How to make instagram highlight covers on canva
How to Create Instagram Highlights Covers In Canva — Anna McNaught
Highlight Cover photos in Instagram are the perfect way to make your highlighted stories look professional and branded to match your page. Past 10K followers, you’re able to add a swipe up in your story which makes highlights extra useful because now you can easily share all of your promotions or sales in one place. Next time someone asks for a link, just direct them to that particular highlight. You can even use your cover photos as a way to differentiate between them.
I’ve seen some people get very creative with these and have each one be a different color or theme, Some people have photos or icons, some use text, and some even have hand drawings. Whatever fits you and your brand best - by all means!
Creating Instagram Highlight covers in Canva is super easy and only takes a few steps! I personally use Photoshop to create my cover photos but I know some of you either don’t own Photoshop or are looking for an easy way to create quickly when on the go.
Step 1: Head over to Canva.com or the Canva app.
Create an account if you don’t already have one or log in. Click on create a design and either search from the provided list or type ‘Instagram Story’ into the search bar.
To be honest, you can use just about any size for the highlight cover since you will be uploading it separately from your story but this just makes things easy.
Step 2: Choose a background color or background photo
Choose from Canva’s pre-selected colors or choose your own on the color picker. You can even add your brand’s hex code color. For photos, you can either choose a stock image from Canva, connect your Instagram, or upload your own. (I also recommend using Unsplash or Pexels for stock backgrounds)
Step 3: Add Elements
Add lines, icons, boxes, circles… you name it! In the example here, I searched for photography and added a camera Icon.
Canva has hundreds of free icons to choose from or lots of premium options if you sign up for a membership.
Step 4: Download your image as a PNG or JPG.
From here if you are using a computer, I recommend either airdropping it to your phone or uploading to Dropbox and downloading on your phone.
Step 5: Add to Instagram
Once you’ve saved the image to your phone, open Instagram.
Click on your profile and either add a new highlight or hold down on an existing highlight. Click on ‘Edit Highlight’.
Then click on ‘Edit Cover’. This is also where you can edit the highlight and add old stories or delete images you no longer need.
Next, scroll to the far left so that the little image icon comes up and click on it. This will open your camera roll. Add the image that you just created and click done!
It’s as easy as that! I hope this was helpful and I can’t wait to see how you’ll get creative with your cover photos!xx AnnaAnna McNaughtComment
0 LikesHow To Make Instagram Highlight Covers In Canva (Step By Step)
With the help of Canva, you can create Instagram highlight covers that match your own aesthetic and branding to help your Instagram page look more professional.
With a wide array of templates and customization options inside Canva, you can make a set of unique and cohesive highlight covers in just a couple of minutes.
First impressions only come once, and highlight covers are the best way to make a great first impression. This guide will teach you how to make highlight covers with icons and text. Once your covers are complete, you’ll learn how to upload them to your Instagram story.
What Size Are Instagram Highlight Covers?
The recommended size for an Instagram highlight cover is 1080 x 1920, which is the same as the Instagram story size. However, only a portion of the design is visible on the highlight cover, so remember to keep the crucial icon and/or text in the center of the design.
If you want to start from scratch in Canva, you can select Custom Size on the main page, then type 1080 under Width and 1920 under Height.
Click Create new design to open a new blank design, where you can start your highlight cover from scratch.
This is one way to start your highlight cover, but not the recommended way. It’s much easier to start with a template. I’ll cover how to do this right now.
How To Design Instagram Highlight Covers In Canva
Since Instagram is a diverse place and everyone’s taste and style are different, it’s impossible to show you how to design the exact cover you are after. Some people want bold and bright colors, while others prefer pastel tones; you may want a modern feel or prefer a retro and old-school look. Use these steps as a guide for the technical aspect of creating the covers, but use your creativity to design something that matches your Instagram page and story style.
Step 1: Choose Your Template
The best way to find a highlight cover template is to use the search bar on the main page of Canva. Type in “Instagram Story Highlight Cover,” and you will find hundreds of highlight cover templates.
You also have the choice to create a highlight cover from scratch by selecting the “blank Instagram story highlight cover.
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If you want to make things easier for yourself, choose one of the many templates available. Avoid the templates with the Crown Icon if you’re not a Canva Pro user.
There are two kinds of highlight cover templates to choose from: a template with a single image on the cover or multiple pictures on the cover.
When you open the highlight cover template with the single image, you’ll find between 3 to 6 different covers to customize.
If you choose the highlight cover template with multiple images, you’ll find 12 different covers you can choose from to customize.
Step 2: Change The Icon
Now that your template is set up, it’s time to customize it to fit your theme.
