How to Change Design Orientation in Canva (Portrait & Landscape Guide)

Canva has quickly become one of the most popular graphic design tools worldwide, helping millions of creators, businesses, and students design everything from social media graphics to business cards. One of the most overlooked yet crucial aspects of design is orientation—the way your canvas is positioned. Choosing between portrait or landscape orientation can completely transform the look, feel, and effectiveness of your design.

Thankfully, Canva makes it super easy to adjust your design orientation in just a few clicks. Whether you’re creating a poster, presentation slide, flyer, Instagram post, or business card, knowing how to switch between portrait and landscape modes will give your projects a professional touch.

In this complete guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about changing design orientation in Canva, from understanding the difference between portrait and landscape to step-by-step instructions, practical tips, and FAQs. By the end, you’ll be able to confidently create designs in the perfect orientation for any purpose.

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What Is Design Orientation in Canva?

Design orientation simply refers to the direction of your canvas—either portrait or landscape. The orientation determines how your visuals are displayed and how your audience will engage with them.

• Portrait Orientation: The height is greater than the width. This is best for designs that are meant to be viewed vertically, such as business cards, infographics, phone wallpapers, flyers, or book covers.
• Landscape Orientation: The width is greater than the height. This works well for horizontal designs like YouTube thumbnails, banners, presentations, and website headers.

📌 Pro Tip: Before starting a project, always consider where your design will be used. A social media story will naturally look better in portrait mode, while a Facebook cover photo is perfect in landscape.

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Why Orientation Matters in Design

Many beginners underestimate the importance of orientation. But in reality, the wrong choice can make your content look unprofessional or even ineffective. Here’s why orientation is important:

1. Readability – Text alignment and font sizing depend heavily on canvas direction.
2. Visual Appeal – Orientation impacts how images and design elements fit on the canvas.
3. User Experience – For social media, ads, or print, choosing the wrong orientation may cause cropping issues or awkward layouts.
4. Professionalism – Proper orientation ensures your design looks polished and suitable for its platform.

For example, imagine trying to design a business card in landscape. It might look modern, but if your industry typically uses portrait, your card could feel out of place. Similarly, a YouTube channel banner in portrait mode wouldn’t fit the platform’s required dimensions.

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How to Change Design Orientation in Canva (Step-by-Step)

Canva’s intuitive editor makes switching between orientations quick and easy. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Open or Create a Design

Log into your Canva account and open the project you want to edit. You can either pick an existing design or start a new project by choosing a template.

Step 2: Go to the Resize Option

At the top of the Canva editor, you’ll find the “Resize” button. Click it, and you’ll see your current dimensions along with options to customize them.

(Note: The Resize feature is available for Canva Pro users. Free users can still manually create a new design with custom dimensions and copy-paste elements.)

Step 3: Switch Dimensions (Height vs. Width)

To change from landscape to portrait, swap the width and height values in the custom size section.

• Example: 1920 × 1080 (landscape) → 1080 × 1920 (portrait).

To change from portrait to landscape, simply do the reverse.

Step 4: Apply and Adjust

Click “Resize” or “Copy & Resize” to apply changes. Canva will instantly adjust the orientation of your design.

👉 Important: Some elements may shift, overlap, or resize incorrectly when changing orientation. Take time to adjust text, images, and graphics to fit the new layout properly.

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Tips for Adjusting Orientation in Canva

Switching orientations is easy, but ensuring your design still looks professional takes a little extra care. Here are some expert tips:

1. Start with Purpose in Mind

Before resizing, think about where your design will appear. For social media stories, portrait is best. For slideshows or ads, landscape is the winner.

2. Use Canva Templates

Instead of manually resizing, consider searching Canva’s template library. They already come in the correct dimensions for Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and more.

3. Recheck Text and Fonts

Sometimes resizing can distort text placement. Always double-check alignment, spacing, and font sizes after changing orientation.

4. Adjust Image Cropping

Photos may look stretched or awkward in a new orientation. Use Canva’s crop and position tools to fix them.

5. Save Multiple Versions

If you’re unsure which orientation works best, save two versions (portrait & landscape). This is especially helpful for ads, where A/B testing different layouts can improve results.

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Real-World Use Cases for Canva Orientations

Here are some practical scenarios where knowing how to adjust design orientation will help:

• Portrait Orientation Works Best For:

  • Instagram Stories and Reels

  • Pinterest Pins

  • Flyers & Posters

  • Book Covers

  • Infographics

  • Business Cards

• Landscape Orientation Works Best For:

• YouTube Thumbnails

• Facebook Covers

• Website Banners

• Presentation Slides

• Desktop Wallpapers

• Email Headers

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Common Mistakes to Avoid When Changing Orientation

1. Ignoring Safe Margins – Important text may get cut off if not properly aligned.
2. Forgetting Platform Guidelines – Always check recommended dimensions for each platform.
3. Overcrowding Elements – A smaller canvas doesn’t mean you should shrink everything; prioritize key elements.
4. Not Previewing Before Publishing – Always preview your design on the intended platform.

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Conclusion

Changing the design orientation in Canva is a simple yet powerful way to customize your visuals for any platform or purpose. With just a few clicks, you can switch between portrait and landscape, giving your project the right balance of readability, aesthetics, and professionalism.

Whether you’re designing social media graphics, business cards, marketing materials, or presentations, understanding orientation ensures your designs always look their best. By following the steps and tips above, you’ll not only save time but also create polished visuals that stand out.

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FAQs About Canva Design Orientation

1. Can I change orientation in Canva for free?

Yes, free users can change orientation by creating a new custom design with swapped dimensions and manually copying elements. However, the one-click Resize feature is only available for Canva Pro users.

2. What is the difference between portrait and landscape in Canva?

Portrait has greater height than width (vertical), while landscape has greater width than height (horizontal).

3. Does changing orientation affect my design elements?

Yes, some elements may shift or resize incorrectly. You’ll likely need to adjust text boxes, images, and spacing manually.

4. What orientation is best for Instagram?

• Feed Posts: Square (1080 × 1080).
• Stories/Reels: Portrait (1080 × 1920).
• Landscape Posts: 1080 × 566 (less common).

5. How do I make a Canva design horizontal?

Go to Resize, swap dimensions to make the width larger than height, and apply changes.

6. Can I use the same design in both orientations?

Yes, but you may need to rearrange elements for each version. Many marketers create both portrait and landscape versions for different platforms.

7. Why does my text look off after resizing?

Text boxes may not resize proportionally. Always adjust font size and alignment manually after changing orientation.

8. Is Canva orientation the same as page layout in Word or PowerPoint?

Yes, the concept is similar. Portrait and landscape in Canva function the same way as in traditional design or word processing software.

9. Can I lock orientation in Canva?

Not directly. Canva allows flexibility, so orientation can always be adjusted using Resize or custom dimensions.

10. What if I don’t know which orientation to choose?

Think about where your design will be displayed. If it’s vertical (like a phone screen or flyer), use portrait. If it’s wide (like a banner or presentation), choose landscape.