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Create, layout, and structure Canva Docs

Canva Docs gives you flexible tools to structure your content. You can add page breaks, banners, dates, dividers, columns, and tables to create a clear layout. Use outlines to navigate sections easily, or drag elements side by side to customise your document’s layout.

Create Docs

  1. From the homepage banner, select Create.
  2. Select
     Docs.
  3. Choose from the available doc templates or start with a blank doc by choosing from the following doc sizes:
    1. Digital
    2. Doc (Pageless)
    3. A4 (21 x 29.7 cm)
    4. Letter (8.5 x 11in)
    5. Legal (8.5 x 14in)
    6. A3 (29.7 x 42cm)

Add page breaks

Structure and export your content as pages using automatic page breaks or by manually adding page breaks.

Automatic page breaks

Set up automatic page breaks based on standard document formats like A4, Letter, and more. This option automatically formats your doc to fit traditional print layouts.

  1. From your Canva doc, select File.
  2. Select Page setup.
  3. Choose from the following page sizes:
    • Digital
    • Pageless
    • A4 (21 x 29.7 cm)
    • Letter (8.5 x 11in)
    • Legal (8.5 x 14in)
    • A3 (29.7 x 42cm)

Manual page breaks

Add page breaks manually to any Canva Doc format. In Digital and Pageless formats, they create pages sized to your content. In fixed formats like A4, Letter, Legal, or A3, they move content to a new page of that set size.

  1. From your Canva doc, select the
    Plus icon next to your text cursor. Alternatively, you may key in “/Page break”.
  2. Search and select Page break. Your document will be split into pages. Add more page breaks as necessary.

Page breaks might not function correctly when there’s too much content on the page. After downloading, you might see that your content doesn't fit properly on the page.

Add banners and full-page covers

Enhance your Canva Doc by adding a banner to serve as a page header or a stylish page break. You can also set an image, video, or design as a full-page cover that fills the entire page edge to edge.

  1. At the top of your doc or after a page break, add any of the following:
    • Image
    • Video
    • Banner
  2. To add a banner, select the
    Elements, then select Banner and choose an existing banner template.

To edit the banner later, select it and click

Edit from the toolbar.

Set a photo as a full-page background in Canva

  1. Open your design and select
    Elements. Find a photo or use the search bar to search for one.
  2. Drag the photo onto your page.
  3. Select the photo, then select the
    More icon from the toolbar. You can also right-click the photo.
  4. Select Set as full page. The photo will resize to fill the page.
  5. To change which part of the photo is visible, double-click the background. Drag the photo to adjust its position, then select anywhere outside the photo when you’re done.

Set a full-page cover

Sets the selected item (image, video, design, or layout) as the only thing on the page, stretching full width and full height from the top downwards.

  1. Add an image, video, design, or layout to your doc.
  2. Select the item, then select
    More from the toolbar. You can also right-click the item.
  3. Select Set as full page.

Things to know about full-page covers

  • Full-page covers work best in paged Docs, where they’re designed to take over the first page of a structured document.
  • They work with images, videos, designs, and layouts.
  • In Digital and Pageless Docs, full-page covers are only visible when you add page breaks.
  • In Page formats, such as A4, Letter, Legal, and A3, the cover may:
    • leave whitespace for the remaining page, or
    • be clipped at the page height, depending on the height of the item you set as the full-page cover

Add dates

Add dates that stand out in your document to align everyone in the team, or set your personal targets and deadlines.

  1. From your Canva doc, select the
    Plus icon next to your text cursor. Alternatively, you may key in “/date.“
  2. Search and select Date. From here, you can choose Select date to open the date picker or choose from Today, Tomorrow, or Yesterday's date. You can also type in ”/today,” “/tomorrow,“ or “/yesterday“ to automatically insert those dates.
  3. To make the date stand out, change the colour. Select the
    Text Colour icon.
  4. Select your preferred colour from the colour panel.

Add columns

You can add columns to organise your content—no tables needed.

  1. From your Canva doc, select the
    Plus icon next to your text cursor. Alternatively, you may key in “/column”
  2. Search for Columns. From here, you can choose between Columns, 2 Columns, 3 Columns, or 4 Columns. Select Columns to choose between Right Sidebar, Left Sidebar, or 3 Columns with Sidebars.

Add side-by-side layouts

Use Drag to Columns to create a quick side-by-side layout by dragging one element next to another.

  1. Add or select an element (image, video, text, embed, etc.).
  2. Click and hold the element, then drag it next to another.
  3. Release when the blue placement indicator appears.
  4. The layout updates to show a side-by-side format.
  5. To adjust the column width, drag the divider between elements.

On narrow screens, content may stack vertically. You can only place up to 4 elements side by side using Drag to

Columns. For more complex layouts, use the Columns feature.

Add tables

You can add tables to your document and format its border, colour, and size. Click on a cell or select multiple by pressing shift and clicking across cells.

  1. On the editor side panel, select the
    Elements tab.
  2. Under the Tables section, select a table to add it to your design.
  3. To add text, double click the cell you want to type into.

Tip: Type “/table” anywhere on your design to add a table and to specify how many rows and columns you need.

Add dividers

Add dividers to better structure your document.

  1. From your Canva doc, Select
     plus icon next to your text cursor.
  2. Search and select Divider. As a shortcut, you can just type three
    dash symbols in your doc and it will automatically add a divider.
  3. To adjust your divider, just click on the divider, then select your preferred colour and style from the editor toolbar. To make your divider colour gradient, please refer to Creating and using colour gradients.

Easily navigate and understand the contents of your Doc using Outline. This gives you a structured and hierarchical reference of the sections or headings that you have in your document.

  1. From the bottom of the editor, click Outline. The Doc’s outline will show next to the side panel.
  2. To close the outline, just click Outline once again.

Want to explore more features in Canva Docs?

Learn how to add and format content, collaborate with others, and publish your Doc by going to the Canva Docs overview and getting started guide.

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