One handy feature of Canva is the ability to flip elements horizontally or vertically. This can come in handy when you need to create a mirror image of a shape or design element. Here’s how to flip a shape in Canva in three simple steps.
Before we proceed, it’s important to note that you can’t flip vector shapes coming from Canva’s “Shapes” option as seen below.
That said, supported graphics, photos, illustrations, and videos can be flipped. A heart found under Graphics can behave differently from a heart added through Shapes. Canva also excludes text, charts, empty grids, frames, and grouped elements from the Flip tool.
Contents
Step 1: Select The Element You Want To Flip
To begin, open up your Canva workspace and select the element you want to flip. For this example, we’ll use a heart graphic. These steps show the desktop editor; the screenshots use an older Canva interface.
Step 2: Click “Flip”
Once you’ve selected the element you want to flip, click on “Flip” from the tools menu just above the editor. The current desktop route is still select the element > Flip, even if the toolbar looks different from the screenshot.
Step 3: Choose Horizontal Or Vertical
From the dropdown menu, you can choose to flip the element horizontally or vertically. For this example, we’ll keep it horizontal.
And that’s it! Flipping a supported Canva element is a quick and easy way to create a mirrored image. A horizontal flip reverses left and right, while a vertical flip reverses top and bottom. Rotating an element changes its angle and does not create the same reflection.
Can’t find Flip? Check which type of element you selected. For a native shape, try a similar item under Elements > Graphics. For a grouped design, select a supported graphic or image individually. A symmetrical heart may look unchanged after a horizontal flip, so use an uneven shape or a photo to see the difference.
Conclusion
The flip tool in Canva is a simple way to give your layouts a fresh look without rebuilding anything from scratch. Just select the element you want to flip, click on “Flip” from the tools menu, and choose horizontal or vertical from the dropdown menu. Give it a try next time you’re stuck on a design and see how flipping an element can give you the results you need.