How To Change Margins In Canva (Step By Step!)

Q: Can Margins Be Changed In Canva?

No, you can not change default margins in Canva. But you can create custom margins in Canva according to your requirements. Either you can click on the ‘ Show Rulers And Guides’ button, and then drag the top and left side ruler to create margins on your design. Or add a ‘Line’ element from the ‘ Elements ’ section. Once the line is on your design, drag the ‘ End Points’ of the line to fully stretch it from both sides and then position it as a margin on your design.

Q: How To Align Elements Using Margins?

To align elements using margins, start by adding ‘ Rulers and Guides ’ to your design. Press ‘ Shift + R’ from your keyboard to ‘ Show Rulers And Guides ’ to your design. Then You will notice two rulers on your design, one on the top and another on the left side of the screen. Drag the rulers to create lines or guides on your design. Use those lines and guides, to easily align or position your text.

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I know how frustrating it can be when you’re designing something in Canva and realize the margins are all wrong.

You carefully crafted your content but now everything looks smushed together or there’s too much empty space around the edges.

Not to worry – setting and changing margins in Canva is easy peasy!

The key is knowing how you can use rulers and line elements to create dummy margins for your designs.

I’ll walk you through step-by-step how to change margins in canva.

Stick with me I will show you all the secret tricks to set and adjust margins in Canva.

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How To Change Margins In Canva (Full Guide!)

Here are the steps that you can follow to learn how to set and change margins in Canva:

1. Open a Design

From the Canva homepage, look for the ‘Recent Designs’ section. This section will contain all the designs on which you have worked in the past.

Click on the thumbnail of the design that you want to continue editing and it will open in the Canva editor.

Note: If you want to set margins in a new design, then click on the ‘Create a Design’ button from the top right corner of the Canva homepage. From the new menu, click on your desired design type and you will get redirected to a blank canvas.

2. Set Default Margins

After opening the design in the Canva editor, we can start by setting default margins on your design.

Click on the ‘File’ button from the top of your screen and then click on the ‘View Settings’ button to get access to further options.

From the new menu, click on the ‘Show Margins’ button. Now you will notice default margins (dotted line) on your design (refer to the screenshot below).

But what if the default margins do not meet your requirements?

Worry not, you can create custom margins in Canva as well.

Follow the steps below!

3. Create Custom Margins

Custom margins will allow you to have greater control over the layout and alignment of the design.

Below are the two ways to create custom margins in Canva:

a) Add Rulers And Guides

To create custom margins, click on the ‘File’ button from the top of your screen and then click on the ‘View Settings’ button.

From the new menu, click on the ‘Show Rulers And Guides’ button. Or simply use the keyboard shortcut Shift + R.

Now you will notice one ruler at the top and one ruler at the left side of the screen.

Note: To change the units of the ruler, click on the ‘Resize’ button from the top of the screen. Under the ‘Custom Size’ section, change the unit of your dimensions and then click on the ‘Resize’ button at the end.

Drag the top ruler on your design to create a horizontal margin and a blue line will be created in front of you.

For example, I will drag my ruler at 2 inches for demonstration purposes.

To create a vertical line on your design, drag the left side ruler towards your design (refer to the screenshot below).

Note: Follow the same process to create guides from all sides.

b) Add Line Element

You can also use line elements to create margins on your design.

Click on the ‘Elements’ button from the left sidebar and then search for the ‘Line’ element from the top search bar.

From the search results, click on a ‘Line’ to add it to your design.

Once the line is on your design, drag the ‘End Points’ of the line to fully stretch it from both sides.

After resizing the line, drag the line on the top of the screen. So that it can act as a margin.

But what if you want to change the appearance of the line?

Click on the line and then on the ‘Line Style’ button from the top toolbar. Now you will see four line styles in front of you.

Click on any one-line style to change the appearance of the line in front of you.

You can also make the round endpoints and increase the weight of the line from the same menu.

Note: Follow the same process to add lines from all sides. Just search for lines from the ‘Elements’ section, customize them from the top toolbar, and then position them as margins on your design.

Don’t forget to delete the margins (line elements), before downloading the design on your computer.

FAQ- How To Set and Change Margins In Canva

Below are a few frequently asked questions to deepen your understanding:

Can Margins Be Changed In Canva?

No, you can not change default margins in Canva. But you can create custom margins in Canva according to your requirements. Either you can click on the ‘Show Rulers And Guides’ button, and then drag the top and left side ruler to create margins on your design.

Or add a ‘Line’ element from the ‘Elements’ section. Once the line is on your design, drag the ‘End Points’ of the line to fully stretch it from both sides and then position it as a margin on your design.

How To Align Elements Using Margins?

To align elements using margins, start by adding ‘Rulers and Guides’ to your design. Press ‘Shift + R’ from your keyboard to ‘Show Rulers And Guides’ to your design.

Then You will notice two rulers on your design, one on the top and another on the left side of the screen.
Drag the rulers to create lines or guides on your design. Use those lines and guides, to easily align or position your text.

Final Words

There you have it! As you can see, setting margins in Canva is super easy once you know what to do. With the Canva default margins, you can visualize your margins to get them perfectly even.

If you need to create custom margins, just use ruler guides or line elements as dummy margin elements.

I hope this quick guide gave you the tips and tricks you need to feel confident setting and adjusting margins in your Canva projects.

No more frustration over formatting – now you’ve got full control over your margins!

Let me know if you have any other questions. I’m always happy to help walk through anything Canva-related. Happy designing!

Rohit Lohia

Hey there! I’m Rohit Lohia, a passionate SEO enthusiast and the proud founder of Branded Bucks. I’m all about helping small business owners achieve success online through my blog. Join me on this exciting journey as we explore ways to make money online and build a thriving digital presence.