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How to Add a Text Box in Canva – 6 Ways

Q: Do I need Canva Pro to upload custom fonts?

Yes, uploading custom fonts to Canva requires a Canva Pro subscription. However, Canva’s free version offers hundreds of fonts that cover most design needs, so you can still create beautiful designs without custom font uploads.

October 1, 2025

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To add a text box in Canva, click ‘Text’ in the left sidebar, then select ‘Add a text box.’ Resize it by dragging the handles, then customize with your content, fonts, colors, and formatting options.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gGhKMUlGkU

Looking to add text to your designs? Whether you’re creating social media posts, presentations, or any other project in Canva, knowing how to add and customize text boxes is essential. In this guide, you’ll learn multiple methods to add text boxes in Canva, from simple text additions to using Brand Kits for consistent styling.

Table of Contents

Method 1: Add a Simple Text Box

The easiest way to add text to your design is by using Canva’s built-in text feature. This method works perfectly when you’re just getting started or need a quick text addition.

Step 1: Open or Create Your Design

First, you need to have a design open. You can choose from several options:

Go to your recent designs and select one
Browse Canva templates and choose any design that fits your needs
Click “Create” and select a format like Instagram Post, Instagram Story, Facebook Post, or Presentation

For this example, you can start with an Instagram Post (1080 x 1080 pixels) to keep things simple.

Step 2: Click on the Text Option

Once your design is open, look for the “Text” option in the left sidebar. Click on it to reveal your text options. You’ll see several preset text styles and the option to add a basic text box.

Step 3: Add a Text Box

Click on “Add a text box” (the first option). This creates a simple, small text line on your canvas that says “Your paragraph.” Don’t worry if it looks tiny at first—you’ll resize it in the next step.

Step 4: Resize Your Text Box

To make your text box bigger, click on it and hold the corner or side handles. Drag them outward to make the text box as large as you need. Make sure to keep it inside your design area for a clean look.

Step 5: Type Your Text

Click inside the text box and start typing your content. You can replace the placeholder text with whatever message you want to convey.

Method 2: Customize Your Text

After adding your text box, you’ll want to customize it to match your design style. Canva offers many formatting options similar to word processing programs.

Step 1: Select Your Font

With your text box selected, look at the toolbar above your canvas. Click on the font dropdown to browse through hundreds of available fonts. You can filter by:

Paragraph style
Heading style
Handwriting style
Decorative fonts

Choose the font that best matches your design aesthetic. If you have Canva Pro, you can also upload a font to Canva for even more customization.

Step 2: Adjust Font Size

Next to the font selector, you’ll find the size option. Click on it and either type in a specific number or use the slider to adjust your text size. Make your text large enough to read easily but balanced with your overall design.

Step 3: Apply Bold and Italic

Use the Bold (B) and Italic (I) buttons in the toolbar to add emphasis to your text. These options work just like in any word processor—click once to apply, click again to remove.

Step 4: Change Text Color

Click on the color option (the colored square with “A” in the toolbar) to open the color picker. You have several choices:

Select from default colors
Choose from document colors (colors already used in your design)
Click on a specific color in your design to match it exactly
Enter a hex code for precise color matching

Step 5: Adjust Letter Spacing

In the toolbar, find the letter spacing option (usually shown as “A V” with arrows). Adjust the slider to add or reduce space between individual letters. This is great for creating modern, airy designs or tight, compact text.

Step 6: Modify Line Spacing

If your text spans multiple lines, you can control the space between them using the line spacing option. Move the slider to the right to increase spacing (making text more readable) or to the left to decrease it. Setting it to zero creates minimal space between lines.

Step 7: Anchor Your Text (Optional)

For more advanced layouts, you can anchor your text box to ensure it stays centered or aligned in a specific way. This is especially useful when working with multiple text elements, but you can skip this step for simple designs.

Method 3: Use Brand Kit for Consistent Text Styling

If you create designs regularly or want to maintain consistent branding, using a Brand Kit is the way to go. This feature allows you to preset text styles so you don’t have to start from scratch every time.

Step 1: Access Brand Settings

From your Canva homepage, click on “Brand” in the left sidebar. This opens your Brand Kit area where you can see all your brand kits or create new ones.

