Change orientation before you start designing, or switch mid-project

You can change a Canva design from portrait to landscape (or vice versa) in two places: when you first create the design, or anytime afterward by resizing the canvas. The method depends on whether you have already started working. If you are starting fresh, pick your orientation upfront. If you have already built something, Canva will reflow your content when you switch, though you may need to adjust text boxes and image placement afterward.

The orientation change itself takes seconds. What takes longer is usually fixing the layout after the switch, because elements do not always move the way you expect them to. Knowing this ahead of time helps you decide whether to start over or push through the adjustment.

Key Takeaways

  • When creating a new design, select your orientation (portrait or landscape) from the template or custom size screen before you add any content.
  • To change orientation on an existing design, go to File menu, select Change dimensions, and pick a new size with the orientation you want.
  • Switching orientation mid-project will reflow your content, but text boxes, images, and grouped elements may need manual repositioning.
  • Custom sizes let you set exact width and height in pixels, useful if you need a specific dimension that Canva's presets do not cover.

Choosing orientation when you create a new design

When you open Canva and start a new design, the first screen shows you template categories and size options. At the top, you will see preset sizes like "Instagram Post", "Facebook Cover", or "Letter". Each preset comes in one default orientation — Instagram Post is square, Facebook Cover is landscape, Letter is portrait.

If you want a different orientation than the preset offers, look for the "Custom size" option, usually at the bottom of the size list or in a search box. Click it, then enter your width and height in pixels. Canva will create a blank canvas in whatever orientation those dimensions produce. For example, 1080 pixels wide by 1350 pixels tall is portrait; 1920 by 1080 is landscape. You set the orientation by which number is larger.

Starting with the right orientation saves you from having to reflow content later. If you are unsure what size you need, check where you plan to use the design — a social media platform, a printed flyer, a website banner — and search for that platform's recommended dimensions.

Switching orientation on a design you have already started

If you have already added content to your design and want to change orientation, open the File menu (usually a three-line icon or labeled "File" at the top left). Select "Change dimensions" or "Resize design". Canva will show you a list of preset sizes and a custom size option, just like when you created the design.

Pick the new size and orientation you want. Canva will explore the change when ready. Your content will reflow to fit the new canvas, but the reflow is not always perfect. Text may wrap differently, images may shrink or shift, and grouped elements may separate. You will almost always need to spend a few minutes moving things back into place.

Before you change dimensions on a design with a lot of content, take a screenshot or save a copy. That way, if the reflow breaks your layout badly, you can go back to the original and try a different approach.

Understanding how content moves when you change orientation

When you switch from portrait to landscape, Canva tries to fit everything into the wider space. Text boxes usually stay the same width unless they were already stretched across the full canvas. Images scale down proportionally to fit. If you had elements stacked vertically, they may now have room to sit side by side, but Canva does not automatically rearrange them — you have to move them yourself.

Switching from landscape to portrait is trickier. Elements that fit comfortably side by side now have to stack, and Canva may push some of them off the visible canvas. You will see a warning if content is going to be cut off. You can still make the change, but you will need to manually reposition everything that fell outside the new boundaries.

Grouped elements — text and images you have locked together — usually stay grouped during a resize, which can help or hurt depending on how you grouped them. If a group is too wide for the new portrait canvas, the whole group may move off-screen as a unit.

Using custom dimensions for exact sizes

Canva's preset sizes cover most common uses, but sometimes you need exact dimensions. Click "Custom size" and enter width and height in pixels. You can also choose centimeters or inches if that is easier for you.

Custom sizes are useful for printing. If you are designing a postcard that your printer needs at exactly 6 inches by 4 inches, enter those dimensions and Canva will create a canvas at that size. The same applies to business cards, bookmarks, or any printed material with specific requirements. Your printer can tell you the exact dimensions they need, and you can plug them straight into Canva.

For digital use, custom sizes let you match unusual aspect ratios — a very tall mobile banner, a short wide header, or a square with specific pixel dimensions. Once you set a custom size, Canva remembers it and adds it to your recent sizes list, so you can use the same dimensions again without re-entering them.

Fixing layout problems after you change orientation

After you switch orientation, scan your design for elements that are out of place. Text that wrapped onto three lines in portrait may now fit on one line in landscape, leaving awkward white space. Images may have shifted to unexpected positions. The background may not fill the new canvas evenly.

Start by moving the largest elements — your main image or headline — into position. Then adjust smaller elements around them. If text is now too small for the new space, you can increase the font size. If an image is now too small, you can enlarge it or replace it with a larger version.

If the reflow is too messy to fix quickly, undo the resize (Ctrl+Z or Cmd+Z), go back to your original orientation, and consider whether you really need to change it. Sometimes it is faster to create a new design in the target orientation and copy over the elements you want to keep.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have both portrait and landscape pages in the same Canva file?

No. A Canva design has one orientation and one size. If you need both portrait and landscape versions, create two separate designs. You can duplicate your first design and then change the orientation on the copy, which is faster than starting from scratch.

What happens to my design if I change from landscape to portrait and it does not fit?

Canva will warn you that some content will be cut off. You can still make the change, but elements outside the new canvas boundaries will be hidden. You can move them back into view by dragging them, or you can undo the change and try a different approach.

Do I lose my design if I change dimensions?

No. Changing dimensions does not delete your design. Your content stays in the file and reflows to the new size. If you do not like the result, you can undo the change or resize again to a different dimension.

Can I change orientation on a template I downloaded from Canva?

Yes. Templates are just starting points. Once you open a template in Canva, you can change its dimensions the same way you would for any other design — through the File menu and Change dimensions option.

What size should I use for a design I am printing?

Ask your printer for the exact dimensions they need, including whether they want bleed (extra space around the edges that gets trimmed). Then use Canva's custom size option to enter those dimensions. This ensures your design will print at the right size without unexpected cropping.