Canva Keyboard Shortcuts for Faster Designing
Full List of Canva Keyboard Shortcuts
If you're tired of click-and-drag or trying to find the right menu option in Canva, the following Canva keyboard shortcuts will help speed up your Canva design game. We're talking over 60 keyboard shortcuts in Canva that are designed to save you a lot of time.
From adding shapes to dropping in a text box, these shortcuts streamline your design process like magic. One of the best ways to make these Canva shortcuts second nature is to start with the basics. Focus on learning just a handful of basic Canva keyboard shortcuts initially. Then, as you get the hang of those, explore more advanced options to level up and design faster in Canva.
Believe me, before you know it, and with a little practice, you'll be creating social media graphics so effortlessly you'll wonder how you ever lived without these shortcuts. And hey, if you want an easy reference go-to guide, I've created a downloadable PDF with a full list of Canva Keyboard Shortcuts just for you.
I also include the modification between Windows users and Mac users. CMD is for Mac users, and Ctrl is for Windows users.
Common Shortcuts using a Single Key in Canva
There are a lot of keyboard shortcuts to show you, so let's start with some simple, basic single key options that will help you get started.
1. C = Circle
2. T = Text
3. R = Rectangle or square
4. L = Line
5. S = Sticky Note (only when in a whiteboard design)
6. Esc key =Deselect and show the main editor menu
7. Delete = Delete selected item
8. Arrow keys = Move selected item around by one pixel
9. / (forward slash)= Forward slash and opens the Canva Magic Assistant Menu
10. Option/Alt = Shows margins between multiple selected items
11. Spacebar = Play and pause video
11.5. Canva Layers Shortcut = Option (mac) or Alt (windows) + 1 opens the layers panel in Canva (this is for the new Canva 2024)
Press these keys when in a design, and the item will be added, deleted, or moved on your canvas without navigating to one of the menus. Head over to Canva now and give them a go. But before you do, have you downloaded the PDF of Canva keyboard shortcuts?
Keyboard Shortcuts for TEXT in Canva
Add a new textbox, or with your text box selected, use these shortcuts to change how your text looks or is positioned in your design. These are fairly universal and you've probably already used them in other programs like MS Word.
Note CMD is for Mac users, and Ctrl is for Windows users. Note the combined use of the shift key in these shortcuts.
12. CMD/Ctrl + B = Bold Text
13. CMD/Ctrl + I = Italic or Italicized text
14. CMD/Ctrl + U = Underline Text
15. CMD/Ctrl + shift + > Increate font size
16. CMD/Ctrl + shift + < decrease font size
17. CMD/Ctrl + shift + R = Right align
18. CMD/Ctrl + shift + C = Centre align
19. CMD/Ctrl + shift + L = Left align
General Keyboard Shortcuts in Canva
These keyboard shortcuts work on both elements and text when you have the text or element selected in one of your designs or Canva templates.
20. CMD/Ctrl + C = Copy
21. CMD/Ctrl + V = Paste
22. CMD/Ctrl + A = Select all on the current page
23. CMD/Ctrl + X = Delete
24. CMD/Ctrl + Z = Undo
25. CMD/Ctrl + Shift + Z = Redo
26. Shift + Click = Select multiple Items
27. Shift + Arrow key = Move selected item around by 10 pixels
28. Hold Option/Alt & clack and drag any element, image or text to create a quick copy
29. CMD/Ctrl + F = FIND AND REPLACE TEXT
Advanced Canva Keyboard Shortcuts to Move Layers
I do find most of the time, it is easier to use the layers panel in Canva, but these will also help if you quickly want to bring an item to the front or send it to the back.
30. Open Canva Layers Panel = Option (mac) or Alt (windows) + 1 This opens the layers panel in Canva (this is for the new Canva 2024)
30.5 Cmd/Ctrl + K =. Add a link to the selected item.
31. Cmd/Ctrl + multiple click = Select element below. Keep clicking to go deeper.
32. Cmd/Ctrl + [ = Send Element Backwards
33. Cmd/Ctrl + ] = Send Element Forwards
34. Cmd/Ctrl + Option/Alt + [ = Send Element to the Back
35. Cmd/Ctrl + Option/Alt + ] = Bring Element to the Front
Keyboard Shortcuts when you Select Elements in Canva
36. Hold shift = Keep aspect ratio when resizing an image
37. CMD/ctrl + G = Group elements
38. CMD/ctrl + Shift + G = unGroup selected items
39. CMD/ctrl + D = Duplicate elements you have selected
Canvas and Page Shortcuts
40. Cmd/Ctrl + Delete key = delete a blank page
41. Cmd/Ctrl + Enter = Adds page
42. CMD/ctrl + + = Zoom in to Canvas
43. CMD/ctrl + - = Zoom out of Canvas
44. CMD/ctrl + 0 = Set page to 100%
45. Cmd/ctrl + Option/Alt + 0 = Page Zoom to fit
46. Cmd/ctrl + Option/Alt = Add a new comment to a design
Canva Desktop App Shortcuts
If you use Canva desktop App, there are a few additional keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate your way around. You can also use some of these when navigating in a Chrome Browser window for quick switching between designs.
47. CMD + SHIFT + H = Goes to Home tab (Mac)
48. Alt + Windows Home Key = Goes to Home tab (windows)
49. Cmd/Ctrl + 1 -8 = Switch to that tab
50. Cmd/Ctrl + 9 = Switch to last tab
51. Cmd/Ctrl + T = Open new tab
52. Cmd/Ctrl + , = Open setting tab
Canva Presentation Keyboard Shortcuts
Open up any design in presentation mode and try out these shortcut keys next time you want to add a little something special for your audience.
53. ? = Access the menu of the latest presentation short cuts
54. B = Blur the presentation
55. Q = Animated such emoji is displayed and the shush sound made
56. O = Animates bubbles on screen and a popping noise is played
57. C = Confetti on the screen (cool to show a celebration moment). Press this quickly multiple times for even more confetti
58. D = Animated Drumroll and sound to help build up the excitement
59. U = Open and Close curtain animation. When you use this to open with a presentation, you also get a crowed cheer
60. M = Mic drop animation and sound is played
61. X = Clear the animation or effect on screen
If you are not next to your keyboard, you can also download the remote control app and control all the same animations directly from your phone.
And that's all the keyboard shortcuts I've found and tried so far. Have you found one not listed? Let me know over on my social media channels.
Bonus Shortcuts
62. Cmd/Ctrl + / = Open and close side panel
63. Cmd + S = Save your document