4 Easy Ways To Use Frames On Canva

Ready to discover how to use the variety of frames on Canva? I promise to show you the best methods with this excellent tool! Let’s get started.

How To Use Canva Frames

The easy way to use Canva frames is by first clicking on the Elements tab on the Editor side panel, and adding a frame to your new design canvas.

Then select the frame and type in the keyword of the kind of photo or video you want in the search bar.

Or upload your own photos or videos. Next, click on your new image or video and drag it over the frame and release the cursor to drop it in the blank template.

You can use frames in Canva in several ways to bring attention and focus to certain areas of your designs. You may wish to add frames to text, photos, videos, graphics, or any media element.

Here are the main ways how to use the available frames:

1. Photo Frames

You can design several photographs such that they look like photo frames. The first thing is to select a photo from the Canva Library or upload an image to your Canva design canvas. Then follow the next few steps to add a photo frame.

Step 1: Edit Image

The first step is to select your image by clicking on it once, then click the Edit Image button on the editor toolbar, a panel will slide out from the left.

Next, click on the Elements tab and go to the Frames section. Then, select See All.

You will then see various frames. The next step is to scroll down to view and select any of the beautiful photo frames from the panel.

The selected photo frame element will appear on your Canva design canvas. Next, click on your image and drag and drop it over the frame.

It will be cropped automatically into the frame. Here is an example of a photo dropped and dragged into one of the Polaroid frames in Canva.

2. Fill Frames With Color

Sometimes, you may want to add an image with a transparent background to a frame with solid background color, or you may not be able to find the element or shape you want from the Canva graphics library.

In this case, a great way to resolve this is to add a frame to your design and fill it with color.

Step 1: Color Tile

To fill your frame with color, first, select your frame by clicking on it. Then, click on the color tile on the editor toolbar above the canvas.

Step 2: Select Color

In the panel that slides out from the left, select any of the colors you like from any of the different sections.

If you want to fill your frame with a custom color, go to the Document Colors section and click on the color tile with the plus icon to add a new color.

You can toggle the color bar to find the color you want or fill in the field with your color Hex # number.

Or pick a color from your design by clicking on the color picker and picking any color you want that can be found in your existing design.

You will see that the color of the frame template has changed to the one you’ve selected.

3. Use Frame As A Border

Another way to use frames is to use them as a border on your photos, videos, or elements.

Step 1: Use Search Bar

In this example, I am doing this by typing in the keyword “borders” into the search bar within the Frames section.

The search brings up countless frame templates that have various borders. The magical thing is that on top of giving your image a border, it also can crop it to a certain shape.

Step 2: Fit Image To Frame

Next, select a frame template with the border and shape you want by clicking on it once. When it appears on your Canva page, click on your image and drag it over the frame and drop it in.

Step 3: Customize Frame Colors

If there are certain colors you wish to have on the border of the frame, you can customize them.

In this example, the border’s default colors are too colorful for the picture that is inside. I’d like to change them to something to match the picture.

Simply select the frame by clicking on it once. Once you do that, refer to the editor toolbar above the canvas, and you will see several colors that correspond to the current colors of your border.

You can only change the colors of the color tiles that appear on the editor toolbar.

In this example, I want the frame border colors to be coherent with the image inside. To do that, with the frame selected, select any of the color tiles you’d like to change on the Canva editor toolbar.

I’d like to change the color of the outer strip of all the ribbons to the same blue as the one on the man’s shirt.

If you don’t know the color code and wish to be as accurate as possible, select the rainbow-colored tile in the Document Colors section, then click on the color picker in the drop-down box.

Next, bring the picker to the man’s shirt and you will see a magnified view of the colors on the shirt. You can see different blue tones.

Find one that you want and click on it once. In this example, this action has turned all outer ribbon strips blue.

Do the same for the other parts of the frame border if they are editable.

4. Separate Images From Frames

You can split a frame in Canva so that one image is separated between multiple frames. But this can’t be done in one click unless there is a Canva frame template created for such a purpose.

