After spending hours creating the perfect landscape design in Canva, the last thing you want to do is spend just as much time creating a portrait version. In Canva, there’s a much better way than creating two separate designs from scratch.
Before we get started, it’s important to note that in order to change the orientation in Canva quickly, you need to pay for Canva Pro. Most of the tutorials you’ll find in this article use the Resize button, so that is something to consider. However, I do explain a way that you can reorient your design manually, just in case you’re a free user of Canva.
How To Change A Design’s Orientation In Canva
Changing the orientation of your design is almost as easy as pushing a button. Here’s how to do it.
Step 1: Select The Resize Button
Quickly double-check and confirm that all the elements you need in your design are present.
Once you feel confident, click Resize in the top left corner of your screen.
Step 2: Swap The Pixel Dimensions For Width And Height
To change the canvas orientation of your design, all you need to do is switch the pixel dimensions of your Width with the pixel dimensions of your Height.
Now, you could do this just by remembering the two values and swapping them, but there’s an easier trick.
If you highlight one of the dimensions and then cut it by pressing Control + X (Win) or Command + X (Mac), a second Custom Line will appear below the first.
You can paste the Height number you copied into the Width box on the second line by pressing Control + V (Win) or Command + V (Mac).
By swapping your dimensions this way, there’s no need to remember or write down your previous dimensions.
The last thing for you to remember is to check the first custom line off so that only the second line is checked on.
Also, don’t touch either drop-down menu. You want to make sure you keep px selected.
Step 3: Choose “Copy & Resize” Or “Resize”
Now that your Width and Height are swapped, you’re now ready to resize your design. You have two choices:
- Copy & Resize – Clicking this button will resize your design to the dimensions you specified as a copy. The original design remains intact, just in case you want to make any changes to it later.
- Resize – Clicking the Resize button will only resize your design to the specified dimension. Your original design will be destroyed, and you will not be able to make changes to it later.
You should put some thought into your decision. You will not be able to recover your design if you choose Resize. Even if you try Control + Z (Win) or Command + Z (Mac), your old design will not be recovered.
On the other hand, if you choose Copy & Resize, you will have two different projects open. That means more space is taken up out of the cloud of your Canva account. You’ll have to go into your Projects folder and delete the original design later.
I would recommend Copy & Resize. You just never know if you will need to go back to your original design. Ultimately, the choice is up to you and your workflow.
Step 4: Rearrange Your Elements
The first thing you’re going to notice after you resize your design is all of the empty space on your canvas. This is bound to happen, as Canva won’t know exactly where you want to put all of your elements. You will have to move your elements around manually.
To make things easier for you, select your background element, then click on the Lock icon in the top right corner of your screen.
You can now drag your mouse over multiple elements without the fear of grabbing the background as well. This will allow you to rearrange your elements much faster.
Resizing Canva Designs Using Presets
If you’re looking to resize your design to a specific size quickly, you should try resizing your design using a dimension preset.
This process is very similar to the process explained above, but instead of inputting a custom number, you choose from a list of preset sizes.
To do this, click on Resize and then scroll down until you find the list of preset sizes.
So if you know that you need your design to fit a Facebook Cover or Instagram Post, then you can simply check the box next to that format.
The list of premade sizes available is extensive. You can find sizes for basically every big social media site. You will also find preset sizes for print products, such as business cards and resumes.
Once you’ve chosen the size you need, select Copy & Resize or Resize.
Select the background and click on the Lock icon to lock it. You can now select multiple elements at a time and rearrange your elements much faster. You can also add any other elements you need to in order to complete your design.
How To Resize Your Design Without Canva Pro
The Resize button is only available for Canva users who pay for Canva Pro. What if you don’t have Canva Pro?
You can still reorient your design manually, here’s how.
Step 1: Copy The Elements Of Your Original Design
The easiest way to copy all of the elements of your original image is first to select your background and then click the Lock icon to lock it in place.
You can now easily drag your mouse over all the elements of your design. Press Control + C (Win) or Command + C (Mac) to copy all of your elements.
Step 2: Create A New Canvas At The Size You Need
With your elements copied to your clipboard, create a new canvas by clicking the Plus button at the top of the page next to the tab of your project.
You can create your new canvas using one of the many preset sizes in the list or by clicking Custom Size. Click Create New Design when you’re ready.
Step 3: Paste Your Elements On Your New Canvas
You can add your copied elements to your blank canvas by pressing Control + V (Win) or Command + V (Mac). Your elements will be placed in the middle of your canvas and will need to be rearranged.
Step 4: Rearrange Your Elements On Your New Canvas
With your elements now on your Canvas, make it easier for yourself by selecting your background element and clicking on the Lock icon.
From here, you can rearrange your elements to fit your new Canvas.
Can You Resize A Single Page In Canva?
No, you can’t resize an individual page within a project, but you can use a workaround to get a single page resized.
Step 1: Duplicate Your Project
In the left side panel on the homepage, click on Projects. Locate your project and click on the Three Dots in the right corner of the project.
In the options that pop up, click on Make A Copy.
After you make a copy, scroll down the homepage until you find the Designs section. You should now have the original project, as well as a copy of the project, right next to it. The thumbnail for the copy of the project may be missing, but don’t worry.
Step 2: Resize Your Project
With your project duplicated, you can now resize your copied project as you normally would.
Click on Resize, choose Custom Size or a premade template, then click on Copy & Resize or Resize.
Step 3: Rearrange Your Elements
Now that your canvas is the size that you need it to be, you can rearrange your elements on a single page to cover up all of the unwanted blank space. The unwanted designs won’t need to have their elements repositioned.
Don’t forget to select the background and lock it with the Lock icon to make this job easier.
The main thing to remember when resizing a single page is that all of the pages of your project will be resized too.
This is why it’s so important to make sure you duplicate your project first. You will end up with two separate projects, but at least you won’t lose anything important. You can now delete the extra pages that you don’t need from the duplicated project.
Ultimately the process of changing a designs orientation in Canva is much easier with Canva Pro. However, it is still possible with the free version of Canva by simply creating a copy of your original design. To see more differences between Canva Pro and Canva Free, I share an in-depth comparison here.
