Affinity by Canva Lacks Accessible Exports

Building the Test Document

The sample document includes several common elements that often cause trouble in accessibility reviews:

• Heading Level 1

• Heading Level 2

• A bulleted list

• A simple table with sample data

• An image

These pieces are essential in any structured document. Headings organize content, lists show relationships, tables arrange data for comparison, and images need descriptions for readers who can’t see them.

Applying Styles and Settings

The heading styles are easy to apply. The paragraph style menu includes Heading 1 and Heading 2, which define structure and hierarchy. That part works smoothly.

The problems start when looking for accessibility-specific options. There’s no field to add alternative text for images, so any visuals remain without descriptions. The table options don’t allow you to set header rows or define how assistive technologies should read the data. Lists look correct visually, but they lack the underlying tags that tell a screen reader, “This is a list.”

These gaps make the design process fast but leave accessibility behind.

Exporting to PDF

After building the document, it’s time to test the export. Select File > Export > PDF, then choose the option labeled Tagged PDF. This option should add accessibility information to the file.

Once the export finishes, open the new PDF in Adobe Acrobat to see what tags made it through.

Checking Tags in Acrobat

In Acrobat’s Tags panel, some elements appear as expected.

• The H1 and H2 tags are correct and show up in the structure tree.

• The bulleted list appears only as plain paragraph tags.

• The table appears as a single row of table data cells, with no headers or logical reading order.

• The image shows up untagged and without alternative text.

These results show that while Affinity tries to include tags, the tagging is incomplete.

Why Tagging Matters

Good tagging is what makes a PDF usable for everyone. Screen readers rely on those tags to navigate and describe content accurately. Without them:

1. Lists and tables become confusing blocks of text.

2. Images vanish completely because they lack alternative text.

3. Users have to spend time fixing the document in Acrobat or another accessibility tool.

Without these features built in, the exported PDF may look fine to sighted users but fail accessibility checks.

Comparing to Other Tools

Other tools handle accessibility more effectively. Programs such as Adobe InDesign, Microsoft Word, and Google Docs already include fields for alternative text, tools for defining table headers, and options to verify accessibility before export. These programs preserve list and table structures, maintain correct reading order, and reduce the need for post-export correction.

While Affinity by Canva performs strongly in layout and design, it still trails behind these established tools when it comes to producing fully accessible PDFs. Users who rely on accessibility compliance will find that they can create, check, and export complete accessible files much faster using those other applications.

Improvements Needed

To make Affinity a stronger choice for accessible publishing, it should:

1. Add an alt text field for all images.

2. Include options to set header rows and define table structures.

3. Ensure lists export with correct list and list-item tags.

4. Provide a built-in accessibility checker.

5. Offer export presets designed to meet PDF/UA compliance.

Adding these features would make the software far more useful for anyone creating inclusive, accessible materials.

Key Takeaway

Affinity by Canva creates beautifully designed PDFs, but accessibility remains its weak spot. The software successfully exports heading tags, yet lists, tables, and images lose their structure in the process. Anyone creating accessible content will need to fix the tags manually in Acrobat or another editor.

Let me be your champion for inclusion. I offer tailored solutions (and self-paced courses!) to ensure your documents meet and exceed compliance expectations. For more detailed insights, tutorials, and in-depth discussions on accessibility and related topics, don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel: The Accessibility Guy on YouTube. Subscribe for regular updates!