How to Put a Canva Design on Your Shop or Cafe TV in Malaysia (Step by Step)
Your Canva menu or promo is stuck on your phone. Here are three ways to get it onto your shop TV, the catch with each, and how to update it without a pendrive.
Your Canva promo looks good on your phone. Getting it onto the shop TV, and changing it next week, is the part nobody explains.
Direct answer: there are three ways to show a Canva design on a TV in Malaysia. Play it off a USB pendrive (simple, but you walk to the TV for every change), or cast it from your phone or laptop (fine for a one-off).
Or use signage software on a small player box. You update from your phone and it keeps playing when the WiFi drops, the best fit for changing promos or menus.
First, Export Your Canva Design the Right Way
The wrong size shows black bars or looks stretched. Fix it in Canva first.
- Match the canvas to the TV. Landscape TV: 1920 x 1080 px. Upright (portrait) TV, common for menus and price lists: 1080 x 1920 px.
- Export as PNG for a single still. PNG keeps text sharp. Use PDF for several pages, or MP4 if it animates.
- Make the text bigger than feels right. What reads on your phone is often unreadable from three metres away.
The Three Ways to Get It on the TV
| Method | Best for | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| USB pendrive | One poster that rarely changes | You swap the file at the TV for every change. Pendrives corrupt. |
| Cast or screen mirror | A quick one-off or a single event | Your device is tied up, the screen sleeps, and the connection drops. |
| Signage software + small player | Anything that changes, or must run every day | A small monthly cost plus a player box (RM150 to RM400). |
What Each Method Costs in Malaysia
- USB pendrive: about RM20 to RM40, then RM0. Your TV must loop images from USB, and many do it poorly.
- Casting: RM0 if your TV supports it, but it ties up your phone or laptop.
- Signage software: a small Android box costs RM150 to RM400 once, and the software runs from free for a single screen, to RM19 a month for one screen without the watermark or the Layar slide, to RM29 to RM59 per screen per month for scheduling and multi-screen control. No commercial "signage package" or contract is needed for one cafe screen.
Make It Read on a TV, Not on a Phone
Keep it simple: one clear message or five to six menu items per screen, big prices, one strong photo instead of many small ones, and enough contrast that it holds up under bright shop lighting.
For menus, the digital menu board setup guide covers design rules and daypart scheduling.
The Part People Forget: Keeping It Updated
Prices change and promos end. With a pendrive or casting, each update is a trip to the TV; with signage software, you upload from your phone and it is live in seconds.
You can also schedule ahead: breakfast until 11am, lunch after, a weekend-only bundle.
For hardware, how to turn any TV into a digital signage screen walks you through it. See real setups on the cafe signage page.
Getting It on Screen This Week
Export at the right size, plug in an Android box, install a signage player and upload. It takes an afternoon.
Layar's digital signage software runs one screen free with no credit card required, so you can put your Canva promo on the shop TV and update it from your phone before spending anything.
Made something you are proud of? WhatsApp us and we will help you get it looping on your actual screen.