How to Edit Images in Canva

There are lots of photo editing apps on your phone and PC. However, these built-in photo editors offer nothing more than an option to crop, rotate and swipe a filter on your image. Imagine using a powerful tool that is also available online and Canva can make the difference.

Popularly known for creating logos and Instagram posts, Canva also carries a powerful photo editing tool that is easy to use but gives you more tools than the average photo editing app. We’ll show you how to use Canva’s image editor to take stunning photos.

How to Crop, Resize and Flip an Image in Canva

First, let’s see how you can upload your image to Canva’s image editor to start editing.

Stage 1: Open your web browser and go to Canva. Click the Create design button to select Edit photo from the menu.

Visit Canva

Step 2: Upload the photo from your PC and click on Edit photo.

Stage 3: Once uploaded, a project window will appear and you’re all set to edit your photo using Canva’s image editor.

Crop Images in Canva

Cropping your image allows you to focus on the main subject of the photo, eliminating distractions. To crop your image in Canva, select the image in the project window and click the Crop button at the top.

Now adjust the frame surrounding the picture to crop your photo. Finally, click Done to save the changes.

You can also crop images into shapes using the elements tab.

Resize Images in Canva

Besides cropping, you can resize your photo to a specific size in Canva. To do this, click the Resize button in the top left and under Custom size enter your preferred width and height.

Translate Images in Canva

You can also flip images in Canva’s image editor to give them a new perspective. To do this, select the image in the project window and click the Flip button to mirror your image horizontally or vertically.

How to Apply Filters in Canva

Along with basic editing tools, Canva also offers a few stunning filters that you can apply to your photo. Here’s how.

Stage 1: Select the image inside the photo editor and click on Edit image.

Step 2: In the menu that appears on your left, go to the Filters section. You can apply any of the filters by clicking on them. Additionally, you can double-click the filter to change its intensity.

Alternatively, you can manually enhance the image using a few adjustment tools. To do this, click on the Edit image button at the top left and go to the Adjust section. Click the See all button next to it, expand it.

Here you can manually adjust things like brightness, contrast, saturation, sharpness and more to bring your image to life.

How to Remove Background from Image in Canva

Gone are the days when you had to use brushes and erasers to remove the background of a photo. With Canva, you can easily remove the background from your photo in a few clicks.

To remove background from photo, select it and click on Edit image button at the top. Now select the Background Remover option from the list.

This will remove the background.

Once removed, you can now add elements and text to your photo to make it more interesting.

How to Add Elements and Text in Canva

You can filter and crop an image in almost any photo-editing app, but what sets Canva apart from the competition is the extensive library of elements and text styles you can use to make them look more professional.

Adding Elements to an Image

Stage 1: Switch to the Items tab on your left. Here you can browse through Canva’s extensive library of various stickers, charts, photos, charts and more.

Step 2: Click on the preferred item to add it to your image. Once added, you can move, resize and crop the item using the toolbar above.

In addition, you can also lock the inserted item to avoid accidentally moving it. To lock an item, select it and click the lock icon in the top right.

Similarly, you can remove an item using the trash can icon next to it.

Add Text to Image

Besides stickers and photos, you can add text to your image to make it more descriptive.

Stage 1: Go to the Text tab on your left. Now choose one of the available text styles to add a text box.

Alternatively, you can also explore and use a ready-made font combinations to add text to your image.

Step 2: Edit the text inside the text box and move it to your preferred location. Additionally, you can change the font style, size, color, position, spacing and more using the top toolbar.

You can also lock or remove added text boxes using the toolbar above.

How to Download Edited Photo

After editing your photo, you need to download it. You can download it by following the steps below.

To download your photo, click the download button in the upper right corner and use the drop-down menu under File type to choose from the available formats. Finally, click the Download button to get your image.

Besides downloading, you can also share your photo directly from Canva to your Facebook, Instagram and Google Drive accounts.

Photo Editing Made Simple

Canva captures the sweet spot between a lightweight photo editor like Google Photos and a professional Photoshop. It tries to bring the best of both worlds by giving you more editing options without making things too complicated. Also, if you consider Canva’s video editing capabilities, it definitely becomes a one-stop shop for all your editing needs.