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Add, unlock, and remove guides


To help you lay out elements in your designs, enable guides. This is especially helpful for print designs and web layouts. Choose from default guides or create your own.

Use preset or custom page guides

Add guides

  1. Select File from the top menu bar, then
    Rulers and guides.
  2. Select Add guides.
  3. Select a preset from the options: 12 columns, 3 columns, or 3x3 Grid. Or select
    Custom to create custom guides.
  4. Select Add guides.

By default, preset and custom guides are locked to prevent unintentional edits, but can be unlocked if desired.

Any guides previously added to your page will be replaced when a new layout is applied.

Add individual guides

Use rulers

This feature is currently not available when using mobile.

  1. Create or open an existing design.
  2. From the menu bar, select File, then
    Settings.
  3. Select Show rulers and guides. Rulers showing pixel dimensions appear at the top and left of the canvas. These reflect the canvas size, not the final physical product. Canva scales your design to fit when you select a product in the Print panel, but the rulers don’t change. The ruler’s unit matches the design’s dimensions. For example, pixel designs show pixel rulers.
  4. Grey highlight on the rulers will appear when you select and move an element in your design. This is to help you know the element’s exact position.

Add vertical guides

  • Drag the side ruler to your design, or
  • Right-click on your design and select
    Guides, then select
    Add vertical guide.

Add horizontal guides

  • Drag the top ruler to your design, or
  • Right-click on your design and select
    Guides, then select
    Add horizontal guide.

Lock or unlock your guides

By default, preset and custom guides are locked to prevent unintentional edits.

  1. Select File from the top menu bar, then
    Settings.
  2. Uncheck or check Lock guides.

Remove or hide guides

You can do this in different ways:

  • From the editor menu, go to File
    , select Settings, and then Clear guides.
  • You can also remove unlocked guides by selecting them individually and dragging them off the page.

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