--- title: Export and publish a Canvas description: "Learn how to export an item-specific Canvas as a PDF or publish it as an update with an attached snapshot." url: "https://www.acceptmission.com/knowledge/innovation-canvases/" updated: "2026-09-29" category: Idea Management / Canvases --- # Export and publish a Canvas After completing an item-specific Canvas, you can export it as a PDF or publish it as an update connected to the current idea or project. This guide explains both actions and when to use each one. **Canvas guide series:** Start with the [Canvas functional overview](https://www.acceptmission.com/knowledge/canvases-functional-overview-and-real-life-use-cases/). If a template has not yet been prepared, see [Create and configure a Canvas template](https://www.acceptmission.com/knowledge/create-a-new-canvas-template/) and [manage its availability in a funnel](https://www.acceptmission.com/knowledge/how-to-manage-the-canvases-tab-in-funnel-management/). To complete item-specific information first, see [Use a Canvas in an idea or project](https://www.acceptmission.com/knowledge/introduction-to-canvases/). ## Why this feature is needed A completed Canvas often needs to be shared for review or preserved as a snapshot of the information available at a particular point in the innovation process. Exporting creates a standalone PDF that can be used outside [Accept Mission](https://www.acceptmission.com/encyclopedia/accept-mission/). Publishing creates an update connected to the idea or project and attaches a PDF snapshot of the Canvas, allowing the team to retain the Canvas as part of the item's progress history. ## What this feature is - **Export** creates a PDF file of the current item-specific Canvas. - **Publish** creates a status update connected to the idea or project and attaches a PDF snapshot of the Canvas. These actions apply to the Canvas of a particular idea or project. They are different from publishing a reusable Canvas template. ## Platform area **Innovation Studio** ## Access level Users who can access and work with the relevant idea or project can export or publish its Canvas. [Admin](https://www.acceptmission.com/encyclopedia/admin/) access is required to create, change, or publish the reusable Canvas template itself. ## Navigation path **Idea navigation: Open an idea → Work → Canvases** **Template management: Innovation Studio → Tools → Canvases** For a project, open the relevant project and go to its Canvas working area. ## How to use this feature Before exporting or publishing, complete the item-specific Canvas and confirm that the latest changes have been saved. Then choose the action that matches what you need to do with the completed Canvas. Use **Export** when you need a standalone PDF. Use **Publish** when you want to create an update connected to the idea or project and attach a snapshot of the Canvas. ## Step-by-step instructions ### Prepare the Canvas 1. Open the idea or project. 2. Go to its Canvas area. 3. Select the correct Published template. 4. Review the automatically populated information. 5. Complete all editable and Required fields. 6. Wait for the **Saved** indicator. 7. Review the final layout and confirm that no confidential information is included unintentionally. ### Export a Canvas as a PDF 1. Select **Export** inside the item-specific Canvas. 2. Choose the required PDF mode. 3. Generate the PDF. 4. Open the file. 5. Confirm that all required information is present and readable before sharing it. Do not confuse this with **Export list** on the Canvas management page. Export list relates to the Canvas Library. It does not create a PDF of an individual idea or project Canvas. ![Project canvas screen with Export PDF menu highlighted](https://www.acceptmission.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/screenshot-2026-09-09-at-12.57.55-1024x655.png) ### Choose a PDF mode #### One-page Fits the full Canvas onto a single page. Use it for a compact overview. Longer content may not remain fully readable. #### One-page + overflow details Keeps the designed layout on page one and moves extra content into detail pages. Use it when you want to preserve the main layout while retaining additional information. #### Readable multi-page Spreads content across multiple pages for better readability. Use it when the complete Canvas should remain easier to read. Always review the generated PDF before sharing it. ### Publish a completed Canvas 1. Select **Publish** inside the Canvas. 2. The **Publish canvas update** dialog opens. 3. Review or adjust the suggested filename. 4. Enter a clear status message. 5. Select the appropriate **PDF mode** (the default is **Auto**). 6. Select **Publish**. 7. Review the published update and its attached PDF. The PDF extension is added to the filename automatically. Publishing preserves a snapshot of the Canvas at that moment and connects it to the current item. ![Publish canvas update dialog with filename and status fields](https://www.acceptmission.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/screenshot-2026-09-09-at-11.09.54.png) ## Configuration and adjustments ### Choose between Export and Publish Use **Export** when you only need a standalone PDF. Use **Publish** when you also need to: - Create a status update - Attach the Canvas PDF to the item - Preserve a point-in-time snapshot - Build a visible history of progress The PDF mode can also be adjusted depending on whether you need a compact document or the complete Canvas content. ### Understand template publishing and Canvas publishing Publishing a reusable template and publishing an item-specific Canvas are different actions. **Reusable template:** An [Admin](https://www.acceptmission.com/encyclopedia/admin/) opens the Canvas Template Builder, sets Status to **Published**, and selects **Save template**. This makes the reusable layout available to teams. **Item-specific Canvas:** A user selects **Publish** while working in the Canvas of a specific idea or project. This creates an item update and attaches the current Canvas as a PDF. ## Practical example: Innovationlands Innovationlands is a fictional organization used for support-documentation examples. Its innovation team has developed an idea for an interactive nighttime attraction using the Published **New Attraction Concept Canvas**. Before an internal review, the idea owner checks that the Target visitor, Visitor [Problem](https://www.acceptmission.com/encyclopedia/problem/), Proposed experience, Expected impact, and Key risks fields are complete and waits for the **Saved** indicator. If the team needs a standalone copy for a discussion outside [Accept Mission](https://www.acceptmission.com/encyclopedia/accept-mission/), the owner selects **Export** and chooses the PDF mode that keeps the required information readable. If the team also wants to preserve the Canvas as part of the idea's progress history, the owner selects **Publish**, adds a clear status message, chooses the appropriate PDF mode, and publishes the update. The Canvas snapshot remains connected to the idea so the team can refer back to the information that was shared at that review point. ## Final review checklist Before exporting or publishing, confirm: - The correct idea or project and Canvas template are selected. - Required fields are complete. - The latest changes show as **Saved**. - Long text is readable. - Data tables fit correctly. - Content is not cut off unintentionally. - The appropriate PDF mode is selected. - The filename and status message are clear when publishing. - No sensitive content is included unintentionally. ## Next steps - [Canvases: Functional Overview](https://www.acceptmission.com/knowledge/canvases-functional-overview-and-real-life-use-cases/) - [Create and configure a Canvas template](https://www.acceptmission.com/knowledge/create-a-new-canvas-template/) - [Manage the Canvases tab in funnel management](https://www.acceptmission.com/knowledge/how-to-manage-the-canvases-tab-in-funnel-management/) - [Use a Canvas in an idea or project](https://www.acceptmission.com/knowledge/introduction-to-canvases/) ## Video walkthrough Watch this short walkthrough to see the updated Canvas experience in action: [Watch the Canvas walkthrough](https://vimeo.com/1225207295/49904590f9?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci) ## Static Text in exported and published Canvases A **Static Text** block can provide headings, instructions, definitions, and other fixed guidance in a Canvas. Because it is part of the template layout, it can also appear when the completed Canvas is exported or published, depending on the selected layout and export settings. For example, a heading such as **Validation plan** can remain visible in the exported Canvas while users complete the connected fields below it.