Aligning text properly is an essential design skill when creating graphics in Canva. With the alignment tools available, you can justify text to align it neatly and give your designs a polished, professional look.
Table of Contents
Understanding Text Alignment in Canva
There are several types of text alignment available in Canva:
- Left aligned – Text is aligned evenly along the left margin. This is the default alignment.
- Center aligned – Text is centered within the text box.
- Right aligned – Text is aligned evenly along the right margin.
- Justified – Text is aligned evenly along both left and right margins. This creates a clean look with straight edges on both sides.
Proper alignment makes text easier to read and creates visual harmony in designs. A consistent alignment style should be used throughout a design for a cohesive look.
How to Justify Text in Canva
Justifying text in Canva is easy with the alignment tools:
On Desktop
- Select the text box you want to justify.
- Click the Alignment icon in the toolbar.
- Click the icon until the text becomes justified.
Alternatively, you can right-click the text box and select Justify from the context menu.
On Mobile
- Tap the text to select it.
- Tap the Alignment icon in the toolbar.
- Tap the icon until the text becomes justified.
That’s it! The text will now be evenly aligned on both sides within the text box.
Tips for Justified Text
Here are some tips when working with justified text:
- Use consistent fonts and sizes – Mixing too many fonts and sizes can make justified text uneven. Stick to 1-2 fonts in limited sizes for clean justification.
- Check line length – Long lines of justified text can have uneven word spacing. Consider decreasing font size or increasing text box size to improve flow.
- Use small/caps for acronyms – Acronyms and abbreviations with all-caps can disrupt justified text. Format them as small caps instead for better alignment.
- Check paragraph indents – Indenting new paragraphs can help visually separate ideas. Make sure indentation is consistent across justified paragraphs.
- Use letter spacing – With certain fonts, adjusting letter spacing slightly can help even out justification. But use sparingly to avoid words looking spaced out.
Examples of Justified Text
Justified text alignment works well in these design situations:
Longform Text
Blocks of paragraph text will look clean and polished when justified. The straight edges make dense text easier to read. Just be wary of line length.
Justified text example
Quotes
Using justified text for pull quotes helps them stand out from regular body text. The straight edges give them a graphic, eye-catching look.
Justified quote
Titles and Headlines
Justified headlines stand out and grab reader attention. They have a balanced, structured appearance that aligns with many design styles.
Justified headline
Common Alignment Issues and Fixes
Sometimes justified text can look uneven or become distorted. Here are some common issues and ways to fix them:
Text overlaps box border – Decrease font size or increase text box size to give text enough room.
Inconsistent spacing between words – Adjust font size, line height, or justification setting to improve word spacing.
Irregular spacing between letters – Change font or adjust letter spacing setting for more even letter alignment.
Paragraph indents not aligned – Make sure first line indent setting is consistent across all paragraphs.
Paying attention to these alignment issues will help your justified text look clean and professional.
Conclusion
With the alignment tool in Canva, justifying text is simple. This style of text alignment works well for long passages, eye-catching titles, and offset quotes. Keep the line length reasonable, use consistent formatting, and watch out for spacing issues. Proper justification takes your Canva designs to the next level!
