and fade direction to maintain content readability.
Background images don't save between sessions due to file size constraints. Browser storage limits are approximately 10MB total, and a single background can use 5MB.
Background Controls
- Fade Left (default)
- Fade Right
- Fade Top
- Fade Bottom
- Fade Center
- Fade Edges
- No Fade
Best Practices
- Choose images that complement rather than compete with your content
- Keep backgrounds subtle - text readability is paramount
- Use fade direction to create space for text placement
- Test your design at 100% zoom to ensure clarity
Export Options
Export high-quality designs optimized for web and social media platforms.
Export Formats
Export Quality
All exports maintain pixel-perfect quality and are optimized for web:
- High-resolution output for crisp, professional results
- Optimized file sizes for fast loading and sharing
- Ready for immediate use across all platforms
- Consistent quality across all format sizes
What you see in the canvas preview is exactly what you get in the export. The safe area guide (if visible) won't appear in your final files.
Technical Requirements
Card•1 Pro is designed to work seamlessly in modern web browsers with minimal system requirements.
Supported Devices
Card•1 Pro is a browser-based application that works on:
- Desktop: Full feature access with optimal screen real estate
- Tablet: Touch-optimized interface for on-the-go design
While Card•1 Pro can be accessed on mobile devices, the interface is optimized for desktop and tablet screens for the best design experience.
Supported Browsers
For the best experience, use the latest version of:
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Safari
- Microsoft Edge
Minimum Requirements
- Internet Connection: Required for app access and Google Fonts (if used)
- Browser Storage: Approximately 10MB for saving settings and preferences
- Screen Resolution: 1280 × 720 or higher recommended
- JavaScript: Must be enabled
Privacy & Security
Card•1 Pro is built with privacy in mind:
- All processing happens in your browser - no cloud uploads
- Your designs and settings stay on your device
- System fonts available for maximum privacy
- Browser-based security ensures your data stays with you
Subscription Management
Card•1 Pro subscriptions are managed by Paddle, which operates as a Merchant of Record. Paddle handles:
- Global payment processing and currency conversion
- Fraud prevention and security
- Customer billing support
- Compliance with local sales tax regulations worldwide
Need More Help?
Our support team is here to assist you with any questions.
support@cardonedesigner.com
We typically respond within 24 hours.