Creating visually appealing presentations in Canva is easy and intuitive. With a wide variety of templates, fonts, images, and design tools available, you can create professional presentations in minutes. However, when it comes to changing the slide size in Canva, many users get confused between resizing an existing design and creating a new design from scratch with custom dimensions.
In this step-by-step guide, we will walk you through both methods of changing the slide size in Canva presentations. Whether you want to resize an existing Canva presentation or start from scratch with custom dimensions, this guide has got you covered.
Prerequisites
Before we dive into the step-by-step instructions, let’s look at some of the prerequisites:
- A Canva account
- Existing Canva presentation you want to resize (optional)
- Desired slide dimensions for the new presentation (if creating from scratch)
Canva offers a generous free plan as well as paid Pro plans that unlock more features. You can sign up for a free account to follow this tutorial.
Method 1: Resizing an Existing Canva Presentation
If you already have a Canva presentation designed and now want to change its slide size, follow these simple steps:
Step 1: Open the Presentation
Log in to your Canva account and open the presentation you want to resize.
Step 2: Click on “Resize”
On the top menu, click on “Resize”. This will open various resizing options.
Canva Resize Button
Step 3: Select “Custom Size”
Under the “Resize” menu, click on “Custom Size”. This will let you manually enter custom dimensions.
Step 4: Enter New Slide Size
In the custom size popup, enter your desired slide width and height in pixels. For reference, standard slide sizes include:
- 1080 x 1920 pixels (9:16 aspect ratio)
- 1280 x 720 pixels (16:9 aspect ratio)
- 800 x 600 pixels (4:3 aspect ratio)
Canva Custom Size
Step 5: Click “Resize”
Once you’ve entered the new slide dimensions, click “Resize” at the bottom. Canva will now resize all the slides to the new dimensions.
And you’re done! With just a few clicks, you’ve changed the slide size of your entire Canva presentation.
Method 2: Creating New Presentation with Custom Size
If you want to create a new presentation from scratch with specific slide dimensions, follow these steps:
Step 1: Click on “Create Design”
Go to Canva’s homepage and click on the “Create Design” button to start designing a new presentation.
Step 2: Select “Presentation”
On the template selection screen, scroll down to “Presentations” and select a blank presentation template to start designing from scratch.
Canva Presentation Templates
Step 3: Click “Custom Dimensions”
With the blank presentation open, click on “Custom Dimensions” on the right side of the top toolbar.
Canva Custom Dimensions
Step 4: Enter Slide Size
In the popup, enter your desired slide width and height in pixels and click “Apply”.
For example, for a widescreen 16:9 presentation, you may enter 1920 for width and 1080 for height.
Step 5: Start Designing!
Your presentation will now have the custom slide size you specified. You can start adding content and designing beautiful slides!
The benefit of this method is that all the slides will be sized correctly right from the beginning. You won’t need to resize after designing.
And that’s it! Whether you’re resizing an existing presentation or creating a new one with custom dimensions, Canva makes it easy to change the slide size in just a few clicks.
Pro Tips for Ideal Slide Sizing
Here are some additional professional tips to help you choose the right slide size:
Match Output Platform Dimensions
Design your slides to match the exact dimensions of the screen or projector where the presentation will be displayed. This avoids distortion or cropping issues.
Standard Aspect Ratios
Stick to standard aspect ratios like 16:9, 4:3, or 16:10 rather than arbitrary dimensions. Common ratios will work better across different platforms.
Higher Resolution = Sharper Text/Images
For presentations displayed on large screens, use larger slide dimensions like 1920 x 1080p. This prevents pixelation when zooming in.
Mobile-First = Responsive and Portable
For portable presentations, use a mobile-first size like 1080 x 1920p. It will flexibly scale up or down for any device.
By keeping these tips in mind and following the steps in this guide, you’ll be changing Canva presentation sizes like a pro!
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about changing slide size in Canva:
Does resizing a Canva presentation reduce image quality?
No, resizing presentations in Canva does not reduce image quality or resolution. The images will scale up/down without losing quality.
What’s the maximum size for Canva presentation slides?
The maximum width and height Canva allows for custom slide sizes is 8000 x 8000 pixels.
How do I choose the right slide size for a specific projector/screen?
Refer to the projector or screen specs to find its native resolution. Then design your Canva presentation to match those exact dimensions for best results.
What if I need a non-standard slide size like 1100 x 850 pixels?
No problem! Just use Canva’s custom size option as explained in this article to enter any dimensions you require.
Conclusion
Learning how to change the slide size in Canva gives you creative flexibility and control over your presentations. Whether you want to standardize presentations across your organization or tailor dimensions for specific devices, this guide has actionable steps you can follow right away.
The key takeaways are:
- Use the “Resize” option to change an existing presentation’s slide size
- Create new presentations with custom dimensions right from the start
- Match your slide dimensions to the display output for best quality
So open up Canva, and start resizing and customizing presentations to create perfect slides every time!