To find the perfect elements for your highlight cover, click the Elements Tab and type in the theme you’re looking for in the Search Bar. Click on Graphics to only see graphics.
To make your search a little easier, click the Options button to the right of the search bar to help you cut down your options.
- Orientation – This is optional, but Canva will present you with more icon-type graphics by checking on Square. This doesn’t work all of the time, and it depends on the theme you’re searching for. It’s worth a try, though.
- Animation – Set this option to Static, so you don’t have to deal with videos or gifs during your search.
- Price – If you’re not a Canva Pro user, check on Free to only be presented with free graphics you can use.
Click Apply Filters to set the limits for the search.
Once you find the perfect icon to use, click it to add it to your canvas.
To replace the old icon in the template, select it to bring up the Mini Options Bar and click on the trash can. Or press the Delete Key.
Next, adjust the size of your new icon using the corner handles.
With your icon in place, you will likely want to change its color.
To change your icon’s color, select it, then click on the color picker. You will be presented with a list of colors you can choose from.
If you want your icon to match your background, you can use the Eyedropper Tool.
To find the Eyedropper Tool, click on the Add A New Color button and then select the Eyedropper Tool. Using the Eyedropper, click the background to change the color of your icon to the color of the background.
Canva has so many elements that you can search for anything and find a good icon to use for your story highlight cover.
Another classic way to make a highlight cover is to use text.
Click on the Text Tab to open your text options. You’ll have three text options: Add A Heading, Add A Subheading and add A Little Bit Of Body Text. You can also press T to add a little bit of body text quickly.
Double-click inside the text block to add your text.
Then, resize the text block to your liking. Remember to delete the template icon if it doesn’t match your design.
With your text in the right size and place, you can change the font to one that best fits your project. To do this, select the text block, then click on the Font Menu. Pick out the best font for your project.
There is so much more you can do with your text, such as highlight text, create curved text, or create some vertical text.
Step 3: Change The Background
With the icon of your highlight cover finished and set in place, it’s time to change the background.
To change the color of your background, select it, then click on the Color Picker. You can choose any of the Document Colors or the Default Colors.
Or, just like before, you can change the color of the background to the color of your icon. Select the background, click the Add A New Color button and use the Eyedropper Tool on the icon itself.
This will match your background with the icon.
You can also make a more complicated background for your highlight cover to try and stand out.
First, under the Elements Tab, search for something related to the theme of your highlight cover. Click on the Photos tab to narrow your search to photos alone.
Click on the photo that works best for you to add it to your canvas.
Align the photo into the corner of your canvas. Then use the corner and side handles to stretch the picture over the entire canvas.
Once you get the photo to fill up the entire background, you can then send it to the background by selecting the Position button, then clicking the Backward button or pressing Control + [ (Win) or Command + [ (Mac).
You can take your background one step further by adding a color scheme that matches the rest of the highlight covers on your Instagram page.
First, under the Elements Tab, find a photo with the color or gradient you need for your theme. Click on it to add it to your canvas, then resize it to cover your entire canvas.
Now, you need to adjust the transparency to blend the color or gradient into your image.
Click the Transparency button and adjust the slider until you have the perfect blend of your color/gradient and the background image.
Once you feel like you have the perfect blend, send the color/gradient backward, just like you did before with the background image.
The last thing you can do is have your text match the rest of the image by selecting it, then clicking the Font Color button.
To match your text with the rest of the image, choose one of the colors from the color/gradient layer.
Since Instagram is a place to express yourself, be sure to create your highlight covers in a way that matches your style. For my story covers, I wanted to create earthy covers that all match and have a similar aesthetic.
Using the various methods above, I created the following covers to add to my page.
How To Upload A Highlight Cover From Canva To Instagram
Once your highlight covers are good to go, the next step is to upload them onto Instagram. First, click the Share button and then the Share On Social button.
From your social media choices, choose either Instagram Business or Instagram Personal, depending on where you want to upload your highlight covers.
Once the image is uploaded to your Instagram story, you need to add it to one of your existing highlights or create a new highlight with it. You can do this by clicking the Highlight button while viewing your story, then choosing your highlight option of choice.
Once the cover is added to a highlight, go to your profile and click on the highlight you added it to view the highlight. Click the More icon and choose Edit Highlight.
Now click Edit Cover and choose the new highlight cover that you just added to your story.
After you rinse and repeat these steps with your other stories, you’re now left with customized highlight covers on your profile!
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How to quickly make a beautiful cover for Highlights on Instagram
The article has been updated. First published: October 22, 2018
The growing functionality of the Stories section has long made working with Instagram* Stories a separate strategy for interacting with subscribers.
