How to Make Vertical Text in Canva [The Easy Way]

One of the fun things about design is arranging all of the elements in a way that is synergistic and eye-catching. Sometimes, that means using vertical text so that words aren’t stretched across the entirety of the canvas. But how can that be created in Canva?

The easiest way to make vertical text in Canva is to type out the text that is needed, then make adjustments to the text box by squeezing the corners inward to create a skinny, vertical bounding box.

Creating vertical text is a lot easier than it may seem. Keep reading for a quick step-by-step guide on making vertical text in Canva.

Creating Vertical Text in Canva the Easy Way

If you’ve ever seen a design with letters stacked upon each other, you may have thought it was a hassle to get each letter aligned perfectly. While you could type each letter out in its own box and manually arrange them in a vertical manner, there is an easier and faster way to do this.

Vertical text in Canva can be created with the simple use of one text box. Keep reading to learn how.

1. Add Text to Your Canva Artboard

Before you can start making adjustments to your text, you need text to work with in the first place.

To add text to your design:

  1. Click on the Text option from the menu on the left-hand side. You will be presented with a sub-menu that includes a search box and several text options.
  2. Once you find the text you would like to use, click it, and a text box will appear on your artboard.

When adding your text, try not to use long paragraphs. Vertical text is easiest to read in short phrases or single words. Too many words may cause the text to blend together and be extremely difficult to read.

2. Make Adjustments to the Text Box

Now that you have your text typed out, it’s time to adjust the text box.

To make the text vertical, you will squeeze the box to the point that only one letter can fit on each line:

  1. Around your text box, you will see round dots on the corners and a dashed line on the left and right edges.
  2. Grab one of those dashed lines and pull it in until the letters stack on top of each other.

You may notice that some of the letters appear squished or even go off the artboard. This is fine and will be addressed in the next step. For now, just focus on the first letter and squeeze the box until that letter stands alone.

3. Make Adjustments to the Text

Now that your text is in a vertical position, text adjustments need to be made. Not all text settings will work in a vertical state. For example, letters with long tails or elaborate scripts can overlap the letters above and below. Text size and space are also important, as they will determine how tall the text box is.

Some of the text adjustments that will need to be made include:

  • Text Style
  • Size
  • Color
  • Character Spacing
  • Effects

When working with effects, it is best to stay away from shape effects, as these will alter the shape of your text box. Pay attention to certain letters as well, to make sure that they aren’t touching or overlapping with surrounding letters.

4. Arrange the Text Box On the Design

The final step in creating vertical text is to arrange the text box in your design. Because it is in a vertical setting, it has a few more restrictions than horizontal text in terms of where it is placed.

For example, placing a vertical text box in the middle of a design could create a splitting effect. Generally, vertical text is most popular on the left or right edge of a design. However, this is ultimately up to the designer. 

Working With Multiple Vertical Text Boxes In Canva

If you plan on working with a lot of text, it is best to separate each word into its own text box. This makes the text easier to read and allows for more custom editing such as font size, style, color, and placement.

If you would like to move all of these text boxes as one, simply put them in a group. You can do this by holding shift, clicking each text box, and then clicking the “Group” button at the top.

Final Thoughts

Vertical text can add a lot to a design, and it doesn’t have to be a time-consuming process. Hopefully, you can now create vertical text in Canva with ease.