[Canva Tutorial] How To Design & Split a Seamless Instagram Portrait Carousel Post

Want to create those eye-catching Instagram carousel posts that make people stop scrolling? The ones where the design flows seamlessly from slide to slide, creating one cohesive visual story?

Well,you don't need Photoshop or any fancy design software. Canva has built-in tools that lets you create panoramic carousels AND split them into individual slides, all without leaving the platform.

Why Seamless Carousels Work So Well

Before we dive into the how-to, let's talk about why these carousel posts are so effective:

• They stop the scroll: A design that flows across multiple slides creates visual intrigue

• They increase engagement & time spent on your post: People are more likely to swipe to the end to see the complete design

• They look professional: Seamless carousels give your content a polished, intentional feel

• They tell a story: The continuous design helps guide viewers through your content naturally

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Step-by-Step Tutorial

Step 1 — Determine Your Canvas Size (0:20)

The key to a seamless carousel is getting your canvas dimensions right from the start.

The Dimensions Formula:

• Width = 1080px (Instagram Portrait Width) x number of slides

  • Example: If you want a 5-slide carousel, your canvas is 5400 (W) x 1350 (H) pixels.

• Height = 1350px

Step 2 — Add Equidistant Guidelines (1:02)

This step is crucial for ensuring your slides split evenly:

1. Go to your canvas and look for the ruler/guidelines option.

2. Add vertical guidelines to mark where each slide will split.

   1. Example — For a 5-slide carousel, place guidelines at 1080px, 2160px, 3240px, and 4320px.

These guidelines will help you position your design elements perfectly.

💡 Why this matters: Without proper guidelines, your text or important design elements might get cut off awkwardly when you split the design.

Step 3 — Design Your Panoramic Carousel

Now for the fun part: designing! Here are some best practices:

Design Considerations

• Keep important text and elements away from the split lines.

• Create a visual flow that guides the eye from left to right.

• Use consistent colors and fonts throughout.

• Make sure each individual slide makes sense on its own while contributing to the whole.

Common Design Ideas

• Text that flows across multiple slides

• A large image or graphic that spans the entire width

• Step-by-step tutorials or processes

• Before and after reveals

• Quote graphics with extended text

Step 4 — Export Your Design as One Image File (1:57)

Once your panoramic design is complete:

1. Click the "Download" button in the top right

2. Choose "PNG" for the best quality

3. Download your entire design as one large image file

Step 5 — Split Your Design Using Canva's Built-in App (2:02)

Here's where the magic happens — and you don't need to leave Canva:

1. Go back to your panoramic design and look for Canva's "Apps" section (in the left sidebar).

2. Search for and select a splitting tool (Canva has built-in options for this).

3. The tool will automatically divide your design into equally-sized segments.

4. Each segment will be perfectly sized for Instagram (1080 x 1350 pixels).

Step 6 — Save Images to Your Uploads (2:32)

After splitting, save all the individual slide images to your Canva uploads folder to make them easy to access for the final step, which is to create a new Instagram portrait sized canvas.

Step 7 — Create Your Instagram-Ready Carousel (2:41)

Now to package everything properly for Instagram:

1. Create a new Canva design using the "Instagram Post" template.

2. Create multiple pages (one for each slide of your carousel).

3. Add each split image to its corresponding page.

4. Make sure they're in the correct order (left to right becomes slide 1, 2, 3, etc.).

Step 8 — Preview and Export

Before you download:

1. Use Canva's grid view to preview all your slides in order. You can preview your pages in order with Canva’s grid view (navigate to the bottom right part of your screen to find the view).

2. Make sure the flow looks seamless and makes sense.

3. Check that text is readable on each individual slide.

4. Export/download as individual PNG files.

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Pro Tips for Better Carousels

Content Strategy

• Start with a hook on slide 1 to encourage swiping

• End with a call-to-action on your final slide

• Include your logo or branding consistently across slides

Design Best Practices

• Use high contrast for text readability

• Keep font sizes large enough for mobile viewing

• Leave breathing room around important elements

• Test your carousel on mobile before posting

Engagement Boosters

• Ask questions to encourage comments

• Include swipe prompts ("Swipe for more →")

• Create cliffhangers that make people want to see the next slide

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Text too close to split lines: Always check where your design will be cut

2. Inconsistent branding: Make sure colors and fonts flow throughout

3. Too much information per slide: Keep it scannable and digestible

4. Forgetting mobile optimization: Most people view Instagram on their phones

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Beyond Static Carousels: Creating Carousel-Style “Reels”

Want to take this concept further? You can also use these same principles to create "carousel-style" Reels — video content that mimics the swipe-through experience of carousels. This combines the engaging nature of video with the storytelling power of sequential slides.