In Stories, they make quests and advertise blogs and products, conduct surveys and communicate in joint live broadcasts.
Previously, Stories were available for 24 hours, but due to the popularity of the format, the Instagram* developers allowed content to be saved using the new Stories format, Stories Highlights. It is also called the "Actual" section - it allows you to save stories forever, and also - to fix them immediately after the profile description. You can also sort, name, and change the appearance of pinned stories. nine0003
And if you need to plan Stories, use SMMplanner's super-advanced Instagram Story Builder*.
You can make the Featured Stories section visually appealing by editing their covers, which can improve the overall look of your account.
Saona's Instagram* shop made covers in the same style as the Instagram* profile avatar - a good solution Let's figure out how to do it yourself, without resorting to the services of different "specialists".
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How to add a cover to Stories
Let me tell you a little secret. To add a cover to Stories, it is not necessary to publish it in Stories, as many people do. Incomprehensible characters will only cause negativity among your readers.
You are scrolling through Stories, and suddenly something indistinct pops upI advise you to do it this way:
- Click "Edit Current" and then "Edit Cover"
- Open the gallery. The button is hidden at the very beginning of the row (left)
- Select the desired image and save the cover
Applications for creating stories covers
Okay, we learned how to upload covers. But how do you find a unique cover that suits your style? We have collected several ways, you will definitely find something for yourself.
- Flaticon
This resource offers tens of thousands of icons on a variety of topics. You can use ready-made thematic catalogs or enter the desired topic into the search (for example, "food") - the service will show all the icons that match the request.
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- Pinterest (App on the App Store or Google Play)
We go into the application and write in the search "Cover for Instagram*". You will be given bright and interesting selections suitable for different very different accounts.
- Canva (app on the App Store or Google Play)
Those who read the SMMPlanner blog know what Canva is all about. If not, read the article “Designing Content Without Photoshop”. So you can create an icon or an inscription for your own taste in Canva, however, it will take some time. nine0003
The whole procedure consists of several steps:
- Create a new template.
- In the "Elements" section, look for a suitable image (or upload your own).
- Placed in the center.
- Save and upload to Instagram*.
- App For Type
This method is suitable for those who like bright and interesting inscriptions. The application has a lot of inscriptions, settings and more than 50 fonts.
You heard right. This is not banter, but real advice. Even in Google you can find something interesting. Try it, it gives pretty good results.
Stories cover design ideas and variations
When drawing up a strategy or preparing a content plan, bloggers and SMMs are guided by the target audience. You will laugh, but when choosing a cover, you need to do the same.
Covers are different, that's why the profile is perceived differently. Conventionally, they can be divided into 3 categories:
- Standard covers
Suitable for bloggers, ordinary users and all accounts with a lifestyle theme.
- Thematic covers
Suitable for professionals of all professions.
- Business covers
For example, Black Star did not bother (by the way, you already know how to make a similar cover for yourself).
But if you want to stand out, you can't do without covers like the ones on the right. nine0003
Tip for those who want to update their cover but don't want to dig through apps: you can save any of these collections and upload them to Instagram* right now.
Leah Canarskaya , SMM specialist :
In addition to the obvious function of navigation and stimulating the sense of beauty, Stories Highlights perfectly help businesses implement activities to engage users in content, including sales promotion. This means that you can collect and share subscribers' reviews about your products and services in the "Actual" section, save contests and winners, write about delivery conditions, payment, returns and other relevant information. And my advice to you is that since the captions for the icons of Actual Stories do not contain a sufficient number of characters, it is best to turn to the creation of high-quality, easily and quickly understandable to the user, covers.
Don’t make your Instagram guest* think and search, make it easier for him to purchase a user’s path, since the functionality allows. nine0006
Do you need covers for Stories Highlights
It seemed to me that only lazy people do not use covers for Stories. No! It took me about an hour to find the examples above. Many still don't use Stories Highlights at all.
This means that even now this method is great for standing out.
Yes, this will not affect the increase in coverage or the influx of subscribers, but it will help in other ways. For example, I recently searched Instagram* for people who bake at home. With equal criteria, one of the accounts I found stood out - as you might have guessed, it was well-designed, and Stories were packaged in windows with bright, and most importantly, understandable covers on the splash screen. This is where my search ended and I happily placed an order. nine0003
Whether or not to cling to the cover is your choice, but it certainly won't do you any harm.
To recap
Creating covers is quick and easy if you know where to look for inspiration or ready-made options. Use any of the methods above: Flaticon and Pinterest are a treasure trove of cool icons, collections, and more, while Canva and App For Type let you create your own custom cover.
