How to Highlight Text in Canva

Highlighting text in Canva helps emphasize key information in your designs, making important details stand out.

Whether you're creating social media graphics, presentations, or marketing materials, highlighting text is a useful design feature that’s easy to implement.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of highlighting text in Canva step by step.

How to Highlight Text in Canva: A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Open Your Design in Canva

Log into Canva and open the design where you want to highlight text.

You can either choose an existing project or create a new one by clicking the "Create a design" button and selecting your preferred template or custom dimensions.

Step 2: Select the Text to Highlight

Once your design is open, click on the text box or the specific text that you want to highlight.

This will activate the text editing options, which appear in the toolbar above your canvas. Make sure the correct portion of the text is selected for highlighting.

Step 3: Add a Background to the Text

Canva does not have a dedicated "highlight" feature like traditional word processors.

However, you can simulate a highlight by adding a background color to the selected text.

To do this, click on the "Effects" button in the toolbar, and then choose the "Background" option. This will place a color behind your text, making it appear highlighted.

Step 4: Customize the Highlight Color

After selecting the "Background" option, you can customize the highlight color.

In the toolbar, you'll see a color palette where you can choose from default colors or create a custom shade by clicking the "+" button. Pick a color that contrasts well with your text for maximum visibility.

Step 5: Adjust the Highlight Size and Spacing

You can further adjust the appearance of the highlighted text by modifying the background padding and spacing.

In the "Effects" panel, you’ll find options to increase or decrease the padding around the text.

This allows you to control how much of the background color shows, giving you the ability to create subtle or bold highlights.

Step 6: Finalize Your Design and Save

Once you’re satisfied with the highlighted text, finalize your design by adding any other elements or making final tweaks.

When you're ready, save your design by clicking the "Download" button in the top-right corner.

You can choose the file format that best suits your needs, whether it’s PNG, JPEG, or PDF.

Now that you've learned how to highlight text in Canva, take the next step by discovering how to change to portrait mode in Canva, which is ideal for creating more professional designs.

Conclusion

Highlighting text in Canva is a simple yet effective way to draw attention to important details in your design.

By following these steps, you can quickly add background color to text and customize the highlight to match your overall aesthetic.

Whether you're designing for social media, presentations, or marketing materials, this feature helps ensure your message stands out.

FAQs are here to guide!

Does Canva have a built-in text highlight tool?

No, but you can simulate highlighting by adding a background color behind your text.

Can I customize the highlight color in Canva?

Yes, you can choose from preset colors or create a custom highlight color using the color palette.

Can I adjust the padding around the highlighted text?

Yes, Canva allows you to increase or decrease the padding around text to adjust the highlight’s size.