Otherwise, the good news is, you can do that with a bit of Canva frame hack in a few steps.

Related: How To Make A Grid In Canva

In this example, I have a few frames I’ve selected that I wish to have one photo added to them and it has to look like a single photo split up by the frames. Instead of looking like this where it looks like I’ve added 4 photos to the 4 frames:

I want it to look like this where it seems as though only 1 photo is used in all 4 frames:

I still have to use more than 1 photo to get this effect, but it works. This is how you do it.

Step 1: Add Guides

First, select File from the Canva menu. Then, select View Settings and select Show Rulers and Guides.

You will see rulers appear on the top and left sides of your Canva page.

Step 2: Layout Frames and Elements

Next, place the frames and other elements you have selected in the positions you want. Then, Select the image you want to be added in the frames so that it appears on your Canva page.

Step 3: Fit Image To All Frames

First, duplicate your image the same number of times as the number of frames you have. Click, drag, and drop one image into one frame.

Bring your cursor to the left ruler until you see a two-sided arrow, and click and drag a guide to the left side, somewhere outside of the frame.

Do the same for the top.

Then, click on your image, and drag and drop it in the first frame. Double-click the image to resize and adjust the position of the image until the image and guides align on the left and top.

Then, expand the right and bottom of the image such that they extend beyond the right and bottom of the frames to cover them fully.

Next, add one duplicated image to the second frame and align the image size and position to the guides.

Then, do the same for the third and fourth frames.

These steps will give you one image split up into different frames like this:

5. Stick image Out Of Frame

You can make part of your image stick out of your frame while other parts are within the frame, just like this one:

There’s no one-click feature for this on Canva, but you can apply a small hack to make this work.

Step 1: Add One Image Into Frame

You will need two of the same image. So first, duplicate the image you want, so that you have two of the same image on your Canva page.

Then, drag and drop one of the images into the frame as usual. Adjust the size by double-clicking the image in the frame and dragging the corners.

In this example, I want the head of the woman to stick out, so I have to extend it out of the frame a bit.

Step 2: Place Image Over Frame

Then, click and drag the duplicated image over the frame while holding down the Command key on a Mac.

Or Ctrl key on Windows.

Doing this while hovering the image over the frame area, allows you to place it on the frame without dropping it into the frame.

Next, with the duplicated image still selected, click on the Transparency tab on the editor toolbar. Adjust the transparency of the image to about 60.

In this way, you can see through the duplicated image to know where exactly is the position of the image in the frame. This helps you match their positions.

Then, adjust the size and position of the duplicated image to match the one inside the frame.

Step 3: Stick Image Out Of Frame

Once their positions match, change the transparency back to 100.

Then, remove the background of the image outside the frame to only show the subject or main image.

If you have Canva Pro, you can use their background removal tool by selecting the image and clicking Edit Image in the editor toolbar. Then select Background Remover. This will remove the background in a few seconds.

Click the Apply button to confirm this action.

If you are a Canva free user, you can use the Adobe Express tool to remove the background for free.

Next, crop the image by clicking and dragging the edge of the image from all sides except the head until it’s enough to see the image is sticking out from the frame.

In this example, the image is cropped so that the brush strokes can be seen on the sides and bottom.

FAQ

For example, sometimes, you want to make an image a circle in Canva rather than the usual rectangular shape.

In this case, you can place your image in a circle frame in Canva so that a part of the image is within a circle and anything outside of it will not be seen.

1. Frames In Elements

You can find frames by first selecting the Elements button on the left-hand side menu. Then, go to the Frames section and click See All. In the various frame options, select your frame by clicking on it once.

Then, upload your own photo or video by selecting the Uploads tab on the left menu. In the side panel that slides out, click on the Upload Files button to select the asset you want from your desktop.

Next, click, drag, and drop your asset into the frame on your Canva design canvas.

2. Frames In Edit Image

The other way to find and add frames in Canva is to first place an image on your Canva design canvas. Then, click on the image to select it. Next, select the Edit Image button on the options menu above the page canvas.

