Canva is a popular graphic design platform that makes it easy for anyone to create beautiful designs, even without prior design experience. One of the many great features of Canva is the ability to add borders and frames to images to make them stand out.
Table of Contents
Why Add Borders to Images
Adding a border or frame around an image serves several purposes:
- It draws attention to the image
- Separates the image from other design elements
- Enhances the image’s visual appeal
- Makes the image look more polished and professional
With the right border, you can really make an image pop on a page or post. The border adds style and personality.
How to Add Borders in Canva
Adding borders in Canva is very simple. Here are the steps:
Search for Borders
- Open your Canva design and insert the image you want to add a border to
- Click on the Elements tab on the left sidebar
- In the search bar, type “borders”
This will display all of the different border options available in Canva.
Add and Customize the Border
- Browse through the different border styles and select the one you want
- Click on the border style and drag it over your image
- Position and resize the border as desired
- Customize the border color, thickness, opacity, and effects in the right sidebar
You have complete control to get the border looking exactly how you envisioned.
Use Frames Instead
Instead of borders, you can also search for and use frames in Canva. Frames can create a similar effect to borders. The process is the same:
- Search for “frames”
- Browse and select a frame style
- Drag the frame over your image
- Customize as needed
Frames tend to be a bit fancier than borders with more ornate details and effects.
Save as Template
Once you have your image looking perfect with a border, you can save it as a template to reuse that same look again easily.
- Click the Templates tab
- Select Save as template
- Name your template
Types of Borders in Canva
Canva offers an enormous selection of borders you can add to images. Here are some of the most popular border types and styles:
Basic Borders
These are simple, solid color straight borders that neatly frame images. They come in varying widths and colors. These tend to work well for minimalist, clean designs.
Basic border example
Patterned Borders
These borders incorporate colorful patterns into the borders like polka dots, stripes, floral designs, and more. They add a playful, whimsical touch.
Patterned border example
Decorative Borders
Decorative borders have extra ornamental details like swirls, curls, corners, and accent lines worked into the borders. These create an elegant framing effect.
Decorative border example
Brush Stroke Borders
The brush stroke borders mimic the effect of a paint brush sweeping around the edges of the image. They have a handmade, artistic feel.
Brush stroke border example
Vintage Borders
Vintage style borders have an old-fashioned look with distressed textures, film grain, faded colors, and paper creases to make images look aged. These can enhance throwback images.
Vintage border example
Shadow Borders
Shadow borders add dimension by putting a shadow effect behind the image to make it stand out on the page. The shadows come in different opacities.
Shadow border example
Transparent Borders
Transparent borders allow the background to show through the border for a lightweight outline effect. These work especially well for images with lots of white space.
Transparent border example
As you can see, Canva offers endless border styles. Play around with the options to find borders that match the style of your brand or design project.
Tips for Using Borders Effectively
Here are some top tips for styling borders to maximize visual impact:
- For clean designs, opt for simple, solid color straight borders
- Use wider borders for a bolder framing effect
- Make sure border colors either match or complement the colors used in the image
- Don’t overwhelm small images with overly thick borders
- Use ornate borders sparingly to avoid a cluttered look
- Mix and match border styles across a multi-page document or collection of images to create cohesion while still having variety
- Save customized borders you love as templates for quick access later
With the right border choices, you can take your Canva images from plain to spectacular. Frame away!