Step 2: Create a New Brand Kit

If you don’t have a brand kit yet, click “Add new brand kit.” Give it a name that describes your project or business (for example, “My Business” or “Social Media Brand”). Then click “Create.”

Step 3: Set Up Your Brand Fonts

In your brand kit, you’ll see options for color palette, logos, and fonts. Click on the fonts section. Here you can define different text styles such as:

Title (for main headings)
Subtitle (for secondary headings)
Heading
Subheading
Body (for regular text)

Step 4: Customize Each Font Style

For each style you want to create, you can set:

Font family
Font size (in pixels)
Bold or regular weight
Italic or upright style

For example, you might set your Title as Playfair Display, 42px, Bold, and your Body as Open Sans, 24px, Regular. This ensures consistency across all your designs.

Step 5: Save Your Brand Kit

After setting up your fonts, make sure to save your brand kit. You can create multiple brand kits for different clients or projects, and switch between them as needed.

Step 6: Apply Brand Kit Text to Your Design

Go back to your design and click on “Text” in the left sidebar. Now you’ll see your brand kit options displayed at the top. Select your brand kit from the dropdown, then click on any of your preset styles (like “Title” or “Body”). The text box appears on your canvas with all your preset formatting already applied.

This method saves you tons of time because you don’t have to manually set the font, size, and weight every single time you add text. Just click and start typing!

Additional Text Options in Canva

Beyond basic text boxes and brand kits, Canva offers additional text-related features you can explore:

Font Combinations: In the Text menu, you’ll find preset font pairings that work well together. These are great if you’re unsure which fonts complement each other
Text Apps: Canva has various apps that add special effects to your text
Page Numbers: If you’re working on multi-page documents or presentations, Canva offers automatic page numbering options

You can also use curved text for more creative designs, or add special effects like shadows and outlines to make your text stand out.

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Tips for Working with Text Boxes in Canva

Remember: Consistency is key. Using preset brand kit styles ensures all your designs have a cohesive look that strengthens your brand identity.

Here are some additional tips to make your text look professional:

Keep your font choices limited (typically 2-3 fonts per design) for a clean, professional appearance
Ensure there’s enough contrast between your text color and background for readability
Use highlighted text in Canva to draw attention to important information
Try different text alignment options (left, center, right) to see what works best for your layout
Don’t overcrowd your design—white space around text makes it easier to read
Test your design at actual size to ensure text is legible on the platform where it’ll be displayed

Conclusion

Adding text boxes in Canva is straightforward once you know where to find the tools. Whether you’re creating a quick social media post or building a complete brand identity, you now have three solid methods to add and customize text:

Use the simple “Add a text box” option for quick additions
Customize every aspect of your text using the formatting toolbar
Set up Brand Kits to maintain consistent styling across all your designs

Start with the basic text box method to get comfortable, then move on to Brand Kits as you develop your style. With these techniques, you’ll be creating professional-looking designs in no time. Check out more Canva tutorials to expand your design skills even further!

FAQ: How to Add a Text Box in Canva

What is the easiest way to add a text box in Canva?

The simplest method is to click on the “Text” option in the left sidebar and select “Add a text box.” This creates a basic text element that you can resize and customize with your own content, fonts, colors, and formatting.

Can I save my text formatting for future use in Canva?

Yes, you can use Canva’s Brand Kit feature to save preset text styles. Create a Brand Kit, define your font choices, sizes, and formatting for different text types (like titles and body text), and then easily apply these styles to any future design with one click.

Do I need Canva Pro to upload custom fonts?

Yes, uploading custom fonts to Canva requires aCanva Pro subscription. However, Canva’s free version offers hundreds of fonts that cover most design needs, so you can still create beautiful designs without custom font uploads.

How do I duplicate a text box in Canva?

To duplicate a text box, select the text box you want to copy, then use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+D (Windows) or Cmd+D (Mac). Alternatively, you can right-click on the text box and select “Duplicate” from the menu. This creates an exact copy with the same formatting, which you can then move to a new position.

Is there a limit to how many text boxes I can add to a single Canva design?

Canva doesn’t impose a strict limit on the number of text boxes per design, but adding too many elements can slow down performance and make your design cluttered. For optimal performance and visual clarity, use only as many text boxes as necessary and consider combining text into single boxes where appropriate.

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How to Add a Text Box in Canva – 6 Ways