In the panel that slides out from the left, scroll down to find the Frames section and select See All. A range of frame options appear.

Select any one of them and you will see the selected frame appear with your image on the Canva design canvas. Once confirmed, click the Apply button.

3. Shadows In Edit Image

Sometimes you just want simple shadows and borders to form the frame of your image in Canva. In this case, click the image in your Canva design canvas once. Then, select the Edit Image button on the options menu above the page canvas.

In the panel that slides out from the left, scroll down to find the Shadows section and select See All. A range of shadow styles appear. Select any of them and it will be applied to your image automatically.

4. Custom Frame

There are times when none of the frame templates in Canva work for you and you can’t find the exact frame you want. In this case, you may prefer to make custom Canva frames.

One way to do that is to first create different frame shapes in Microsoft PowerPoint, save them in PDF, and upload them to Canva.

You can then use these custom frames in the same way as the usual frame templates provided in Canva.

1. Outdated Browser

One of the primary reasons why frames may not work on Canva is an outdated browser. Canva is a web-based platform that requires modern browsers to function optimally.

If you are using an older version of a browser, it may not support the latest web technologies that Canva relies on. As a result, you may encounter issues with frames not functioning correctly.

To resolve this, ensure that you are using a supported and up-to-date browser. Popular browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari typically provide the best compatibility with Canva. Canva is also compatible with Google Slides.

Update your browser to the latest version and try using frames again. This simple step can often fix the problem and ensure smooth frame functionality.

2. Insufficient Memory or Processing Power

Frames can be resource-intensive, especially when working with complex designs or large files. If your device has limited memory or processing power, it may struggle to handle the demands of Canva, resulting in frames not working as expected.

To address this issue, consider closing unnecessary applications and tabs to free up system resources. Additionally, ensure that your device meets the minimum system requirements recommended by Canva.

If you frequently encounter problems with frames, you might also consider upgrading your device’s hardware, such as increasing the RAM or using a more powerful processor.

These enhancements can significantly improve the performance of Canva and resolve frame-related issues.

3. Technical Glitches

Despite Canva’s best efforts to provide a seamless user experience, technical glitches can occur from time to time.

These glitches can manifest as frames not working correctly or behaving inconsistently. While Canva strives to promptly resolve any technical issues, it’s essential to be aware of the possibility and troubleshoot accordingly.

If you encounter frame-related glitches, try clearing your browser cache and cookies. This action can refresh the browser’s stored data and potentially resolve any temporary conflicts.

Additionally, ensure that you are using the latest version of Canva. Updates often include bug fixes and improvements that can address known issues, including problems with frames.

If the problem persists, consider reaching out to Canva’s support team. They are equipped to assist users with technical difficulties and can provide specific guidance tailored to your situation.

4. Image Not Selected

Another reason why frames may not work on Canva is if you haven’t selected an image to place within the frame. Frames act as containers for your visual content, but if you haven’t added an image, the frame may appear empty or not function as expected.

To resolve this, ensure that you have selected an image from your Canva library or uploaded one from your device.

Drag and drop the image into the frame, and it should fit snugly within the designated area. Double-check that the image is properly positioned and resized within the frame to achieve the desired result.

5. Canva Page Is Locked

Frames may not work if the page you’re working on is locked. Canva allows you to lock individual pages to prevent accidental edits or modifications. If a page is locked, you won’t be able to add, delete, or manipulate frames until the page is unlocked.

To unlock a page in Canva, navigate to the page settings or right-click on the locked page and select the “Unlock” option. Once the page is unlocked, you should be able to interact with frames and make the necessary adjustments.

6. You’re Offline

Frames may not function properly if you’re experiencing connectivity issues or are working offline. Canva is a cloud-based platform that requires a stable internet connection to sync your changes and provide real-time collaboration features.

If you’re encountering frame-related problems while working on Canva, ensure that you have a stable internet connection.

Check your network settings and verify that you’re connected to the internet. Refresh the page or try accessing Canva from a different device to determine if the issue is specific to your connection.