Instagram post in Canva

Step 1

Pick a size Instagram won't crop

Find the "Instagram Post" design type in Canva search or set a custom size in pixels. Follow Instagram's help center: photos upload up to 1,080 pixels wide, and the original resolution is kept when the aspect ratio is between 1.91:1 and 3:4, meaning a height of 566 to 1,440 pixels at 1,080 wide. Photos with other ratios get cropped.

• •a 1080×1080 square is the easiest place to start;
• •a vertical post takes more room in the feed, but keep the height at 1,440 pixels or less at 1,080 wide;
• •once you pick a format, keep it across the series: the feed looks more consistent.

💡 Make the post exactly 1,080 pixels wide: Instagram scales anything wider down to 1,080, so a bigger file won't look sharper in the feed.

Step 2

One idea per post

People see posts on the move, while scrolling. You have a moment for them to get what it's about. So approach the template with one question: what one thing do I want to say? Remove everything that doesn't help that idea.

• •a heading of 6–8 words, the rest goes in the caption;
• •one main image, not a collage of five photos;
• •several ideas? Make a carousel, one per slide.

Step 3

Text that reads on a phone

In the editor, the post fills half your monitor; in the feed, it's a few centimeters on a phone. Build a hierarchy: the heading clearly bigger than everything else, supporting text calmer, and no more than two fonts.

• •check contrast: WCAG requires at least 4.5:1 between normal text and background;
• •place text over a photo on a calm area or a semi-transparent panel;
• •keep important things away from the edges, with equal margins on every side.

💡 Zoom out in Canva until the post is palm-sized, or send the file to your phone. If it doesn't read like that, it won't read in the feed.

Step 4

Make the feed recognizable

One good post isn't a style yet. Style appears when posts look alike: the same fonts, palette, spacing and logo position. Make one base post and build the next ones as copies with new content. If you add motion, Canva lets you animate a page or single elements with Animate, then download the post as MP4 or GIF.

• •one main color, one accent and neutral shades;
• •a consistent photo style: light, dark, with people or without;
• •some animations and transitions are only on paid Canva plans.

Step 5

Publish from Canva or download

You can share to Instagram right from the editor: Share → See all, pick Instagram and connect your account. Canva sends JPG and MP4 files to Instagram, with images up to 8 MB. Scheduling ahead with Content Planner is only on paid Canva plans. Or download the file via Share → Download as PNG or JPG and post from your phone.

• •add alt text to the post on Instagram so people using screen readers get the content;
• •need the same design as a story? Paid plans have Resize; on the free plan, make a separate file.

💡 Before publishing, show the post in the community and ask something specific: what people notice first and whether the point is clear in two seconds.