Use frames and crop images into a shape

AI Summary

Frames let you crop images or videos into different shapes to add style and structure to your designs. Think of them as placeholders, where you can drag in your own media or choose from Canva’s library.

Use frames to highlight content, create layouts, add creative shapes, or build mockups.

Add a frame

From the editor side panel, select
Elements.
Under Browse categories, select Frames.
In the Search elements field, describe what you're looking for. Press Enter.
Under Search results, select a frame to add it to your design.

Tip: If you already have a shape on your page and want to use it like a frame, you may be able to convert the shape to a frame. See Convert shapes to frames.

Add images or videos to frames

Once you’ve added a frame, you can drop in media from Canva’s library or your own uploads.

From the editor side panel, select
Photos,
Videos, or
Uploads. If you don’t see them, select
Apps first.
1. You can also find free photos and videos from apps. Open
  Apps, search for the app name, and select its icon to add it to your editor.
Use the
search bar to look for specific photos or videos. You can also use the category buttons to explore the library.
Drag the media over the frame until it snaps into place.

Replace Images in Frames Without Drag and Drop

Users can replace the content of a Frame by using the context menu instead of dragging an image onto the Frame.

Open the design in the Canva editor and add or select an existing Frame.
Right-click the Frame, then select:
- Replace if the Frame is empty.
- Replace Image if the Frame already contains content.
From the side panel, select the image or video you want to insert.

Save time cropping your photos inside a frame by using Smart Crop.

Note: Only images and videos can be added to frames.

Resize and reposition added media

You can adjust how your image or video appears inside the frame by resizing or moving it.

Double-click the photo or video you want to adjust.
To resize, click and drag any of the white circle handles on the corners of the photo or video.
To reposition, drag the photo or video around the grid space.
Select Done to finish.

Fill frames with colour

If you’re not using media, you can fill a frame with a solid colour or gradient for a clean visual effect.

Select the frame you want to fill.
On the editor toolbar, select the Colour tile.
Choose a suggested colour, or select
Add a new colour tile to pick a new one. You can also select a gradient for a more dynamic look

Change the frame’s border colour

Some frames have editable borders. You’ll see multiple colour tiles when this is available.

Select the frame.
In the toolbar, select Stroke colour with the current colour of the border from the toolbar above.
Click any of the suggested colours, or select
Add a new colour to pick a new one.

If the frame doesn’t have a visible border yet:

Select the frame.
Select
Stroke style from the toolbar.
Adjust the stroke weight and style.

To change the colour, select Stroke Colour.

Add corner rounding to a frame

Corner rounding softens the edges of a frame, making it easy to match other elements or refine the overall layout.

Select the frame.
From the editor toolbar, select
Corner rounding.
Drag the slider or enter a number to adjust the curve.

Convert shapes to frames

You can convert some shapes into frames, so you can drag images or videos into them like any other frame.

1. Add your shape and media

Add the shape you want to use to your design.
Add the image or video you want to fit into the shape.

2. Select both items

Select both the shape and the image or video. To select multiple items, drag across them or hold Shift while you select each one.

3. Right-click the selected items to open the menu.

4. Fit the media into the shape

Select Fit shape with media.
The image or video will automatically fit into the shape.

5. (Optional) Detach the media

To separate the image or video from the shape, right-click the fitted shape.
Select Detach image to restore the shape and image as separate items.

What shapes can be converted?

The Change to frame option appears for eligible shapes (for example: basic shapes, AI-generated shapes, and drawn shapes) that have a single visible outline.

When you won’t see “Change to frame”

The option won’t appear if the selected item isn’t an eligible shape, such as:

Graphics, stickers, photos (these aren’t shapes)
Lines, tables, charts (these aren’t shapes)
Multi-part shapes (multiple outlines)
Sticky notes
Repeating/patterned shapes
Existing frames (already a frame)
Shapes that already contain an image/video

Learn more about frames and other elements

Want to learn how to use frames and other similar elements in an interactive way? Select the image below to get started.

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