How to Edit Shapes in Canva: A Complete Beginner’s Guide
Canva is one of the most user-friendly graphic design tools available today. Whether you’re creating social media graphics, presentations, or print materials, Canva offers a wide variety of design elements to help bring your vision to life. One such element is shapes, which can be used to add structure, emphasis, or flair to your design.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to edit shapes in Canva—from changing their size and color to more advanced techniques like adjusting corners, editing points, and layering shapes with text. Whether you're a beginner or looking to level up your Canva skills, this tutorial has everything you need.
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Why Shapes Matter in Canva
Shapes aren’t just for decoration—they serve real design purposes:
- Emphasize content: Use shapes to highlight important text or images.
- Create layout structure: Shapes can divide sections and improve readability.
- Enhance aesthetics: Well-placed shapes can make your design look polished and professional.
Understanding how to edit shapes in Canva gives you more control over your design and lets you express your creativity with precision.
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Getting Started: Inserting Shapes in Canva
Before editing a shape, you need to insert one:
- Open your Canva design.
- Click on “Elements” in the left-hand sidebar.
- Scroll down to the “Shapes” section or type the name of a shape (e.g., “circle,” “square”) in the search bar.
- Click on a shape to add it to your design canvas.
Once the shape is on your canvas, you're ready to start customizing it.
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Basic Shape Editing in Canva
Here are some of the most common edits you can make to shapes:
1. Resizing Shapes
Click on the shape, then drag the corner handles to increase or decrease its size. For proportional resizing, hold down the Shift key while dragging.
You can also enter specific dimensions using the toolbar at the top for precise adjustments.
2. Flipping and Rotating Shapes
To flip a shape:
- Select the shape.
- Click the “Flip” button in the toolbar, then choose Flip Horizontal or Flip Vertical.
To rotate:
- Use the rotate handle (circular arrow above the shape) to turn it.
- Or input a specific degree of rotation in the toolbar.
3. Changing Shape Color
To change the fill color:
- Click on the shape.
- Select the “Color” tile in the toolbar.
- Choose a preset color or enter a custom hex code.
Want to apply the same color to multiple shapes? Hold Shift, select each shape, and apply the color all at once.
4. Adding or Removing Shape Borders
To add an outline (stroke) to your shape:
- Click the shape, then the “Border” option in the toolbar.
- Choose a border style, thickness, and color.
To remove the border, select “No Border” or set the thickness to zero.
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Advanced Shape Editing Techniques
Ready to take things up a notch? Canva provides advanced shape editing tools to help your designs stand out.
1. Adjusting Corner Radius
If you’re working with rectangles or squares, you can soften their appearance by adjusting the corner radius:
- Select the shape.
- Use the corner rounding slider in the toolbar to make the corners more or less rounded.
2. Editing Shape Points (Custom Shapes)
For even more customization:
- Click on the shape.
- Then select “Edit Shape” from the top toolbar (only available on certain shapes).
- You can add, remove, or move points to create a custom silhouette.
- Use “Smooth” or “Corner” tools to change how the lines between points behave.
This is especially useful for creating logos or unique abstract designs.
3. Grouping and Ungrouping Shapes
Want to move or edit several shapes at once?
- Select all shapes you want to group (hold Shift while clicking).
- Click “Group” on the toolbar.
To edit individual shapes later, select the group and click “Ungroup.”
4. Arranging Shapes in Layers
Layering shapes allows you to stack elements in front or behind others:
- Select a shape.
- Click “Position” (or “Arrange”) in the toolbar.
- Use Bring Forward, Send Backward, Bring to Front, or Send to Back to arrange the layers.
This gives your design depth and hierarchy.
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Working with Text and Shapes
Combining text and shapes can add clarity and style to your design.
1. Adding Text Inside Shapes
- Select a shape.
- Click the “Text” button from the left-hand menu or the top toolbar.
- Choose a style, then type your text.
- Resize and reposition the text box inside the shape.
2. Styling the Text
You can customize the text inside the shape just like any other text element:
- Adjust the font, size, color, alignment, and spacing using the top toolbar.
3. Combining for Custom Design
Create visual harmony by matching the color of the shape with the text, or layering shapes and text to make logos, badges, and infographics.
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Tips for Editing Shapes in Canva Like a Pro
- Use consistent color schemes to make your design cohesive.
- Group shapes for easier resizing and alignment.
- Align shapes and text using Canva’s alignment guides.
- Save custom shapes or grouped elements to your folders for future use.
Final Thoughts
Mastering how to edit shapes in Canva unlocks a whole new level of creative potential. From basic resizing to advanced layering and custom point editing, Canva gives you all the tools you need to design with confidence and flair.
Whether you’re creating content for business, school, or personal projects, understanding how to edit shapes in Canva will make your designs more polished and professional.
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