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How to Change Page Orientation in Canva – A Visual Step-by-Step Guide

Q: Do I need a Canva Pro subscription to change page orientation?

Yes, the ‘ Resize & Magic Switch ‘ feature is exclusive to Canva Pro and Canva for Teams users. If you’re using the free version of Canva, you will need to create a new design and manually copy the elements one by one to change the page orientation.

Last Modified: March 20, 2024

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In the vast and vibrant world of digital design, Canva stands out as a user-friendly yet powerful tool for creating stunning graphics, presentations, documents, and more.

Whether you’re a professional designer or a beginner, mastering the ability to adjust page orientation in Canva can significantly impact the aesthetic and functional outcome of your projects.

In this blog post, I will guide you through the steps to change page orientation in Canva, ensuring your designs perfectly match your vision.

Table of Contents

How to change page orientation in Canva

To change page orientation in Canva, open your design and select ‘Resize & Magic Switch.’ Choose ‘Custom Size,’ then click ‘Portrait’, ‘Landscape’, or ‘Square’ to switch orientation. You can change the orientation of all pages or only a few. Choose ‘Copy & Resize’ to create a new design or ‘Resize this design’ to modify the current one.

Here is a detailed, step-by-step process.

First, navigate to the Canva website and log in to your account.

If you’re new to Canva, you’ll need to sign up. If you don’t have Canva, start with a 30-day free trial.

Related: How to get Canva PRO for free

1. Open your design

You’ll need to open the design you wish to edit to start.

From your Canva dashboard, select the design you want to modify or begin a new project by choosing the appropriate template.

2. Locate the resize feature

Once you have your design open, look towards the top left corner of the Canva interface.

You’ll see the “File” menu and, next to it, the “Resize & Magic Switch.” Selecting Resize & Magic Switch will take you to the resize options panel.

Note:

The Resize & Magic Switch feature is only available to users of Canva Pro or Canva for Teams.

You can get a 30-day free trial of Canva Pro to try out the Magic Switch feature (which saves me a LOT of time).

If you use the free Canva account, read these steps to change page orientation in Canva.

3. Choose Custom Size

You can select a preset size or enter a custom size within the resize options.

Presets are fantastic for quickly adapting your design to fit a platform or purpose.

For more flexibility and to switch Canva page orientation from horizontal to portrait or vice versa, go for the custom size.

4. Click on the width or height

You can change your page orientation with one click, but that option will only show when you click on either the width or height in the Custom Size box.

When you click, you will see 3 options for quick resizing: Square, Portrait, or Horizontal.

5. Choose your page orientation

Choose the orientation you want. My design currently is more horizontal, and I want to change it to a portrait size.

For now, I am only choosing the simple portrait option.

30-Day Free Access

Try out all Canva PRO features

30-Day Free Access

Try out all Canva Pro features

6. Select pages to apply changes

Before applying the orientation change, Canva allows you to choose which pages of your design the changes will affect.

You can select “All pages” to apply the changes to the entire design or select individual pages for more specific adjustments.

This step is crucial if you’re working on a multi-page design and only need to change the orientation of certain pages.

In this example, I am only choosing Page 6.

7. Apply the changes

After setting the new dimensions, you’ll have two options:

“Copy & resize”, which creates a new copy of your design with the updated orientation
“Resize this design” to apply changes to the existing canvas.

Choose the option that best suits your needs.

If you have chosen to resize only one page, you will only see the “Copy & Resize” option.

I am selecting to do a copy, and this opens the design to a new page (note the dimensions added to the design name).

8. Adjust elements

After applying the new orientation, you’ll likely need to adjust and rearrange the content to fit the new dimensions properly.

Adjust the text boxes, resize images, and tweak the overall layout to ensure everything fits the new dimensions and maintains visual balance.

These changes are usually very few and can be done in a few minutes. See the layout I adjusted below.

Also, check out my posts on how to rotate in Canva and how to flip elements.

How to change page orientation in Canva free

If you’re using Canva’s free version, changing the page orientation manually is still achievable, but it takes a lot of time!

To put it simply, you can’t resize. You have to create a new design with the page orientation and dimensions you want. Then, you have to copy and paste the elements from your old design to your new design. It’s basically like creating a new design from scratch.

It will take at least 30 min to recreate every design, whereas, with the Magic Switch button, you can resize hundreds of pages in a design with a few clicks. It is one of the reasons to get Canva Pro. Do yourself a favor, and get a free trial to check out the tool.

Here are the detailed steps:

Create a new design with the desired orientation: If you’re changing from portrait to landscape, choose a landscape template, and vice versa.
Copy elements from the original design: Open your original design in a separate tab or window. You’ll need to manually copy the elements (such as text, images, and shapes) from this design and paste them into your new design.
Adjust the layout in the new design: Once you’ve transferred all necessary elements to the new design, you may need to adjust their size and placement to fit the new orientation. This step requires careful attention to ensure the design maintains its visual appeal and effectiveness.

30-Day Free Access

Try out all Canva PRO features

30-Day Free Access

Try out all Canva Pro features

Conclusion

Changing the page orientation in Canva, especially with Magic Switch, is a simple and effective way to customize your design to fit your specific needs.

Whether you are creating a social media post, a presentation, or any other type of project, the ability to modify your canvas’s layout is an essential skill.

With this guide, you now know how to navigate Canva’s interface and change the orientation of your designs like a pro. Happy designing!

Other Canva tutorials you may like:

FAQ: How to change page prientation in Canva

Can I change the orientation of an existing Canva design?

Yes, you can change the orientation of an existing design in Canva by using the ‘Resize & Magic Switch‘ feature, selecting ‘Custom Size,’ and then choosing ‘Portrait’ or ‘Landscape’. You need to have a Canva Pro subscription. If you have a free Canva account, you will need to create a new design with the new dimensions and add the elements one by one.