One thing is obvious - there is nothing complicated about it. With the help of these services (even without a sense of taste!) It will be possible to collect something interesting for any account. And how to beautifully arrange the entire account, you can find out at the master class "Designing an account on Instagram *". nine0003
For information on how to upload photos to Instagram* from a computer, follow the link.
IGTV video cover: how to make, size, format, preview
IGTV video cover is a picture that reflects the essence of the video. In IGTV, it is needed to draw the attention of users to the video on the channel and they want to click on it and watch the entire video.
It's like a YouTube preview. The cover can contain the title of the video, a good shot, a call to action, corporate identity elements (if you have an account for a business). nine0003
In the article we will tell you what size and format the cover should be, how to make it and how to set the preview for the IGTV video.
Advertising: 2VtzqwCpaPT
Read also : Top 10 Instagram promotion courses
IGTV cover technical requirements: format, size, feed preview
format is PNG or JPG.
Size - at least 420 x 654 pixels, aspect ratio 1: 1.55 (the video for IGTV itself has an aspect ratio of 9:16).
Feed preview - allows you to display the video in the general Instagram feed. When clicked, a preview opens after which the user can go to IGTV. If you do not enable the preview function when uploading a video, then it will be published only in IGTV, it will not be in the general feed.
When you turn on the preview in the main feed, you can select only the square frame of the cover, this must be taken into account when creating it.
This is what the IGTV video preview looks like in the general Instagram feed:
It doesn't have to be text, most covers are just a photo without text or a piece of video.
An example of how well-made IGTV covers look like:
How to make an IGTV video cover
Any simple photo editor or application will do, for example Canva - it has both an application and a web version. To register in the service, open the main page: canva.com and activate a 30-day trial period ( later you can refuse it and use the service for free ).
Step 1 . We show how you can create an image for IGTV - go to Canva. There are no separate templates for IGTV here, so we will do it from scratch - click on the "Custom sizes" link and specify 420 x 654 pixels. Click "Create Design", a white canvas appears where you can add elements.
Step 2 . You can choose an option from ready-made templates - it automatically adjusts to our size. nine0003
Or do it from scratch, for example, add a background - a photo or a color.
Step 3 . We add elements over the background - frames, arrows, lines, objects to draw attention to the preview.
We write the text so that the picture contains information about what the video will be about.
If you are going to do a preview in the feed, then you need to immediately make a cover with this in mind. The ribbon will display only the square - what is shown in the central part of the cover. That is, it is cut off at the top and bottom. To fit into the tape, you need to determine in advance where this square will be. To do this, go to the Elements, find a square shape there and add it to the picture. nine0003
Step 4 . Stretch it to the full width of the cover.
We look to get an even square in a ratio of 1: 1, and that it is in the middle of the preview (top and bottom should be the same indent).
You can make the square more transparent and then put it in the background. We get a template, under which we adjust all the other elements so that they do not go beyond this square after publication in the feed.
When everything is ready, we delete our square template - it is no longer needed. Download the picture to a computer or phone for a future video. nine0003
Article in the topic : How to make covers for current stories
How to add a video cover to IGTV
You can add a video cover when uploading a video to IGTV or when saving a live stream. When the video has loaded, you need to set up a preview - you can select a frame from the video or upload a pre-created cover from the gallery. Click "Add from gallery".
Then click Next. Write the title and description of the video.
Setting the preview in the feed
If you want the video to appear in the Instagram feed, move the "Publish preview" slider to the ON position (blue color).
You can edit the display in the feed, click on "Edit Profile Cover".
We see a grid of squares - in the middle is what will be displayed in the feed. You can reduce, enlarge and move what is in the square. If you follow our advice above and make a square template in Canva in advance, it will automatically fit into the grid. nine0003
When everything is ready, click "Publish".
How to change or change the cover
Unfortunately, after publication, you can not change the cover either in Instagram itself, or in a separate IGTV application, or in the online version. You can only change the name and description of the video, to do this, click 3 dots on the video, and then "Edit".
Tip : Make covers that are in harmony with the overall style of your Instagram page.
If you have a business profile, make sure your IGTV preview has brand colors. Pictures with text look good - it’s immediately clear what the video is about. nine0006
Conclusion
IGTV is an app within an app, video hosting on Instagram. The section is becoming more and more popular, as live broadcasts are saved here, here you can upload videos from 1 minute to an hour long, and soon monetization will start working in IGTV, like in YouTube. Therefore, it is now important to work on the quality and design of your content on IGTV.
Useful links :
- 10 Instagram messaging services
- How to set up Instagram ads via Facebook
- How to order advertising from bloggers on Instagram
- How to recover an account on Instagram
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