How to Customize Size in Canva: A Comprehensive Guide

Customizing the size of a design in Canva is a straightforward process. Whether you are creating a new design or working with an existing one, you can easily adjust the dimensions to fit your specific needs. In this guide, we will provide step-by-step instructions on how to resize your designs in Canva, help you understand the importance of aspect ratio, and suggest best practices for using Canva's built-in templates and preset dimensions.

Creating a New Design

Step 1: Get Started on Canva

To create a new design in Canva, you need to start by going to the Canva homepage. Once you are there, click on the Create button to initiate your design process.

Step 2: Set the Desired Dimensions

Once you start a new design, you will have the option to set the dimensions of your canvas. Here’s how you can do it:

Choose the Dimensions option from the dropdown menu provided. Enter the desired width and height in pixels, inches, or millimeters. Click the Create New Canvas button to open a new canvas with your specified dimensions.

By following these steps, you can create a design with the exact dimensions you need, whether it is for a social media post, a poster, or any other project.

Resizing an Existing Design

Step 1: Open the Design

For existing designs, follow these steps:

Open the design you want to resize.

Step 2: Access the Resize Feature

To resize an existing design:

Click on the Resize button located in the top menu. Note that this feature is available for Canva Pro users only. Enter the new dimensions or select from preset sizes.

If you are using the free version of Canva, you can Copy the design, resize the copy using the custom size method described above, and then Paste the resized design.

Additional Tips and Best Practices

Aspect Ratio

It is important to consider the aspect ratio when resizing your designs. Maintaining the correct aspect ratio ensures that your design does not get distorted during the resizing process. For example, if you are designing a poster, it is crucial to keep the width to height ratio consistent to avoid stretching or squishing the design.

Using Preset Templates and Dimensions

If you do not want to customize the dimensions of your design, you can choose from pre-set templates with specific sizes. Canva offers a variety of templates that are specifically designed for popular social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. For instance, if you are creating a design for Instagram Stories, you can use their preset dimensions of 1081920 pixels.

Here are some common dimensions you might want to consider:

851x315px: Suitable for Facebook ads and headlines. 1024x512px: Perfect for Twitter and other platforms requiring slightly larger images. 1081920px: Ideal for Instagram Stories.

Creating Designs in Canva

I usually create my designs in Canva at 851x315px or 1024x512px. However, if I want to create a design specifically for Instagram Stories, I use their preset dimensions of 1081920px. You can set your home page to Create a Design and then input your desired size directly through the Dimensions option.

Using Canva Pro for Advanced Features

The resize feature in Canva is only available to Canva Pro, Canva for Enterprise, Canva for Education, and Canva for Nonprofits users. To access this feature:

Open the design that you want to resize. Click Resize from the menu bar above the editor. Enter custom dimensions or pick from the template design options.

Conclusion

Customizing size in Canva is a powerful feature that allows you to create visually appealing and tailored designs for your various needs. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily adjust the dimensions of your designs either when creating a new one or working on an existing one. Whether you are designing for social media, print media, or digital projects, Canva’s size customization tools will help you produce the perfect visuals every time.