A care PDF should help a customer find the right product, understand the maker-approved directions and reach support. A polished visual card can still be difficult to read with assistive technology when its text is flattened or its reading sequence is confused. Plan the digital document as a useful customer resource rather than treating a print-ready file as automatically accessible.
01
Organize the care information around the customer’s task
Identify the exact product or model at the start, followed by clearly separated instructions, limitations supplied by the maker and a support route. Keep the wording consistent with the product’s verified documentation. This article concerns presenting that information, not inventing directions for a candle, cosmetic formula or other physical product.
For an illustrative diffuser care document, separate product identification, the maker’s setup directions and contact details. Use real text for these sections instead of placing a screenshot of the printed card on a PDF page. A decorative background should not be needed to understand the sequence or distinguish one instruction from another.
02
Set structure and visual readability deliberately
Use a clear main title and subordinate section headings, then inspect Canva’s text-semantics controls where available. A large font can look like a heading without carrying the intended semantic role. Choose the appropriate roles and a logical hierarchy rather than depending entirely on the editor’s automatic interpretation.
Keep body text readable, use sufficient contrast and avoid communicating an important distinction through color alone. Canva’s accessibility checker can help identify common visual issues. Review its findings, but also read the document yourself; a check cannot decide whether a vague instruction or ambiguous product reference is useful.
| Document part | Useful review question |
|---|---|
| Headings | Can the sections be understood without their styling? |
| Images | Is essential meaning described, or decoration appropriately marked? |
| Support link | Does its wording explain the destination? |
03
Review image meaning and the reading sequence
Give informative images a concise description that explains their role in this particular document. Mark purely decorative artwork as decorative when the tool supports it. The same photograph can serve a different purpose in a product preview and a care instruction, so copied alt text may need a different emphasis.
Check the intended reading sequence independently of the visual arrangement. A two-column page can be read in an unexpected order if its elements are not structured appropriately. Canva provides controls for reading order, with relevant export settings needed for a manually arranged layer order to carry into the PDF. Follow the current workflow for the design type you are using.
04
Export and test the actual customer file
Canva’s current PDF guidance describes a digital preset with accessibility tags and explains that flattening removes those tags. Keep the customer document separate from any flattened production file requested by a printer. Name the versions clearly so the wrong export is not attached to an order email or support page.
Open the downloaded file, check the title and headings, follow its links and review the reading sequence with suitable assistive technology where available. Viewer behavior can differ, so record the reader used and unresolved limitations. Keep an accessible web-text alternative when possible, and reassess the PDF whenever the product instructions or support destination changes.
BEFORE YOUR NEXT STEP
Your practical checklist
- Use the exact product’s approved care wording.
- Review headings, contrast and image purpose.
- Check the intended reading order and digital export settings.
- Test the downloaded PDF and keep an alternative text route.
Questions & answers
Does Canva’s accessibility checker certify the PDF?+
No. It can identify common issues, while the wording, structure, reading order and exported document still require review and testing.
Can the same flattened file serve printing and digital accessibility?+
Do not assume so. Canva states that flattening removes PDF accessibility tags. Maintain a suitable tagged digital export alongside any separate production file.
Sources & further reading
Official references for the technical points in this guide. Check current specifications before production.
