This blog post is about making Instagram highlight covers Canva template. One of the easiest templates that are easily created using a few colors and fonts. A great place to start for a beginner to start with creating templates.
What are Instagram Highlight covers? It’s those round things you see on the main page of an Instagram account. the users click on it opens to images put by the users on it. Some of the images are linked to a shop or website on stories and highlights.
It is now not necessary to have a lot of followers or a verified account. Once the visitor clicks on your link it creates conversions to your shop or website. While it is not necessary to have a cover it just makes it more professional-looking. It’s quite a small circle so something that stands out makes it more appealing for the visitor to click on the highlight.
Why Canva? Canva is fairly easy to use and for the latter one can upgrade and sell templates later on. I won’t go into talking about getting traffic and marketing the templates yet as I have yet to start selling anything. These templates are also great to use on your own Instagram social media. There are differences in what you can do solely for your own use and selling them. As there are rules set out by Canva. If you are just using solely for your blog and social media accounts using existing templates on Canva is not an issue. However, it is a very good idea to learn to start creating your own templates from scratch if your plans are to sell them later on. Here is a link to Canva’s policy on selling templates.
Making Instagram highlight covers Canva templates
Canva account is free to set up. It gives one access to templates and blank canvases. To start creating just choose an Instagram story blank template. There is no Highlight template once it’s loaded onto Instagram highlight it gets cropped. So one can use the same template on stories as well as Highlight.
Start adding colors. What color to use is a good question? One can find inspiration from looking at trends on Pinterest, Instagram, or Etsy. Etsy is a great place to start selling Canva templates and one doesn’t need a website. Search for pastel colors to get some ideas. Even using an existing photo and taking the color elements out of it can be another idea. One word of looking and getting inspiration is different from copying directly. Plagiarism is a big no, no in design work. I find inspiration from picking colors for the images I take for my blog. Then I pick the colors I like on Canva. It is quite easy to extract the colors on Canva. Read on next how to extract colors.
I am using mostly Canva mobile as I could easily use it anywhere. To extract color out of a photo or screenshot that you like. Just use the eyedropper tool in colors to extract the colors from the image. Here is a video I made on Canva to illustrate what I am saying.
After that is done just add text or font. There are plenty to choose from. One can change the color and design of the font. That’s the basics of creating an Instagram story and Highlight. I have seen designs and patterns and highlights but it might require one to create or draw in Adobe Illustrator or using being more creative with using Canva.
Loading Canva made template onto Instagram
So now you have the hard work done next is loading the template onto Instagram. I use my own account and it is a great way to test if it is actually working. To upload or edit the cover/s one need to use the app on the mobile. I have managed to record on how I did it but there is not sound. The way to do it is to download the Highlight cover from Canva onto your phone. Then upload it onto Instagram highlight. this is done by pressing the Edit Highlight on the dropdown more menu on the bottom right of Highlight screen.
Once in edit Highlight click on Edit Cover. the Image is cropped into a round shape.
Thank you for reading and dropping by do have a look at my other blog posts like how to use Snapseed a free photography manipulation app.
Looks really good
Thank you Lin